Major and Minor

The English Department provides you with a depth and breadth of literary knowledge while teaching you to explore problems creatively, to be sensitive to life's diversity, and to read the world critically and thoughtfully.

Davidson English majors and minors build skills in:

• Communicating effectively in discussion and writing
• Analyzing and creating across genres and media
• Collaborating and working in diverse groups
• Planning and conducting independent research
• Creative problem solving
• Critical thinking
• Understanding and applying theoretical concepts
• Embracing ambiguity and entertaining multiple, conflicting perspectives
• Empathy and diplomacy

Because of its flexibility, the English major and minor pair well with other majors and minors. Whether alone or combined, an English degree signals to potential employers that you know how to write, communicate, and collaborate — in other words, you’ve developed the skills that employers want most.

What Do English Majors and Minors Study?

The study of English today has expanded beyond the traditional literary canon. Texts aren’t just books anymore, but can be TV shows, performances, Tweets, or memes. Authors aren’t just individual geniuses but may be collaborators, collectives, or computers. Reading and writing are no longer linear activities, but 3-dimensional, multimedia, transdisciplinary adventures.

Studying English involves reading and analyzing texts, as well as creating them. Studying English is about:

• exploring the lives of others, past and present, near and far;
• getting in proximity, fostering empathy, and traveling widely through the written and spoken word;
• recognizing the importance of stories and storytelling for making meaning, organizing society, and communicating knowledge.
• heightening awareness of the power of language to shape identities, values, world views, and ideologies.