English and Foreign Languages

Program Overview
The English language is a powerful tool, and those who master it are well-prepared for the multiple career changes most college graduates experience in their work lives. English majors develop sophisticated abilities in communicating, listening, speaking, reading, writing, critical thinking, information gathering, and understanding a broad spectrum of human cultures.

This doesn't happen just in the classroom. Faculty routinely mentor students individually. Every English major works one on one with a faculty member on the senior thesis, the culminating exercise for the major.US Poet Laureate emeritus Billy Collins, Tobias Wolff, Eavan Boland, Mary Gordon, Tillie Olsen, and Li Young Lee, among others, have read and discussed their work with students at USF's Undergraduate Conference on English Language and Literature. Students from institutions such as Barnard, Harvard, Northwestern, Sarah Lawrence and the University of Illinois as well as USF have participated in this conference, where undergraduates annually present their own scholarship to an audience of peers and professors. USF students have also traveled widely in faculty sponsored trips to England, Ireland, France, and Italy.

Faculty
The USF  faculty is dedicated to helping students become excited about literature, writing and communication. Faculty members actively read, research and publish in their fields. English faculty have some of the strongest credentials and experience among all of the departments on campus.

Internships
USF students have earned internships at local law offices, Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago, Easter Seals and the Options Trading Corp. to name a few. The Writing Internship allows students to receive academic credit for applying their skills in real world settings.

Career Outlook
The English program opens the door to a wide range of career options, including market and legal research, business management, public relations, teaching and writing. English is also excellent preparation for graduate work in law, business, public administration, library science, education and advanced literary study.

English majors have strong backgrounds for many of today's hottest careers. The job outlook is good for grant writers, editors, teachers, librarians, and specialists in public relations and corporate communications. English majors' broad-based skills make them an easy fit for today's job market in business, industry and government.

Several Graduates have gone on to study law. The critical thinking skills developed through working on papers as well as the ability to use the language eloquently, succinctly and persuasively serve future attorneys well.

Study in English is one of the best ways to prepare for law school, and several graduates have established successful practices, including the first all female law office in Grundy County. The critical thinking skills developed through literary analysis as well as the ability to speak and write succinctly and persuasively serve future attorneys well.

However, for those with strong writing and editing skills, law is not the only option. A writer also can find work writing speeches, newsletters, and training and technical manuals, or as a reporter or correspondent. Public relations, publishing, and library work (especially now, as the information age evolves) offer many opportunities. With a little creativity and firm grasp of the language, the possibilities are only as limited as one's imagination.