Double up and pick an English concentration

Sophomore Carter Hurley is double-majoring in English and another field — and she is excited about the new concentrations that are being offered this fall.

Hurley said she has always resisted being put in “one box or another.” She’s majoring in English and chemistry because “I want to know so much about the world, and both majors push you toward analytical skills.”

Hurley is also interested in law and enjoyed the advanced legal writing class she took last spring with Jennifer Larson, English teaching associate professor and director of undergraduate studies.

Seven new concentrations will allow English majors the option to choose a concentration that matches their interests. Many of the concentrations are interdisciplinary.

They include:

• Comparative and world literatures (also a minor)
• Creative writing (also a minor)
• British and American literature (also a minor)
• Film studies (also a minor)
• Science, medicine and literature (also a minor)
• Social justice and literature
• Writing, editing and digital publishing (also a minor).

Mary Floyd-Wilson, Bowman and Gordon Gray Distinguished Term Professor and chair of the English and comparative literature department, said English majors learn how to translate powerful ideas across time, disciplines and cultures, and then make connections to the “here and now.”

“Knowing how to analyze the written word and use language persuasively is what enables English majors to thrive in diverse fields, including medicine, law, project management and nonprofit development,” she said.