B.A. English

Develop the skills needed to write critically, read analytically and communicate confidently as well as a broad cultural and intellectual perspective--invaluable skills in a global economy.

English majors at Clemson hone their ability to think critically and write skillfully through the study of literature and texts of all genres and periods in both print and new media. You will deepen your understanding of the history of the language as you follow your own interests through a curriculum that can bring together Shakespeare’s plays with contemporary cinema, American slave narratives with digital methods of literary editing, the 19th-century realist novel with postcolonial poetry and more. Your courses will vary from discussion seminars devoted to close literary analysis and scholarly research to creative writing workshops in fiction, poetry and other genres to collaborative work on editing and publication projects.

Earning a Bachelor of Arts degree, you will engage in the fundamental inquiries of humanities study: What is humanity? How do I live a good life? What is justice and the right? At the same time, you will develop practical skills in writing, communication and argument that are relevant to a wide range of 21st-century careers, including publishing, education, media, marketing, law and medicine.

The English major is flexible and offers students courses in three core subjects: literature, writing and publication studies, and literary theory and cultural studies. Courses for our majors typically take the form of small seminar-style discussions, nearly all of them limited to 21 students. Students work closely with our faculty, who also serve as our major's academic advisers. Outside the classroom, our students frequently supplement their studies by writing for campus literary magazines or by attending and helping to organize public lectures and readings, such as the annual Clemson Literary Festival. Intensive reading, writing and discussion cultivate students’ powers of thinking both critically and creatively. English majors acquire knowledge of culture and history as well as skills in lucid and persuasive communication that prepare them for bold engagement and endeavor in the world