English Bachelor's of Arts Degree

Command Language, Create Your Tomorrow

Broaden your concept of literary culture. Sharpen your written and oral communication. Analyze with power and intention. Innovate in ways you never imagined at an R1 flagship technological university where STEM immersion and research opportunities add the dimension and depth that produces in-demand professionals.

In Michigan Tech’s English degree program, you'll have opportunities to write poetry and short stories, along with essays on topics ranging from Shakespearean drama to justice and ecology. You'll strengthen your composition skills, stretch your creative muscles, and find your community through opportunities ranging from joining the staff of the Michigan Tech Lode to tutoring at the Writing Center, which serves both undergraduate and graduate students. Work and play in the interactive Humanities Digital Media Zone. Get ongoing support from faculty who care about your success and advisors who help you keep your career goals on track.

English students at Michigan Tech have a unique opportunity to work across disciplines: you can double major or pick up a minor. With strong skills in communication as well as literary and cultural analysis, you'll be prepared to pursue research, collaborate with your peers in other fields, and launch a meaningful career in public, private, and non-profit sectors.

English at Michigan Tech focuses on the diversity of human experience. Our transnational focus on literary cultures explores how we connect as individuals and communities. Our graduates are empowered to create and take their role in a complex global society.

A Place For You

English is the place for you. With an English major, you can open doors to a wide range of career trajectories. Skills in analysis, research, creative thinking, and oral and written communication can lead to a wide range of careers. Be an educator, editor, entrepreneur, journalist, librarian, researcher, administrator, or social or political advocate. Our degrees also prepare you to pursue advanced degrees in literature, creative writing, medicine, law, and business.

Contact your Undergraduate Academic Advisor to learn more.

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44

free credits gives you flexibility to double major
43%

of English majors attend grad school
75%

of English majors complete an internship before graduation
18-35

average class size

Tomorrow Needs Versatile English Majors

English majors excel in creativity, critical thinking, communication, and analysis, essential in our information-driven and rapidly changing society. English majors interpret complex data, write persuasive content, and navigate the cultural nuances required to bridge divides. They foster creativity and empathy, bridging gaps in an increasingly interconnected world.

With an English major, you can open doors to a wide range of career trajectories. Skills in analysis, research, creative thinking, and oral and written communication can lead to a fulfilling career. Be an educator, editor, entrepreneur, journalist, librarian, researcher, administrator, or social or political advocate. Our degrees also prepare you to pursue advanced degrees in literature, creative writing, medicine, law, and business.

English Majors Get Hired

English majors have a wide range of career trajectories and are highly sought-after professionals. Their strengths as analysts, researchers, and creative thinkers, along with their oral and written communication skills make them strong candidates for advanced degrees in literature, creative writing, medicine, law, and business. They are also well prepared to pursue opportunities in the public, private, and non-profit sectors as, amongst other things, teachers and educators, editors, entrepreneurs, journalists, librarians, researchers, effective administrators, and social and political advocates.

English majors earn salaries equal to most majors. English majors' mid-career salaries are equivalent to those of science and nursing majors, and higher than anthropology and psychology majors. They are lower than accounting and engineering majors, according to the Wall Street Journal Report on Salaries by College Major.

English majors have higher acceptance rates to medical school than social science or natural science majors, according to the Commission on the Humanities and Social Sciences of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Report.

Be Career Ready

Career Opportunities for English Majors

Your future career options are unlimited with a degree in English Career opportunities include, but are not limited to:

Account Executive
Author
Communications specialist
Copywriter
Editor
ESL Instructor
Fundraiser
Grant Writer
Government Relations
Journalist
Marketing Representative
Proposal Writer
Sales Representative
Social Media Specialist
Speech Writer
Staff Writer
Teacher
Technical Writer

Companies Hiring English Majors

These are just some of the companies hiring English majors:

AmeriCorps
Art Institute of Chicago
Audacy Inc.
Chicago Public Media
Children's Literacy Initiative
Commonwealth McCann
Crain Communications
Cybertech Inc.
Dematic Corp.
Grand Rapids School District
Grosse Pointe School District
Herman Miller Inc.
Merkle
Northern Trust Corp.
Olympia Entertainment
Prime Publishing
Robert W. Baird
Rocket Mortgage
Trinity Health

Co-ops and Internships

Ready to take the next step?

Learn more about studying English at Michigan's flagship technological university.

