English
Bachelor of Arts Major & Minor
Our lives are a story. Language and narrative are the substance of our thoughts and memories. To read is to be transported to other cultures, other times, and other minds. Our program studies the mechanics of stories and the people and cultures that produce them, and we give you the tools to author your own meaningful life.
A degree in English is for the student who wants to squeeze every drop out of college. You’ll graduate with what every professional needs: unparalleled communication skills and the ability to critically analyze text and social situations. You’ll also experience the most versatile program at Warren Wilson — with opportunities to mix English with other disciplines like:
Creative Writing
Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies
History and Philosophy
International and Social Justice Studies
Media & Communications
Why study English at Warren Wilson?
- Choose Your Focus: Our program has only a few required courses, opening up opportunities to choose your own focus of study, such as Film Studies, Communication, Genres, Queer/Gender/Sexuality Studies, or Theatre.
- Diverse Course Offerings: Courses span topics like Literature and War, Propaganda, Southern Literature, Communications, Queer Studies, alongside more traditional English courses.
- Apply What You Learn: In our Work Program, you can get professional experience in English-related fields before you graduate, such as editing or writing for our newspaper or literary magazine, or tutoring peers in our Writing Studio.
Every student will complete community-engaged coursework, an internship, and original research as part of their major
A Sample of Our Partnerships
- Appalshop
- Asheville Watchdog
- Asheville Citizen Times
Honors Program in English
The English Major also offers an Honors Program for students to participate in intense, small seminar classes while developing an independent research project.
See how English students put our education into action
Work
You can work on any crew as a student but many English majors choose to be on crews such as:
- The Echo Newspaper
- Admissions
- Library
- Writing Studio
Popular Courses
Literature and War
Students in this course examine literary representations of war. Although the readings are broad-ranging and begin with selections from pre-classical and classical Greece, the main focus is on texts associated with World War One. Authors include Siegfried Sassoon, Erich Maria Remarque, George Orwell, and Kurt Vonnegut. War-related subjects, such as the literature of peace advocacy, are taken up as well.
Hawthorne and the “Damn’d Mob of Scribbling Women”
Focused on a group of 19th century American writers, many of whom shared a publisher, students in this course review the works and drama of Nathaniel Hawthorne, the writer with the strongest reputation in our time, and a group of mutually supportive women writers. While analyzing these stories, we will try to understand the 19th century culture that celebrated these women writers and to understand why they are largely forgotten in our own time.
Gender and Sexuality in Literature
Students in this course examine how contemporary literature represents issues of femininity, masculinity, non-binary gender, and sexualities. You’ll read contemporary texts and view films that provide insights into how thoroughly ideologies of gender and sexuality are connected to those of race, class, generation, region, religion, and nationality. We’ll explore the ways in which authors respond to sexual and gender scripts, with acceptance, with redefinition, with creative rescripting, all while considering these contemporary texts in the context of contemporary debates, legislation, and events.
Paula K. Garrett, Ph.D.
Research Interests
- 19th Century American Studies
- Writing
- Queer Theory
“Warren Wilson students expect more of their professors than students I’ve taught elsewhere, and those expectations keep me on my toes.”
Carol Howard, Ph.D.
Research Interests
- Women’s Literary History
- Early Women’s Biography
- Garden Literature
“I love that all our first-year seminars partner with a local non-profit whose mission is related to the academic theme of the course. Students are asked to reflect upon why the organization is meaningful, and whether it’s the kind of work they might like to do upon graduation.”
A. Michael Matin, Ph.D.
Research Interests
- Pre-1914 British invasion-scare literature
“I especially enjoy seeing the paths our English majors follow after graduation. They bring their unique talents and creativity to whatever work they do.”
Jamieson Ridenhour, Ph.D.
Research Interests
- Gothic / horror literature and film in the 19th-21st centuries
- Narrative Structure
- New Media, especially serialized audio fiction
“Wilson students are engaged and passionate about their engagement. I love feeling their enthusiasm for being in the world. ”
“In my studies for my master’s, I find myself constantly referring back to the texts, readings, and concepts that I learned in Warren Wilson classrooms. […] My studies at Warren Wilson helped me learn to plan projects independently while still collaborating with others. Whether I’m writing a seminar paper, working on a group presentation, or organizing some spreadsheets, the Warren Wilson spirit of collaboration has served me well in this role.”
Anna Robinson
(she/her)
Graduate Teaching Assistant at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Major, Minor, Concentration, Crews
- English Major
- Crew: Peer Coach
“Wilson has had a profound impact on my professional career. It taught me that the head and heart cannot be parted. In my classroom–whether it be in Peru, Kuwait, the Bronx, or Boone–relationships always come first. It’s an understanding that was modeled to me through mugs of tea, end-of-year potlucks at professors’ homes, thoughtful feedback on essays, and office hour visits.”
Lora Hawkins, PhD
(she/her)
Assistant Professor of English Education at Appalachian State
Major, Minor, Concentration, Crews
- English Major
- Crews: Web and Theatre
Where Our English Graduates Go
English graduates leave Warren Wilson with the skills to pursue their dreams. Our recent graduates include lawyers, chocolatiers, carpenters, labor activists — experiences and professions of all kinds. Those who chose to pursue graduate studies have gone to schools such as:
- Appalachian State University
- UNC Charlotte
- University of South Carolina
- Brown University
- Columbia University
