Welcome to the English Department
"Literature is where I go to explore the highest and lowest places in human society and in the human spirit, where I hope to find not absolute truth but the truth of the tale, of the imagination and of the heart."
Last year, in U.S. News and World Report, we were voted by Samford students as one of Samford's "best majors". The main reason for the award is the "stuff" of every English class: Day after day, we study the most compelling stories, poems, and films, all exploring the truth of the imagination and of the human spirit.
These experiences are often life-changing, and they nurture our students’ growth as life-long learners, as educated and responsible citizens, as literate persons who find fulfilling careers.
On a practical level, the English major is a prestigious, flexible major. Employers know that English graduates have well-developed skills in writing, research, critical reading, critical analysis, and oral communication. These are the skills that 21st century employers want.
Our recent graduates have gone to highly-acclaimed graduate programs in creative writing and in English, but they also find successful careers in publishing, teaching, business, the ministry and vocational callings. English has long been a pipeline to law schools and legal careers, and we count many doctors also among our alumni. In the last few years, our graduates have distinguished themselves in important nonprofit agencies, a growing area for careers.
We do not back away from the traditional English career: teaching. Our goal is to train knowledgeable, effective teachers at all levels, teachers who will share these stories with students and change lives in the process. Now more than ever, schools and communities are looking for dedicated teachers who can equip their students in reading, writing, and developing language skills. Our track record is exemplary in producing excellent teachers.
We also feature a faculty that includes some of the best teachers on the Samford campus. In the last three years, English faculty have won three of the major teaching awards: the Buchanan Award (Metress), Macon Award (Davis), and Howard College of Arts & Sciences Teaching Award (Workman). Professor Rosemary Fisk was just named winner of the prestigious J. William Fulbright Award, and our newest faculty member, Geoffrey Wright, published an article on the depictions of the Persian Gulf War in memoirs and films in PMLA, the premier journal in English studies. All of our faculty members are dedicated to effective classroom teaching and to the development of student skills.
Contact me to learn more about:
- Our fast-growing Film Studies track, directed by Dr. Wright
- Our exciting new Creative Writing Concentration
- Our large number of awards and scholarships
- Our opportunities for international travel, particularly to London
- Our internships in Birmingham
