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Bachelor of Arts in English

Callouts

LEVEL

Undergraduate

DEGREE

Bachelor of Arts in English

COLLEGE

College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences

LOCATION

On campus, online and hybrid

Whether you love the written word, are looking to pursue a career in law, business, education, writing, publishing or something else, a bachelor's degree in English will give you the tools you need to get you there.

That's because when you pursue a degree in English at Alabama State University, you learn marketable skills such as analysis, research, critical thinking, writing, and more. Degrees in English build a foundation that prepares you for the next step in your academic or professional journey.

Why Pursue an
English Bachelor Degree at Alabama State University?

Many come to us and ask what can you do with an English degree? The short answer is . . .anything you want. A degree in English can take you anywhere you want to go, and we at Alabama State will help get you there.

  • Location, Location, Location:

    This historic city of Montgomery not only provides a place steeped in history to pursue your studies, but also the capital of Alabama provides a plethora of English bachelor degree jobs, including internships at publishing companies, law firms, nonprofits, ESL teaching, and more.

  • Learn from the best:

    Our faculty is made up of award-winning, published writers, editors, filmmakers, and essayists, 90% of whom hold a Ph.D. Many have also earned an MFA, and one holds a J.D. Outside of class, our professors write television shows and cooking blogs, act, research, participate in social justice activities for voting rights, and even edit national publications.

  • Attention You Deserve:

    We have one faculty member for every two students pursing an English bachelor degree, so you can be sure you will get the attention you deserve.

Explore English Bachelor Degree Courses at ASU

Our English courses are very popular and attract students across all majors at Alabama State. Particularly popular are film studies courses; seminars like the “Race and. . .” Seminar, and the "History of Black Narrative Film,” and creative writing. For more information on the courses you will complete to earn your degree in English, visit the links below:

What Can You Do With an English Degree?

We can't list all the opportunities for English bachelor degree jobs you will have because they cut across so many different positions and industries. The sky is the limit!

Our graduates, equipped with a wide range of marketable skills from the bachelor's degree in English program, go on to graduate school, then Ph.D. programs, to law school, join Teach for America, and more. Our graduates become professors, teachers, lawyers, filmmakers, writers, bloggers, and non-profit organization directors, among many other professions.

Our track record speaks for itself: 100% of our students with an English bachelor’s degree find jobs or enroll in graduate school within three months of completing their degree in English. The median annual wage for an English degree holder is $51,000, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

 

Places Alumni Work

Program Callouts

100

The percent of our students employed or in graduate school within three months of graduation.

90

The percentage of our faculty who hold a Ph.D.

1:2

Faculty to student ratio for our department.

22

Alabama State University's ranking among HBCUs by U.S. News & World Report.

Why Study English Bachelor Degree?

Our program, available to both full-time and part-time students in online, in-person, or hybrid formats, can be completed in as little as two years, though most students take four years to complete. The opportunities, personal attention, and learning you experience will set you up for success at Alabama State and beyond:

Real-world experience in the field you want. We listen to our students about the path they want to pursue with their degree in English, and then work to match them with the internship that best fits their passion.

The student experience. We provide a range of opportunities to our students to practice and hone their craft:

  • Poetry on the Steps: an open mic event held twice a year.
  • Foreign Language Table: an opportunity for students to practice their Spanish is an informal setting
  • The Dark River Review: this national undergraduate online magazine gives you the opportunity to work and publish content while a student at Alabama State
  • The HBCU Review: This radio show, sponsored in part by our department, is a great experience for our students, many of whom intern there.
  • Sigma Tau Delta: An English Honorary and service organization for our students.

Personal Career advice. Thanks to our small size, students get to know everyone in the department, and we provide individual student advising and mentorship. Our student advisor will give you all the support you need to find success and graduate on time with your degree in English.

What Our Degree Program Alumni Say

 

I directly attribute my current career success to my time in Alabama State University’s Department of Languages and Literatures. Though the department is small, I had some of the most dynamic classes and course instructors that I can remember throughout my 11 years of post-high school matriculation. The faculty is well versed in areas outside of English, such as pop culture, film and media studies, and cultural studies. This diversity in topics provided me with the knowledge to complete an honors thesis on film, and subsequently attain a Ph.D. in American Studies with an emphasis on film and media studies. However, what I benefited from most were the relationships I built with faculty who consistently demonstrated a desire to help me succeed.

Dr. David Stephens
’14, English

 

Being an English major at Alabama State University was an amazing, life-affirming experience. Before I enrolled at ASU, I wasn't sure what career path I wanted to follow, but I did know I was interested in pursuing the life of a writer. Encountering professors like Dr. Mark Hill, Dr. Kathy Amende, Dr. JP Craig and D.r Jacqueline Trimble was really formative in making me the kind of thinker, teacher and writer I am today. It was during my time at ASU that I decided to pursue a career in academia as well as creative writing.  I owe a lot of my success in my career to the mentors I met in the Languages and Literatures Department at ASU.

Jarred James Thompson
’16, English

Related Programs and Additional Resources

Connect with ASU

Department of English

Still have questions if an English degree from Alabama State is for you? Let us know! We’re happy to answer any questions you may have about the program.