English Literature
Do you enjoy myths and mysteries? Have you always loved reading and writing? Do you get inspired by discussing books, films, and television shows with your friends? An English Literature major at RWU means developing the intellectual and critical thinking skills to analyze what you read and see defend your positions in papers, publications and discussions. At RWU, our student-centered program will teach you the strong writing, research and presentation skills you need to transform your passion into a career.
Course Offerings
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Whether you're interested in magic, nature, romance, or drama, the English Literature Program at RWU has a course for you. Our courses celebrate British and American literature, while offering opportunities to explore authors and works from other traditions, including world literatures in translation and literatures that focus on cultures, genres, periods and themes representative of both non-western and western perspectives.
Magazine
As an RWU English major, learning happens both in and outside the classroom. Our student magazine, Voices, gives you the chance to submit your work and get published. Whether its poetry, fiction, nonfiction, or just snippets of daily life, we want to hear from you. Check out the magazine
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esearch
We take your research seriously. Whether you’re analyzing the role of women in Harry Potter or exploring Marxism in Mean Girls, you will have the opportunity to make connections among pop culture, literature, and the world around you, and present your findings at national conferences.
Special Events
Whether it’s a Victorian high tea in English gardens or a career night to get you excited for your future, there’s always something going on in the English department.
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nternships
Internships in fields like marketing, communications, and publishing, help English majors apply their passions to a career path. Getting real-world experience before graduation will set you up for success.
Your Future
Wondering what you can do with an English Literature major? The possibilities are endless! See where our alumni are working and get inspired.
Degree Requirements
To read more about our academic offerings, or to view full course descriptions, please refer to our University Catalog.
Student Learning Outcomes
- Communicate ideas about literature and culture through effective analytical and critical writing and/or oral presentation
- Develop and apply advanced literary and cultural research skills to analysis of literary and cultural texts
- Apply critical theory, historical contextualization and/or other methodologies to analyze literary and cultural texts
- Understand and analyze the impact diverse identities (race, class, gender, religion, etc) have had on writers, literary representations and historical interpretations of literatures, periods and cultures
- Identify and analyze a variety of literary forms across multiple genres
Building Her Future Career
Hannah Little, RWU Class of 2020In just two years at Roger Williams University, Hannah Little has gained enough experience to build a career on.
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