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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How this English graduate became a leader in nursing accreditation , articleListening deeply, something she learned from years of interpreting literature, helps Jennifer Butlin '92 unify educators, policymakers, and practitioners around shared interests and goals as the executive director of the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.
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Class of 2025: Brooke Wager turns love of English into path to law school , articleWager, who double majored in professional and technical writing and English with a pre-law option, will graduate as the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences' Phi Kappa Phi Senior Medallion recipient.
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Alum shares leadership lessons from his rise through the FBI , articleWhen Stephen Laycock ’91 walked into the FBI on career day, he knew where he wanted to go, but the path wasn’t obvious. An English degree, sharp communication skills, and a drive for opportunity propelled him from intern to executive assistant director of the FBI’s Intelligence Branch.
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Immersive poetry exhibit honors the memory of Nikki Giovanni , articleOn Dec. 9, the first anniversary of her passing, Giovanni’s presence and poetry will be on display in a special multimedia exhibit in the Cube at the Center for the Arts at Virginia Tech. It will also be on display at the Torpedo Factory Art Center in Alexandria in early 2026.
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Three faculty members recognized with 2025 Jacob A. Lutz III Award for Eminent Scholars , articleWalid Saad, Joseph Eska, and Robert Gourdie, whose work spans wireless communications to Celtic linguistics to cardiac biology, were honored during the university's annual research awards ceremony, Celebrating Scholarly Excellence.
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Humanities leadership program gears up for its third year , articleThe aim of the Institute for Leadership in Technology is for business leaders to build their skills and purpose by studying history, religion, creative writing, critical thinking, and more.
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