At a glance: Literature

Did you know? Field trips to literary and cultural events, such as the Shakespeare Festival at Stratford, Ontario, and participation at undergraduate conferences.

Literature, one of the five majors offered in the Department of English, is designed to prepare majors for professional life and graduate school by combining a solid preparation in literature, critical theory and language, with opportunities for real-world experience. Courses include survey, period and specialized courses in American, British and world literatures; single-author courses such as Chaucer and Shakespeare; and critical theory and language. Besides this solid background in literature curriculum, the program offers exciting professional experiences on departmental and University publications. The Senior Seminar capstone project provides majors an opportunity to explore a topic of their own choosing and to enhance their research, writing and professional skills. Literature, as a humanities discipline, hones critical thinking and writing skills and prepares students in a wide variety of culture areas. Visit the Department of English web site.

Distinctive features

Seminars with intensive faculty mentoring
Specialized first-quarter orientation for new majors
Opportunity to create an extended individual research capstone project in Senior Seminar
Diverse and professionally- active faculty
Individual guidance with professional- and graduate-school applications
Technologically-enhanced classroom facilities
Exposure to current cultural developments through enrichment programs
Study-abroad options
Visiting writers sponsered by the department and University, including John Updike, Joyce Carol Oates, Edward Albee, Nikki Giovanni, Ursula Hegi, John Wideman, Jimmy Santiago Baca, Tom C. Hunley and Elizabeth Kolbert
Membership in Sigma Tau Delta, award-winning national English honor society
Career speakers, some of whom offer mentoring and internship opportunities
Hands-on experience working on five department publications

Facilities

English department classes and faculty offices are in Dukes Memorial, one of the historic front-campus buildings. The department has a variety of instructional rooms, including two state-of-the-art computer classrooms, four rooms equipped with SMART Boards, a mobile laptop lab, two seminar rooms with a departmental reading area and a reference library.

Student organizations

Sigma Tau Delta
One of the nation’s top chapters, this active group organizes local philanthropy projects related to literacy (such as tutoring in local schools), creates a spirit of collegiality in the department through faculty-student activities, and annually sends students to the national conference, where many students have had their creative works or academic projects selected for presentation.

Secondary Education Society
A new chapter recognized by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), this group was formed by dedicated LAE majors to focus on issues in the profession that have bearing on their future careers as teachers. They regularly attend the national NCTE or College English Association of Ohio conferences.

Professional placement

Graduates find jobs as teachers, reporters, freelance writers, ad managers and writers for public relations firms, lobbyists, editors, librarians, sports reporters and sports public relations personnel, wedding and special event planners and insurance underwriters.

Graduate schools

ONU English majors are accepted to graduate programs across the country in journalism, professional writing, literature, library science, creative writing and law. These graduate schools include: Florida Gulf Coast University, Kent State University, The Ohio State University, University of Dayton, University of Memphis, University of Tennessee, University of Virginia and West Virginia University.

Career opportunities

English majors are generally desired by employers because they are articulate, write well, are perceptive readers, can research effectively and work well with others to collaborate on publications and projects.