Earn Your English Degree on the Coast of Maine

Are you passionate about majoring in English but have been told it will limit your career prospects? Check your fears at the door. 成人直播鈥檚 Bachelor of Arts in English focuses on the highly transferable skills acquired as a student of literature: command of language, analytical skills, critical thinking, and the capacity to understand multiple perspectives. Combined with internships, research, and study abroad experiences, you will be highly valued by many fields that prize people who can communicate well, solve problems, assimilate information quickly, and work well with others.

A student uses a pink highlighter on their notes

Why 成人直播 for Your B.A. in English

With faculty specialties in literature and health, law and humanities, creative writing, digital humanities, and more, the English program will expose you to a wide range of topics and genres.

  • Flexible curriculum, allowing for double majors and minors
  • Unique HuMed program to prepare for medical school while pursuing your passion for English
  • Instruction in digital literacies, culminating in the creation of a personal ePortfolio
  • Impressive archival collections for research and creative  projects
  • Opportunity to work as a Writing Fellow in our peer tutoring program
  • Intriguing internships
  • Study abroad opportunities
Headshot of U N E alumni Tyler Vunk

Tyler Vunk

English, Neuroscience

Academic Freedom

As a neuroscience major, I was looking for a way to stand out among other medical school applicants. I decided that the easiest way to get to the top of the overachiever pile was to adopt a second major 鈥 English.

I soon realized that my second major brought balance to my academic life. My English professors challenged me to back up my arguments, sharpening my research and writing skills, and gave me the space to safely experiment with both formal and colloquial forms of communication. This made me seek out hour-long conversations during office hours and design and take as many independent studies as possible. 

While my neuroscience courses were essential, my English courses 鈥 or more specifically the writing, speaking, and communication skills I gained in these courses 鈥 helped set me apart from other applicants. There are a lot of one-trick science ponies out there. Having a strong humanities background makes you gallop a bit faster.

Three years after graduation, I was the CEO of Vested Academics 鈥 a college planning and student coaching company. I focus on helping students improve their college readiness and avoid overpaying for their degrees. The skills I learned in my English courses have served me well.

Hands-On Learning

I was a research student for three-plus years in Dr. Ling Cao's neuroimmunology lab and co-authored a research review piece with Dr. Kristen Burkholder over a summer. Located on the 成人直播 campus, these labs gave me the opportunity to perform professional scientific research, get published, and better understand the level of discipline one needs in order to succeed as a professional scientist.

Working with Dr. Jennifer Tuttle over one summer, I was able to perform an exploratory investigation of the narrative writing style. This experience not only generally strengthened my writing skills but also allowed me to develop my listening skills鈥攁ctually hearing what people were saying, beyond their words. In fact, it's a skill I use every day, whether speaking with vendors, employees, or clients. I remain grateful for the opportunity that both Dr. Tuttle and the 成人直播 English Department offered me.

My English professors challenged me to back up my arguments, sharpening my research and writing skills, and gave me the space to safely experiment with both formal and colloquial forms of communication.
English, Neuroscience

What will you study? English Degree Program Curriculum Overview

There are many ways you can navigate the English major.

B.A. in English Courses

The following are some examples of the exciting courses that the English major offers:

  • Law and Literature
  • Reading and Writing in Digital Environments
  • Victorian Monsters
  • Writing and Women鈥檚 Health
  • Fiction Writing Workshop
  • Animals, Literature, and Culture
  • Lyrics
  • Narrative Medicine

Curriculum

CAS Core RequirementsCredits
Total Credits42鈥43
Program Required CoursesCredits
ENG 206 鈥 Intro Lit Theory & Criticism3
LIL 420 鈥 Arts & Humanities Capstone3
Three (3) credits of British Literature electives3
Three (3) credits of U.S. Literature electives3
Six (6) credits of Diversity and Global Literature electives6
Select one (1) English Concentration21
Total Credits39
Open elective courses (as needed to reach 120 credits)Variable
Minimum Total Required Credits120

English Concentration Options

Literature ConcentrationCredits
Three (3) credits of U.S. Literature electives or British Literature electives3
Eighteen (18) credits of electives with at least twelve (12) credits from List A and at least six (6) credits at 300- or 400-level18
Total Credits21
Writing ConcentrationCredits
Three (3) credits of Creative Writing Foundation courses3
Three (3) credits of Professional Writing Foundation courses3
Fifteen (15) credits of electives with nine (9) credits from List C and six (6) credits from List C or List D15
Total Credits21
English Education ConcentrationCredits
Three (3) credits of U.S. Literature electives3
Three (3) credits of British Literature electives3
Fifteen (15) credits of electives with at least nine (9) credits from List A and at least six (6) credits at 300- or 400-level15
Total Credits21

