Department of English
In the Department of English, we teach students how to think critically and creatively, and we conduct research to advance knowledge about culture, language, and the written word. Our graduate and undergraduate curricula emphasize deep research skills and unbounded creativity, preparing students for successful careers in academia, business, law, and other professions, as well as nonprofit work, teaching, writing, publishing, and the arts. Courses refine students’ oral and written communication skills, teaching them to be precise, clear, and inventive stylists.
The study of literature and language is at the core of each undergraduate major, providing a common, foundational knowledge about the cultural contexts in which texts and linguistic artifacts are produced, interpreted, and circulated. Individual undergraduate majors (English, creative writing, technical and scientfic communication, and professional and technical writing) provide specialized approaches to textual and linguistic critique and invention. Students graduate with enhanced capacities to understand both their cultures and the experiences of others, through varied experiences of collaboration and textual border-crossing that are inherent in our curriculum.
Classes in the English department are small. Students spend quality time with our award-winning faculty and have opportunities for individual and team-based research experiences. The department supports a number of internships. We invite visiting writers and scholars to speak every semester, and each spring students share their work at an undergraduate research conference and a student-run literary festival. Our undergraduate students publish in various Virginia Tech magazines, and graduate creative writing students serve as editors for two national journals.
Graduate programs in the Department of English include a general M.A. in English, an M.F.A. in Creative Writing, and a Ph.D. in Rhetoric and Writing.
News and Stories Spotlight
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Grant to fuel Appalachian history initiative , articleThe Monuments Across Appalachian Virginia project received a new $5 million grant from the Mellon Foundation to continue uncovering history in communities in Virginia and surrounding states.
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Leaving Ukraine , articleAn abrupt evacuation from Kyiv, Ukraine, changed the course of Isabella Boyd's life. Now at Virginia Tech, she reflects on how years spent across eight countries continue to shape the way she sees conflict, community, and belonging.
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Literary scholar contrasts new 'Wuthering Heights' film with classic novel , articleThe film adaptation expands the novel’s famous violent turmoil beyond the Earnshaw home, blurring the traditional contrast between the wild Wuthering Heights and the refined Thrushcross Grange.
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From English major to the Coast Guard , articleCourtney Woodley's story is a reminder that the ability to read, write, and communicate can take you anywhere.
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Creating a welcoming environment for students , articleJosh Thompson, an alumnus of English and a doctoral student in the School of Education, is building a study abroad course to help rural students see their environment from a global perspective.
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'What research can do for a community': New center dives into Arctic research , articleThe Center for Sustainable Engagement in the Arctic aims to transform how Arctic research is conducted. Led by Director Cana Uluak Itchuaqiyaq, it prioritizes listening to Indigenous leadership to create sustainable solutions and foster connections with resources at the university and beyond.
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