The ability to communicate ideas and information is one of the most valuable skills you can have. 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 lives.
English majors develop sophisticated abilities in communicating, listening, speaking, reading, writing, critical thinking, information gathering and understanding a broad spectrum of human cultures.
USF’s goal is to heighten and intensify student reading experiences, and help students reflect upon the ways in which written and spoken words deliver meaning. Through this discovery, students can develop the ability to recognize authoritative analysis and question authority. They can even become authoritative critics themselves.
Skilled writing begins with skilled listening and speaking. Through spontaneous and focused exchanges that entertain wide-ranging ideas in a respectful way, USF English majors become confident speakers and can present their ideas in formal and informal settings. Critical thinking skills are honed in every class and assignment, enriched by discovery, originality, humor, creativity, and the pleasure of reading.
The Comparative Literature concentration is an interdisciplinary option for students of literature. Comparative literature, now often understood as international and interdisciplinary study rooted in literature, began as a disciplinary home for the comparison of literatures from different national traditions. It then evolved to encompass cultural studies and eventually became fully interdisciplinary. At its heart is comparison, which involves pondering juxtapositions, asking questions, making connections, starting a conversation, and carrying it through to the end with an awareness of how it all came about. Because Comparative Literature offers great freedom and creativity, it demands in turn great discipline: one needs the appropriate expertise to make the comparison (linguistic or disciplinary), a sound basis for the comparison, an understanding of the theoretical underpinnings and implications of the comparison, and the ability to articulate them orally and in writing.
Aside from courses in the English Department, students of Comparative Literature must take two upper-division courses in secondary field (including, but not limited to art, criminal justice, foreign languages, history, philosophy, psychology, theology) that will be relevant to their capstone experience. All courses should be chosen in consultation with the major advisor so that it forms a coherent and individualized curriculum.
The English major concentration in English/Language Arts is our teacher preparation program and is only open to students who are also pursuing Secondary Education with Professional Educator Licensure through the College of Education. The major is jointly administered by the English Department and the College of Education.
For 1,400 years, the English language has been a rich and supple medium for poets, novelists, essayists, playwrights, filmmakers, and translators, not only in English-speaking nations but across the globe. To study this long tradition, we adopt a wide variety of lenses; rhetorical, political, and philosophical approaches complement the study of performance modes and material culture. English Literature students read a wonderful mix of old and new everything from ancient epics, Renaissance dramas, and Victorian novels, to the latest memoirs, graphic novels, and spoken-word poetry. They also study writing with published writers in a variety of creative, professional, and digital modes. In our student-focused, discussion-driven classes, students work alongside faculty to develop their own interests as they hone essential skills demanded by the job market: close reading and research, confident analysis and argument, both oral and written. Opportunities for learning outside the classroom are always on offer: internships, conference presentation, spoken word, live theater, and more.
“Give me the liberty to know, to utter, and to argue freely according to conscience, above all liberties.” –John Milton, Areopagitica (1644)
More than a concentration, Writing at USF is a mission rooted in the universal human right of freedom of expression. Students in our multi-disciplinary writing program determine and hone their writing skills in three arenas: imaginative and creative expression, professional communication, advocacy writing. Within each one, they explore the relationship between conscience and expression, they learn that the right to speak the truth goes hand in hand with the duty to seek it, and they probe real-world tests to the limits that have grown up around the bold assertions of our First Amendment. The premium granted to wit and invention in our society, and the authority that clear and concise writing commands means that our students begin working within professional norms immediately. Research, argument and logic drive them to design innovative communications in multiple media. Adept at code-switching, they distinguish between different rhetorical situations and audiences. They know that using commas is an art and that telling a good story is the secret weapon of advertising, advocacy, business, diplomacy, entertainment, journalism, law, medicine, philanthropy, politics, social-media, and teaching.
In the discussion-centered, collaborative classes and workshops of the USF Writing Program, learning is not about following rules, but about discovering the freedom of expression through them, challenging them, and writing new rules for professionalism in the twenty-first century.
