English program

Undergrad major Undergrad minor Teacher license

Prepare for your future.

The English Department at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse prepares students as professionals and global citizens through the study of literature & culture, writing & rhetoric, and English education.

Coursework features dynamic discussions with peers and professors about enduring real-world issues. Deepen your writing, reading, and critical thinking skills as you explore complex problems from multiple perspectives and develop creative, ethical solutions. Gain career-relevant experiences through internships, client and community service projects, and undergraduate research.

As a department, we engage with texts and ideas as imaginative, open-minded individuals who contribute responsibly to diverse communities in a changing world.

Employers have told me that my impressive writing background is what set me apart from other candidates seeking the same position. I can update company websites, produce promotional videos, lead social media efforts, and create email campaigns and other marketing materials.

Mikaela Kornowski

Jobs for English majors

Our English graduates prepare for their futures in a wide variety of exciting professions, including public relations, marketing, K-12 and higher education, law, medicine and event planning. Alumni are furthering their careers at businesses, nonprofits, schools and universities regionally and across the nation. We offer scholarship awards totaling more than $5,000 to qualified students every year, place our students in a wide variety of internships, and many of our students are successful in applying to competitive graduate programs across a broad range of disciplines.

English alumni are working in areas such as:

K-12 and higher education
Public relations
Marketing
Management
Nonprofit and business communication
Instructional design
Web content writing
Social media marketing
Journalism
Event planning
Politics and public administration
Grant writing
Technical writing
Science communication
Script writing
Law
Medicine and healthcare

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What is English studies?

An English major is a humanities degree with strong emphasis on reading and writing. Students are challenged to think deeply about what they read and observe, organize their thoughts, and develop arguments. Communication, creative thinking and problem-solving skills make them attractive to employers and graduate schools.

What distinguishes UWL's English program?

Choose your path

The English major allows for flexibility in selecting one of several emphasis areas. Students can choose a major, add a minor or double major. This allows for English majors and minors to develop interdisciplinary expertise and boost their marketability. Minor options within the English Department include: creative writing, linguistics, and professional and technical writing. The department also offers a professional and technical writing certificate. Learn more about options in the English program.

Hands-on opportunities

Students learn through course-embedded client service projects with community organizations, and course-embedded research projects. English students have received grants for various projects and have presented their research at UWL and regional and national conferences. Students have also published creative works in local and national publications.

Learn in-demand writing skills

Writing is part of the skillset employers want. A 2021 report from The American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) indicates that 90 percent of surveyed employers said that writing, critical thinking skills, and collaboration are important.The English Department is a writing-in-the major program, which means that students will learn and develop valuable writing skills throughout their major.

Learn through internships

Local businesses and magazines, as well as La Crosse’s two large medical facilities, regularly seek UWL English students for internships. Students can earn academic credit, while gaining real-world experience in areas such as publishing, news reporting, magazine writing, social media writing, science writing, grant writing, graphic and website design and more.

Get paid to be a writing tutor

Advanced English majors have the opportunity to gain valuable work experience as paid peer tutors in the UWL Writing Center, which offers the campus community assistance with writing assignments and projects.

Earn scholarship dollars

The English Department offers eight competitive scholarships specifically for English majors, and awards more than $5,000 to qualified students each year.