• Additional Requirements
• Admission to the English Major
• English Education Major
• English Major
• English Minor
• Learning Goals
• Why Study English
• Writing Minor

• English Programs
• Faculty & Staff
• Spanish Major & Minor

• Catalog and Course List 
• Center for International Education

Why Study English?

English is More than a Language

English is both a way of thinking about the world and a world in itself, a place where the imagination and intellect combine to teach us about the most important subject of all – ourselves as human beings. When you study language and literature, you encounter an important expression of human experience and humane values. You also learn about history, philosophy, law, politics, medicine, anthropology, sociology, theology and business, for the study of literature is the study of people, both as cultural and as psychological beings, and there are practically no limits to your subject matter. English is of course a language, but it is also the words and thoughts that for centuries have given insight into what it means to be alive.

Succeed in a Wide Variety of Career Paths

Over the years, English has been a route to rewarding careers in business, education, and government. The reason for this success is simple: employers have come to realize that English majors have been taught to be innovative and articulate. They also realize that as society continues to grow more technical and complex, key personnel will be needed to help people communicate with each other as people. As long as we depend upon language to make ourselves understood, the English major will always be practical.

Pave the Way to Graduate School

The English major also leads to a wide variety of professional graduate programs. Master’s and doctoral programs in English accept students who want to prepare for college teaching and research. Historically, law schools have drawn their students from both political science and English. MBA programs and medical schools have also begun turning to majors from the liberal arts, such as English, for students. The English major at Saint Xavier University is flexible enough to allow for the addition of those basic courses in business or science needed for admission into professional programs.