A major in English opens the door to many careers -- from the most obvious fields such as college teaching, journalism, communications, and secondary education to others such as business, banking, the ministry and government work. Many employers welcome the opportunity to hire a graduate who has a strong liberal arts background and can communicate effectively. In addition, English majors from Presbyterian College have been accepted in medical schools and in law schools for the very reason that they know how to analyze a situation clearly and offer a solution eloquently.
In fact, as communications technology becomes more prevalent in all phases of society, a degree in English becomes more relevant than ever; the Information Age increasingly places a premium on individuals who can think and communicate with clarity, concreteness, and conciseness.
The English department at PC offers a diverse curriculum. All PC students are required to take the two-semester Composition and World Literature course unless granted an exemption through the Advanced Placement Test in English Literature and Composition. After completing their requirements in the department, many students continue to take English classes as electives.
In all, more than 25 English classes await PC students who want to improve their writing, appreciate literary works as art, and develop a better understanding of their cultural backgrounds through the study of language and literature. The English department faculty members are experts in their fields and include the S.C. Professors of the Year for 1991 and 1992. Several of the faculty members are accomplished authors of books, essays, and articles, including one professor who has been a movie reviewer for a regional weekly newspaper and another who has written on silent films.
The department offers courses in creative writing and also offers a journalism minor with a special internship in Washington, D.C., as well as internships in publishing, broadcasting, reporting, and related fields. Students are also encouraged to contribute to the student newspaper, yearbook, and the college's literary magazine, Figs & Thistles, which is sponsored by the English department.
Recent PC English majors have continued their studies in English, theology, library science, journalism, or law, and have received prestigious fellowships and awards, such as three recipients of Rotary International Scholarships and a national full-cost Jacob K. Javits Award to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
English majors gain a wealth of knowledge beneath the dome of Neville Hall, but the PC faculty is quick to point out that the learning experience is not limited to the classroom. Classes may be held as close as the steps of Neville Hall -- where the poetry of Walt Whitman takes on new meaning in the morning air -- or as far away as England, Spain, or Australia. Students are encouraged to study abroad -- and at least half of all English majors at PC take advantage of that opportunity to get a first-hand look at significant literary and historic sites.
The department also sponsors a chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, the national English honor society.
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