Why Major in English

If you have ever thought about majoring in English but have not made up your mind, read on. The first part of this section describes the fundamental advantages of the English major; the second part discusses how those benefits can help you move ahead after you have attained your degree.

*****

WHY MAJOR IN ENGLISH?

The traditional answers to that question are still the most persuasive. Studying English means examining the whole heritage of our culture. It means coming to grips with the most fascinating ideas and thinkers in intellectual history. And it means dealing with concepts and movements not simply through abstractions, generalities, or statistics, but through great works of imaginative literature that capture the spirit of their times and the complex feelings of the people who wrote and read them. Studying English means learning about the passions and perplexities, the hopes and fears of human beings who sometimes appear very different from us, but who are at other times very much the same. Learning about them gives us the chance to learn about ourselves. In short, majoring in English provides an opportunity to grasp more profoundly what it means朼nd what it has meant杢o be human.

Comprehensive Knowledge

All of the liberal arts provide humanistic learning in one way or another. But the attraction of English is its comprehensiveness, the opportunities it offers either to pursue a particular focus or to try to see the whole picture and to write analytically about these insights. Since the principal subject of English is literature, and since the subject of literature is life, the possible approaches to a great novel, poem, or play can be as various and multifaceted as life itself. English ideally includes almost every other branch of knowledge, because virtually every part of human knowledge can be relevant to a great work of art. In English, therefore, a student has the chance to pursue particular interests that seem especially intriguing, or combine many different approaches at once. English offers you the chance to study the history of literature as well as the ways literature affects history. You can study the biography of a particular author, or the sociology of that author's culture. You can focus on the psychologies of writers as well as their readers. Even the history and methods of book publishing could be important--along with the very act of reading itself.

These, in brief, are the traditional reasons for majoring in English. English makes you more aware of your own humanity by bringing you face to face with the humanness of others. It reminds you of the challenges people have faced and the ways they have coped with them. It introduces you to the accomplishments of our culture, and it offers models of behavior and thought to emulate or avoid. It cultivates your ability to analyze problems carefully but creatively, to explore and organize large masses of information, and to translate the discipline of thought to the written page. It makes for intellectual flexibility combined with intellectual rigor. In the final analysis, it brings a sense of reward, fulfillment, and pleasure.

English and the Professions

Is it practical? Can an English degree prepare you for a respected career that pays well? Yes! And for a number of reasons.

Teaching English. If you want to teach English, there are various options open to you. With additional certifications or advanced degrees, you can teach at almost any level, from elementary school to high school, at community colleges and at major universities. In almost every school at almost every level, the English department is one of the largest on campus, because the need for education in English never ends. Teaching English, moreover, can be a particularly satisfying career.

Jobs Beyond the Classroom. Let's assume that you don't intend to teach. What other options are available? Your degree in English will help you develop skills that will prove useful to you in just about any professional position you can imagine. Your ability to think clearly, to analyze complex problems, to sift the essential from the non-important, to focus on details without losing sight of the whole picture, to perform research, to evaluate evidence, to find new and creative ways to deal with old problems, and to express the results of your analysis in effective language杢hese are skills vital to genuine achievement in nearly every profession. In fact, the qualities that an English major develops--the talent to explain ideas clearly on paper or through speech--have been repeatedly rated by Fortune 500 company executives as the most vital skills for employees to possess.

Careers in Law. If you hope to become an attorney, the skills you acquire in English will obviously help. English has always been one of the most popular undergraduate majors for those planning to enter law school because it develops precisely the capacities a lawyer needs, especially the ability to construct a logical argument on behalf of a point of view.

Business Applications. If you want to enter the business world, your major in English can give you a definite advantage. The business community often complains that too many students, especially engineering, science, and business majors, cannot communicate adequately in undertaking such assignments as memoranda, reports, or speeches. Moreover, liberal arts majors can compete effectively for corporate managership in such areas as planning, organization, decision-making, face-to-face leadership, oral communication, intellectual ability, and motivation for advancement. Liberal arts majors demonstrate strong interpersonal skills and administrative abilities.

What can an English major do in business? Many things. Possibilities include editing and writing (including technical writing), public relations, training, sales and marketing, personnel relations, management, and research and development. Our on-the-job internships and editorial seminars can help in the publishing business. In the entrepreneurial world of small businesses striving to become large ones, the English major is a capable manager or an articulate and motivated employee. English offers supreme versatility.

Government Employment. In addition to careers in private business, a degree in English can help you find employment in the public sector. Many jobs in government emphasize skills in writing, including those of an administrator or administrative assistant, planner, community relations coordinator, editor, education specialist, research analyst, and legislative assistant. Numerous agencies at every level of government need people who can deal confidently with complicated ideas and express those ideas clearly.

Other Opportunities

English majors have distinguished themselves in fields as diverse as library and information science (where English remains a popular preparation for graduate studies toward the M.L.S. degree), art history, advertising, insurance, and tour planning. English is a preferred non-science major for medical schools. Many magazine editors were English majors. Verbal skills and vocational goals have a way of coming together if one is alert and diligent.

It's Up To You

Of course a degree in English cannot guarantee you a job. But it will definitely be an advantage. Pursuing an English degree seriously and thoughtfully helps develop your mind and cultivate your awareness as well as increase your employability. It can help give you confidence in yourself as a thinker, speaker, and a writer. It can help you earn a living, but best of all it will bring lasting meaning and satisfaction to your life.