As an English major at CSU, you will become part of a dynamic community known for its devotion to teaching, interdisciplinary offerings, and excellence in both research and the creative arts.
Here, you will tap into curiosity and creativity, and explore topics like:
- How language is structured and acquired
- How storytelling shapes the human experience
- How our use of language and literacy relates to identities, cultures, and notions of power
- How we teach English language arts in secondary schools
English majors can choose from six concentrations, allowing students to focus and specialize according to their interests and future goals. The new Integrated English Studies Concentration allows students (in collaboration with a faculty mentor) to create their own major that crosses more than one of our disciplines.
- Creative Writing Concentration
- English Education Concentration
- Integrated English Studies Concentration
- Linguistics Concentration
- Literature Concentration
- Writing, Rhetoric, and Literacy Concentration
No matter which direction you choose, you’ll have the support and mentoring of faculty and staff committed to your success. Additionally, our small class sizes will help you foster meaningful relationships and make unexpected connections across the field of English Studies.
Learning Objectives
Student who successfully complete a major in English will be able to:
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Analyze texts across a broad range of literary genres, styles, and historical and contemporary contexts with an eye practiced in close reading.
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Write with clarity, effectiveness, and originality for a variety of rhetorical purposes and audiences.
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Describe the ways we use language and literacy and understand how concepts are related to identities, cultures, and notions of power.
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Identify and interpret how rhetorical theories and writing practices connect to larger socio-cultural contexts.
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Approach topics through an interdisciplinary lens and evaluate the possibilities and benefits associated with fostering collaboration in thought, scholarship, and being.
A degree in English prepares you for incredible career versatility. Within our coursework and experiential learning opportunities, students develop key liberal arts skills that translate to a variety of industries—including healthcare, education, business, publishing, media, law and policy, environmental justice, hospitality, and more.
Skills like critical thinking and problem-solving, verbal and written communication, digital proficiency and literacy, inclusive teamwork, and personal accountability are imparted across our classrooms and major concentrations.
By building upon these skills, our students become engaging communicators, convincing writers, empathetic collaborators, ethical decision-makers, and compassionate global citizens—all traits top employers continue to prioritize. Additionally, the department encourages experiential education by offering a host of internship opportunities in writing, research, teaching, community engagement, social media, and publishing to make meaningful connections with mentors and gain professional experience.
Our alumni embark on compelling career journeys, pursuing jobs that allow them to work in areas of interest and care, while making a difference in their communities. Discover how a degree in English has helped advance the professional lives of recent alumni.
Change of Major
To change your major to English, you can either call the College of Liberal Arts Academic Advising Center at 970-491-3117, or send them an email.