Department of English
Welcome to the Department of English at the University of the Incarnate Word. Housed in the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, the English department offers a degree program, a minor and exciting opportunities to explore language, literature and develop skills that prepare students for professional success.
With an emphasis on close reading of texts, clear and persuasive writing, and critical thinking, the study of English builds a strong foundation of skills that help ready students for just about any future pursuit, including graduate school, creative endeavors, and countless careers across industries. Employers value English graduates for their analytical and communication skills and imaginative creativity. English majors who elect to pursue graduate studies expand on their understanding with advanced courses in Rhetoric and Technical Communication that focus on practical applications to daily life and business.
Throughout the program, students explore literature and the use of language around the world and across eras. They examine literary genres, rhetorical theory, criticism and professional writing and editing, among other topics.
The English program contributes to the University's Mission by seeking to advance the discovery of truth, mutual understanding, self-realization and the common good. Through the study of language and literature, students find their own voice via the sympathetic study of the voices of others.
Within the Bachelor of Arts in English program, UIW’s Creative Writing emphasis prepares students for MFA programs and professional opportunities, offering a wide variety of courses in professional and technical communication, literary analysis and creative writing, which can be tailored to complement the other interests of each student.
Students in the English program also have an array of creative and social opportunities. They may contribute to and edit Quirk, UIW’s literary journal, participate in Sigma Tau Delta, the International English Honor Society and join INK: The English Club.
Degrees Offered
Bachelor of Arts in English
The English program provides an exciting opportunity for students to challenge themselves in the areas of literature, writing, critical thinking and more. Students will learn valuable skills that will benefit them in both their lives and their careers. UIW students also have the chance to select a Creative Writing emphasis, further expanding on their ingenuity.
Minor in English
UIW students who are majoring in other disciplines also have the opportunity to minor in English, strengthening their reading and writing skills by taking courses in Literature and Rhetoric and Technical Writing.
Minor in Creative Writing
The Minor in Creative Writing allows students to pursue their creative passions in a supportive community of fellow writers in workshops, craft seminars, and publishing courses. Students acquire essential skills in storytelling, effective communication, writing, and creative thought—along with a deeper understanding of audience and entertainment—that will serve them in any field, from Biology to Criminal Justice, from Theatre Arts to Philosophy. The Creative Writing Minor is also open to English Majors.