Visiting Speakers
We host internationally acclaimed authors like Edwidge Danticat every year on campus as part of our Common Context program and Paul Hague Distinguished Writer lecture series.
Find joy . . . and a fulfilling career
English Department
Turn your passion into a career with a BA in English
The English Department at the University of St. Thomas offers BA programs in literature, creative writing, professional writing, and English education, as well as minors in English, creative writing, and narrative medicine. As an English major or minor, you will find joy and intellectual fulfillment while preparing for a rewarding career. You will work will top-notch faculty who are master teachers and engaged scholars. Mentoring students is the keystone of our department.
Our graduates have excellent job placement rates in the fields of editing, publishing, marketing, business, and communication. Their success reflects broader trends in the labor market. In fact, graduates with bachelor's degrees in English earn salaries comparable to several other majors, including business management and public policy (US Census, 2018 American Community Survey). At St. Thomas, you will have opportunities to gain practical experience through tutoring, participating in internships, engaging in collaborative research with faculty, and editing our literary magazine, the Summit Avenue Review. Our students have high rates of acceptance into law school and other graduate programs.
Degree Options
We have multiple undergraduate and graduate degree options that can help you achieve your personal and professional goals.
Related Programs
English pairs well with a number of interdisciplinary degree programs at the university.
Pre-Law for English Majors
Why study English?
According to the American Bar Association, English is a traditional major for students who plan to study law. Many of our BA students pursue a minor in legal studies along with their English course work. We also have an active Pre-Law Society with mock trial opportunities at St. Thomas. Thus, you will receive all of the support you need when preparing for the LSAT and exploring law school options.
Core Skills Needed for Law School
The American Bar Association recommends that students enroll in an undergraduate program that strengthens their skills in writing, editing, research, problem solving, analytical reading, and oral communication. These are core skills in literature and writing courses, so it is not surprising that many pre-law students choose English as their major!
Featured Alumni
Recent English BA alumni have been accepted into law schools at Stanford University, Mitchell Hamline, the University Minnesota, and the University of St. Thomas. We have a large alumni network that you can tap for internships and informational interviews.
Thomas Theune, Associate Attorney at Bühler Group, BA '13, JD '19, University of St. Thomas
"My undergraduate English degree from the University of St. Thomas prepared me well, not only for law school but also for my law career afterwards where analytical reasoning and strong writing skills are critical components for success. I am very thankful for all the program taught me."
Why study English?
According to the American Bar Association, English is a traditional major for students who plan to study law. Many of our BA students pursue a minor in legal studies along with their English course work. We also have an active Pre-Law Society with mock trial opportunities at St. Thomas. Thus, you will receive all of the support you need when preparing for the LSAT and exploring law school options.
Core Skills Needed for Law School
The American Bar Association recommends that students enroll in an undergraduate program that strengthens their skills in writing, editing, research, problem solving, analytical reading, and oral communication. These are core skills in literature and writing courses, so it is not surprising that many pre-law students choose English as their major!
Featured Alumni
Recent English BA alumni have been accepted into law schools at Stanford University, Mitchell Hamline, the University Minnesota, and the University of St. Thomas. We have a large alumni network that you can tap for internships and informational interviews.
Thomas Theune, Associate Attorney at Bühler Group, BA '13, JD '19, University of St. Thomas
"My undergraduate English degree from the University of St. Thomas prepared me well, not only for law school but also for my law career afterwards where analytical reasoning and strong writing skills are critical components for success. I am very thankful for all the program taught me."
Diverse Voices Series
The Diverse Voices Series, funded by the Diversity Activities Board and the English Department since 2018, brings award-winning writers to St. Thomas. Each year, over five hundred first-year students read work by the Diverse Voices author and then attend the reading and Q&A. Faculty, staff, administrators, MA students, undergraduates from all majors, and members of the public also attend the annual series. The series is a signature literary event and DEI initiative in the College of Arts and Sciences that enriches the entire campus community.
- Thursday, September 26th
- 7:00–8:15 p.m
- Woulfe Alumni Hall, ASC
- Free & open to the public
- REGISTER NOW!
Kiese Laymon is a Black southern writer from Jackson, Mississippi. In his observant, often hilarious work, Laymon does battle with the personal and the political: race and family, body and shame, poverty and place. His savage humor and clear-eyed perceptiveness have earned him comparisons to Ta-Nehisi Coates, Alice Walker, and Mark Twain. He is the author of the award-winning memoir Heavy, the groundbreaking essay collection How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America, and the genre-defying novel Long Division.
A personal narrative that illuminates national failures, Heavy is defiant yet vulnerable—an insightful, often comical exploration of weight, identity, art, friendship, and family. Itwas named a best book of 2018 by the New York Times, Publishers Weekly, NPR, Broadly, Buzzfeed, The Washington Post, Entertainment Weekly.
- Thursday, September 26th
- 7:00–8:15 p.m
- Woulfe Alumni Hall, ASC
- Free & open to the public
- REGISTER NOW!
