About English at Westminster

Why Study English?

Studying great literature is not only richly rewarding, it will help prepare you for a variety of careers including teaching, professional writing, publishing, non-profit administration, business, librarian, information science, and law. According to a recent article in Fortune magazine, "a liberal-arts degree, plus good communication and computer skills, signals to recruiters that you'll be adaptable to a wide range of jobs." Hiring managers report that "strong communication skills are the single most important attribute a candidate can have." A degree in English will develop your communication skills, critical thinking ability, and cultural literacy.

Why Choose Westminster's Program?

We stress the development of effective written and oral communication; the close reading of literature and film; the application of theoretical perspectives to literary analysis; and building a framework for interpreting historically and culturally diverse texts.

The Anne Newman Sutton Weeks Poetry Series brings notable writers to our campus each year, and students gain editorial experience through work on Ellipsis, Westminster's national literary magazine. We have also integrated our curriculum with programs such as Education, Environmental Studies, Gender Studies, and Film Studies to help you develop an amalgam of skills, and to underscore the relationships between English and other disciplines.

What Else?

You may opt for an academic major or secondary teaching major culminating in a B.A degree in English, or for an academic minor, secondary teaching minor, or elementary teaching minor.

For a list of the Top Ten Reasons to be an English Major at Westminster, please
click here.