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Q. I think I want to major in English. What courses should I take?
A. You will already be taking one of our composition offerings based on your placement (English 1001, 1101 or 1102). You may also consider taking your First-Year Seminar from a member of the department. This course will ask you to read, think, and write about a body of texts that typically appeal to students interested in the major.
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Q. Which courses should I take to help me decide if I want to major in English?
A. English 2213 (which you can take after you’ve taken English 1102) will provide you with a systematic introduction to the major. Keep in mind that the English major is flexible—you can fulfill its requirements by concentrating on literature, on writing including journalism, or on rhetoric (the art of persuasion). Or you can combine these approaches.
If you choose to focus on literature, you can also customize the classes you take to support your particular interests (e.g., women's studies, American studies, African and African-American studies, etc.).
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Q. Which courses could I take in the department if I have another major?
A. A 2000-level course that focuses on a special topic, such as horror fiction, is a good choice. You might also consider an entry-level course in journalism.
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Q. I’m not that interested in literature but like writing. What courses can I take?
A. Yes! We have designed a new writing minor that approaches writing from a variety of different perspectives. You can view a flyer for this minor by clicking on the following link: http://www2.mcdaniel.edu/english/images/writingminor.pdf.
Also revamped within the past year was the journalism minor, which now includes both the Editing & Desktop Publishing course and the new McDaniel Free Press Newspaper Practicum (see below for details).
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Q. What kinds of special opportunities are offered outside of the classroom?
A. Contrast is a student-run literary magazine featuring poetry, fiction, literary nonfiction, photographs, and other artwork. In the fall and early spring, the magazine's editorial staff sponsors and judges contests for poetry and fiction. In the mid-spring, the staff turns its attention to the layout and design of the whole magazine. Although the editor-in-chief is selected from the previous year's staff, the magazine welcomes entering freshmen to participate as literary and art editors.
The McDaniel Free Press Newspaper Practicum, combined with existing journalism courses such as Advanced News Reporting & Writing, give you the opportunity to learn and practice forms of news gathering and writing, news photography, page design, and editing. These skills are then applied to the production of the student newspaper. Students also learn techniques for selling advertisements and basic rules for ad design. By the end of the semester, students have clips for their portfolios and the confidence to land entry-level newspaper jobs.
Given the number of English Department faculty who teach First-Year Seminars, we also offer a number of peer-mentor positions for students in their junior or senior year.
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Q. What kinds of careers do English majors pursue?
A. English majors are sought after within a variety of workplaces because of their strong critical thinking and writing abilities. Past English majors have become newspaper reporters, English teachers, sales executives, editors, project managers, information architects, meeting planners, interpreters, copywriters, attorneys, advertising consultants, and technical writers.
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Q. Can I major in English and still study abroad?
A. Easily. Many of the English major requirements are electives and can easily transfer over from any accredited program. Clearly, studying at our Budapest campus is the easiest way to study abroad, but recent English majors have also studied in Australia, Ireland, and England.
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Q. How can I major in English and complete a minor in education?
A. English majors are certainly able to complete an English major and education minor, but as is the case with any major you choose, you will want to begin mapping out your course work as soon as possible to ensure that you have taken all of the required classes.
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