School of Arts and Sciences
English
By studying English at Concordia, you equip yourself for life by learning to read challenging texts and communicate complex ideas. Whether you work in a field directly related to English or another career that is enriched by your English study, you will be prepared by learning inside and outside the classroom.
Programs of Study
Concordia offers three separate majors in the English department — something that sets us apart from other schools our size.
Major or Minor in English Writing
As an English writing major or minor, you will learn to write for a variety of genres and will develop advanced skills in one particular genre.
Major in English Literature
Studying literature will give you a deeper understanding of the text you are reading and the context in which it was written.
Major in English with Communication Arts/Literature Education
This major prepares students to be recommended by the education department for Minnesota licensure to teach English with communication arts/literature in grades 5-12. Must be admitted to the teacher education program.
Minor in English
Earn an English minor to prepare you for the future, whether it’s in a field directly related to English or another career that is enriched by your English study.
Major in Multimedia Journalism
Prepare yourself for any job in journalism with this interdisciplinary major combining studies in English, communication studies, and art.
Undergraduate Academic Certificate in Professional Writing
Strengthen your skills geared for workplace environments, with a focus on business and technical writing, as well as editing and grammar skills.
Literature, Imagination, and Empathy
Dr. Amy Watkin’s Literature, Imagination, and Empathy course has been the best class I’ve ever taken — so much so that I participated in the course twice! First, as a student and then the following year in a peer mentorship role. The course tackles difficult questions about our shared humanity, and it meticulously highlights literature as an invaluable tool for cultivating personhood and responsible engagement with the world.
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Special Opportunities
Regardless of your concentration, English majors will develop a creative and imaginative mind, an appreciation of language, research strategies, intellectual curiosity, and an ability to think critically. Concordia offers English students many experiential opportunities to build these skills.
Career
Between grad school and hitting the job market, you can do a lot with an English degree.
We’ve got graduates pursuing master’s degrees and doctorates all across the country, furthering their study of writing and literature, or using their English degree as a foundation for law school.
If grad school isn’t your thing, we have alumni working as movie screenwriters, publicists, innovative teachers, business professionals and regionally touring authors.
Related Stories
Poetry Beyond the Page
As the recipient of the 2025 English summer research fellowship, a choir project gave Jordon Perkins ’27 the idea for his research on documentary poetry.
Spreading Kindness Close to Home
Letters of Love Chapter President Malik Smith ’27 of Moorhead shares why he chose to stay close to home for college.