UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAMS IN ENGLISH
English at Villanova offers a variety of undergraduate programs with options to pursue a major, minor or concentration.
Our small class sizes, outstanding faculty and personalized curriculum make English a dynamic department in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Villanova’s English faculty are nationally respected scholars of literature, as well as award-winning teachers, who help you develop a deep sense of the power of language. As an English major, Creative Writing minor and/or Writing and Rhetoric Program concentrator, you also find exciting opportunities to develop your writing skills in a wide range of courses from fiction and poetry workshops to seminars in legal writing and journalism.
In the English Department, you have the opportunity to meet high-profile writers at the annual Villanova Literary Festival, study abroad in Ireland and elsewhere around the world, and participate in internships throughout the Philadelphia area and beyond.
WHY ENGLISH?
Villanova English majors become successful lawyers, editors, novelists, investment bankers, professors, magazine writers, teachers, advertising and public relations professionals and more. As an English major, you learn to develop ideas in an organized and persuasive way, read attentively and write clearly—skills today’s employers and professional schools want and need.
The Department helps you find internships and other experiential learning opportunities, so you graduate fully prepared for the world of work.
Want to learn more? Explore our Careers page.
The professors in the Villanova English Department are equally passionate about both their teaching and their scholarship. They develop innovative strategies to enhance student learning, while also writing books that are shaping the field of literary study.
Learn more about English faculty scholarship.
Nearly half of the courses required for the English major are free electives, and the English track option gives you the opportunity to choose courses that reflect your specific interests. Under the guidance of a faculty member, you can develop a track based on a historical field, genre or topic of interest.
Explore the English Department's course offerings.
Most English classes are small seminars, promoting active discussion between students and faculty. In this learning environment you have the opportunity to express your ideas and receive feedback from professors and fellow students. This interactive process heightens your intellectual development while also preparing you to be a confident public speaker.
The English department has designed a number of courses exclusively for first-year students. English 1842 and the Creative Writing Learning Community provide you with opportunities to immediately immerse yourself in the study of English and join our community of students and faculty who love to read and write.
English 1842. Each fall the English Department offers several sections of English 1842, a course specially designed to give first-year students the chance to explore their interest in English as soon as they arrive on campus. English 1842 counts toward the English major and minor, giving you the opportunity to begin earning credits within the English Department right away. English 1842 has three course options, including literary analysis, creative writing and publishing. Read the full course descriptions.
Creative Writing Learning Community. Villanova’s First-Year Learning Communities are an opportunity for students to live, engage and learn together. In this special section of the program, you will live and study with other students who share your passion for creative writing. As part of the College’s two-semester Augustine and Culture Seminar (ACS), you will take courses with English faculty, who will challenge you to explore texts’ ideas and styles and to improve your analytical writing skills. As a special feature of the learning community, you will also participate in a weekly one-credit creative writing class taught by a published writer. Crafting in forms that reflect your voice—including poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction—you will learn how writers meet challenges, break norms, invent solutions, and ignite change in their work. Learn more about ACS. Enroll in a Learning Community.
For questions about majoring, minoring, or tracks, please reach out to Professor Mary Mullen.
