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School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences

English

Welcome to the English department!

Words are central to how we understand what it means to be human. After all, from the very beginning, the book of Genesis tells us, God brought the universe into being with words. So words and the structures they create—whether linguistic or literary—merit good, careful attention to not only understand them but also to use them well, too.

With both broad preparation and four concentrations (linguistics, literature, writing, general) to help you go deeper, the English department is a place where you can explore words in many contexts. We offer a wide selection of courses including literary offerings from across the millennia and around the world, a range of classes that study language in all its complexity, and welcoming spaces where you can develop your own writing in both professional and creative contexts.

Each step of the way, the English department’s committed Christian professors will travel with you, helping you discern one of the many, many areas where you might use your love of words. That might be publishing or law, ministry or librarianship, arts management or non-profit work, or one of 40 other areas in which our graduates find themselves. The English major can take you to places you haven’t imagined yet—and our innovative internship program, required of all majors, helps you test out your interests. The department has long-standing connections with all sorts of employers, including publishers and publications.

The English major works well as a double major, too. You don’t have to choose! In fact, we encourage you to think about how an English major can enhance your preparation in other areas. At heart, studying English helps you analyze more critically, write more winsomely, and understand God’s world in all its beauty and complexity.

We'd love to welcome you to the English department!

Explore Programs

English Language Arts Education (5th to 9th Grade) Minor

Delivery Mode
On Campus
Degree Options
Minor

English Language Arts Education (7th to 12th Grade) Major

Delivery Mode
On Campus
Degree Options
Major

English: General Concentration

Delivery Mode
On Campus
Degree Options
Major
Minor

English: Linguistics Concentration

Delivery Mode
On Campus
Degree Options
Major
Minor

English: Literature Concentration

Delivery Mode
On Campus
Degree Options
Major
Minor

English: Writing Concentration

Delivery Mode
On Campus
Degree Options
Major
Minor

Journalism Minor

Delivery Mode
On Campus
Degree Options
Minor
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The 2019-2020 Rhetoric Center staff.

Make use of The Rhetoric Center

The Rhetoric Center provides free assistance with composing written, visual, and oral assignments. We work with students from all majors with all kinds of papers and speeches at any stage of the creative process.

Study English off-campus

Take part in one of Calvin's renowned off-campus programs, and see literature and language through new eyes. The semester programs below are some of those most commonly attended by English majors.

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columns in a ruined ancient church in England

Semester in Britain

No matter what major you're pursuing—business, communication, education, English, film, history, information technology, sport and exercise, or religion—you'll find classes to take at Liverpool-Hope University.

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florence

Literature of Faith: On Pilgrimage with Dante

This class is an opportunity for students to engage a rich tradition and connect it to their own practices and those of people around them in Florence, the city of Dante’s birth.

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westminster abbey in london. big ben looms in the background.

Theatre, Literary Arts and Culture in Edinburgh and London

Edinburgh and London are important centers of theatre in the UK. On this interim, students will see a spectacular array of theatre performances from the Edinburgh, Stratford-Upon-Avon, and London.