English

Purdue University in West Lafayette

In Purdue’s English department, expert faculty interact closely with students, imparting the skills to analyze literature and/or Global English, write about it (and anything!), and figure out what students want to do after they have graduated. Our English Ambassadors program means that students find community when they arrive, and our internships and career-based classes help students start thinking, at the beginning of their degrees, where they might go next.

On the way, students cultivate skills that will never go out of fashion, including:

• Reading and writing skills (how to read patiently, and with empathy and insight; how to recognize patterns in texts; and how to express observations effectively)
• Creative and literary thinking (metaphorical and other non-literal reasoning; connecting the dots both globally and historically; telling stories with data)
• Analytical and research skills (how to take texts and ideas apart for a greater understanding of the whole; how to find, compile, and synthesize important information)
• Cutting-edge presentation skills (how to read and understand images and digital texts; how to present your ideas in the most effective manner)

While pursuing a BA in English, students may select from two distinct concentrations: Literature and English Language in a Global Context.

• The Literature student is a reader. In this track, students read authors who have shaped the English-speaking globe and practice the skills necessary to negotiate a complex world.
• The English Language in a Global Context student is an internationalist. In this track, students learn about the history and the varieties of English around the world, and the teaching of English as a second language.

In both, our students have access to unique English department learning communities, internships, scholarships, study abroad opportunities and more, providing them with the foundations for collegiate success and beyond.

All liberal arts majors prepare students with the skills identified as contributing to executive success and leadership: communicating and listening well, possessing insights into others, creative/critical thinking, problem solving and the ability to make connections across complex ideas.

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