The University of St. Francis is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org), a regional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
USF’s general education coursework includes classes devoted to writing in academic and professional settings. This page describes the courses included in the first-year writing sequence and explains how students can fulfill their first-year writing requirement.
The Writing Tutorial is a structured series of individual conferences with experts in first-year writing designed to supplement College Writing I for designated students.
College Writing I introduces students to the practices needed to effectively communicate in the diverse, global, technologically-mediated contexts they will encounter in college and beyond. The course lays the foundation for effective writing across disciplines by developing rhetorical awareness, critical thinking, awareness of academic and professional writing conventions, and the habits of mind needed to develop a flexible writing practice. In this course, regular practice in the writing process will help students develop their unique strategies for brainstorming, drafting, giving and receiving feedback, revising, editing, and proofreading. Writing projects and course activities will cultivate rhetorical thinking, including awareness of audience, context, purpose, and rhetorical appeals. The course will help students select and evaluate information from sources and enter into conversation with the ideas of others, empowering students to express their thoughts, advocate for their beliefs, and communicate ethically and creatively in diverse contexts.
College Writing II is the second course in the first-year writing sequence. In addition to building on the writing skills developed in College Writing I, the course is designed to be an inquiry-driven seminar that actively engages the students in developing the basic academic skills required of USF students: reading, writing and evidence-based and thesis-driven research and thinking. Each seminar focuses on a theme that emerges from one or more of the Liberal Arts disciplines, building on academic skills of reading, rhetorical awareness, and writing with sustained inquiry, research, and participation in academic conversations. The course offers the opportunity for writing persuasive and referential prose with emphasis on the process of research and writing from sources.
Some incoming students are placed into ENGL 101 based on the recommendation of English faculty. For questions about placement into ENGL 101, please contact the writing program director, Dr. Anna Ioanes, at aioanes@stfrancis.edu.
Most incoming students, whether new, traditional freshmen or transfer students, must take ENGL 111. Students can place out of ENGL 111 in the following ways:
For questions about dual enrollment, transfer credit, and AP credit, please contact advising@stfrancis.edu.
Most incoming students, whether new, traditional freshmen or transfer students, must take ENGL 112. Students can place out of ENGL 112 in the following ways:
For questions about dual enrollment, transfer credit, and AP credit, please contact advising@stfrancis.edu.
Students are supported in their writing courses and all writing assignments by peer-tutors in the Academic Resource Center (Tower Hall, N316). Students can take advantage of weekly drop-in tutoring hours or schedule an appointment with a tutor (in person, or online). Tutoring is unlimited and free of charge. Schedules and instructions for setting appointments are available in the MyUSF portal. For questions about tutoring services, contact visit the Academic Resource Center webpage.
“A variety of courses and small class sizes served as hallmarks of the USF English program for me, but my experience was greatly enhanced because of the commitment and dedication of my professors. Small class sizes helped them get to know us as students better and allowed us to open up and share ideas. Because of their influence, I have been more successful in applying effective teaching methods within my own career as a high school English teacher.”
-Nikki Arendell
English majors can end up in any number of places—in advertising, journalism, law, politics, business and publishing. They are thrilled by the challenge of writing with playfulness, imagination and critical rigor and become writers and teach in high schools and universities. English majors pursue advanced degrees in a broad range of fields, from literature and languages to library science and other humanistic fields. Like all humanistic disciplines, English is a broad platform from which to launch many different careers that depend on astute thinking, critical reading, excellent oral and written communication, confidence and authority.
It’s all about internships at the University of St. Francis! Employers often say they look for students who have an internship on their resume, so obtaining one is always recommended for ultimate student success. USF English majors have earned internships at Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago, the Options Trading Corp., Easter Seals and numerous regional law firms to name a few.
The writing internship allows students to earn academic credit for applying their skills in real-world settings. Students can also elect to study abroad to expand their cultural awareness and writing experience. The USF International Programs Office offers study abroad opportunities that range from two weeks, one semester or a full academic year.
