The Field

Perhaps the greatest value in the study of English language, literature, and cultures is that it lets you live outside your own experience. Literary study teaches empathy with others and a critical judgment that recognizes ideology and rejects simplistic explanations. Reading and writing, both at increasingly sophisticated levels of complexity, allow students to engage critically with the ethical problems and cultural dilemmas that define our world.

In sum, as a department of writing and literature, English offers an excellent humanistic education, a solid foundation both for students who intend to go directly into a career upon graduation and for those who will go on to graduate or professional schools.