English

Learn how to tell your own story while studying the world’s best-known and most-loved authors. As a creative writing major, you will learn the elements of craft and practice writing in multiple genres, including fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and drama. We also offer a variety of specialized courses in screenwriting, young adult literature, slam poetry, flash fiction, and more! View the curriculum guides for the creative writing major or creative writing minor.

We Prepare You for Employment
Creative writing is one of the fastest growing majors on college campuses. The Association of Writers and Writing Programs reports a significant spike in the number of creative writing programs—a 260% increase in just five years. As a creative writing major at Mount Mary, you will be a part of a nurturing community of writers who will help you develop your unique writing voice and style. You will also learn the art of vivid storytelling that captures the attention of potential customers and establishes a clear brand – an essential skill for any business or organization. Whether you major in creative writing alone or add coursework in writing for new media or graphic design, creative writers are in high demand in the workplace.

Do you love to read, analyze and discuss books? As an English literature major, you'll develop critical interpretation skills and will study key works in American, British and world literature. You'll also gain a solid understanding of linguistics and rhetoric, providing you with the language and communication skills you need to succeed in any field. 

When you study literature, you learn to love words and appreciate their beauty and power. By encountering the imaginary, you build your own ability to imagine what could be. Literature students develop skills in holding multiple perspectives at once, making them valuable and creative problem solvers who can connect with people of all backgrounds. A major in literature will equip you with the most-needed and sought-after job skills: strong writing, insightful analysis, creative problem solving and positive collaboration.

Courses in this concentration cover British literature, American literature, Shakespeare and world literature. View the Curriculum Guides for the English literature major or English literature minor.

In today’s rapidly evolving new media environment, professional writers need to know how to develop and maintain content for print, websites, social media and mobile technologies.

The Writing for New Media undergraduate concentration offers a 48-credit major as well as a minor. With this concentration, you’ll learn how to develop and manage blogs and social media campaigns, research and write effectively for multiple media, and implement new technologies in the workplace.

View the Curriculum Guides for the Writing for New Media major or Writing for New Media minor.

Technology Requirements

Students who take new media courses participate in an iPad loaner program, so you can use iPads for classroom collaboration and to develop special projects such as videos, podcasts and interactive presentations.

Have you always dreamed of sharing your passion for books with young people? If you wish to teach English in schools, you must complete requirements for both the English and education majors. When you complete the program, you will be eligible to teach English or broadfield language arts from early adolescence through adolescence (approximately grades 6 to 12).

An English minor specializing in writing for new media  or literature complements nearly any major and provides you with communication skills employers want. A minimum of 18 credits are required for the writing for new media concentration and 19 credits are required for the literature concentration. Consult the Undergraduate Bulletin for more details on requirements and courses for this minor.

Journalism Minor

The journalism minor combines courses in photography or videography, as well as writing/editing for print and online publications. The minor requires a minimum of 18 credits. Download the curriculum sheet for more details on requirements and courses for this minor. 

English Certificate Requirements

Post-baccalaureate certificates in English (writing for new media or literature) and English education are available. Learn more about English post-baccalaureate certificate requirements.

English majors are hot new hires in a workplace that demands creativity, excellent communication skills, the ability to write persuasively, and critical thinking skills. As an English major, you’ll graduate with the written and verbal communication skills required to work in practically any field, including:

• advertising    
• event planning
• public relations
• copywriting
• freelance writing
• publishing
• corporate communications
• grant writing
• scientific or technical writing
• creative writing
• journalism
• social media communications
• editing
• marketing
• website writing and development

 

Internships: We Prepare You for Employment

As an English major, you will participate in at least one internship during your academic career, at a site that best meets your career goals. The department internship coordinator works closely with you to help you find a competitive internship that will provide you with the resume-building experience you need before you graduate. This experience will help you:

• Confirm your choice of career
• Define your career goals
• Learn new skills
• Develop an area of expertise
• Make valuable industry contacts

Many of our student interns have gone on to secure full-time employment at their internship sites.

 

Internship sites

Milwaukee's vibrant business community affords Mount Mary students with a range of internship opportunities, from working at international corporations to locally owned businesses to nonprofit organizations and small firms. In recent years, Mount Mary English majors have interned at:

• American Red Cross
• Literary Services of Wisconsin
• Milwaukee Magazine
• Children's Wisconsin
• Manpower
• Milwaukee Zoological Society
• Culinary Institute of America
• Medical College of Wisconsin
• Reiman Publications
• Journal Communications
• MetroPARENT Magazine
• Robert W. Baird & Co.
• Kalbach Publishing
• Milwaukee Achievers
• Shepherd Express

As an English major at Mount Mary University, you can participate in several student clubs and organizations, such as Arches, Sigma Tau Delta honor society and "Paper Clips."

Other activities include:

• Writers on Writing reading series
• Poetry slams and student fiction readings
• Fun road trips to student conferences (Arches staff members travel to the ACP/CMA National College Media Convention)
• Student mixers and campus-wide book clubs

 

Arches - Student Publication

Mount Mary students of any major can gain practical workplace skills as staff members of Arches, Mount Mary's award-winning student magazine and companion website. No experience is necessary to join the Arches staff; students are trained to work as reporters, editors, website managers, social media experts and more. Former staff members have gone on to work at top publishing houses, marketing companies and news agencies in Milwaukee and throughout the country.

Students can receive training in:

• Reporting
• Website writing & management
• Publication layout & design
• Advertising sales
• Editing
• Social media management & analytics
• Photography
• And more!

 

Arches awards

When you join the Arches staff, you'll be able to say you are a part of an award-winning student publication. Here are just a few of the awards Arches has recently received:

• Termeria Taper - 10th place, Story of the Year - Diversity Category
• Sophie Beck - 10th place, Display Ad
• Emily Chapman, Brenda Reasby and Sereta Bruchett - 3rd Place, Multimedia Package
• Arches staff - 9th place, Website for www.archesnews.com

Arches is a member of the Wisconsin Newspaper Association and Associated Collegiate Press. As members of these organizations, Arches staff members have the opportunity to travel to student journalism conferences throughout the country.

Read Arches online, like Arches on Facebook or follow Arches on Twitter.

To become involved with Arches, email the newspaper at mmu-arches@mtmary.edu.

 

Paper Clips

As a Mount Mary student, you’ll have the opportunity to have your writing published in "Paper Clips," an anthology of the university’s finest student writing. Submissions are first selected from writing within English classes. After the papers are submitted, English faculty read the selections and choose those to be published.

 

Sigma Tau Delta Honor Society

Since 1951, Mount Mary has had a chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, the international English honor society, on campus. The society provides opportunities for publishing in scholarly publication in "The Rectangle" and presenting at the society’s annual spring conference.

Members of Sigma Tau Delta are eligible for undergraduate and graduate scholarships through the honor society. In 2013, Mount Mary graduate student Amanda Webster won the national Individual Blog Award. In 2012, Mount Mary English major Christine Blasi Gill won the Midwest Regional Scholarship.

Potential members are invited to apply each fall. To apply, you must be an English major or minor, have a 3.0 or higher GPA and have sophomore or higher status.

Faculty

The School of Arts and Sciences at Mount Mary is rich with talented faculty who care about their students.

Members of the Department of English at Mount Mary University believe we can work together to combat systemic and individual racism and create a welcoming environment for all by actively and mindfully practicing the 4 Cs central to our Mount Mary University Mission – Compassion, Community, Commitment, and Competence.

Read the statement here