The Department of English at St. John's University features a distinguished faculty and diverse array of courses.
The department hosts thriving undergraduate and graduate programs, including the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), combined Bachelor of Arts / Master of Arts (B.A./M.A.), Master of Arts (M.A.), and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.).
Please follow our department blog for the most current descriptions of our courses and upcoming events, as well as faculty bios, office hours, departmental publications, departmental forms, and advertisements for jobs and internships.
The department sponsors an active intellectual life, including several readings and lectures each year. Undergraduate-led activities include the literary journal of student poetry and fiction, Sequoya, as well as the English honor society, Sigma Tau Delta. Undergraduates may also participate in graduate-student-led endeavors such as the annual graduate conference and the St. John's Humanities Review, founded in 2003, which features book reviews, essays, and interviews by distinguished contributors from around the world. The University features an award-winning Writing Center that employs many English majors as Writing Consultants, helping other students with every stage of the writing process and engaging in scholarship about writing center studies.
- Degree Type
- BA
- Area of Interest
- Humanities
- Associated Colleges or Schools
- Program Location
- Queens Campus
- Required Credit Hours
- 120
Department Contact
Featured Faculty
St. John's English Professor Earns Acclaim for 18th-Century Scholarship
Melissa Mowry, Ph.D., professor of English, received the 2013–14 James L. Clifford Prize for her article, “Past Remembrance of History: Aphra Behn’s The Widdow Ranter, or How the Collective Lost Its Honor.”
Highlight
In recognition of her contributions to academic research on 18th-century English literature and culture, a St. John’s professor of English was honored by the American Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies (ASECS) this spring. Melissa Mowry, Ph.D., professor of English, received the 2013–14 James L. Clifford Prize for her article, “Past Remembrance of History: Aphra Behn’s The Widdow Ranter, or How the Collective Lost Its Honor.”
Admission
For more information about admission to this and other undergraduate programs at St. John’s University, please visit Undergraduate Admission.
Courses
The B.A. in English consists of 36 credits (12 courses). To declare an English major, make an appointment with your Dean in St. John Hall, Room 145.
Core Courses (9 credits)
- ENG 1100C Literature in a Global Context
- ENG 2200 Reading and Writing for the English Major
- ENG 2300 Introduction to Literary Theory
Courses Prior to 1900 (9 credits)
- Medieval and Renaissance Literature (ENG 3100-3190)
- 18th and 19th Century British Literature (ENG 3200-3290)
- American Literature to 1900 (ENG 3300-3390)
Additional Electives (15 credits)
You may choose electives from any English course at or above the 2000 level. You may count ENG 2100: Literature and Culture only once toward the major. English courses offered by the College of Professional Studies (CPS) do not count toward a St. John's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences English major.
Senior Seminar (3 credits)
- ENG 4991-4994
Career Outcomes
Students who major in English develop strong reading comprehension and writing skills, as well as powerful analytical thinking, which is why most law students prepare for their future careers as English majors. Because almost every field of employment needs people who can read and write with skill, an English major or minor is an asset. If you are interested in eventually pursuing graduate education, know that St. John's Department of English has placed its alumni in top graduate English programs, including Brown University, Columbia University, SUNY Buffalo, and the CUNY Graduate Center.