Elective Course Options

U.S. Literature ElectivesCredits
ENG 200 鈥 Writing, Revolution, & Resistance in U.S. Lit3
ENG 201 鈥 Who and What is an American? Reimagining US Lit3
ENG 235 鈥 Topics in U.S. Lit to 18653
ENG 237 鈥 Topics in U.S. Lit after 18653
ENG 310 鈥 Writing & Women鈥檚 Health3
British Literature ElectivesCredits
ENG 115 鈥 Poets, Pilgrims & Other Yahoos3
ENG 116 鈥 Democratizing Literature3
ENG 216 鈥 Criminals, Idiots & Minors3
ENG 229 鈥 Topics in Brit Lit Before 18003
ENG 234 鈥 Topics in Brit Lit After 18003
ENG 312 鈥 Global Shakespeare3
ENG 330 鈥 Topics in British Literature3
ENG 340 鈥 The English Novel3
ENG 409 鈥 Storytelling, Literature, Law3
ENG 420 鈥 Victorian Monsters3
Diversity and Global Literature ElectivesCredits
ENG 135 鈥 Dog Stories3
ENG 140 鈥 Indigenous Film and Literature3
ENG 200 鈥 Writing, Revolution, & Resistance in U.S. Lit3
ENG 201 鈥 Who and What is an American? Reimagining US Lit3
ENG 202 鈥 Lyrics3
ENG 204 鈥 Animals, Literature, & Culture3
ENG 208 鈥 Narrative Medicine & Writing3
ENG 214 鈥 Freedom & Authority3
ENG 221 鈥 Justice3
ENG 235 鈥 Topics in U.S. Lit to 18653
ENG 237 鈥 Topics in U.S. Lit after 18653
ENG 255 鈥 Literary Topics3
ENG 276 鈥 English Human Trad I3
ENG 278 鈥 English Human Trad II3
ENG 301 鈥 Nature Films3
ENG 310 鈥 Writing & Women鈥檚 Health3
ENG 312 鈥 Global Shakespeare3
ENG 326 鈥 Topics in Literature & Health3
ENG 329 鈥 Topics in World Literature3
ENG 330 鈥 Topics in British Literature3
ENG 401 鈥 Literatures of the Sea3
ENG 405 鈥 Topics in Postcolonial Lit3
ENG 409 鈥 Storytelling, Literature, Law3
Creative Writing Foundation ElectivesCredits
WRT 111 鈥 Topics in Creative Writing3
WRT 211 鈥 Creative Writing: Poetry3
WRT 212 鈥 Creative Writing: Short Fiction3
Professional Writing Foundation ElectivesCredits
CMM 110 鈥 Intro to Communications3
CMM 211 鈥 Introduction to Journalism3
WRT 233 鈥 Professional & Tech. Commun.3

