BA in English - Professional Writing Emphasis

The English major provides a solid foundation for a wide variety of careers by preparing students to read, think, and write critically, and by offering a means to understand and appreciate the literary expression of human thought. This major provides the communications skills needed for positions in business, industry, and state and federal service. It also prepares students for professional schools in law, journalism, and medicine, as well as for graduate studies in English or linguistics. Literature courses offer students access to new ways of looking at and making sense of the world; composition courses help students process information and communicate their views effectively and persuasively; linguistics courses help students to understand the rules that make language intelligible. The internship course allows students to explore their own career preferences by applying their English skills in the context of practical challenges. Students wanting the broadest possible foundation should pursue the Bachelor of Arts, which provides the widest range of career options. Those planning to teach at the secondary level should pursue the Bachelor of Science in Education, which provides certification by the State Department of Education. Students planning to teach journalism should elect eight hours of journalism courses to meet certification requirements. Note: All English majors are required to take three semesters of a foreign language as part of their BA degree or two semesters of foreign language as part of their BSEd degree - preferably with all semesters in the same language but (in the case of the BA degree) in no more than two different languages. Students pursuing either the major or minor should declare their intentions as soon as possible, preferably when signing up for their second-semester composition course. Career Directions Business Administration and Management, Including job titles such as personnel officer, communications assistant, marketing manager, production assistant. Advertising and Public Relations, Including job titles such as advertising director, assistant planner, copywriter, media planner, press secretary, research director, alumni administrator, corporate communications director, community affairs coordinator, public affairs information officer, shareholder relations coordinator. Writing, Editing, Publishing, Including job titles such as assistant or associate editor, associate news director, book editor, bureau chief, bureau reporter, copy editor, freelance reporter, technical writer. Law Technical Writing Including job titles such as technical writer, technical communicator, medical writer, publications specialist, proposal writer, editorial assistant. Teaching Graduate study