Available On Campus
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
- Technical writing for business and nonprofits
- Editing and publishing
- Creative writing
- Education
- Advertising and marketing
- Public relations
- Pre-law
PLAN OF STUDY (Degree Checklists)
English (B.A.)
English Language Arts & Reading (7-12) Certification (B.A.)
WHAT YOU WILL Do
- Study masterpieces of World, British, and American literature
- Learn how language is acquired, functions, and changes over time
- Examine how literary texts are produced and how they reflect and sometime alter the societies that produce them
- Think about the social construction of identity, including race, class, gender and sexuality
- Process and synthesize text-based information skillfully
- Master conventions of analytic, creative, and technical writing
- Learn and practice research skills
- Cultivate writing skills that surveys repeatedly show employers want
- Prepare for standardized subject-area tests (Eng Ed)
- Learn how to teach literature, writing, and grammar (Eng Ed)
- Develop strategies for classroom management, assessment, and curriculum design (Eng Ed)
DEGREE OPTIONS/FUTURE ACADEMIC PATHS
Graduates are awarded a B.A. in major. Because of its emphasis on writing and critical thinking skills, the B.A. in English has proven to be a valuable degree for students who go on to pursue advanced degrees in law, medicine, library sciences, journalism, theology, education, and business.
Program strengths in Western American literature mean that you can earn a minor in Western American Studies along with your BA. The department offers funded opportunities for professional development in areas related to the American West and Southwest and American regionalism. These opportunities exist also for the MA program, which offers an emphasis on Western American Studies.
The English Department also offers certificates in Technical Communication and Creative Writing.
CAREER CLOSE-UP
Technical Writer
Median wage (TX) - $63,350
Median wage (US) - $67,910
Editor
Median wage (TX) - $62,440
Median wage (US) - $52,830
Wage information taken from http://wtamu.myplan.com
Prerequisites
- Interests in reading and writing
- Curiosity about culture and identity