Lists A-D Elective Courses

List A ElectivesCredits
EDU 498 鈥 Secondary Internship & Seminar12
ENG 115 鈥 Poets, Pilgrims & Other Yahoos3
ENG 116 鈥 Democratizing Literature3
ENG 135 鈥 Dog Stories3
ENG 140 鈥 Indigenous Film and Literature3
ENG 200 鈥 Writing, Revolution, & Resistance in U.S. Lit3
ENG 201 鈥 Who and What is an American? Reimagining US Lit3
ENG 202 鈥 Lyrics3
ENG 204 鈥 Animals, Literature, & Culture3
ENG 208 鈥 Narrative Medicine & Writing3
ENG 214 鈥 Freedom & Authority3
ENG 216 鈥 Criminals, Idiots & Minors3
ENG 221 鈥 Justice3
ENG 229 鈥 Topics in Brit Lit Before 18003
ENG 234 鈥 Topics in Brit Lit After 18003
ENG 235 鈥 Topics in U.S. Lit to 18653
ENG 237 鈥 Topics in U.S. Lit after 18653
ENG 255 鈥 Literary Topics3
ENG 276 鈥 English Human Trad I3
ENG 278 鈥 English Human Trad II3
ENG 300 鈥 Literary Topics3
ENG 301 鈥 Nature Films3
ENG 310 鈥 Writing & Women鈥檚 Health3
ENG 312 鈥 Global Shakespeare3
ENG 326 鈥 Topics in Literature & Health3
ENG 329 鈥 Topics in World Literature3
ENG 330 鈥 Topics in British Literature3
ENG 340 鈥 The English Novel3
ENG 397 鈥 Independent Study1鈥12
ENG 399 鈥 Independent Study3
ENG 401 鈥 Literatures of the Sea3
ENG 402 鈥 Directed Study in English1鈥12
ENG 405 鈥 Topics in Postcolonial Lit3
ENG 412 鈥 Humanities Seminar3
ENG 420 鈥 Victorian Monsters3
ENG 491 鈥 English Studies Internship I3鈥9
ENG 492 鈥 English Studies Internship II3鈥9
List B ElectivesCredits
ARB 101 鈥 Basic Arabic3
ART 124 鈥 The Painted Book3
ASL 101 鈥 Intro to American Sign Lang3
CMM 122 鈥 Oral Communication or SPC 100 鈥 Effective Public Speaking3
CMM 211 鈥 Introduction to Journalism3
CMM 225 鈥 Topics in Digital Storytelling3
CMM 290 鈥 Intro to Broadcast Media Writ3
CMM 410 鈥 Writing for the Screen3
EDU 436 鈥 Teaching Secondary English3
ENG 110 鈥 English Composition4
ENG 209 鈥 Introduction to Linguistics3
ENG 220 鈥 History of the English Language3
FRE 101 鈥 Basic French3
HIS 150 鈥 Telling Tales of the Past3
HIS 341 鈥 Bestsellers & the Big Bad City3
LIT 124 鈥 Lit, Nature & the Environment3
PHI 212 鈥 Thinking Philosoph about Arts3
SPA 101 鈥 Basic Spanish3
SPA 306 鈥 Span. For Health Professions3
WRT 111 鈥 Topics in Creative Writing3
WRT 211 鈥 Creative Writing: Poetry3
WRT 212 鈥 Creative Writing: Short Fiction3
WRT 233 鈥 Professional and Technical Communication3
WRT 304 鈥 Read & Write in Digital Env.3
WRT 312 鈥 Fiction Writing Workshop3
WRT 317 鈥 Proposal and Grant Writing3
WRT 342 鈥 Writing Fellows Practicum1
List C ElectivesCredits
ART 124 鈥 The Painted Book3
CMM 211 鈥 Introduction to Journalism3
ENG 208 鈥 Narrative Medicine & Writing3
ENG 209 鈥 Introduction to Linguistics3
ENG 220 鈥 History of the English Language3
ENG 310 鈥 Writing & Women鈥檚 Health3
ENG 397 鈥 Independent Study1鈥12
ENG 399 鈥 Independent Study3
ENG 402 鈥 Directed Study in English1鈥12
ENG 491 鈥 English Studies Internship I3鈥9
ENG 492 鈥 English Studies Internship II3鈥9
LIL 120 鈥 Intro Arts & Humanities Sem3
WRT 111 鈥 Topics in Creative Writing3
WRT 211 鈥 Creative Writing: Poetry3
WRT 212 鈥 Creative Writing: Shrt Fiction3
WRT 233 鈥 Professional and Technical Communication3
WRT 304 鈥 Read & Write in Digital Env.3
WRT 312 鈥 Fiction Writing Workshop3
WRT 317 鈥 Proposal and Grant Writing3
WRT 342 鈥 Writing Fellows Practicum1
List D Electives*Credits
ART 395 鈥 Studio Concentration Seminar3
BUMK 200 鈥 Marketing3
BUMK 310 鈥 Advertising3
CMM 110 鈥 Intro to Communications3
CMM 122 鈥 Oral Communication or SPC 100 鈥 Effective Public Speaking3
CMM 225 鈥 Topics in Digital Storytelling3
CMM 240 鈥 Social Media: Theory & Practic3
CMM 410 鈥 Writing for the Screen3
ENG 110 鈥 English Composition4
ENG 334 鈥 Methods of Literacy and Cultural Criticism3
ENV 316/316L 鈥 Land Conserv Pract w/Field Lab4
ENV 321 鈥 Env Comm: Expert Prac Eco3
ENV 333/333L 鈥 Nature Writers w/Field Lab4
ENV 334 鈥 Contemporary Nature Writing3
HIS 150 鈥 Telling Tales of the Past3
MAF 400 鈥 Marine Affairs Capstone3
NEU 410 鈥 Neurobiology of Mental Illness3
NSG 332 鈥 Evidence Based Pract (EBP) I2
NSG 432 鈥 Evidence Based Pract (EBP) II2
NSG 445 鈥 Leadership2
PSY 425 鈥 Adv Methods in Animal Behavior3
PUB 310 鈥 Social, Behavior & Environmental3
PUB 400 鈥 PH Planning & Evaluation3
PUB 420 鈥 Community Health Assessment3

*Some courses have pre-requisites that may prevent registration

English majors are required to maintain an e-Portfolio that archives their course and other relevant writing which they will deliver in an oral presentation to the faculty during their senior year.

