English, B.A.

Read. Write. Reimagine your life. In Saint Louis University’s English program, students engage the world of literature and the art of language. SLU's English majors do more than read great books; they encounter diverse perspectives and learn to read their place in the world. Award-winning English faculty train students to think critically and creatively, write with precision and style and analyze how language shapes culture.

Through courses in literature, creative writing and rhetoric, as well as personalized mentorship, English students reimagine what their futures might hold. SLU’s English alumni often credit the department’s emphasis on writing, analytical rigor and creativity for their success in varied careers. Whether you wish to pursue law or education, marketing or medicine, an M.F.A. or an MBA, an English degree will help you get there.

Additional highlights of SLU's B.A. in English include:

• Hands-on publishing experience: Students edit The Kiln Project, an online literary magazine of student creative writing, and VIA, an online journal of student scholarly research. Student editors also interview renowned visiting authors through the Georgia K. Johnston Writer-in-Residency program and the St. Louis Literary Award.
• A vibrant community: Through the English department’s chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, the English honor society, students take part in social events, present work at conferences, and strengthen the network of SLU students who love literature and writing.
• Real-world connections: English majors contribute to service-learning projects in the city of St. Louis and bring their writing and research skills to department-sponsored internships with a variety of local and national organizations.

Curriculum Overview

Saint Louis University’s English major is flexible and student-centered, with small classes emphasizing discussion, critical thinking and reflection. A spine of four required courses brings majors together as a cohort to explore foundational questions, such as: Why English? What are the functions of literature and rhetoric for communities beyond the university? What role does creative storytelling play in shaping cultures of justice?

Students craft their own paths through the rest of the major, following their passions in literary studies, creative writing and rhetorical studies. From true crime podcasts and Shakespeare’s plays to climate change novels and new media writing, elective courses cover a range of literary histories and genres while drawing connections to the present. Many electives within the English major also fulfill University Undergraduate Core curriculum requirements, giving students time and freedom to explore. The English curriculum concludes with a senior capstone experience in which students work with a faculty mentor to complete a significant research or creative project of their own design.

Fieldwork and Research Opportunities

The English department offers opportunities for students to supplement their regular course of study with research experiences, internships and community-based learning. In the selective Research Intensive English program, some students pursue literary and rhetorical studies in small, rigorous settings and conduct distinctive scholarly research. The department provides support to students who present original research at national and regional undergraduate conferences.

SLU English students also take their learning out of the classroom through projects such as The Saint Louis Story: Learning & Living Racial Justice, a collaborative digital humanities research endeavor that brings SLU students and faculty together with community partners.

Finally, the English department sponsors credit-bearing internships where students make meaningful connections between their studies and the practical, social and intellectual demands of a workplace. English students intern in fields like law, publishing, marketing and business. Others apply their writing skills and creativity in internships with arts and media organizations such as the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and Saint Louis Poetry Center.  

Careers

Students who study English receive a solid foundation for professions that require excellent analytical and communication skills and a creative spirit. SLU English graduates have worked as editors at major New York publishing houses and taught English at the university and high school levels. Others pursue law and have become attorneys in business and commercial litigation and clerked for federal judges. Alumni in the creative sector have directed digital strategy and advertising campaigns and written, directed, and produced feature films. Others consult for tech firms, serve as workforce management specialists, and enter careers in government and nonprofit agencies.

Some graduates enroll in master’s or doctoral programs to continue their English studies, finding placement in some of the nation’s leading programs in literary studies, creative writing and rhetoric. Others attend law school, medical school or MBA programs.  

Admission Requirements

Begin Your Application

Saint Louis University also accepts the Common Application.

Freshman

All applications are thoroughly reviewed with the highest degree of individual care and consideration to all credentials that are submitted. Solid academic performance in college preparatory coursework is a primary concern in reviewing a freshman applicant’s file.

To be considered for admission to any Saint Louis University undergraduate program, applicants must be graduating from an accredited high school, have an acceptable HiSET exam score or take the General Education Development (GED) test. 

Transfer

Applicants must be a graduate of an accredited high school or have an acceptable score on the GED.

Students who have attempted fewer than 24 semester credits (or 30 quarter credits) of college credit must follow the above freshmen admission requirements. Students who have completed 24 or more semester credits (or 30 quarter credits) of college credit must submit transcripts from all previously attended college(s).

In reviewing a transfer applicant’s file, the Office of Admission holistically examines the student’s academic performance in college-level coursework as an indicator of the student’s ability to meet the academic rigors of Saint Louis University. Where applicable, transfer students will be evaluated on any courses outlined in the continuation standards of their preferred major.

International Applicants

All admission policies and requirements for domestic students apply to international students along with the following:

• Demonstrate English Language Proficiency
• Proof of financial support must include:
  • A letter of financial support from the person(s) or sponsoring agency funding the time at Saint Louis University
  • A letter from the sponsor's bank verifying that the funds are available and will be so for the duration of study at the University
• Academic records, in English translation, of students who have undertaken post-secondary studies outside the United States must include the courses taken and/or lectures attended, practical laboratory work, the maximum and minimum grades attainable, the grades earned or the results of all end-of-term examinations, and any honors or degrees received. WES and ECE transcripts are accepted.

Tuition

Additional charges may apply. Other resources are listed below:

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Information on Tuition and Fees

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Scholarships and Financial Aid

There are two principal ways to help finance a Saint Louis University education:

• Scholarships: Scholarships are awarded based on academic achievement, service, leadership and financial need.
• Financial Aid: Financial aid is provided through grants and loans, some of which require repayment.