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"Here I am surrounded by people sharing a love for writing and reading; all things having to do with the Humanities."Kate Woodford '22, BA English

Full STEAM Ahead: Study Humanities at a Technological University

Combine your love of science, technology, engineering, the arts, and math (STEAM) into a career that requires creativity, critical-thinking, and communication skills. Strengthen your capability in another language and build a broad cultural base. Develop critical skills to become a life-long learner who adapts to a rapidly transforming, increasingly technical and scientific world. Learn the skills central to solving real-world problems in sustainability, human health, social justice, technology, and globalization. Our programs and faculty enrich campus and engage scholars from diverse fields in ambitious and meaningful projects.

Get personalized attention: Your academic advisors and professors know you and understand your interests and needs. You’ll develop meaningful mentor relationships with faculty and receive the guidance you need in a timely fashion.
Customize your humanities education: Take classes across any of our three major programs—communication, culture & media, English, and scientific and technical communication. Gain exposure to a variety of humanities specialties. Tailor your degree to fit your individual pathway with minors in the department. You might choose communication studies, diversity studies, ethics and philosophy, journalism, media production, writing, or one of two modern languages (German and Spanish). Or, diversify your humanities degree with a minor from outside the department, like psychology, computer science, public health, or pre-health professions.
Connect to internships: Develop professional skills and gain real-world work experience. The Humanities Internship Program helps students find internships on and off campus. Our Professional Development in Humanities course teaches you how to present yourself well to employers and land a job. Through our micro-internship program, 100% of humanities majors complete an internship experience while at Michigan Tech.
Study Humanities in a STEM context: Work, live, and play with engineers and scientists. Learn to work in diverse interdisciplinary teams, to appreciate and seek out different perspectives, and to communicate effectively in the world of science and technology.

Tomorrow Needs You

Supercharge your analytical skills to meet the demands of a technology-driven society at a flagship public research university powered by science, technology, engineering, and math. Graduate with the theoretical knowledge and practical experience needed to solve real-world problems and succeed in academia, research, and tomorrow's high-tech business landscape.

College of Sciences and Arts

The College of Sciences and Arts is a community of faculty, staff, and students committed to excellence and driven by our passion for education, outreach, research, and creativity across the social and natural sciences, humanities, and the arts. Uniquely situated in the heart of Michigan's R1 flagship technological university, we specialize in human-centered potential and discovery-based learning designed to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow. Knowing that every student at Michigan Tech will pass through our doors, our college strives to be at the forefront of interdisciplinary collaborations that lead to breakthrough solutions.

Our students gain a profound understanding of social and cultural contexts through experiential learning and innovative research. We welcome you to be part of our caring, expansive college community, with 32 undergraduate and 24 graduate degrees to choose from.

The opportunities in Michigan Tech's College of Sciences and Arts are limitless. Transform into a civic leader ready to contribute to a sustainable future. Lead and participate in action-based experiences that are critical to the start of a fulfilling career. Job-shadow at a local hospital or veterinary clinic while preparing for a career in health. Design sound and lighting for a regional production. Conduct community forums on the implications of artificial intelligence. Work to purify vaccines. Study the impact of social media on society. Research the mysteries of space and galaxies beyond our universe. Explore transforming abandoned iron and copper mines into giant batteries. Understand freshwater ecosystem health. Document the nature of changes in cognitive function and motor behavior in aging and dementia.

At Michigan Tech, your academic growth is supported by a variety of learning centers, along with our Humanities Digital Media Zone and Writing Center. Model climate in the only cloud chamber of its kind. Take part in interdisciplinary health research in our state-of-the-art H-STEM Complex. Create amazing sights and sounds in our visual art, sound, and theatre performance spaces.

Undergraduate Majors in Humanities

Not sure which major is the right fit? No problem. Browse the entire list of College of Sciences and Arts majors. Or, give yourself time and declare the General Sciences and Arts major, which lets you decide when you arrive on campus. To learn more, speak to an academic advisor.

Initially drawn to Michigan Tech as a computer engineering major, I began realizing what my true interests were through editing and nature writing courses. I fully transitioned to an English major in the summer of 2020, with minors in writing, computer science, and German. Since I faced the truth that I didn't want to code for a living, I've found much more pleasure in schoolwork, connected more fully with my professors and peers, and became more active in my department.

Read Tucker's Story

Tucker Nielsen '23

BA English