The English Program requires an overall minimum 2.0 GPA in the major.

Students wishing to pursue teacher certification in English should complete a major in Middle and Secondary Education with a concentration in English. Students pursuing this path are strongly encouraged to complete the highly flexible double major with English and Middle and Secondary Education.

For more information, speak with the chair of English and see the Middle and Secondary Education catalog page.

Students majoring in English can participate in the pre-health graduate school preparation tracks.

To learn more about the program visit the Catalog.

Changes were made to this program in an addendum to the 2022/23 academic calendar. Please see the 2022鈥2023 Catalog Addendum (PDF) for the most recent information. As always, it is recommended that students seek the guidance of Academic Advisors for course and program planning. In this way, you will be able to access all the most up-to-date information available.

Honors Program

We offer qualified students the option of graduating with Honors. This includes significant research, creative, or experiential activity under the direction of a faculty member. Interested students should consult with their advisor. 

HuMed

Our HuMed program is the only one of its kind in the U.S., allowing you to indulge your passion for English while preparing for graduate study in our College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Meet our faculty and professional staff

a female student studies

Career Paths for English Majors

The unique skill set of an English major is far more sought after than most people realize. As academic training requirements in many fields are becoming increasingly specific, employers are eager to find candidates who are excellent communicators, creative and analytic thinkers, and critical readers.

An English major is a gateway to numerous professions, including:

  • Editor
  • Filmmaker
  • Lawyer
  • Librarian
  • Physician
  • Project Manager
  • News Reporter
  • Scriptwriter
  • Teacher
  • Television Producer

Career Advising for B.A. in English Students

Whether you have a specific career goal in mind or a vague idea of the field that interests you, Career Advising is here to help you plan your next step.

English 110

English 110 is our freshman writing course and a rigorous introduction to college-level. English 110 is not an introduction to literature or to the English major. Instead, you will be challenged to rethink your ideas, re-examine your interpretations of a reading, connect texts in provocative ways, and advance written arguments.

Learning Objectives

Demonstrate the ability to approach writing as a recursive process that requires substantial revision of drafts for content, organization, and clarity (global revision), as well as editing and proofreading (local revision).

Students in English 110 learn to read and reconsider their drafts in ways that produce substantive, global revisions of their texts. Additionally, they learn to attend to punctuation, grammar, and spelling in their texts as they edit and proofread, or engage in effective local revision.

Students learn to approach writing as a recursive process in peer review/critique and in work with sample student texts. Peer review/critique and comments on early drafts focus more on global concerns, with more local concerns becoming increasingly important at the proofreading stage in the writing process.

Students demonstrate that they have met this learning objective in their writing. Students whose final drafts on later papers are substantively different from first drafts on those same papers are approaching writing as a recursive process and are engaged in global revision. Students who take care to proofread their final drafts before handing them in are participating in local revision.

Students whose final drafts are simply cleaner versions of earlier drafts, with perhaps a new paragraph inserted somewhere, are probably not approaching writing as a recursive process.

The ABility to integrate their ideas with those of others using summary, paraphrase, quotation, analysis, and synthesis of relevant sources.

Most college-level writing assignments, particularly formal papers, require students to work with other texts, to demonstrate that they have thought about specific material, and to show that they have something to say about it. English 110 offers students concrete guidance (and practice) as they develop greater proficiency in integrating their ideas with those of their sources.

Summary is an important vehicle for distilling a text or for capturing a core element of the text in a brief description. Within a paper, a summary can be a quick, effective way to provide important context for a source before one begins to work with or challenge elements of the source.

Paraphrase and quotation are two essential tools that college-level writers use to help the reader see what their sources have to say about a particular matter under consideration. Effective paraphrase enables the writer to retain full control over the words in his or her paper even as he or she represents a source鈥檚 point, idea, or information. Quotation, like paraphrase, offers the reader a representation of a source鈥檚 point or idea, though it enables the quoted source to speak for itself.

Taken together, analysis and synthesis contain particular techniques that help students learn to work with one or more sources as they develop their own ideas about an issue. Analysis and synthesis enable the writer to carve out places where he or she can explore new ideas or challenge existing ones.

Students demonstrate that they have met this learning objective in formal writing that includes appropriate uses of these techniques.

Employ techniques of active reading, critical reading, and informal reading response for inquiry, learning, and thinking.

College courses regularly call on students to write in response to texts they have read. In order to be successful in this kind of work, students must become strong readers of texts. English 110 is a writing course that introduces students to the kind of strong reading that can help them find their own ideas about a text or texts.

Active, critical reading challenges students accustomed to a focus on reading for information. English 110 instructors help students become stronger readers by treating reading as an active process of meaning making and not merely an exercise in reading comprehension.

