English Degree
Bachelor of Arts in English
Offered on campus
Become a Dynamic Writer and Communicator
Point Park University's English program teaches you to closely analyze text, improve your writing through peer review and workshop exercises and develop strong communication skills.
Through our English major, you will be encouraged to look past your own experiences in order to understand others, and to study both past and present authors ranging from William Shakespeare, Herman Melville, Bram Stoker, and Emily Dickinson to Chinua Achebe, Sylvia Plath, Junot Díaz and Zadie Smith.
You will also learn to analyze texts in historical and social contexts. With class sizes averaging 15 students, our English program offers a more dynamic, participatory classroom experience. You will receive individualized help, guidance and feedback from your professors and peers.
Courses & Topics
You will receive a well-rounded education through our core curriculum and classes in the English major. You may take courses that study individual genres, such as Art of the Short Story, Art of Poetry, and Introduction to Literary Studies.
Upper-division English courses fall under six different themes: Surveys, Topics, Authors, Language and Theory, Historical Periods and Traditions and Creative Writing.
Examples of these courses are:
- Surveys: American Literature 1 and 2, British Literature 1 and 2, World Literature: Novels and World Literature: Poetry, Drama, Epic
- Students may also take Theoretical Approaches, a rotating topics course. Recent topics include Black Lives and Social Justice in 20-21st Century Literature, Rough Harmonies: Poetry & Self, Faith and Fiction, Mad Science and Lit, LGBTQ Lit, Latino Lit, Witch Lit and Graphic Novels.
- Topics: Scribbling Women in the 19th Century, Feminist Fairy Tales, Detective Fiction, Postcolonial Literature, Reading Race in Shakespeare and Haunted America
- Language and Theory: Linguistics, History of the English Language and English Language Learners
- Authors: Plath and Sexton, Faulkner and Morrison, Zadie Smith, Oscar Wilde, Shakespeare and The Brontës
- Periods & Traditions: American Romanticism, Victorian Poetry and Prose: Women and Empire, Harlem Renaissance and Contemporary Literature
- Creative Writing: Workshops in Fiction, Creative Nonfiction and Poetry
Meet Our Faculty
Career Options
Graduates of Point Park’s English program move on to graduate school, law school or find other positions such as:
- Editor
- Publisher
- Copywriter
- Positions in nonprofit organizations
- Grant writer
- Journalist
- Communications professional
- Writer
PPU Writers Club
Run by students, the PPU Writers Club aims to create an environment where students across the Point Park community can connect with their peers who share a passion for writing. The club offers an array of writing-themed activities and events throughout the year. Anyone can find membership in the club regardless of creed, gender identity, origin or field of study - what's essential is students showing an interest in the writing process.
The group hosts:
- Writing prompts and exercises
- Lit-themed field trips
- Craft nights ('zines, black-out poetry and more)
- Open Mic Nights
