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English: Literature Concentration

Undergraduate Program On Campus

What You'll Learn

Studying literature at Calvin University will be the foundation to a job you’ll love. Our graduates go on to fulfilling careers in publishing, library science, freelance writing, law, journalism, and more. That’s because our literature program pairs transformative classes with outstanding experiences.

In class, you’ll learn from faculty who are published authors and gifted teachers. You’ll read books that capture your imagination, force you to laugh, make you think, and sober your heart. You'll listen to diverse voices from the past and present and consider the ways that words can shape a better future. You'll think deeply about big ideas, like faith and justice.

Outside the classroom, you’ll have connections to intriguing possibilities. You’ll be mentored by Christian faculty who will chart your academic experience. We're neighbors with major publishing companies where you can land a career-shaping internship. And at our renowned Festival of Faith & Writing, you'll make connections with people whose words are changing the world.

What Makes This Program Great

  • Career-making experience: Almost every English major graduates with an internship under their belt. Grand Rapids—home to publishing houses like Zondervan, Eerdmans, Baker, and more—is the perfect place to get practical experience.
  • Be equipped with the tools of the trade: Analyze, research, critique, and appreciate the written word with others. Delve into almost any period of British, American, or world literature. And discuss both classic and contemporary works through lenses of feminism, postcolonialism, and other literary theories.
  • Enhances other majors: A literature degree fits well with almost any major and is a great way to bring your love of reading into another field.
  • Curiousity on the road: Off-campus programs will connect your love of reading and writing to real people, places, and ideas. Explore places like Britain, New England, and Ghana.
  • Invested professors: Our faculty work hard to connect literature majors to opportunities in their individual areas of interest, whether that’s graphic novels, newspaper journalism, genre writing, or anything else.
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Faculty

Jennifer L. Holberg

Professor of English, Chair of the English Department, Co-director of the Calvin Center for Faith & Writing