Overview

Reading literature is not just an entertaining pastime. It helps you understand yourself and others. By reading, we learn to read individuals, read cultures, and understand how language works to shape both. By writing, we learn to analyze, synthesize, and become powerful critical and creative thinkers.

The English department from Alma College challenges students to be passionate about words and to engage fully with the ways that reading and writing promote critical thinking and a deeper ability to see the world through different perspectives.

Career

Whether the goal is breaking into publishing or developing a career in grant writing, students who want to write and edit for a living have a lot of opportunities.  Students interested in careers in public relations or marketing can pair their degree with campus work in those fields and internship experiences.  

Students interested in teaching English find the program prepares them well for a career in teaching.  The graduates find themselves well-prepared, not just for the English subject test, but for the classroom. Students are exposed to teaching that engages and that recognizes different learning styles.  We offer opportunities to develop a deeper understanding of teaching writing through writing minor courses, and we encourage future teachers to develop the visual and digital literacy necessary to teach modern learners.