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Senior English major Halle Mason poses for a portrait while holding a stack of books in the O'Shaughnessy-Frey Library Center in St. Paul on November 21, 2017. Mason is obsessive about Jane Austen and publishes a popular blog about dating.

Bachelor of Arts in English – Literature and Writing

Turn Your Passion into a Career


In the Literature and Writing program, you will be part of a »Æ¹ÏÊÓƵ of thinkers and writers that is dedicated to addressing key literary, social, and cultural issues through a literary lens. Together, we express our passion for reading and writing while engaging in dynamic conversations about the past, the present, and the future of the world.

While cultivating your talents as a writer and thinker, you will develop valuable professional skills. According a recent Pew Trust survey, the most prized skills in the future workplace will be creativity, collaboration, curiosity, emotional intelligence, and advanced communication—the kinds of skills you will cultivate as an Literature and Writing major at St. Thomas.

Our graduates have excellent placement rates in the fields of communication, editing, publishing, marketing, and business. Their success reflects broader trends in the labor market. In fact, graduates with bachelor's degrees in English earn salaries comparable to a number of other majors, including business management and public policy (US Census, 2018 American Community Survey).

A Cutting-Edge Curriculum

  • Course Requirements
  • Four-Year Plan
  • Degrees Awarded
  • Outside the Classroom

    • Course Requirements

    Our program begins with an introduction to English studies and culminates in a capstone seminar that explores an engaging theme in our discipline. Recent topics have included Gothic Literature and the Literature of Social Transformation. The capstone course also includes speakers and activities designed to prepare you for a fulfilling career. Other courses in the major include British and American literature; professional editing; writing for video games; Victorian detective fiction; Native American literature; literature from a Christian perspective; and author-focused classes on James Baldwin, Mary Shelley, and J.R.R. Tolkien.

    Four-Year Plan

    Your four-year plan will vary because we want you to pursue your passions. We recommend connecting with a faculty member so you can start planning early on in your undergraduate career.

    Degrees Awarded

    • Bachelor of Arts in English
    • Combined Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in English
    • Minor in English

    Outside the Classroom

    English students can apply for membership in Sigma Tau Delta, the International English Honor Society, and its affiliated campus Literary Club. Students in the Literary Club go on theater outings and offer readings and other fun activities during the academic year.

    Course Requirements

    Course Requirements

    Our program begins with an introduction to English studies and culminates in a capstone seminar that explores an engaging theme in our discipline. Recent topics have included Gothic Literature and the Literature of Social Transformation. The capstone course also includes speakers and activities designed to prepare you for a fulfilling career. Other courses in the major include British and American literature; professional editing; writing for video games; Victorian detective fiction; Native American literature; literature from a Christian perspective; and author-focused classes on James Baldwin, Mary Shelley, and J.R.R. Tolkien.

    Four-Year Plan

    Four-Year Plan

    Your four-year plan will vary because we want you to pursue your passions. We recommend connecting with a faculty member so you can start planning early on in your undergraduate career.

    Degrees Awarded

    Degrees Awarded

    • Bachelor of Arts in English
    • Combined Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in English
    • Minor in English

    Outside the Classroom

    Outside the Classroom

    English students can apply for membership in Sigma Tau Delta, the International English Honor Society, and its affiliated campus Literary Club. Students in the Literary Club go on theater outings and offer readings and other fun activities during the academic year.

    English Minor

    Express your creativity and take your love of reading and self-expression to the next level! The English minor is flexible, allowing you to choose any four courses (16 credits) above the core English requirement. You may choose literature courses, professional writing courses, or creative writing courses in whatever combination you choose. Or you might decide to focus on a specific area such as writing or women’s literature. Many English courses satisfy Integrations in the Humanities (IH), Global Perspectives (GP), Fine Arts (FA), Signature Work (SW), or Diversity, Inclusion, and Social Justice (DISJ) core requirements. An English minor enriches and strengthens any major with advanced communication and project management skills that are highly valued by today’s employers.

    Practical Experience. Real Results.

    Not only do our faculty have years of experience and knowledge, but our students and alumni are applying what they learn in practical ways every day.

    English »Æ¹ÏÊÓƵ Todd Lawrence teaches a graduate English class in the John R. Roach Center for the Liberal Arts.

    Dr. Todd Lawrence

    Dr. Lawrence believes in the power of storytelling. When the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers blew the levees in 2011 to divert floodwater from a town in Illinois, they destroyed the predominantly African American town of Pinhook, Missouri in the process. Dr. Lawrence collaborated with residents to write about the disaster, authoring When They Blew the Levee: Race, Politics, and Community in Pinhook, Missouri with co-author Elaine Lawless. The text focuses on environmental justice and the persistence of »Æ¹ÏÊÓƵ.
    English major Mollie Laidly is shown reflected in the window of the Dubliner near the corner of University and Cretin Avenues.

