Bachelor of Arts (BA) in English
Write your own future.
Make your undergraduate career one of exploring the profound nuances that permeate our lives, and then champion them in one of humankind’s most fundamental and poignant methods of communication: the written word. Let writing change you and your world.
The William Woods University Bachelor of Arts in English program enables you to study and produce great writing across the discipline. Whether you’re interested in literature, creative writing, professional writing, or film studies, our program offers a variety of classes for you to use as the first steps in writing the story of your own future.
The BA in English program builds your knowledge and experience in research, writing, reflection, editing, and theory. Fine-tune your interpretive and rhetorical skills through classroom analysis and debates. Try your hand at creative writing while you study the works of iconic and influential writers of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, drama, and screenplays. Learn the fundamental precision of technical writing, an essential tool in all professional fields. Explore multifaceted forms of creativity and strategy, cultivate your passions, gain invaluable skills, and move ahead with purpose, fueled by inspiration and equipped for success.
Special opportunities
- Engage in service activities and classroom assignments—such as grant and proposal writings, public readings, film festivals, creative writing contests—which have strong connections to work you will do in your professional career, helping to build your portfolio
- Join Sigma Tau Delta, the International English Honors Society, and foster your appreciation and knowledge of the field through national conferences, speaker series, and other events with like-minded peers
- Work side-by-side with professors and mentors who share your love for writing, research, literature, and all other elements of the English language, and who offer their personalized attention to your development as a professional in the field
- Gain experience in developing creative content and engaging with a community of writers and critics through campus student organizations like Writer’s Ink and the Reel Fanatics Student Film Club
- Explore and establish exciting interdisciplinary opportunities—such as double-majors or cross-curricular projects—with other fields such as ASL, History, Communications, Business, and Law
- Complete internships, capstone projects, grant writing exercises, and research alongside expert faculty to gain broadly applicable knowledge in the field and prepare for success in any future career
Our English degree at work
Pursue an exciting career as a/an:
- Publishing
- Professional and technical writing
- Editing
- Journalism
- Teaching
- Marketing
- Grant writing
- Copywriting
- Speechwriting
- Development
- Screenwriting
- Copyediting
- Or, attend graduate school for law, education, journalism, and more.
Employers
- Department of Labor
- The Rolla Daily News
- IRS
- Ingram's Business Magazine
- Battle Creek Bombers Minor League Baseball Team
- And more
Alumni Perspectives
I have always been interested in English and equally interested and dedicated to writing academically, creatively and journalistically. William Woods University has given me the opportunity to explore all of my interests. I am grateful for the support and sincere concern for my academic career from the professors of the English department.
— Nickol Enss, English major
I chose to attend William Woods University because I felt the one-on-one attention I would receive from small classes would be most beneficial for me in my professional life, and I have never regretted it. In my field of study, rarely did I have to sit through hours of boring lecture classes — Many of my classes were hands-on. I got much more practical application for my skills than I would have at a larger university.
— Leah Hohmeier Strid, English graduate
Requirements/Curriculum
The Bachelor of Arts in English degree at William Woods University consists of 122 distinct credit hours for graduation — including 21 core major credits, 18 credits of required electives, a year of foreign language and a minor.
Courses you may take
ENG 218 - Introduction to Creative Writing -L - 3.00
Creative Writing is considered from aesthetic and structural perspectives: students read and discuss contemporary writing in poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction, and/or drama; develop their expressive writing skills through writing assignments; discuss and evaluate concepts related to the aesthetic challenges writers face. Prerequisite - ENG101
ENG 280 - Introduction to Literature -L - 3.00
Students are introduced to the major genres of literature (fiction, poetry, and drama), as well as their attendant forms, conventions, and contexts. Students are also introduced to techniques for interpreting, analyzing, and commenting on literature, using the vocabulary of literary studies. Prerequisites: ENG101
ENG 308 - Creative Writing - 3.00
Students will develop their skills as creative writers by completing writing assignments and crafting full length imaginative works. Workshops wherein each student's work is critiqued by all members of the class are a major part of this class. *Course may be repeated one time, for additional credit Prerequisite - ENG102
ENG 414 - Shakespeare - 3.00
A study of Shakespeare's comedies, tragedies, and histories, and of his cultural background. Prerequisites - ENG102
ENG 440 - Humanities Senior Seminar - 3.00
Students design and create capstone projects and portfolios for the undergraduate English major, in which the program core objectives are synthesized and applied. Prerequisites - ENG102 and Senior Standing
Curriculum
Admissions Information
Learn more about undergraduate admissions requirements, deadlines, tuition and financial aid available to you.