Kiese Laymon is a Black southern writer from Jackson, Mississippi. In his observant, often hilarious work, Laymon does battle with the personal and the political: race and family, body and shame, poverty and place. His savage humor and clear-eyed perceptiveness have earned him comparisons to Ta-Nehisi Coates, Alice Walker, and Mark Twain. He is the author of the award-winning memoir Heavy, the groundbreaking essay collection How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America, and the genre-defying novel Long Division.
A personal narrative that illuminates national failures, Heavy is defiant yet vulnerable—an insightful, often comical exploration of weight, identity, art, friendship, and family. Itwas named a best book of 2018 by the New York Times, Publishers Weekly, NPR, Broadly, Buzzfeed, The Washington Post, Entertainment Weekly.
- 2018: Kaveh Akbar, poetry editor of the Nation and winner of the Levis Reading Prize
- 2019: Edwidge Danticat, winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award
- 2020: Natalie Diaz, winner of the Nimrod/Hardman Pablo Neruda Prize for Poetry; and
Claudia Rankine, founder of the Racial Imaginary Institute and winner of the Bobbitt Prize for Poetry - 2021: Matthew Salesses, author of Craft in the Real World, named a best book of 2021 by NPR
- 2022: Kazim Ali, winner of the Ohioana Book Award in Poetry
- 2023: Camille Dungy, winner of 2019 Guggenheim Fellowship; and Roy Gúzman, winner of a Scribe for Human Rights Fellowship
- 2024: Kiese Laymon, winner of the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction
- 2018: Kaveh Akbar, poetry editor of the Nation and winner of the Levis Reading Prize
- 2019: Edwidge Danticat, winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award
- 2020: Natalie Diaz, winner of the Nimrod/Hardman Pablo Neruda Prize for Poetry; and
Claudia Rankine, founder of the Racial Imaginary Institute and winner of the Bobbitt Prize for Poetry - 2021: Matthew Salesses, author of Craft in the Real World, named a best book of 2021 by NPR
- 2022: Kazim Ali, winner of the Ohioana Book Award in Poetry
- 2023: Camille Dungy, winner of 2019 Guggenheim Fellowship; and Roy Gúzman, winner of a Scribe for Human Rights Fellowship
- 2024: Kiese Laymon, winner of the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction
Alumni Spotlight
"My English courses at St. Thomas were incredible — I'm still close with several of my wonderful professors today! They taught me how to think critically, question everything and communicate effectively. After St. Thomas, I went on to work in editorial at American Girl, landed an incredible agent and published a book (with more in the works)! Currently, I manage social for Reese's Book Club and work on book-to-screen content for Reese Witherspoon's production company, Hello Sunshine. I'm so grateful for the St. Thomas English Department and all the incredible faculty — shout out to Dr. Bouwman's children's lit class — it changed my life!"
— Melissa Seymour '14
Get Involved
From clubs to conference presentations to visiting speakers, there are a number of ways you can get involved in the English Department.
Student Clubs
You can engage with your peers in the Creative Writing Club, Theater Club, as well as Sigma Tau Delta, the English honor society.
Research
You have the opportunity to partner with faculty on publishing and presenting research as both an undergraduate and graduate student.
Upcoming Events
Faculty
Our diverse faculty specializes in literary studies, creative writing and professional writing.
Dr. Catherine Craft-Fairchild
Catherine Craft-Fairchild enjoys teaching classics, like William Wordsworth's The Prelude and T.S. Eliot's The Waste Land, as well as teaching study abroad courses in Europe and an interdisciplinary Literature and Medicine class.
Dr. Catherine Craft-Fairchild
Dr. Matt Batt
Matthew Batt is the author of Sugarhouse, a memoir about fixing up a crackhouse and his life along with it. He's finishing a book about working in one of America’s best restaurants. He teaches creative nonfiction, the literary magazine practicum, and has recently taught a class on the graphic novel.
Dr. Matt Batt
Dr. Liz Wilkinson
Dr. Wilkinson’s teaching and research brings together her interests in indigenous literature, feminism and sports. A former college athlete herself, Dr. Wilkinson is writing an article about 19th and 20th century female athletes and women’s suffrage, and a book on sports and feminism.
Dr. Liz Wilkinson
Other Opportunities
English equips students with skills that can be used creatively and practically in a variety of career settings.
Creative Writing Prize
We offer an annual Creative Writing Prize to honor Lon Otto, Professor Emeritus of English, and his deep and robust legacy in creative writing.
Study Abroad
Explore literature and culture in Greece, Ireland, England, France, and more! The department regularly offers study abroad courses each J-Term.
Internships
Our students have interned with prestigious local publishers, editing agencies, arts organizations, and public television.
Make a gift
Give to the English Department
A gift to our department can help us invite renowned authors to campus, fund research assistantships, sponsor student travel to conferences and support annual scholarships.
Contact Information
Questions? Please feel free to reach out if you want to learn more about our department.
Mailing Address
Mail #JRC 333
University of St. Thomas
2115 Summit Avenue
Saint Paul, MN 55105-1096
Campus Location
We are located on the third floor of the John Roach Center for the Liberal Arts (Building #2 on the campus map).