Money Magazine ranked technical writing 13th, editing 19th, and writing 25th out of the 50 best jobs in America. Read more.
The PSU English Department is an enjoyable place to learn, to work, and to create friendships and networks that last long beyond college years. We have fifteen full-time faculty members with diverse areas of study, several part-time faculty and a dedicated office staff. Our degree programs launch well-rounded readers and writers into their professional lives. Our facilities encourage students to work one-on-one with peer tutors and professors. Our departmental activities contribute to the friendly atmosphere we value.
"I'm so grateful to this university. I've been to other schools, and this is the only one that made a difference for me." ~ Rebecca Bauman, English senior ~ Read more about Rebecca.
"I apply the theories and techniques I learned at PSU to my work on a daily basis. In the past, I approached document design intuitively, but now I understand the research and theories that support and guide my design decisions." ~ Rebecca "Becky" Gray ~ Read more about Becky.
Student and Faculty Activities
Faculty and students in the PSU English Department participate in a range of departmental activities outside the classroom. The Distinguished Visiting Writers Series brings prominent writers to our campus for readings, class discussions, and conversation. Each year the winner of the Victor J. Emmett Memorial Prize is invited to campus to receive the prize and present a scholarly lecture. Our students write, edit, and produce Cow Creek Review, the student literary journal that showcases our students' fiction, creative non-fiction, and poetry. The department also sponsors Sigma Tau Delta English Honors Society.
Writing Support
The facilities in our department enhance students' reading and writing abilities. The Department has a Computer Lab and a Writing Center. In addition to staffed, physical facilities, the English Department helps coordinate a university-wide program called Writing to Learn. All PSU students enroll in a series of Writing to Learn courses that emphasize intensive writing skills across the disciplines.
Department of English Events
4th Annual Faculty Reading at PSU Poetry and fiction come together in the 4th Annual Faculty Reading at PSU. Kicking off the spring Distinguished Visiting Writers series, poet Christopher Anderson and novelist Kathy De Grave will read at 8 PM on Thursday, February 4th, in the Balkans Room at Overman Student Center. Read more about the event.
Undergraduate Programs
Undergraduate students who pursue a Bachelor of Arts in English have an array of degree program options. In addition to a Traditional Emphasis in Literature, we offer undergraduate emphases in Creative Writing in Poetry or Fiction as well as a Technical/Professional Writing Emphasis.
Students interested in a teaching career can pursue a Bachelor of Science in Education.
Undergraduate students who are minoring in English have similar options. We offer minors in the Traditional Emphasis in Literature, Creative Writing, Technical/Professional Writing, and teaching.
Graduate Studies
Graduate students pursuing the Master of Arts in English also have several degree program options. In addition to the traditional Literature Emphasis, we offer a Creative Writing Emphasis, a Professional Writing and Rhetoric Emphasis, and an emphasis in Teaching in the Community College.
Those who already have a master's degree can pursue a Specialist in Education degree with English as the major teaching field.