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English Major

Stories surround us. Become an expert at interpreting texts and media of all kinds as an English major at Drake.

College of Arts & Sciences | On-Campus

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What You'll Learn

Drake University’s English major exposes you to literary and cultural representations across genres and media, including literature, linguistics, film, drama, comics, and digital forms. Centering around discussion, classes explore five distinct areas: Topics and Genres, History and Tradition, Culture and Identity, Theory and Criticism, and Rhetoric and Media Studies. You’ll begin studying the first three of these in lower-level core classes, while upper-level courses provide an opportunity to contemplate these themes in greater depth.

English majors learn to read and write critically, analytically, and creatively from award-winning writers, researchers, critics, and editors who have received regional, national, and international recognition. Through their guidance, you’ll examine centuries of works in historical and cultural contexts and start to understand how language can drive change.

About the English Major

  • Learn to read widely, think deeply, and express yourself with nuance and precision.
  • Reading and writing are intensely intertwined. While you’ll be primarily concerned with critically analyzing texts, you’ll cultivate the writing skills needed to discuss them with clarity and insight.
  • Engage with visiting writers and be exposed to a broad diversity of thought through our yearly Susan Glaspell Writers & Critics Series.
  • Contribute to our award-winning student-run art and literary journal, Periphery.
  • Participate in international study seminars in the United Kingdom and South Africa.

Program Facts

  • On campus
  • 120 total credits; 36 credits for the major
  • Four years to completion
  • Full-time only

Program Options

The Department of English offers small class sizes, one-on-one collaboration with faculty, and a host of experiential learning opportunities that cultivate creativity, critical thinking, and the ethical considerations in making persuasive arguments.

B.A. in English

English majors interpret, write, and share stories involving questions of personal and shared identities, equity, and historical connections. You can tailor this flexible degree with a concentration, second major, or minor to fit your interests and career goals.

English Minor

Burnish your skills in reading and writing with a minor in English. This six-course program is ideal preparation for graduate school or for anyone with an interest in critical reading and creative writing.

Interdisciplinary Concentrations, Double Majors, and Minors

You can use English classes to meet requirements for several interdisciplinary programs, including a minor in Black Diaspora Studies or a concentration in Women's and Gender Studies. Many students add a second major in Environmental Science, Law, Politics, and Society, or Marketing.

Meet the Faculty

Learn from award-winning writers, researchers, critics, editors, and Fulbright recipients who encourage you to embrace your passion. Above all, though, they’re skilled, caring teachers: no department has won more Teacher and Mentor of the Year Awards than ours.

Jeffrey Karnicky

Jeffrey Karnicky

Professor, English; Department Chair, English

Melisa Klimaszewski

Melisa Klimaszewski

Professor, English

Carol Spaulding-Kruse

Carol Spaulding-Kruse

Professor, English

All Faculty Members

Outside the Classroom

The written word defines and enriches our world at all levels—from advertisements and digital media to the films we watch and the books we read. Drake’s program reinforces this connection through diverse learning opportunities: examine literary works on location, build your writing portfolio, or learn from established authors and poets.

Standing in front of a bookcase, a speaker for Drake's Susan Glaspell Writers & Critics Series engages with the audience

Susan Glaspell Writers & Critics Series

Meet and work with high-profile writers who visit campus as part of this annual series. Recent guests include Alison Bechdel, George Saunders, Ocean Vuong, Denise Frohman, and Anthony Cody.

In a well-lit common area, two Drake English majors ready their resumes to apply for internships

Internships

Use your writing talents to help area non-profits through Drake’s Writing Internship program. You’ll collaborate closely with faculty advisors as you create newsletters and brochures, conduct research, and write grant proposals.

Groups of English majors gather around historical arches during one of Drake's study abroad trips

Study Abroad

The English department’s seminars in the U.K. and South Africa head straight to the source of inspiration. In addition, many English majors study literature, language, and culture in places such as Australia, Argentina, and Italy.

Satisfied with their work, two English majors lay out and edit one of Drake's student magazines in a campus computer lab

Drake Community Press and Periphery Magazine

Get first-hand publishing experience at Periphery, Drake’s student-published art and literary journal, and the Drake Community Press, which produces books about issues important to Iowans.

A Drake English major discusses his concept during a Writer's Night event

Writer’s Night

Give your creations an audience at Writer’s Night, a periodic event where Drake students, faculty, staff, and local writers share recent works with the community.

Drake English majors take notes on their laptops during a student organization meeting

Student Organizations and Awards

Share your love of literature in Sigma Tau Delta, Drake’s chapter of the international English honor society.

Careers & Skills

This adaptable major suits a wide range of careers: you’ll become an analytical reader, efficient problem-solver, and effective writer—skills employers in both the public and private sectors value. Additionally, should you decide to continue your education or specialize your knowledge, your studies prepare you to pursue advanced degrees in creative writing, gender studies, film studies, law, library science, social work, and literature.

Opportunities

  • Advertising
  • Communications
  • Advocacy work
  • Journalism
  • Teaching
  • Law
  • Speechwriting

Skills

  • Learn to read and write imaginatively, critically, and analytically.
  • Become adept at collaborating with others, as you share your work and strengthen it through dialogue, and critique.
  • Develop culturally aware use of language and reflect on changes in language.
  • Use language to better understand yourself and your world, as an exploratory writer and inquisitive reader.
  • Become a reflective and informed reader, able to generate and pursue complex questions of language’s meanings and uses.
  • Take pleasure in the play of language and other representational, symbolic systems of thought and expression.
A Drake English major completes a paper, with their notebook and laptop, in a campus common area

Salary & Growth Outlook

$

Median salary across media and communications occupations in 2024. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)

“My time in the Drake English Department has taught me how to question and read deeper—to find the many interwoven elements that make writing magical. Now knowing, I can translate to doing, adding dimension and intention to my own writing.”
Karin Berdahl, AS‘23

Related Programs

An English degree expands your powers of observation and analysis. Other programs at Drake allow you to cultivate similar skills, using other media as your source.

Creative Writing and Writing Studies, BA

Study thematic and formal traditions while uncovering your creative voice as a Creative Writing and Writing Studies major.

Law, Politics and Society, BA

Build a better understanding of how law influences our lives in one of the nation’s only undergraduate legal studies majors.

Women’s and Gender Studies, Concentration

Gender is ingrained in almost every aspect of our lives. Women’s and Gender Studies examines how gender shapes social roles, identities, and access to power.

Take the Next Step

Become an expert in unraveling the meaning behind stories—and telling your own—with an English degree from Drake.

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A Drake English major stays focused while typing an assignment on their laptop