male professor speaking in front of a whiteboard

The study of English prepares students for professions that require creative and critical thinking, clear writing, in-depth research, close reading, and analysis. English majors learn how to interpret challenging texts, explore ambiguity and nuance, examine the power and possibilities of language, form insightful questions, and solve problems. The courses are rhetorically-informed, literature-infused, and writing-intensive. The English major offers a flexible plan of study, which makes it an ideal second major, especially for those students interested in education, law, or medicine.

Major Learning Outcomes (MLOs)

    1. Community of practice: Students will participate in discourse surrounding texts in order to discuss the relationship of text to self, society, and/or the group; explore the human condition; apply their interpretation of the text to their personal experience; understand perspectives other than their own; and/or evaluate, assess, and revise their interpretations of the text.
    2. Reading: Students will critique the quality and purpose of works, using various critical lenses to examine the meaning, impact, and aesthetic value of the texts in order to evaluate historical and cultural significance.
    3. Writing: Students will apply a deliberate writing process with emphasis on inquiry, audience, research, and revision.
    4. Context: Students will appraise the impact of a specific movement or genre on subsequent literature, drawing connections between the works, and identifying key innovations.

GRADUATE OUTCOMES

Defiance College, Marketing Department
Defiance Public Library System
Diller & Rice LLC Law Firm
Florida Atlantic University
Indiana University
University of Toledo, Grant writer

JOURNALISM & WRITING

THE DEFENDER

Campus newspaper with opportunities to gain experience with reporting, feature articles, photography, editorials, and more.

PROGENY LITERARY MAGAZINE

Defiance College's semi-annual literary and photography magazine. The magazine provides opportunities for publication of poetry, short stories, and personal essays. Progeny members also coordinate several literary activities both on and off campus.