In addition to reading for information or understanding, students in English 110 learn to read as writers. Active readers mark their texts in the margins, take notes, and raise questions as they read. As they read, they locate moments they find particularly interesting or troubling and consider why they are responding to the text in those ways.

English 110 instructors help students develop as engaged readers by providing their classes with pre-reading and reading questions, by inviting students to make sense of relationships between parts of a text or texts, and by moderating focused class and small group discussions of those parts of the texts that students find particularly salient or confusing.

Students demonstrate that they have met this learning objective through their use of reading response techniques and in the ways in which they engage with texts in their formal writing.

Be able to critique their own and others鈥 work by emphasizing global revision early in the writing process and local revision later in the process.

Writers almost never consider a text finished until it has been reviewed or critiqued by one or more peers. Peer review serves many purposes in the writing classroom and is considered an essential pedagogy because it can provide tremendous potential for growth. Peer review helps students develop a more critical eye as they read their peers鈥 texts and creates opportunities for students to see their own texts from a reader鈥檚 perspective.

Peer review is a vehicle for modeling differences between global revision and local revision or proofreading, and it structures an emphasis on the former early in the writing process. It offers students the opportunity to write for an audience beyond the instructor and to be responsive to comments from members of that audience. And it offers students opportunities to explore active reading and to approach readings of student texts as writers.

Students who engage actively in the peer review process develop a set of generous and critical reading skills that can serve them well throughout college, and beyond. They come to recognize that early drafts generally require substantial revision before they can be considered finished. And they practice reading student texts as supportive readers looking to provide options for a writer. Students in English 110 can carry this experience to other classes as they learn the value of sharing their drafts with a trusted reader.

Instructors in English 110 cultivate students鈥 competency in peer review by structuring review sessions, creating a trusting environment in which student anxiety around sharing texts is reduced, and modeling global revision in the ways they talk about opportunities for revision in early drafts.

Students demonstrate competency in this learning objective through their contributions in peer review sessions and in their revisions across drafts.

Document their work using appropriate conventions.

One of the most common features of college-level, academic writing is the careful documentation of sources. Documentation style is often considered a basic and mechanical process of following rules established by the MLA (Modern Language Association), the APA (American Psychological Association), or some other organization. In fact, such documentation is central to the kind of intellectual work of the academy.

When students work with texts and enter into conversation with them, they borrow some ideas and words from those texts, specifically challenge some ideas in the texts, and connect or synthesize still other information or ideas from their sources. Effective college-level writers are able to use signal phrasing to integrate the words and ideas of their sources into their own texts and to correctly document their sources.

English 110 instructors introduce students to one documentation style (Modern Language Association) because careful work in understanding how one style functions can help students adapt to other styles. At the same time, instructors emphasize that MLA is only one of the major styles. Instructors treat documentation as a way of marking the boundaries between the writer鈥檚 words and ideas and those of his or her sources.

Students demonstrate that they have met this objective in their written work. Their engagement with sources is appropriately documented, and they integrate sources into their texts using signal phrases and parenthetical citations. They correctly identify the kinds of sources they work with and are able to prepare an appropriately formatted Works Cited list.

Control sentence-level error.

Most first-year students have a working knowledge of the English language, and English 110 is not a course in grammar, syntax, or spelling. But control of these important surface features of writing can be difficult as one works on more complex ideas and with multiple texts in a paper. In English 110, students need to control sentence-level errors in their formal, revised writing even as they produce complex texts.

A writer鈥檚 audience is less likely to read generously when a paper demonstrates sloppy punctuation or spelling, when it contains errors in subject-verb agreement, or when sentence fragments or run-ons recur throughout the text. English 110 instructors help students understand that proofreading as local revision is the final step in the drafting process. They include targeted, context-specific activities and instruction in those errors most prevalent within a specific section and provide opportunities for students to address those errors in their own writing. Students exiting English 110 generally recognize that even their 鈥渇inal鈥 drafts almost always benefit from additional proofreading.

Most students in English 110 will be able to meet this learning objective if they grasp the presentation value of a formal paper that is error free and if they take seriously the final proofreading process. Students with multiple, severe patterns of error that are not significantly reduced over the course of the term are not meeting this objective and will need to repeat English 110.

Writing Placement

You are placed into the most appropriate writing class in order to maximize your opportunity for success.

Advanced Placement and Transfer Credit

Incoming freshmen scoring 4 or 5 on the Advanced Placement (AP) English Language and Composition exam will receive credit for English 110, a Core requirement for all programs. Incoming transfer students who have acceptable credit for English 110 will likewise meet this Core requirement.