Saint Louis University makes every effort to keep our education affordable. In fiscal year 2023, 99% of first-time freshmen and 92% of all students received financial aid and students received more than $459 million in aid University-wide.

For priority consideration for merit-based scholarships, apply for admission by December 1 and complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by March 1.

For more information on scholarships and financial aid, visit the Office of Student Financial Services.

Graduates of the SLU Department of English B.A. program will be able to:

1. Write with clarity, style and rhetorical precision;
2. Describe the relationship between historical contexts and literary and rhetorical works;
3. Analyze how form, medium and genre contribute to meaning in a variety of works;
4. Use critical and theoretical concepts to connect literary works to larger fields of inquiry;
5. Articulate ethical and political implications of literary and rhetorical works for communities beyond the University.

The English, B.A. degree requires 30 credits in ENGL.

Concentrations within the English Major

Students are not required to declare a concentration in the major; students may earn the general BA in English by successfully completing the requirements outlined above. However, students may choose to add optional concentrations in Creative Writing, Research Intensive English, or Rhetoric, Writing and Technology. Students who choose a concentration will complete the courses required for the general BA in English, but will substitute concentration courses for elective courses as needed.

Continuation Standards

All English courses must be completed with a grade of C or higher in order to count for English major requirements and for the student to continue in the major.

Creative Writing Concentration

Research Intensive English Concentration

Rhetoric, Writing and Technology Concentration

Graduation Requirements

• Complete a minimum of 120 credits (excluding pre-college level courses numbered below 1000).
• Complete the University Undergraduate Core curriculum requirements.
• Complete major requirements: minimum of 30 credits required.
• Complete remaining credits with a second major, minor, certificate or electives to reach the minimum of 120 credits required for graduation.
• Achieve at least a 2.00 cumulative grade point average, a 2.00 grade point average in the major(s), and a 2.00 grade point average in the minor/certificate or related elective credits.
• Complete department- and program-specific academic and performance requirements.
• Complete at least 50% of the coursework for the major and 75% for the minor/certificate through Saint Louis University or an approved study-abroad program.
• Complete 30 of the final 36 credits through Saint Louis University or an approved study-abroad program.
• Complete an online degree application by the required University deadline.

Roadmaps are recommended semester-by-semester plans of study for programs and assume full-time enrollment unless otherwise noted.  

Courses and milestones designated as critical (marked with !) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation. Transfer credit may change the roadmap.

This roadmap should not be used in the place of regular academic advising appointments. All students are encouraged to meet with their advisor/mentor each semester. Requirements, course availability and sequencing are subject to change.

General Major

Creative Writing Concentration

Research Intensive English (RIE) Concentration

Rhetoric, Writing and Technology Concentration

Note: SLU-Madrid and SLU-St. Louis program requirements vary slightly by campus.

Words matter. English majors at SLU-Madrid gain in-depth knowledge of the richly varied forms of British, American and world literature written in English. Our graduates have an increased intercultural awareness and strong research, analytical and communication skills that prepare them for a wide range of professions.

Curriculum Overview

The English major is structured around the study of literature in its historical context, as an art form and as cultural critique. The major also has a rhetoric component. Advanced seminars explore major periods and authors in British, U.S. and postcolonial literature, as well as significant themes and theories (e.g., nature, travel literature, war and literature, gender and sexuality, ecocriticism).

Writing is central in every part of the University's English program, both as the medium through which we hone our ability to reflect upon what we read and as a subject in its own right. Thus, along with literature courses, in which writing plays a principal role, you may take courses in various genres of creative writing and professional writing. These courses can enhance both personal creativity and professional competence.

Fieldwork, Internships and Careers

Gain a global perspective on literature in English while immersed in the Europe of our great literary ancestors and contemporaries. Let Madrid's museums, dance and theater enrich your understanding of key movements in literature.
Visit the battlefields of Hemingway's Spanish Civil War writing. See the Alhambra through Washington Irving's stories. Traveling to the London of Shakespeare and Virginia Woolf is inexpensive and easy. The Dublin of Joyce and Beckett, James Baldwin's Paris and the Shelleys' Italy are just a plane ride away.
Europe's cultural resources and internships provide a foundation for original comparative projects that give students an edge in applying to graduate school and in the job market.

The English major is excellent preparation for graduate work in English and teaching. It also prepares students for a wide range of professions that require strong analytic, research and writing skills, such as editing, law, medicine and journalism. Studying literature fosters emotional intelligence, empathy, and strong communication skills, which are assets in life and any career.

The English major or minor is an excellent complement to a business, engineering, political science or psychology degree. It demonstrates cultural and linguistic proficiency for non-native speakers seeking work in English-speaking environments.

Doing an internship in English is a good way to demonstrate your ability to apply these skills and is highly recommended for students not considering graduate work in English. Contact the English Department for more information or consult Career Services Coordinator Patrice Burns.

Admission Requirements

To be admitted to the major, you must have at least a 2.00 cumulative average and complete a declaration of major form, available in the Office of the Registrar. Upon acceptance to the program, you will be assigned a departmental advisor.

Tuition and Fees

SLU-Madrid is committed to providing a quality Jesuit education at an affordable price. Tuition rates at the Madrid campus are approximately 40% lower than at comparable private universities in the U.S.

If you have questions or would like to speak with a financial aid officer, email us at financialaid-madrid@slu.edu. 

• Tuition and Fees
• Scholarships and Financial Aid

2+SLU programs provide a guided pathway for students transferring from a partner institution. 

• English, B.A. (STLCC 2+SLU)