Because you can!  We are one of the few English Departments that give students the option of choosing from either a major in English or Writing. In the words of one of our students, "You have options, which makes the program and classes you choose more individualized and more likely to be classes that you will truly enjoy, not classes you 'have to take.'" Because we celebrate the pleasure of the text: at Drake you can meet, listen, and talk with visiting writers,work with faculty on teaching and research projects, participate in writing groups, read on Drake Writers' nights, edit or contribute to our literary journal Periphery, or tutor in our Writing Workshop.

Because we take learning beyond the classroom: many classes incorporate service learning, taking you into community businesses, schools, and institutions. ...more Because it is professional: perhaps more than anything else, employers want people with communications skills, with the abilities to write and to think creatively and critically. This may be one reason why 95% of our students are pursuing careers related to their majors within six months of graduation. Here are some of our recent alumni.

Because according to Drake student surveys, English and Writing majors are more satisfied with their majors, the quality of their classroom experience, and advising, and report greater improvement in their writing and critical thinking than students in A&S, Business, Journalism, Pharmacy, and Education. Because "the undergraduate curriculum currently in place is exemplary of what the best English departments . . . are offering." (2004 Program Review Report) Further, the report identified these core areas of excellence - click on the links for more information:

-Superb faculty
-Innovative curriculum with exciting courses and pioneering new Writing Major
-Individual courses focused on active and collaborative learning, with strong emphasis on developing crucial reading and writing skills
-Talented students with strong commitment to the major
-Thoughtful integration of all University and College goals into departmental goals
-Leadership within the University in interdisciplinary endeavors
-Excellent outreach with Des Moines community