English Major
Take advantage of the many options for literary and cultural study provided by one of the largest academic departments on campus while still enjoying small class sizes and the opportunity to work closely with our award-winning faculty. Explore human values, their literary expression and the ways in which language and culture shape our engagements with the world. Discover marginalized voices, forgotten historical archives and new media genres that test the boundaries of the written word.
Careers in English
- Editor
- Lawyer
- Teacher
- Administrator
- Creative Manager
- Librarian
- Writer
- Publisher
What Will I Learn?
English majors learn to:
- Analyze and interpret complex texts from a range of historical periods and across a variety of genres
- Study how language and culture shape our understanding of ourselves and our place in local, national, and global communities.
- Write clearly and effectively
Special Features
If you meet the requirements, you may pursue an honors program designed to stimulate independent work of a high critical and imaginative order. You may take any 400-level English class for honors credit, with approval of the instructor.
Get Involved
College is more than a classroom. There are many ways to get involved: join a club, participate in the honors program or intern in a career field that interests you.
Student Clubs
- Cortland Writers’ Association
- Dragon Chronicle
- SPEAK Magazine
Honor Societies
Sigma Tau Delta, International English Honor Society
Next Steps
Contact Us
Office: Old Main, Room 112
Phone: 607-753- 4307/4308
Fax: 607-753-5978
Type of Degree
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
Credit Hours: 120
Excellence
We recognize excellence in our students with awards and scholarships.
- Del Ivan Janik Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Shakespeare Studies
- Timothy Chung ’76 Award for Excellence in American Literature
- Robert E. Rhodes ’53 Scholarship
- Robert E. Rhodes ’53 Award
- Edward J. O’Heron Scholarship
- Van Akin Burd Prize
- Marion C. Thompson Memorial Scholarship
- Van Akin Burd Scholarship in English
See all scholarship opportunities