Department of English & Communication Studies

We humans are textual animals. We are born into linguistic and cultural patterns that to a large extent script our lives -- but which we can rewrite to some extent. English and Communication Studies equip students to understand, exploit, and, yes, to enjoy their textual condition.

Areas of Study

Major: English (B.A.)
Major: English with Teacher Licensure (B.A.)
Major: English & Communication Studies (B.A.)
Minors: English / Communication Studies

Our department is special because…

Literary study is a way to understand not just literature but life and culture. To that end majors in English and Communication Studies follow a course of study that allows them to explore a variety of written and visual forms and to study major texts in depth. They learn to read with an awareness of cultural context, to think clearly and accurately about texts, and to carry this precision into their own writing and speaking.

This is all pretty grand, of course. More down to earth, the ability to read critically and the ability to think and write and speak clearly are of immense practical value.

According to a 2004 study by the National Commission on Writing, one-third of employees in the nation's blue-chip companies write poorly, and businesses are spending more than $3 billion annually on remedial training. (The same group found in 2005 that the states are spending about $221 million annually on similar programs for state government employees.) And in periodic skills-gap reports by the National Association of Manufacturers, writing deficiencies in the workplace always come near the top in employers' list of workplace problems.

In such a climate, the training one receives in English and Communication Studies well equips one for productive employment in a wide range of professions.