Bachelor of Arts in English - Professional Writing Specialization
Greenville, USA
DURATION
4 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline
EARLIEST START DATE
Aug 2025
TUITION FEES
USD 36,364 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* additional fees apply for international students: services fee $1000 | medical insurance $1600
Key Summary
Introduction
English at Thiel College is a versatile, dynamic, and rewarding program that produces top-notch writers, communicators, critical thinkers, artists, and leaders. As one of the earliest majors offered by the college and still housed in historical Greenville Hall, English is rooted in a rich tradition of literary studies. Today, English courses at Thiel are taught by nationally recognized scholars with active research agendas in a variety of subjects. Thiel English combines the tradition of scholarly excellence with a diverse and evolving curriculum. Thiel College offers an English major with a specialization in Professional Writing.
English at Thiel College is a dynamic program that combines the study of the great literary traditions of the past with new and emerging fields of inquiry and production. Courses in English are taught by distinguished scholars who bring their research and expertise into the classroom. Choose from courses in composition and rhetoric, technical and professional writing, creative writing, literary and cultural studies, linguistics, and theater and performance studies.
Professional Writing
- Work with a wide variety of documents, media, and genres in a range of workplaces
- Study ways to become rhetorically and culturally attuned to the ways that writing practices differ across people, places, and organizations
- Anticipate the needs of multiple audiences and write purposefully
Program Outcome
The major in English is designed to acquaint students with the literary heritage of global culture, deepen their understanding and appreciation of that heritage, and enhance their ability to communicate effectively by means of the spoken and written word.
A student who graduates from Thiel College with a major in English will be able to meet the following learning objectives:
- Analyze, interpret, and evaluate various forms of literary texts;
- Using Standard American English, speak and write clearly and effectively in a variety of genres;
- Conduct research and correctly and ethically incorporate source materials;
- Demonstrate familiarity with the literature in historical cultural contexts;
The English major provides excellent preparation for careers in education, business, theater, entertainment, law, government, library sciences, and academia.
Curriculum
English Major Requirements
The English major requires a minimum of 39 credit hours of courses. Courses in the major are comprised of English foundation courses (21 credit hours), English distribution courses (12 credit hours, 3 hours from each specialization), and an additional 6 hours beyond the distribution requirement in a chosen specialization (Note: Secondary Education/English majors are not required to choose a specialization).
All English majors must earn a C-minus or better in all courses that count toward the major.
- Foundation Courses
- Distribution Courses
- Specialization Courses
Foundation Courses
- ENG 120 Introduction to Literature
- ENG 215 British Literature Survey
- ENG 235 American Literature Survey
- ENG 267 World Literature Survey
- ENG 270 Advanced Composition and Research
- ENG 317 Linguistics
- ENG 495 English Capstone
Professional Writing Specialization
- ENG 260 Business and Technical Writing
- ENG 242 Digital Rhetoric
- ENG 212 Creative Nonfiction
- COMM 282 Writing for Mass Media
- ENG 335 Persuasive Writing
Career Opportunities
English majors have the ability to think critically and develop creative solutions to problems and issues affecting businesses. Many employers love how English majors can deal with obscure, indirect concepts and create comprehensible solutions. English is a fundamental and diverse major that allows for an enjoyable, challenging, and exciting life of intellectual exploration. It prepares you for many vocational avenues following college.
The critical thinking, analytical, creative, and writing skills of the English major open doors for you as a(n):
- Editor, Publisher
- Author
- Writer: Technical, Copy, Grants
- Teacher, College Professor, or Administrator
- Journalism
- Library Science Specialist or Museum Curator
- Consultant
- Public Relations, or Media Agent
- Lawyer
- Government, Political, or Public Service Agent
- Further Writing Capabilities in Another Major
- … And Many More!
Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
Scholarship Opportunities
Thiel College offers scholarships to students for reasons such as academic success, community service or involvement, exemplary leadership, and more! The scholarships available to English majors are:
- The Roger ’52 and Paula G. Blatter Scholarship
- The Heissenbuttel Award in English Language and Literature in Memory of Ernest, Jean, and Robert
- The Robert Heissenbuttel Professor of English Endowed Scholarship
- Louise Beil Maglisceau ’29 Endowed Scholarship