Medaille’s English program involves much more than reading classic selections of poetry, prose, and plays. Students are challenged to seek the deeper meanings in the language of literature by faculty members who themselves are published (and award-winning) authors of literary criticism, poetry, fiction, and multimedia.

In addition to a solid foundation of literature in the American and British traditions, Medaille’s English degree offers an introduction to world literature, ethnic texts, and other forms of non-canonical publications. Beyond words on a page, the English department’s foundation in Humanities exposes students to other meaningful forms of expression, such as art, philosophy, theater, and music. For students with a special interest in pursuing a career in writing, formal concentrations in either Creative Writing or Professional Writing are available.

All English majors complete a field experience before graduation with a local business or organization. Students have interned with:

• Just Buffalo Literary Center
• Olmstead Conservancy
• Buffalo Spree
• Starcherone Books (on-campus press)
• Slope Editions (on-campus press)
• Prometheus Books

The English degree also facilitates entrance into careers in:

• Education & Teaching
• Law, Government & Politics
• Business & Management
• Technical Writing
• Journalism & Media
• Public Relations & Advertising
• Library Science
• Graduate and Post-Graduate study

English and Teaching Certification Students who know that they would like to teach English at the secondary level can matriculate in a major specially designed to allow students to earn a Bachelor of Science in Education with certification as an adolescent English teacher in as few as 126 credits. This major combines the majority of the courses that English majors take with a uniquely tailored education curriculum that prepares students to be certified as English teachers in the New York State school system. This major also provides the ideal foundation to earn the master’s degree required of all tenured teachers in New York.

Class of 2017 Summer Reading Program:

Click here for the online reading guide to Nicholas Carr’s, The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains.

Sample Schedules

The following links are examples of what courses an English major may take over four years:

• Sample Schedule
• Sample Schedule - Creative Writing Concentration
• Sample Schedule - Professional Writing Concentration

Faculty

The English program is part of the Humanities division, which includes sixteen faculty members who specialize in areas such as art history, music, philosophy, foreign languages, theatre arts, and writing. More about our faculty

Credit Distributions

English