Incoming freshmen scoring 4 or 5 on the Advanced Placement (AP) English Literature and Composition exam will not receive credit for English 110. Instead, they will receive credit for English 199, meeting one of their required Exploration courses.

Placement into English 110

Incoming students who do not have either AP English Language and Composition or transfer credit will be placed in an appropriate writing course (College Reading and Writing sequence, English Composition with Writing Lab, or English Composition) based on a review of multiple measures of their achievement, including high school grade point average and high school English grades.

For more information about placement, including placement challenges, see the Student Academic Success Center鈥檚 placement Procedures.

Policies

The policies ensure that you have a relatively consistent experience across dozens of sections and make clear a number of important course expectations.

Attendance

English 110 is a workshop- and discussion-based course that employs collaborative and active learning pedagogies. Students who miss class are not participating in these central elements of the course. For this reason, attendance is mandatory.

Students who miss more than two weeks of classes should not expect to pass English 110, and students who miss more than one week of classes should anticipate a reduction in their final course grade. Instructors in English 110 do not make a distinction between 鈥渆xcused鈥 and 鈥渦nexcused鈥 absences and do not involve themselves in weighing the merits of an absence.

Students who experience a significant medical or family emergency that requires many absences should be in touch with their instructor as soon as possible. These students may be counseled to withdraw from the course and supported in ways that minimize the academic implications of withdrawal.

Grading

Each instructor establishes the specific evaluative criteria for assignments in his or her section of English 110. Overall performance in English 110 consists of a student鈥檚 performance on formal, revised writing, engagement in the writing process, an ePortfolio, attendance, in-class participation, and performance on informal writing assignments throughout the term.

At least 55% of each student鈥檚 final grade is based on the formal, revised writing completed over the term. Instructors penalize work that is submitted late or that does not meet the page or source requirements of an assignment. It is not uncommon for a B-level paper to receive a C if it is not submitted on time.

Much of the writing process occurs through informal writing in English 110. For this reason, instructors generally reserve a significant portion of the final course grade for engagement in this aspect of the course. It is common for actively engaged, conscientious students to earn a final course grade that exceeds their performance on formal papers.

Students concerned about their performance in English 110 should talk with their instructor about his or her expectations.

Written Work

Students write for every class. Some of the writing will be informal, occurring in class or being assigned as homework. Other writing will involve the development, drafting, and revision of formal papers.

Students in English 110 produce 15-18 pages of formal, revised writing over the term. Instructors have flexibility in determining the number and length of papers, but students can expect to write three formal, revised papers, in addition to a range of less formal written projects.

Electronic writing environments are an important part of communication in the twenty-first century. Students may also be required to prepare a slide presentation, blog in the course, produce a podcast or short video, or engage with other electronic media. Students in English 110 prepare an electronic portfolio (ePortfolio).

Experiential Learning in the Bachelor鈥檚 Degree in English Program

The English major emphasizes real-world learning, providing you with experiences that will set you apart in numerous professional fields. At 成人直播, we believe in learning by doing.

Hands-On Activities for English Students

  • Participate in the creation of student-run publications
  • Get on-the-job experience as a peer tutor in our Writing Fellows program
  • Conduct research or produce creative projects to present at local, regional, and national venues
  • Visit 成人直播鈥檚 DigiSpace to develop digital literacies and create new digital content for your ePortfolio
  • Create podcasts

Internships for English Majors

On-campus

  • Maine Women Writers Collection
  • Office of Communications and Marketing

Off-campus

  • Print and Digital Publications 
  • TV and Radio Stations
  • Libraries
  • Politicians' Offices
  • Law Offices
  • Schools
  • Museums
  • Corporations

For more information email the Academic and Career Advising Center at advising@une.edu.

A student looks up research articles on a computer with the U N E librarian

Beyond the English Classroom

Maine Women Writers Collection

The offers students in English rich opportunities to do advanced research with primary sources as well as to gain experience in archival internships. The MWWC, which holds rare and unique material documenting the lives and writing of Maine women, is housed in a state-of-the-art facility where you can conduct hands-on research and develop your own original projects. You might also take advantage of an archival internship, which would provide you with one-on-one mentoring, experience working with special collections, and practical skills related to library and information science.

The Bolt

. Formerly called The Nor鈥檈aster News, the newspaper was founded in 2007 by a group of students that included English majors and a faculty member. As a student reporter or columnist, you might cover campus events and developments or a broad range of other topics of interest to the University community, including national and international affairs, politics, entertainment, the arts, and sports.

