English Degree

Hiram’s small, discussion-focused classes foster a tight-knit community of English majors in northeast Ohio, providing ample opportunity to hone interpretation and communication skills. The close relationship between Hiram’s English students and professors challenges students to relentlessly pursue creativity and their calling.

The program is rooted in five focused skill areas:

  • Intensive research skills
  • Expansive analysis and interpretation
  • Writing technique-building
  • Close reading competency
  • Oral communication practice

4-Year Undergraduate Degree

  • School of Arts, Humanities, Education, and Social Sciences
  • Course Catalog

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About Our English Major

The English program at Hiram College offers students exciting opportunities to distinguish themselves and develop professional experience and expertise while still undergraduates. Students work closely with faculty mentors to identify programs and experiences that will connect most directly with their own interests and goals.

For our English major, you’ll be expected to take two courses in each of the following areas:

  • American literature
  • British literature
  • World literature
  • Advanced literature

To learn more about the specific courses you can take, view our class catalog.

Hiram has been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is authorized by the Ohio Department of Education.

Career Paths with an english degree

By obtaining an English degree at Hiram, you will not only gain a better understanding of many cultures and artistic movements through the examination of literature and language, but you will also open the door to many opportunities to shape your future. Some of the careers you may ultimately pursue can include:

  • Editor
  • Technical writer
  • Communications officer
  • Paralegal
  • Lawyer
  • Grant writer 
  • Copywriter

Ways to Get Involved as an English Major

Hiram College’s strongest writers are invited to work as writing assistants in the Hiram College Writing Center and as part of the First-Year Program. As trained writing tutors, these students work closely with students and faculty members to improve writing across campus.

The Lindsay-Crane Center for Writing and Literature offers many additional opportunities for students, including contests in fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry, which recognize the best student-crafted creative writing.

You can also take part in the Hiram Poetry Review, a national journal that has been in publication since 1966. It is published annually and edited by Professor William Greenwood and a team of student editorial assistants.

Lastly, students can take advantage of Writers in Residence, a statewide nonprofit organization that gives students the opportunity to teach creative writing workshops at the Portage County Juvenile Detention Center. The goal of Writers in Residence is to disrupt the residents’ thinking to create change within themselves and to change the community’s thinking about the juvenile population whose human dignity deserves recognition.

What Skills Will I Learn as an English Major?

  • Intensive research skills – As students navigate through courses while obtaining their English degree, they’ll learn to conduct intensive research. These skills are important, as they equip students to gather information and critically analyze it.
  • Expansive analysis and interpretation – Our northeast Ohio English majors will develop both analysis and interpretation skills through the degree’s coursework. These skills will teach them to draw meaningful conclusions from information that they’ve received. In-depth analysis and interpretation requires English majors to critically think and hone data interpretation skills.
  • Writing technique-building – Students will learn to improve writing proficiency and communication as they hone their writing skills. Some of the aspects students will learn to improve in this process will include grammar and language, organization and structure, editing and proofreading, and creative expression.
  • Close reading competency – Close reading competency skills will allow students to meticulously analyze and understand reading material.
  • Oral communication practice – Oral communication skills will teach English majors to accurately and effectively convey information to their audience.

FAQs About Our English Degree

Earning an English degree is accompanied by a range of benefits:

  • Communication skills – English programs sharpen reading, writing, and communication skills which will be applicable across diverse fields post-graduation.

  • Research skills – As English majors, our students will learn invaluable research skills. These skills will teach them to conduct thorough research and analyze information, contributing to effective, factual, and accurate writing.

  • Writing and editing skills – Developing writing and editing skills is an inherent aspect of earning an English degree. During their coursework, students will continually sharpen writing and editing skills that are crucial to any industry.

Yes! We even offer a program to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands, led by English faculty that fits great into the curriculum of an English major. Along with exploring the regions, you can expect to write about your experiences while on your trip while practicing techniques for writing about natural history for a general audience.

Students completing the English major may combine it with a minor in writing. Students interested in this option should work with English faculty members about how to complete the coursework for both the English major and writing minor in a timely manner.

While the school’s tuition rates are updated annually, your tuition while at Hiram will be locked in and remain the same for all four years once you enroll. To learn more about tuition, room and board, and other expenses while pursuing your English degree, visit our tuition and fees page.

With an English major, a foreign language is not required. Students must complete a foreign language through the 10200-level only if they plan to receive departmental honors upon graduation. 

Contact Hiram Today to Become an English Major!

Are you ready to earn your English degree? Do you have questions about the application process or the coursework? Contact our team today to learn how to get started. If you’re all set, feel free to apply!

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Hiram Tuition Guarantee – Your tuition costs are locked in for all four years of your undergraduate experience.

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