English

students in classroom

In every area of life—whether you pursue a career in academia, business, or law—your success depends your ability to communicate intelligently and persuasively. Great writers are critical thinkers who can distill and organize complex issues and make sense of the world through a fresh lens.

At Emory, you’ll delve into classical and modern writing and explore genres ranging from poetry to science fiction and Shakespeare to Southern literature.

Along with a traditional English major, we have the following joint majors:

  • Classics and English
  • History and English
  • 4+1 BA/MA

Outcomes

Earning a degree in English provides a solid foundation for many career paths. You might think of teaching or journalism—but our Emory English major alumni work in many areas, including media and communications, business development, law, marketing healthcare services, and information technology.

Recent Emory grads have gone on to successful careers at Bloomberg, Teach for America, The Home Depot, L’Oreal USA, Tory Burch, and City Year.

They’re also pursing advanced degrees as such institutions as Loyola, University Chicago School of Law, Boston College, Emory School of Medicine, and Oxford University.

#1
Best American College for Writers
USA Today College

Example of Major Classes

Presenting Student Research

English Research

Kate Norton, English and Psychology double major, researched student awareness and attitudes around the Emory Writing Center. She received a grant through the Undergraduate Research Program to present her project findings at the Southeastern Writing Center Association Conference.

Michael Elliott

In most creative writing programs, faculty the quality of ours would be working in a Masters of Fine Arts (MFA) program, focusing on training professionals. Ours are integrated into the English department, creating a much more fluid sense of community. In fact, we're emerging as one of the most significant places in the nation where this kind of broad community exists.

Michael Elliott
Senior associate dean for faculty in Emory College of Arts and Sciences and Winship Distinguished Research Professor in English