Overview

The English: Literature program of Northwestern University will deepen student's literacy to the point where you can make literal and figurative sense of virtually any English-language text. You will sharpen your skills in research and critical analysis in order to reach reasoned judgments – and your skills in writing and oral argumentation in order to persuade others of the validity of your positions. And you will do all this by studying some of the most aesthetically beautiful creations in the English language, from Beowulf to Beloved, from faculty members who have won teaching award after teaching award from Northwestern University, Weinberg College, and the Associated Student Government.

Career paths

Given these credentials, it’s not surprising that Northwestern English majors have achieved success in a wide variety of fields. Top employers for our recent graduates range from Teach for America and Chicago Public Schools to Buzzfeed and the Washington Post to Google and Deloitte. In the last few years, our alumni have also gone on to nearly every kind of professional school—including business, law, medicine, education, public policy—and have pursued graduate studies in literature at some of the best universities in the world. All of these organizations, and many more, value the top-notch analytical and communication skills you will learn in your Northwestern English classes.