The Department of English

Program Coordinator: Michael Grosso

English Major Overview

B.A. in English

Program Design

General Education Requirements

Literature Track

Language Track

TESOL Certification

Why Study English as a Major?

Transferrable Skill Sets of English Majors

Jobs for English Majors

Famous People Who Majored in English

Why Study English as a Major?
The ability to read literature isn’t the only skill students obtain with a degree in English.  Unlike the majority of dedicated degree majors, a Bachelor of Art’s degree in English does not train students in a single field for a specific kind of work, but rather provides students with a broad range of transferable skills essential for success with numerous kinds of work; skills, it should be added, that employers place at a premium.  In other words, a degree in English doesn’t prepare students for a job, but rather prepares students for many kinds of positions across the job market. In fact, English majors graduate with considerable potential for employability across diverse professional fields.  While some perceive a degree in literature as lacking practical application, few degrees other than English have the capacity to provide a diverse educational foundation that has lead to such effective careers as CEO of major entertainment companies, leadership roles in government, movie directors, film and television actors, journalists and Pulitzer-prize winning authors! Pursuing a degree in English not only opens up the world of literature, but also the world of employment possibility. 

A degree in English provides an excellent foundation for students interested in careers that demand professional and creative skills, from teaching secondary school, to effective leadership careers in business, law, public service, and entertainment. While immensely satisfying for intellectual and personal pursuits, a degree in English literature also provides numerous skills highly in demand within the professional world. A study in English emphasizes critical thinking, analysis and written communication and covers not only literature, but philosophy, sociology and psychology as well.  While this seems impractical for the job market, a major in English offers extremely beneficial training in writing, teamwork, editing, problem solving, critical and creative thinking, argument development, analysis, communication, adaptability and flexibility as well as the ability to understand and navigate varying points of view. All of these skills are highly prized by employers and extremely valuable for careers in education, business administration, publishing, communications, marketing and sales, media, government, non profit, technology, the arts and entertainment, health and human services, as well as law. (Return)

Transferrable Skill Sets of English Majors

* http://depts.washington.edu/engl/advising/careers/englcareers.php

Typical Jobs for English Majors

* http://depts.washington.edu/engl/advising/careers/englcareers.php

Famous People Who Majored in English 

• Douglas Adams (writer—Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy)
• Alan Alda (actor, writer)
• Russell Baker (journalist)
• Dave Barry (humorist, writer, actor)
• Joy Behar (writer, comedienne, co-host of “The View”)
• Gwendolyn Brooks (Pulitzer prize-winning poet)
• Carol Browner (former head of the Environmental Protection Agency)
• Edward Burns (actor, director, producer, writer)
• James Cameron (director, editor, producer, screenwriter—Titanic)
• Johnny Carson (talk show host)
• Chevy Chase (comedian, actor, writer)
• Tom Clancy (writer)
• Mario Cuomo (former governor of New York)
• Joan Cusack (actor—Grosse Point Blank)
• Matt Damon (actor, screenwriter)
• Vin Diesel (actor, director, producer, screenwriter)
• David Duchovny (actor, “X-Files”)
• Michael Eisner (Walt Disney CEO)
• Harrison Ford (actor)
• Jodi Foster (actor, filmmaker)
• Kathryn Fuller (World Wildlife Fund-U.S. CEO and President)
• A. Bartlett Giamatti (President, Yale University, and Commissioner of Baseball)
• Allen Ginsberg (poet—”Howl”)
• Cathy Guisewite (cartoonist—”Cathy”)
• Mary Hart (co-host of “Entertainment Tonight”)
• Joseph Heller (writer—Catch 22)
• Don Henley (singer, songwriter, musician, environmental activist)
• David Henry Hwang (playwright—M. Butterfly)
• Chris Isaak (songwriter, singer)
• Catherine Keener (actor—Being John Malkovich)
• Garrison Keillor (humorist, author, host of NPR’s “A Prairie Home Companion”)
• Stephen King (writer, novelist)
• Kris Kristofferson (singer, songwriter, musician, actor)
• Tommy Lee Jones (actor)
• John Mahoney (actor—Marty on “Frasier”)
• Arthur Miller (playwright—Death of a Salesman)
• Toni Morrison (novelist—Beloved, Jazz)
• Paul Newman (actor, activist, food entrepreneur/ philanthropist)
• Joyce Carol Oates (fiction writer—You Must Remember This)
• Conan O’Brien (talk show host, writer)
• Randy Owen (singer, songwriter, musician)
• Joe Paterno (football coach, Penn State)
• David Hyde Pierce (actor—Niles on “Frasier”)
• Christopher Reeve (writer, director, actor—Superman)
• Sally Ride (astronaut)
• Joan Rivers (comedienne)
• Richard Rodriquez (journalist, TV commentator)
• Geoffrey Rush (actor, director, playwright, musician)
• Susan Sarandon (actor—Thelma and Louise, Dead Man Walking)
• Fred Savage (actor—“The Wonder Years”)
• Diane Sawyer (broadcast journalist)
• Martin Scorsese (director—Raging Bull, Taxi, Gangs of New York)
• Paul Simon (songwriter, singer)
• Sting (singer, songwriter, musician, actor, environmental activist)
• Steven Spielberg (filmmaker)
• Dr. Seuss, a.k.a. Theodor Geisel (children’s author)
• Amy Tan (writer—Joy Luck Club)
• Clarence Thomas (U.S. Supreme Court Justice)
• Emma Thompson (actor, producer, screenwriter–Sense and Sensibility)
• Grant Tinker (TV executive and producer)
• John Updike (fiction writer—Witches of Eastwick, Rabbit Run )
• James Van Der Beek (actor—“Dawson’s Creek”)
• Harold Varmus (Nobel Laureate in medicine, Director of National Institute of Health)
• Barbara Walters (broadcast journalist)
• Sigourney Weaver (actor—Alien saga)
• Eudora Welty (fiction writer—Delta Wedding)
• Pete Wilson (former governor of California)
• Reese Witherspoon (actor)
• Bob Woodward (journalist, writer—All the President’s Men)

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