Zephyr

Zephyr is 成人直播鈥檚 journal of creative expression. It is more than a literary magazine, as each spring we publish not only selections of prose and verse, but original drawings, paintings, and photography as well. All current and former members of the 成人直播 community are invited to submit their work. As an English major, you might participate in the life of Zephyr by serving on our editorial board, assisting in the submissions review process, or helping to promote and distribute each new issue upon its publication.

Research

As an English student at 成人直播 you have many unique opportunities to pursue traditional literary research as well as to craft projects that reach across the arts and sciences. Recent students majoring and minoring in English have completed research projects on such diverse topics as mapping nationalist stereotypes in Sherlock Holmes stories, creating classroom materials for courses in narrative medicine, and digitizing cultural and scientific materials to enhance sustainability efforts in the Saco River estuary. All were funded by 成人直播 summer grants or NSF grants. Students have presented their research at conferences such as the Northeast Undergraduate Research and Development Symposium, the Maine Women鈥檚 and Gender Studies Conference, and the 成人直播 College of Arts and Sciences Undergraduate Research Symposia.

Apply Today

Ready to begin your future in 成人直播鈥檚 B.A. in English degree program? Get started today.

Bachelors of Arts in English FAQ

What can you do with an English degree?

English is a versatile major for those considering marketing, sales, journalism, science writing, publishing, editing, or teaching. It is also suitable for those considering law school, an MBA, medical school, or another advanced degree.

Graduates of 成人直播鈥檚 English program in Maine have gone on to hold jobs as editors, filmmakers, lawyers, librarians, physicians, project managers, grant writers, news reporters, scriptwriters, teachers, and television producers. Students also have the ability to work with our Academic and Career Advising Center. It doesn鈥檛 matter if you have a clear career goal or just a general interest in a field.

Learn more about Career Advising at 成人直播

How much do English majors make?

An English degree is worth it for many students. English is a versatile academic field offering numerous career paths and opportunities. Your skills can be valuable in any industry that requires effective communication.

When deciding whether or not you should major in English, consider your career outlook. According to the , there's a projected 6% increase in job opportunities within media and communication roles over the upcoming decade. This is the same growth projection as the national average.

Common salary breakdowns for entry-level English major jobs according to * include:

  • Copywriter: $45,338
  • Reporter: $36,936
  • Social Media Coordinator: $38,573
  • Paralegal: $41,146
  • Editorial Assistant: $38,773
  • Public Relations Coordinator: $40,594
  • Account Manager: $47,893
  • Technical Writer: $53,157
  • Fundraiser: $40,357
  • Associate Consultant: $69,504
*Last updated March 2023

Why are English majors important?

In 2019, the reported that English majors were down more than a quarter (25.5%) since the Great Recession began in the fall of 2008. The article shared how top economists have made the case for why English majors are important 鈥 stories matter. The things people communicate with one another can have significant effects on markets and the broader economy. There is now a call for a revival of humanities majors.

Employers rank the skill of being able to verbally communicate effectively with individuals within and outside the company as the most crucial candidate competency. This makes English majors the hot new hires. According to employment data from , English majors have a lower chance of being underemployed after graduation than business majors.

成人直播 offers English as both a major and a minor. Students are exposed to a wide range of topics and genres.

Learn more about 成人直播鈥檚 English Minor

What do English majors learn?

An English major can help you develop a variety of hard and soft skills including creativity, critical thinking, oral communication, presentation, research, time management, and written communication. The unique skill set of an English major is far more sought after than most people realize. With many fields requiring specific training, employers are actively seeking candidates who excel in communication, creativity, analysis, and critical reading.

At 成人直播, the English major emphasizes real-world learning, providing students with experiences that will set them apart in numerous professional fields. We center on cultivating the transferable skills gained through studying literature, including strong language command, analytical prowess, critical thinking, and the ability to grasp diverse viewpoints. These skills, enhanced by internships, research, and study abroad opportunities, make you a valuable asset in fields valuing effective communication, problem-solving, quick assimilation of information, and collaborative teamwork.

Learn more about 成人直播鈥檚 B.A. degree program in English, including examples of coursework

How long does it take to get an English degree?

If you鈥檙e earning a bachelor鈥檚 degree in English, it typically takes four years of full-time study and requires a minimum of 120 credits. There are also two-year, 60-credit associate degree programs in English out there with coursework in literature, interpersonal communication, critical reading, and public speaking that give you a foundation for the rest of your academic journey.

成人直播鈥檚 B.A. in English program is 120 total credits. Students will complete the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) Core Requirements, three (3) credits of U.S. Literature elective courses, three (3) credits of British Literature elective courses, open elective courses, six (6) credits of Diversity and Global Literature elective courses, required foundational courses, an arts and humanities capstone, and a choice of tracks in English. Those options are:

  • Literature
  • Writing
  • English Education

View 成人直播鈥檚 Bachelor of Arts in English curricular requirements

Which colleges have the best English degree program for me?

