The English Department is central to the mission of the university, providing a gateway to the humanities for students across the university, and emphasizes a flexible learning style in line with our ever-changing contemporary society.
Courses in English prepare students to think critically and flexibly, assess narrative knowledgeably, argue logically, and to write clearly and persuasively. Students are taught by a renowned and dedicated faculty of scholars and writers, among these a National Book Award winner and MacArthur Award “genius”, a New York Times bestselling author, a prize-winning journalist, a Pulitzer Prize winner, several famous poets, a professional violinist, and a Fulbright Award winner. Our graduates can be found working in a wide array of professions, from teaching in K-12 schools, working in the private sector to practicing law and graduate school. Read more about our recent graduates here.
Students with an interest in literature can study a wide variety of periods and genres, from medieval literature to non-fiction contemporary literature. We offer courses in the literature of the Americas, including U.S., Caribbean and Latin American literature, as well as Asian, British, Persian, Arabic and African literatures. Students can take a diverse array of courses such as Latinx Film, War Literature, LGBTQ Literature, Love Stories, Children’s Literature, Gothic Literature, Satire, Africa in Literature and Film, Science Fiction, Jazz Poetry, Gospel Literature and Music, Comics & Graphic Novels, and Immigration Literature. We also offer interdisciplinary courses that blend literature with different fields such as environmental studies, music, LGBTQ Studies, and religious studies. We regularly cross-list courses in different units, such as Africana Studies, Women’s & Gender Studies, Music, American Studies, Journalism, the Honors College and the Honors Living Learning Community.
We are the proud home of Rutgers' internationally renowned Masters of Fine Arts (MFA) program as well as a Masters of Arts (MA) Program. Students who wish to hone their creative writing skills outside of class can join the Creative Writing Club.
Our department houses the faculty of New Jersey Scholarship and Transformative Education in Prisons (NJ Step) initiative, which works in partnership with the state of New Jersey to provide higher education courses that lead to a college degree for students while they are incarcerated.