ENGLISH

Disciplinary Major or Minor - www.uwgb.edu/english

OVERVIEW OF ENGLISH:

Courses in English develop students' understanding of important works of American and English literature, give them awareness of and appreciation for our literary heritage, provide them with historical and theoretical perspectives and deepen their insight into their own experience. Inherent in achieving these aims is the development of students' ability to express their ideas orally and in writing and to use research skills. In addition, the English program also offers courses in the writing of poetry and fiction, and English majors may choose an emphasis in creative writing.

Students study English for a wide variety of reasons, ranging from personal growth and enrichment to preparation for a profession or career. Graduates in English have found employment in personnel work, public relations, business management, journalism, free-lance writing, publishing, and many other fields requiring a strong liberal arts background and communication skills.

WHO SHOULD BE AN ENGLISH MAJOR :

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS. If you like to read, are interested in words and ideas, are comfortable with your writing skills, and have a creative flair, then an English major might be right for you.
PREPARATION FOR A CAREER. English is an excellent preparation for any employment requiring a strong liberal arts background and communication skills. It is also a good major for students going into professions such as law or theology.
AND FURTHERMORE. Even if you are uncertain now about your career plans, an English major can provide you with the opportunity for personal growth and enrichment that will last you a lifetime.

WHAT’S UNIQUE ABOUT THIS MAJOR AT UWGB:

BREADTH & DEPTH. Students majoring in English must have an interdisciplinary minor. Students often select Humanistic Studies and Communication and the Arts, but may choose Human Development, Social Change and Development, or other appropriate programs. These combinations provide additional dimensions to the English major.
EXCELLENT FACULTY. The English department does not use graduate students as teachers, and all faculty in English are fully qualified, with appropriate terminal degrees. All are committed and experienced teachers.
BEYOND THE CLASSROOM. Although internships are not required for English majors, many are available in areas such as public relations, business communications, and television. They provide students with the opportunity to explore possible careers and prepare them for the workplace.

SKILLS & ABILITIES GAINED WITH THIS MAJOR:

FOR THE WORKPLACE. An English major will develop your oral and written communication skills, sought by employers, as well as your ability to read perceptively, think critically and research and analyze problems.
SHAKESPEARE WOULD BE PROUD. Besides providing you with the pleasures of reading the best in literature or of developing your own creative writing skills, a major in English will also give you a strong sense of the traditions and historical contexts which are an important part of our culture and which continue to inform our lives.

WHAT YOU CAN DO WITH A MAJOR IN ENGLISH :

Use the following as an idea list, and remember that they represent some, but certainly not all, of the careers you might consider in English.

The following list represents a few of the kinds of career titles for English majors:

Account Executive, Actor/Actress, Advertising Copywriter, Artist, Author of Fiction & Non-Fiction, Assistant Scientific Writer, Biographer, Book Critic, Circulation Assistant, College Professor, Columnist/Commentator, Comedy Writer, Copywriter, Creative Writer, Art/Book Critic, Desktop Publisher, Documentation Specialist, Editor, Literary Agent, Journalist, Manuscript Reader, Marketing Specialist, Narrator, Paralegal, Playwright, Poet, Proofreader, Public Speaker, Publisher, Radio and TV Commentator, Reporter, Researcher, Teacher, Technical Writer…

The following list represents a few of the kinds of businesses and institutions that employ English majors:

Writing/Editing- Newspapers, magazines, broadcast media--script writing, trade, professional or consumer publications, promotional, advertising agencies, colleges and universities, any organization or publication with technical focus or technical areas
Literature Related- Public and private libraries, universities, businesses, government agencies, bookstores, books, magazines and newspapers, radio, TV, movies, companies, institutions, special interest groups, local, state, and federal government, museums, libraries, businesses, Special interest groups
Education- Public schools, private schools
Publishing- Special interest magazines, trade magazines, association and organizational magazines, Sunday newspaper supplements, mass-market paperbacks, educational and professional books, religious books and magazines
Advertising- Advertising agencies, in-house agencies of large companies
Public Relations- Public relations firms, advertising agencies, in-house public relations departments, trade associations, colleges and universities, nonprofit organizations

Want to know more about the nature of the work, working conditions, earnings, training, and job outlook? Then check out the Occupational Outlook Handbook @ http://stats.bls.gov/ocohome.htm

LINKS TO GRAD PROGRAMS FOR ENGLISH:

Graduate School Guide. The comprehensive on-line guide to doctoral, masters, and professional programs. http://www.schoolguides.com
Gradschools.com. The most comprehensive online source of Graduate School Information. http://www.gradschools.com/
Peterson’s.com. The most comprehensive and heavily traveled education resource on the web. http://www.petersons.com/
Or you can try any of the following search engine sites for information on the graduate school program of your choice! http://www.yahoo.com, http://www.infoseek.com, or http://www.snap.com

LINKS TO WEB SITES FOR MORE INFORMATION:

National Council of Teachers of English. Devoted to improving the teaching and learning of English and the language arts at all levels of education. Homepage @ http://www.ncte.org
Authorlink. The award-winning news, information, and marketing service for editors, literary agents and writers. Homepage @ http://www.authorlink.com
The Writers Club. Community and services to support, educate, and inspire writers. Homepage @ http://www.writersclub.com/
Voice of the Shuttle. English Literature Main Page. Homepage @ http://vos.ucsb.edu/browse.asp?id=3
Modern Language Association. The style for preparing scholarly manuscripts and student research papers concerns itself with the mechanics of writing, such as punctuation, quotation, and documentation of sources. Homepage @ http://www.mla.org/
University of Wisconsin-Madison Writing Center. Offers some of the many instructional materials developed for their Writing Center teaching. Homepage @ http://www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook/

LINKS FOR MORE HELP:

For course listings and descriptions for EDUCATION and other disciplines, check out UW-Green Bay’s Programs of Study page @ http://www.uwgb.edu/catalog/undrgrad/programs.htm
More help is available on-campus at the Career Services Office at SS 1600, 465-2163. Homepage @ http://www.uwgb.edu/careers
Contact Academic Advising at SS 1600, 465-2362. Homepage @ http://www.uwgb.edu/advising
Another service for UW System students on the Web is UW HELP On-Line. This service provides in-depth information on the programs of the UW System. You can find them at @ http://www.uwhelp.wisconsin.edu

Updated 10/08