    Mollie Laidly ‘17

    Mollie immersed herself in literature and art history courses while completing internships with Graywolf Press, Minnesota Orchestra and other non-profits during her undergraduate career at St. Thomas. She began working at Twin Cities Public Television after graduation as a project coordinator, giving her the opportunity to use her writing, visual analysis and reading skills to promote the common good.
    Headshot of Henry Koller.

    Henry Koller ‘19

    Henry dedicated his life to the pursuit of justice and examined various stories of injustice throughout his career at St. Thomas. As an English major, he learned the critical thinking, writing and speaking skills he needed to be successful in the rigorous law school curriculum at Stanford University.
    Person sits at a table with a laptop writing in a notebook.

    Career Paths

    We give you the tools and knowledge you need to work in a variety of different industries after graduation.

    • Law
    • Editing
    • Writing
    • Teaching
    • Marketing
    • Non-profit administration

    A Wide Range of Interests

    Dr. Emily James presents during the LDCW Chocolate Reception and Feminist Friday, in Terrence Murphy Hall fireside room,

    Dr. Emily James

    Dr. James teaches about 19th and 20th century British and Irish writers. Her interest in modernism extends across the arts.

    Associate »Æ¹ÏÊÓƵ Amy Muse speaking.

    Dr. Amy Muse

    Dr. Muse sees theater as a space for experiencing wonder and intimacy. She teaches Shakespeare and performance for social change.

    Kanishka Chowdhury, Director of ACD, speaking during the ACD Capstone Presentations in the OSF Library Leather Room

    Dr. Kanishka Chowdhury

    Dr. Chowdhury teaches postcolonial literature, and currently researches literary representations of victims of human rights injustices.

    It's More Than Reading and Writing

    English students have access to a bounty of opportunities, including on-campus events with renowned authors and study abroad courses all over the world.

    St. Thomas students on study abroad program in Rome, Italy pose for photos while on a tour of the Colosseum.

    See Another Side of the World

    From single-country study abroad experiences in England, Scotland and Ireland to trips that visit a variety of European countries including the Netherlands, France, Greece and Italy, you have a number of ways to explore literature and culture.

    Viet Thanh Ngueyn, author, speaks during the Viet Thanh Ngueyn Lecture and Book Signing in O'Shaughnessy Educational Center Auditorium on Tuesday, November 14, 2017. 

    We Bring the Experts to You

    Viet Thanh Nguyen, the winner of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, came to St. Thomas to meet students and read from his novel The Sympathizer in 2017.

    Students smile as they work on their laptops on the second floor Campus Way of the Anderson Student Center October 13, 2015. 

    Ready for the Next Chapter

    Whether you choose to go to law school or pursue an advanced English degree, we provide you with the tools to be successful at the next level. Our graduates are now studying at places like Yale, Fordham, Purdue and the University of Minnesota.

    English professor Alexis Easley (left) and student Shannon Kelly converse during a staged scene in the John Roach Center November 2, 2015. Taken to promote English department mentor programs. 

    Your Teachers and Mentors

    Talk about being a multi-talented. English faculty are recognized scholars and dedicated teachers who provide you with the individualized attention you need to reach your academic and career goals.

    Left to right, Mark Ehling (99, English), Lisa Brimmer ('08, English), and David Doody ('01, English) pose for a portrait at the Minneapolis Photography Center in North Minneapolis on December 5, 2013. The three UST alums are all making names for themselves in the literary arts. The portraits were taken for a St. Thomas Magazine feature story. 

    Prepared for What's Next

    Recent alumni work in editing, writing, marketing, teaching, research and non-profit administration. Their advanced writing and critical analysis skills made them highly sought after in creative and language-based professions as well.

    English student video

    Find Joy – and a Career

    A Literature and Writing major conveys to employers that you have advanced communication skills. It also signals that you are a creative thinker who knows how to solve problems with empathy and intercultural awareness.

    During your time at St. Thomas, you will have opportunities to gain practical experience through internships, collaborative research, and editing our literary arts magazine, Summit Avenue Review. The Twin Cities is a major publishing hub, so you will have many opportunities to get involved in the local literary scene.

    A St. Thomas student works with English faculty.

    Combined BA + MA

    Our department offers an accelerated program for English majors, the only program of its kind in the region. Talented undergraduates can complete both a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degree in just five years instead of the traditional six.

    Related Majors and Minors

    Our program pairs well with a number of other majors and minors at St. Thomas.

    Majors

    Minors

    Take the Next Step

    best-value-logo-2022-transparent.pngThere is more to learn about St. Thomas; including our ranking as a Best Value »Æ¹ÏÊÓƵ by U.S. News & World Report, the many classroom and extracurricular activities that will be part of your student experience and so much more. Schedule a visit to see our beautiful campus or start your application today.