Overview

Whatever field you eventually pursue, however, our majors enter their chosen career with carefully honed skills in analytic reading, writing, and argumentation. They can claim a thorough education in the English literary tradition. In addition, the department’s increasingly interdisciplinary and transnational focus enables majors to become conversant with non-western literary texts and traditions and literary theory. Beyond teaching a body of literary works, the department’s courses aim to give our students sophisticated skills in literary and cultural analysis—skills that equip them well for a lifetime of ongoing education.

Key facts

• By offering three distinctive programs, the Department of English encourages individual students, in consultation with faculty advisers, to personalize their studies while still acquiring the breadth of knowledge and skills of the traditional English major. The curriculum at Vanderbilt University provides extensive coursework in the history of British and American literature, in literary theory, and in expository as well as creative writing. Our diverse offerings—both at the level of broad survey as well as more advanced, specialized topics in literary movements and problems—reflect the interests of students and faculty in the ever-widening area of English studies.
• The English Department encourages its students to participate in a number of study abroad programs to enhance their study of literature and culture with overseas study and travel. Our majors regularly study abroad both through Vanderbilt programs and programs sponsored by other universities in Australia, Italy, France, Denmark, and China. For students on campus, the English Department’s Gertrude Vanderbilt and Harold S. Vanderbilt Visiting Writers Series brings writers to campus every year to give public readings from their work and to meet with students. There is a spring Literary symposium with a different theme each year.