St. Charles / St. Louis
English (BA)

"Through literature, we can enter into the lives and experiences of people who don’t look like us, think like us or live like us. From this sojourn in the lives of others — and its limits — we learn about ourselves and our values."

- Larry Jackson, "Literature, Humanities and the Democratic Moral Imagination."

We are a dynamic department that offers courses in literature from around the globe, ranging from the traditional to the contemporary, as well as a diverse selection of creative and professional writing courses. Our program provides you with an engaging, rigorous, and personal education that will stimulate your intellectual growth while empowering you to become:

• Professional Writers who can adapt their knowledge to a variety of writing tasks.
• Skilled and Ethical Researchers skilled at using non-traditional and traditional research tools.
• Sophisticated Readers who understand and appreciate both their own and other cultures.
• Creative Thinkers who develop their own artistic abilities while appreciating the creative expression of others.
• Emerging Scholars with the intellectual resources to question traditional ways of thinking.

The Value of an English Major

Graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English opens up your professional options to a wide variety of careers. Careers in publishing, mass media, education, law, marketing, copywriting, editing, and technical writing—one of the fastest growing fields in the country—are common for graduates with this degree. But one of the chief benefits of an English degree is not being tied to any single field. Your experiences in your English major will enhance your writing, reading, analysis, and research skills. These skills are highly valued by employers, and English graduates earn salaries comparablewith those of graduates in many other fields, such as business management and public policy. English majors who choose to take our Creative Writing Emphasis will focus particularly on developing their writing and editing skills across a variety of contexts, with opportunities for writing fiction, children's literature, creative non-fiction, and even video games, and the chance to work with a team of fellow majors to edit and publish the annual edition of our award-winning literary journal, Arrow Rock. For more information on the value of an English bachelor's degree on the job market, see our Careers in English page

FLEXIBILITY:

• Writing courses and some literature courses do not require a textbook; all sources are freely available online.

• Great variety of courses.

• Manageable credit hour requirements that combine easily with other majors and minors.

REAL EXPERIENCE, REAL SUCCES:

What's it like to be an English major? Learn more about the extracurricular events and groups you can be a part of it at Lindenwood.

Our program provides you with an engaging, rigorous, and personal education that will stimulate your intellectual growth while empowering you to become:

• Professional Writers who can communicate fluently and engagingly in support of any career or pursuit.
• Efficient and Ethical Researchers skilled at using traditional and non-traditional research tools.
• Sophisticated Readers who can engage insightfully and empathetically with others’ ideas and who understand and appreciate both their own and other cultures.
• Creative Thinkers who develop their own artistic abilities while appreciating the creative expression of others.
• Emerging Scholars with the intellectual resources to engage with the most crucial questions and problems facing the world today. 

Interested in becoming an English Studies major? Contact us for more information about our program!

Earning a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English at Lindenwood University

BACHELOR OF ARTS IN ENGLISH

Through the Bachelor of Arts in English degree at Lindenwood University, you can study literature from a variety of time periods and genres. Whether you are interested in studying the medieval world through the works of Chaucer, using literature to trace the social and political development of the United States, diving deeply into the genre of Gothic literature, or exploring the global diversity of the English-speaking world, Lindenwood’s English program has courses for you. While earning an English BA degree, you will read a wide range of American, British, and world literatures. The degree requires a minimum of 36 credit hours in English courses, including a senior capstone course that prepares you to apply your skills in your future career.

CREATIVE WRITING EMPHASIS

A Creative Writing Emphasis at Lindenwood University offers you the opportunity to explore, expand, and workshop your own creative and professional writing with award-winning faculty.  Creative writing courses explore a range of genres, from fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, novels, screenwriting, writing for game design, and more!  Professional writing courses prepare you for a career in technical writing, editing, and publishing. You will even get the chance to work on the student-run literary magazine Arrow Rock and to learn about how to publish your own work in literary and professional venues.

See a list of English Course Descriptions to see the range of possible courses you might be taking.

SECONDARY EDUCATION CERTIFICATION IN ENGLISH

A Secondary Education Certification in English at Lindenwood University gives you the knowledge and skill set  necessary to become a highly effective high school English teacher.  This program will equip you with the same knowledge and competencies as our English BA, with courses in classic and contemporary literature from around the globe, as well as a diverse selection of creative and professional writing courses. You will complete additional courses that prepare you to teach your future students effectively and confidently, such as Grammar and Writing and Teaching of Writing. Award-winning faculty will model engaging classroom activities and instruction, and the literature studied will deepen your appreciation and love of reading.

Students who seek to be certified to teach English at the secondary level (grades 9-12) must complete a major in English Studies, take ENGL 37200 and 40400, complete a minor in secondary education (9-12), and take EDU 33400.

Students in any English BA track will also complete the General Education requirements of the Bachelor of Arts. You are also required to be proficient in at least one foreign language up to the Elementary II level, which can be fulfilled by coursework, a placement test, or a combination of the two.

Life as an English Major

"Studying English shaped how I see the world and how I express myself in it, deepening my appreciation for language and story, and also teaching me how to think critically, write with purpose, and connect with others. These lessons still guide me in my career every day. Since graduation, I have taught middle school science, fifth grade, and am currently teaching Innovations Technology for kindergarten through fourth grade in the Orchard Farm School District. I was the 2012 Fort Zumwalt District teacher of the year, as well as an Emerson Excellence in Teaching Award Winner. I have presented at multiple local and national conferences, specifically detailing my work creating STEM education that is adapted for special education learners. I also work with St. Louis Lighthouse for the Blind every summer working with visually impaired young adults and have attended Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama, with my visually impaired students. This summer I was the proud recipient of the Educational Technology Association Award and was also selected by MIT Engineer and host of Emily's Wonder Lab, Emily Callandrelli, as a national winner of her teacher astronaut contest. As a result, this summer I will be featured on an episode of her TV show Xploration Outer Space and will take part in a zero-gravity flight!"

- Melissa Tackett (Class of 2008 and 2013)

"I was an English major with a minor in secondary education. Each and every course I completed was taught by very intelligent and seasoned English professors who challenged me to critically think about literature, to ask meaningful questions, and to write words that say what is intended with purpose and conviction. My time at Lindenwood prepared me exceptionally well to teach literature and composition to the leaders of tomorrow."

- Margaret (Class of 2017), English Teacher, Webster Groves High School

Making a Career out of What You Love: Careers in English

What can you do with a BA in English? Fortunately, English is a degree program adaptable to many careers. Read more about Careers in English.

Our Faculty

Our department represents a wide variety of scholarly interests in English studies, all of which you’ll have a chance to explore when you're an English major. Learn more about our faculty.

Caption: Dr. Ben Cooper, Assistant Professor of English, speaks about his book, Veteran Americans: Literature and Citizenship from Revolution to Reconstruction, before an engaged crowd at Left Bank Books.

---