Below are a few factors that you should look for in an English program.

Faculty

What types of instructors will you be learning from and working with?

成人直播鈥檚 English faculty has specialties in literature and health, law and humanities, creative writing, digital humanities, and more. This ensures students gain exposure to a wide range of topics and genres.

Meet faculty and professional staff in the School of Arts and Humanities

Students also find small class sizes appealing, with 成人直播 boasting a student-to-teacher ratio of 12:1 and an average class size of 20.

Learn more about some quick facts about 成人直播

Curriculum

Does the curriculum have multiple areas of study to allow you to customize your program and explore your interests?

成人直播鈥檚 English major has a flexible curriculum, allowing for double majors and minors. The following are just some examples of the exciting courses that you can take:

  • Law and Literature
  • Reading and Writing in Digital Environments
  • Victorian Monsters
  • Writing and Women鈥檚 Health
  • Fiction Writing Workshop
  • Animals, Literature, and Culture
  • Lyrics
  • Narrative Medicine

Students wishing to pursue Maine teacher certification in English should complete a major in Secondary Education with a concentration in English. Students pursuing this path are strongly encouraged to complete the highly flexible double major with English and Secondary Education.

Learn more about 成人直播鈥檚 Bachelor of Science (B.S.) with a major in Secondary Education

成人直播 prioritizes experiential learning. Hands-on activities include:

  • Participation in the creation of student-run publications
  • On-the-job experience as a peer tutor in our Writing Fellows program
  • Conducting research or producing creative projects to present at local, regional, and national venues
  • Visiting 成人直播鈥檚 DigiSpace to develop digital literacies and create new digital content for student鈥檚 ePortfolios
  • Creating podcasts

On-campus internship opportunities at 成人直播 include the Maine Women Writers Collection and the Office of Communications and Marketing. Off-campus internship opportunities include print and digital publications, TV and radio stations, libraries, politicians' offices, law offices, schools, museums, and corporations.

Learn more about internship opportunities within the College of Arts and Sciences

成人直播's one-of-a-kind HuMed program readies students for medical school while allowing them to follow their English passion. HuMed offers enriched curriculum flexibility without acceleration, enabling students to dedicate time and energy to explore aspects of the human condition that aren't attainable through a conventional pre-med route.

Learn more about 成人直播's HuMed program

Financial aid

Does the school you are considering offer financial aid or scholarships to help you in your education?

A 成人直播 education is very affordable. Our tuition is 16% below the average tuition for private universities in New England. All incoming full-time undergraduate students will receive Merit Scholarships in amounts from $5,000 to $22,000 per year.

Learn more about grants and scholarships available to students at 成人直播

成人直播's Student Financial Services comprises the Financial Aid and Student Accounts offices. Our program optimizes institutional and federal funds. To explore education funding options, contact us at sfs@une.edu or (207) 602-2342 between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., Monday to Friday.

Location and environment

Is it a collaborative atmosphere where you can learn from, yet be challenged by your peers? What unique opportunities does the campus offer?

成人直播 provides students with a variety of learning experiences with its three unique campuses; two Maine campuses in Biddeford and Portland plus a campus in Tangier, Morocco that is home to an innovative semester abroad program.

Learn more about study abroad opportunities at 成人直播

Unique programs beyond the classroom for English majors at 成人直播 include:

  • The offers students in English rich opportunities to do advanced research with primary sources as well as to gain experience in archival internships.
  • . Formerly called The Nor鈥檈aster News, the newspaper was founded in 2007 by a group of students that included English majors and a faculty member. As a student reporter or columnist, you might cover campus events and developments or a broad range of other topics of interest to the University community, including national and international affairs, politics, entertainment, the arts, and sports.
  • Zephyr is 成人直播's creative expression journal. It's more than a literary magazine 鈥 each spring, we publish prose, verse, original drawings, paintings, and photos. All current and former 成人直播 community members can submit their work. As an English major, you can engage with Zephyr by joining the editorial board, assisting in reviewing submissions or promoting and distributing new issues.
  • As an English student at 成人直播, you'll find unique chances to explore traditional literary research, creative and professional writing, and interdisciplinary projects. Recent English majors and minors have undertaken various research, funded by 成人直播 summer grants or NSF grants.

Career goals

Does the college or university offer advising to help you determine the right career path based on your interests and field of study?

成人直播 offers Career Advising to English majors to plan their next step. 93% of bachelor鈥檚 degree graduates are employed or continuing higher education within six months to one year of graduating.