Your Career Opportunities

In today's job market, English graduates have a variety of career options. Employers are looking for people who can speak and write fluently and effectively, who are comfortable interacting both one-on-one as well as with groups, who understand human motivation, and are able to analyze and interpret information. English is a desirable major for entrance into such fields as public relations, advertising, library science, personnel, law, education, editing and writing, and management. Although some of these fields require graduate training beyond the bachelor's degree, most English majors find positions right out of college.

English at St. Scholastica

St. Scholastica's English Department is committed to a fusion of liberal arts and professional options. English majors have the option of designing programs that meet their needs as they prepare for careers in a wide range of fields.

English majors may choose from two tracks: (1) the BA for those students whose career interests include a graduate degree in English, law, or medicine, or a career in allied areas such as management, publications, government service, communications and public relations; and (2) a BA and licensure for students wanting to teach language arts in middle, junior or senior high school.

St. Scholastica prides itself on the personal attention given students. Full-time faculty teach all English courses, and English majors work closely with a department advisor, discussing career plans and making schedule choices. Class size is limited to 20 in writing courses and 25 in literature courses, thus making possible extensive student-faculty interaction in the classroom. Faculty maintain informal contact with students, and there are more formal opportunities for student - faculty interaction during the school year.

English faculty have expertise in a number of areas, which makes possible a variety of course offerings. The English Department is one of the most highly respected at the College; its members are involved in numerous professional activities such as publishing poetry, doing research on regional drama competitions in Ireland, editing scholarly texts and publishing regularly in Medieval Studies journals. Yet every faculty member regularly teaches at least one first-year writing course as well as more specialized courses in individual areas of expertise. There are no graduate student teaching assistants.

The English Major

English majors must fulfill some department requirements, but there is considerable room for personal choice. The student and the advisor are responsible for developing a program of study. Together they choose those courses which will lead to a degree and best prepare the student for a desired professional career.

Students wanting to major in English (but not interested in teaching licensure) must take a total of 40 courses in English, including one course from the sophomore genre sequence (poetry, fiction, drama), three courses from the period surveys (American and British) and one course in advanced writing. Twenty-four of those 40 credits must be upper division (3000, 4000). Prospective majors should take at least four English courses by the end of their second year at which time they apply for admission to the major.

Teaching English in Middle, Junior and Senior High School

English majors wanting secondary licensure must also take a total of 40 English credits, 24 of which must be upper division (3000, 4000). The Minnesota Department of Children, Families and Learning and The College of

St. Scholastica English Department require: