About this Program
The English Major prepares you for an information economy in a changing world. The intellectual skills it fosters enhance every career and build long-term potential for flexibility and advancement.
The UMD English BA Program offers:
- high-quality advisement with personal attention, geared to helping students find and pursue their interests
- a flexible program that pairs well with other majors and minors
- small class sizes in a seminar setting with award winning professors
- an innovative curriculum in publishing and print culture
Acquired Skills
Intellectual Skills for a Changing World:
• Read Carefully
• Think Critically
• Write Clearly
Career Possibilities
The ability to read carefully, think critically, and write clearly enhances every career. Our graduates own small and large businesses, manage companies, work in law, publishing, education, journalism, finance, theatre. They have become neuroscientists, military officers, professional hockey players, social workers, authors and professors.
Admissions and Scholarships
Thanks to our generous donors, we are pleased to offer numerous scholarships, including the the following:
- Joseph Duncan Scholarship: Established in 1985, the Joseph Duncan Scholarship is awarded to an outstanding junior or senior English major. Applicants must be full-time and have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0. This award seeks to recognize students with documented need and merit and a demonstrated interest in the study of literature.
- The Slonim Memorial Scholarship: The Slonim Memorial Scholarship is awarded to an outstanding English major who has declared an English major and will be beginning her/his senior year. The application should convince the committee of the student’s scholarly excellence and professional promise and evidence which demonstrates that her/his resources are inadequate to meet the costs of the senior year.
- The Ann H. and Alfred Hartley Scholarship: Alfred Hartley created the Ann H. Hartley Scholarship in honor of his wife Ann's lifelong interest in the English Language and Literature. This scholarship is awarded to a full-time English major in her/his junior or senior year with good academic standing. Winners will demonstrate need and merit and an interest in literature.
- The Reed Scholarship: John Reed, English professor at Wayne State U and a UMD alumnus (class of 1959), created the John and Ruth Reed Scholarship for a student of English in honor of himself and his now deceased wife, Ruth, a graduate of Hope College. This scholarship is awarded to a full time English major or minor with a of 3.0 or higher.
- The William M. Crockett Scholarship: Established in 2012, the William M. Crockett Scholarship is awarded to an outstanding English major with demonstrated financial need.
CAHSS is proud to be able to offer over 90 alumni and donor funded scholarships to our students each year. In total over $190,000 is awarded out to CAHSS students. Each department facilitates the process for their specific scholarships and students are also encouraged to apply for CAHSS-wide scholarships offered to students in any field.
Student Clubs
The Literary Guild - The Literary Guild is a student organization that produces an annual literary magazine called "The Roaring Muse."
Faculty Highlights
- English faculty have received awards, honors, and grants for teaching, research, and advising from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the University of Minnesota system, the UMD Student Association, the UMD Chancellor's Office, and the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences.
- October 2016 - Shakespeare's First Folio visited Duluth as the exclusive stop in Minnesota on its national tour.