United States | Learnedness

What Will I Study With an English Degree?

English is a wide and varied major. You could wind up studying everything from fast-paced journalism to modern comic books. Here are some of the most common things English majors study.

Composition

If you want to study our language, you’ve got to be able to write it. Compositions tend to focus on things like written arguments, personal narratives, persuasive essays, creative writing, and basic paper structure. If you can’t make an argument on paper and argue for it successfully, you won’t survive college. Don’t brush off your composition courses.

Classic Literature

Most colleges require students to study both American and British authors. American courses will have you studying authors like Edgar Allan Poe and Herman Melville. British courses study a variety of authors like Lord Tennyson or Charles Dickens.

Modern Literature

The classics are important, but most universities want you to have a grasp on what’s happening in the current literature world. You may read novels by the likes of Toni Morrison or famous post-modernists.

Literary Analysis

Colleges want you to be able to analyze literature in addition to reading it. Prepare to draw lengthy analyses using a variety of theory concepts.

Specialties

English is much too broad a subject for you to study “general English.” Most programs will have you pick a specialty within the field. Journalism students will widely study media, news writing, and other journalism topics. Technical writers will work to enhance their technical writing skills. Creative writers will take courses in subjects like poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction.

Colleges in the Greater Boston Area

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Few cities have as many centers for higher education as Boston. This town is chock full of college students and it offers plenty of student-friendly experiences. Boston is also one of the oldest cities in the country and beautiful old buildings and businesses abound.

Here are just a few of the colleges you’ll find in the Boston area.

MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) MIT is one of the most cutting-edge schools in the country. If you’re going for tech, science, or math, this is the place to be. MIT is located in Cambridge, which used to be its own town but is now considered a Northern neighborhood of Boston. Cambridge is easily accessible by the T, Boston’s subway station.
Harvard College. This is the country’s most prestigious university– and for good reason. This Ivy League university was founded all the way back in 1636. Outside of its stellar academics, Harvard also boasts one of the prettiest campuses in the country.
Boston University. This private institution’s roots reach back to the 1830′s. In addition to its challenging courses, Boston University also hosts the most diverse student body in the United States. Since BU brings in so many exchange students, it hosts plenty of study abroad opportunities, too.
Emerson College. Emerson focuses on performing arts and communication and was founded in 1880. This is one of the most urban campuses in Boston. The Emerson campus is located at the corner of Boston Common. Its notable alumni include stars like Jay Leno, Henry Winkler, and Denis Leary.