English

Bachelor of Science (B.S.)/Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)

Use your skills with language to write a vibrant future.

No matter what form your passion for words takes, Frostburg State University’s undergraduate program in English can help you make the most of effective and thoughtful communication. Through a variety of writing and literature courses ranging from postmodern texts to Shakespeare on film, there's something for everyone.

You’ll find dedicated faculty and creative peers who often become lifelong mentors and friends. Become a part of the literary and writing communities in and around Frostburg and explore the many ways you could make English into a fulfilling career!

  • Take your pick of four concentrations in Literature, Creative Writing, Professional Writing and Teaching Secondary English, or boost your degree with an emphasis in Professional Writing or the Teaching of Writing.
  • Pursue your passion by gaining widely applicable and desirable skills that will get you started in a career you’ll love.
  • Develop critical thinking and research skills that you'll be able to use again and again in both your professional and personal endeavors.
  • Polish your work for a final portfolio in the English program’s capstone course, which focuses on revising and improving works you’ve already written to make them the best they can be.

 

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English Program Highlights

  • Engage with your peers in workshop-style fiction and poetry classes, which allow you to contribute to your classmates’ work while receiving critiques and advice to improve your own.

  • Publish your best creative works in Bittersweet, FSU’s student literary magazine, or Backbone Mountain Review, a regional journal partnered with FSU’s Center for Literary Arts.

  • Enjoy a variety of activities organized by the English department and community every semester, including bake sales, story and poetry slams, the Banned Books Reading, Dr. Seuss Celebration and a Shakespearean production by Cambridge American Stage Tour.

  • Meet your fellow writing and literature enthusiasts in the 3AM Society student writers’ club and Sigma Tau Delta honor society.

What can I do with an English degree?

$51,000

Median pay for employees with English degree (BLS 2021)

Related Programs

Author

English Teacher

Freelance Writer

As technology advances, the need for skilled human communicators is greater than ever before. English graduates can find fulfilling work almost anywhere they look, developing web content or creating fiction, poetry, essays, speeches, press releases, publications and more. Many English graduates use their research and argument-building skills to excel in law school, and the Internet offers endless freelance writing opportunities. Check out more career possibilities for English majors on the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ page on Communication Occupations (U.S. Government Occupational Outlook Handbook).

What You'll Learn

  • Communication skills that are applicable across disciplines
  • How to construct an argument, present a proposal, write about literature and provide background information on a variety of issues.
  • Acquire skills to present information in a clear and convincing manner appropriate to any situation. 
  • Research skills necessary for work and those needed for advanced degrees.
  • To think logically about what you're reading and apply principles of reasoning to your writing.

Our Alumni

Our materials engineering graduates have gone on to a variety of successful careers.

Job Titles

  • Teacher
  • Public Relations Officer
  • Journalist
  • Novelist
  • Editor
  • Technical Writer

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A Frostburg State education: more valuable than ever.

With nationally recognized academic programs, real-world learning experiences, a top-notch support system, and a thriving student life, Frostburg State is a place where you can discover yourself, define your goals, and prepare for your future.

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