English

Read (a lot!), discuss ideas with others, hone your writing skills, and publish your work. Learn from professional writers and attend literary conferences. You’ll find a challenging—and supportive—learning community in our English Department.

Overview After Principia Faculty

Through courses, programs and activities, you’ll be encouraged to cultivate original, creative, and analytical voices. You’ll become an active participant in a learning community involved in intellectual and artistic practice through a wide range of regular on- and off-campus special events, student readings, visits from authors, and literary conferences.

Major and Minor Offered

English—Literary Studies Concentration (BA major, minor)
English—Creative Writing Concentration (BA major, minor)

Why Study English at Principia College?

Our faculty is committed to uplifting and healing humanity through the inventive practice of empathetic, critical, transformative reading and writing with independence of thought.
We make teaching and supporting students our top priority, encouraging students to understand that the capacity to think, speak, and write with clarity, invention, and empathy will enable them to make useful contributions—beyond disciplinary boundaries—in the shifting contexts of a contemporary world.
The ability to write well is a fundamental professional skill, and we are deeply committed to supporting students’ progress toward graduate study and professional work in the field.
We maintain a deep commitment to a sense of community, exchange of ideas, and mutual support for both students and faculty.
Abroad programs we have offered in the past are: The England and Ireland abroad programs, which were led in collaboration with the Theatre Department. On the England Abroad, students explored the arts of acting, theatre reviewing, research, and literary criticism, using Shakespeare as the central case study. On the Ireland Abroad, students combined creative writing with devised theatre practices to create original theatre pieces. The Prague Abroad emphasized connections between creativity, critical thought, and responsible citizenship though creative writing, studio art, and the study of modernist and contemporary Czech literature and visual art. The Lake District Abroad (in England) looked at the question "What is Natural?" through the lenses of Conservation and Environmental Literature. (Abroad programs are chosen by the Abroad Office based on broad institutional needs.)
Students edit our online journal, Mistake House, which has been listed as number 4 in Bookfox’s list of “30 Small But Awesome Online Literary Magazines.”
Students intern in the U.S. and abroad at The Wordsworth Trust in England, The Christian Science Monitor, and a variety of educational organizations.
Through involvement in the student-run club Friends of English (FOE), students organize readings by visiting writers and scholars, plan social activities for majors, and coordinate field trips to readings, cultural events, and conferences.

Abroads

Principia abroad programs are open to all majors, and students are encouraged to apply for any abroad program that interests them. All abroads involve individual research that students can tailor to their interests. The Abroads described above are especially popular with English majors and minors.

Note: See the College Catalog for more detailed information about our program and departmental learning outcomes.

Beyond the Books

Our graduates enroll in top graduate school programs to study Shakespeare, film, literature, dramatic writing, poetry, digital narratives, game theory, and law.

Our graduates also pursue professional opportunities, including the following:

Education
Law
Teaching—from elementary school to college
Writing and editing for print and online magazines and newspapers
Writing for film and television
Public relations
Arts management

From Our Alumni

"My majors have helped me immensely in securing both a position and a promotion in the Senate. My Political Science major gave me the background in government processes I needed to jump in right after college, while my English major has helped to set me apart as a confident and quality writer."

--2019 graduate now working as Director of Operations for the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works

“Majoring in English helped prepare me for a job as a newspaper journalist. It provided a foundation for my writing and made me more comfortable with developing my own style. My most valuable undergraduate English classes allowed me to practice and develop research skills and gain a heightened understanding of story structure, which I have used every day in my profession. As I apply for graduate studies, I am so grateful for my background in English at Principia College. ”

--2017 graduate working in journalism.

“I'm so grateful for my time in the English department at Principia. My professors taught me how to think more critically and communicate with precision--crucial skills in my career as an editor and in daily life.”

--2013 graduate working as and Editorial Specialist in Washington, DC.

“As a journalist, my English major has helped me to dig more deeply in stories that I find myself investigating where I look for the motive behind each individual's role in an issue. By doing so, I hope to reach out with empathy and articulate the situation truthfully like many of the great authors and poets have done throughout the years.”

--2017 graduate chosen as one of five for a Journalism Fellowship in her home country of South Africa.

“As I enter my Masters of Fine Arts program, I realize that what differentiates me from my graduate peers is my understanding of critical theory, the creative process, and practical teaching methods, all of which were instilled in me by my Principia English professors. Those three professors affirmed my confidence and capacity to pursue a career in my field.”

--2015 graduate

“Being an English major blew wide open the possibilities for me when it came to my career. So many jobs require proficiency at writing, the ability to be edited, strong research skills, and a keen eye for deep analysis. These were all skills which I acquired as an English major at Principia.”

--2016 graduate working at The Mother Church