English

Overview

The critical thinking and writing skills an English major develops at at Saint Mary's College of California can be applied in a wide range of professions. Some of our graduates head for careers in teaching, writing and the arts. Many head into the law. Some have published books soon after graduating. Others apply their critical and creative skills to careers in high tech. 

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the English Program, students will be able to...

• Engage in informed, active reading, bringing to bear a broad base of literary, historical and cultural knowledge.

• Read critically a wide range of literary texts, with an awareness of the theoretical assumptions behind various interpretive strategies, and the ability to choose appropriate methods of inquiry and to formulate clear questions.

• Apply a variety of reading strategies, combining critical detachment with the intellectual, imaginative, and emotional engagement necessary for appreciation.

• Write clear, well-reasoned prose for a variety of situations (academic, professional, social) for a variety of audiences and support their arguments with appropriate, thoughtfully analyzed evidence.

• Converse articulately about texts and interpretations, understanding that interpretation is often a dialogic, collaborative process.