Why Choose English?
Because life is a narrative. Because you love books. Because you love to read and write. And the English major will make you an expert. As an expert, you will join a community of alums in a range of professional careers and artistic pursuits: law, entertainment, education, non-profit advocacy, to name only a few.
The Classes
You will personalize your major by choosing a series of courses that will combine to give you a background in World literary traditions while pursuing your personal interests in topics like:
- Creative Writing
- Environmental Literature and Ecocriticism
- Critical Race and Ethnicity Studies
- Digital Arts and Humanities
- Theory, Media, and Praxis
- Author and Genre Studies
The Faculty
Our faculty are award-winning scholar-teachers with expertise in a wide variety of areas within literary and writing studies. Wholly devoted to the classroom, they are at Manhattan College’s English department because they believe that small class sizes allow students to engage in lively discussion and our location in New York City affords unique opportunities to explore how cultural institutions across the city intersect with the wide variety of coursework we offer. As an English major, you will get to know they, and they you, through a variety of informal gatherings, including “English Night” at nearby restaurants and frequent poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction readings hosted through the Major Author Reading Series.
Professors in this department are eager to collaborate with students on research projects – an essential experience for students considering postgraduate studies. Many of these partnerships lead to journal publications and academic presentations.
The Experience
Being an English major is arguing books in a classroom, a bar, or dorm room, being in the theater, meeting your favorite authors at MARS events, submitting your work to Logos or Manhattan Magazine, reading your own work (poetry/fiction readings), attending film screenings on campus and in the city, developing your own independent study with a favorite professor – the point is this: literary culture is alive at Manhattan College.
You will make New York City your classroom. Experience the city’s world-class theater scene in our Theater in the City class or discover the city’s unique ecosystem in Environmental Literature. You will come face-to-face with internationally acclaimed and prizewinning writers. Our Major Author Reading Series brings writers such as Jennifer Egan, Adam Johnson, Jia Tolentino, and Leslie Jamison to campus every semester. You will also have the opportunity to contribute creative and academic work to one of several campus publications.