English
The English major at Earlham explores the power of literature to shape the world, including a specific focus on literature and social justice.
In the program, you’ll encounter a broad diversity of voices, both those that have been canonical for centuries and those that have been silenced throughout much of history. You’ll take classes that focus on specific genres (e.g. poetry, drama, or the novel); theoretical approaches to literature; and themes of peace and justice, including race, gender, sexuality, class, colonialism and environment.
The major includes both past and present writers, from the United States and Great Britain as well as a wide range of other English-speaking countries.
Recent graduates have become Fulbright scholars and teachers or have gone into graduate programs in English, journalism, literature and social work.
“Earlham’s English major has taught me that our skill as writers is only as good as our ability to read and interpret. Through a willingness to listen, learn, and develop new understandings, our role as English majors is to apply these skills towards shaping a more equitable and just world—starting right here, in the classroom.”
George Morpurgo, ’22
English major
“My degree refined my writing, public speaking, and presentation skills, which are all relevant to the media industry. My English professor Scott Hess helped me understand how to write for professional and academic purposes, and how to influence people through my writing. His critical yet encouraging style of teaching helped enhance my social and technical development for communication through oral and written media, ultimately building my confidence for public speaking. This development was important to preparing me for the real world of work and academia.”
Grace Mulamba ’20
English Major
“Majoring in English was always a dream of mine. The Earlham English major and the Creative Writing minor are what really opened doors for me. Excellent course curriculum exposed me to diverse works by the likes of Rudolfo Anaya, Claudia Rankine, and Arundhati Roy. The Crucible Editorial Internship allowed me to find my true passion and I am now pursuing a career in publishing. For that, I’ll always be grateful to Earlham and to all of my professors.”
Illianna Gonzalez-Soto, ’20
English major
“I fell in love with the English major because it opened up whole other areas of experiences that I’d never been exposed to. I’d been missing out on the experiences people had in their lives that show real issues. Literature allows us to learn about other perspectives from people who have not been allowed to speak before.”
Stephanie Petry ’18
English and chemistry major
“The Earlham English major not only gave me a strong foundation for graduate school, it introduced me to methods of thoughtful engagement with literary history in ways that deeply impacted me as an educator and cultural critic. Whether I am teaching Shakespeare in the classroom or recording podcasts on game studies for a public audience, I aim to extend the ethos of insight and compassion that defined my Earlham English major experience.”
Michael Lutz ‘11
English major
Readers, writers and thinkers encountering the world
Earlham English students study off-campus, successfully pursue post-graduate fellowships like the Fulbright and Watson, and use their degree as a foundation for careers based in communication and research.
Study in London
Many English majors spend a semester studying in London, England. On a recent experience, Earlham students developed digital multimedia guides about The Lonely Londoners, Voyage in the Dark, and The Emigrants.
Gain hands-on publishing experience
The Crucible, started in 1956, is a student-run literary magazine that publishes works by Earlham students. Its student-staff gain invaluable experience in editing and publishing.
Our faculty
From Shakespeare to American nature writing to the African diaspora, faculty interests span a wide variety of time periods and literary voices, offering students both depth and breadth in their coursework.
Program details
The English major will prepare you to think critically, analyze texts and communicate effectively. Our alumni have built careers as novelists, poets, teachers, librarians, journalists, lawyers and people working in both the nonprofit and business worlds.
As a liberal arts college, Earlham offers multiple disciplinary and interdisciplinary majors and minors in which students cultivate deep and specific knowledge and experience. Equally important, the College expects every student to develop broad, general skills and proficiencies across the curriculum.
As part of their general education, students complete six credits in each academic division of the College: humanities, natural sciences, social sciences, and visual and performing arts. In addition, students meet requirements for first-year courses, analytical reasoning, perspectives on diversity and wellness.
To earn a Bachelor of Arts in English, you must take the following courses:
Introductory courses
These courses are appropriate for first-year students. Students can select one (1) of the following courses:
- ENG 203 Women and Literature
- ENG 204 African American Literature
- ENG 205 American Literature and Ecology
- ENG 206 Literature and Identity
- ENG 207 Literature and Film
- ENG 208 Contemporary Literature
Required courses
- ENG 302 Foundations of Literary Study
- ENG 401 Junior Research Seminar
Content courses
Choose six of the following upper-level literature courses, with at least one course in each category: peace and justice, theoretical approaches, and genre.
English 350, 351, 353, 358, 373, 378, 379, 380, 382 and 463 may each be taken more than once if the topics are different.
If you desire, you may take the following in place of one of these content courses:
- Another related course taken at Earlham or abroad, pending departmental approval.
- ENG 481 Internships, Field Studies and Other Field Experiences
Peace and justice
- ENG 309 Prophetic Black Women
- ENG 350 Contesting America
- ENG 351 Class and Ideology in Literature
- ENG 353 Topics in Peace and Justice in Literature
- ENG 358 Gender and Sexuality in Literature
- ENG 364 Postcolonial Literature
- ENG 463 Topics in African American Literature
Theoretical approaches
- ENG 369 Contemporary Literary Theory
- ENG 373 Topics in Literary Theory
Genre
- ENG 359 Shakespeare
- ENG 378 Romances, Epics and Quests
- ENG 379 The Novel
- ENG 380 Drama
- ENG 381 Topics in Literary Period
- ENG 382 Topics in Genre and Narrative
- ENG 383 Understanding Poetry
- ENG 386 Reading and Writing Short Fiction
- ENG 387 Reading and Writing Poetry
Senior capstone
- ENG 488 Senior Capstone Experience
Yes! To earn minor in English, you must:
- Complete one of the following:
- ENG 203 Women and Literature
- ENG 204 African American Literature
- ENG 205 American Literature and Ecology
- ENG 206 Literature and Identity
- ENG 207 Literature and Film
- ENG 208 Contemporary Literature
2. Complete ENG 302 Foundations of Literary Study
3. Complete three content courses. One from each in Peace and Justice, Theoretical Approaches, and Genre.
In addition to off-campus study programs and research experiences with faculty in places like London and Tibet, English students have also participated in a variety of internships. Recently, students have interned at the Indiana Review as a submissions intern, at GenNow as a media and writing intern and at Writers House as an editorial intern.
Through our 3+1 Education Program, you can earn a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) and teaching license—all in just nine semesters.
You’ll leave Earlham with two degrees, licensed to teach grades 5-12 in Indiana. (And it’s easy to transfer your license to other states—many of our graduates do!)
The English major is for students who enjoy reading literature from a wide variety of perspectives, examining that literature through different lenses and using it as a pathway to understanding human society.
In our English program, you’ll develop strong analytical and communication skills, making you an excellent candidate for graduate school programs and careers in education, research, law and communications, among other fields.