The primary reason to major in English, of course, is for the pure love of language and literature itself, a pathway through the beauty, the emotion, and the universal themes that have linked writers as diverse as William Shakespeare, Emily Dickinson, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, or Toni Morrison. English majors read books for pleasure and fulfillment. It's a love affair that lasts a lifetime. Along the way, however, English majors also learn to think deeply and write carefully about a rich array of texts and topics, skills that prove useful to many occupations. Each year, for example, English majors perform better in law school admission tests than do any other majors. Top employers recognize in English majors the ability to analyze problems, to sift through evidence, and to speak and write coherently. That experience prepares English majors for a variety of careers in the arts, in education, in business, or in communications. The graduate of an English program is prepared to learn for a lifetime because careful reading, deep thinking, or effective communication never becomes obsolete.
Perhaps the best way to evaluate the English major is to listen to some
of our alumni.