Career Opportunities

The English major emphasizes clear writing, careful reading, analytical thought, human connection, and creative problem solving, all of which are sought after in today’s job market. College graduates with a degree in English enter a wide variety of career fields, including (among others): law, education, business, arts administration, entertainment, technical writing, public affairs, human services and non-profit work, writing and editing, publishing, advertising, politics. Alternately, students may continue their education in Ph.D. and graduate programs in creative writing, information science, medicine, languages, education, law, and other fields. With this flexibility of career fields also comes a broad range of potential employers. UMass English alumni work for law firms, radio stations, public and private schools, colleges, universities, libraries, nonprofit organizations, television stations, newspapers, government agencies, publishing companies, magazines, broadcasting companies, and trade, professional, and consumer publications (among many, many other fields). The Department also actively encourages majors to meet with HFA Advising & Career Center career counselors and to pursue internship opportunities during their time at the University. To help students with career development, we collaborate with the HFA Advising & Career Center on panels and other events, bring alums to campus, and every semester we offer an entire course on career and professional development for English Majors.