At PC, students and professors gather for classes such as Shakespeare and American Identities in Neville Hall’s classrooms or on its steps. One class even meets at a professor’s house.

In all, you can choose from more than 25 English classes that will help you improve your writing, appreciate literary works as art, and develop a better understanding of your cultural background through the study of language and literature.

And you’ll be taught by knowledgeable professors, experts in their fields who include a South Carolina Professor of the Year and several accomplished authors of books, essays, and articles. One professor has reviewed movies for a regional weekly newspaper, and another has written on silent films. One has translated a Chinese writer’s short fiction into English while yet another has studied medieval manuscripts in the Bodleian Library in Oxford and in the British Library.

While they have their own individual interests, all English professors thrive on sharing their passion for literature with their students.

You can choose the traditional English major, an English major with an emphasis in Creative Writing, or an English Education major (English with Secondary School Teacher Certification). Recent English majors have interned in publishing, broadcasting, and reporting.

Recent English majors have visited Europe and Asia during Maymester trips. All students are encouraged to contribute to the student newspaper, The Blue Stocking; yearbook, PaC SaC; and literary magazine, Figs and Thistles.

Our Mission Statement
The English Department’s mission is to teach both the general college student and students who major or minor in English how to communicate effectively in both speech and writing; to think critically and independently; to conduct and integrate research into their writing; to appreciate anglophone literature and texts in all their diversity; and to have an awareness of non-Western literary and textual traditions.  The department seeks to provide those courses essential for the majors in English, English Education, and English with a concentration in creative writing.