Southwestern’s English Department prepares students for a life of engaged, critical thinking by studying the literature and cultures of the English-speaking world. Reading, discussing and writing about texts past and present, students gain a deepened understanding of literature’s role in shaping and reflecting society.  They learn skills of interpretation, analysis, research and writing, whose applications and value span a broad spectrum of personal and professional pursuits.

Our faculty members guide students through a broad range of issues and texts in courses that go beyond established, national canons of literature. 

Students can engage Shakespeare’s tragedies, Hollywood screwball comedies, Chaucer’s verse, Charlotte Brontë’s or Toni Morrison’s fiction—exploring, testing and challenging the complex and divergent perspectives they find.

• The major in English is part of the Bachelor of Arts program, which includes the option of a paired major in English and Feminist Studies. 
• A minor in English can be combined with any major program at Southwestern. 
• In addition, students seeking certification to teach in secondary schools may choose English as a second teaching field, and those seeking elementary certification may choose an academic specialization in English.