Communicating effectively and authentically gives you the power to move mountains. As an English major or minor, you’ll think and write about the stuff of literature– love, death, and power–and learn insights and expressive skills that will prove valuable and marketable in a variety of professions like law, advertising, teaching, and politics. For lovers of language and reading, poetry or fiction, you’ll develop an even greater appreciation and understanding of the power of words and their ability to entertain, move, and persuade.
Major/Minor English
English up close In and Beyond the Classroom
hands-on learning
There is plenty of time for curling up with a good book. But in class, as an English major or minor at RMC, you’ll experience interactive ways of telling a story that are increasingly important for the world of today and tomorrow. Students in a seminar on Charles Dickens used virtual reality equipment to “travel” to the location of his unfinished novel, a murder mystery. They explored the scene of the crime to plot their own solutions to the mystery, which they wrote about in a final project “finishing” the novel.
high-impact Internships
Experience the power of your skills in real-life applications. Recent RMC internships include a variety of options that reflect the many industries and companies for which your English degree makes you ready:
- Brandylane Publishing
- Richmond Magazine
- Circle S Studio
- Special Olympics of Virginia
- Sierra Club
Global Education
Great storytelling comes from all over the world, and students in the English program experience global literature both in the classroom and while studying abroad. In a recent travel course, students explored Dublin’s culture and history, with particular emphasis on its rich literary past, especially with respect to modernist giants like authors William Butler Yeats and James Joyce.
ADVISING AND MENTORSHIP
At RMC, you can count on the guidance of full-time faculty who are focused on your development as a communicator. You’ll learn from their creative teaching. Outside the classroom, they will share your passions for literature and poetry, and also for your future success.
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ENG185course in critical reading and writing, completed by all RMC first-years
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1833the year the Washington Literary Society was founded at RMC
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1.7MEnglish majors currently in the U.S. workforce
English in full Courses You Won’t Want to Miss
(A very small sample)
ENGL 191
Boys Don’t Cry
Examine the diverse (and sometimes conflicting) representations of masculinity in American literary culture. Explore the ways in which it has been represented, exploring how authors construct notions of masculinity based on social and historical circumstances, and how these notions continue to affect our present-day understanding of what it means to “be a man.”
ENGL 308
The Late Middle Ages
Study a variety of literature from the 12th through the 15th centuries, including manuals, romances, visionary works, letters, tale collections, and mystical treatises. Explore how literary works are transmitted from one culture to another and how they change to accommodate different traditions, values, and audiences.
ENGL 353
Children’s Literature
Dive into the historical study of children’s literature from 1749 to today with particular emphasis on the genre’s Golden Age (1865-1925). Adopt a reading buddy from a local school, and create a book based on your young friend’s interests and all you learned in class.
Opportunities Worth Grabbing
Popular activities and programs among English majors
the Washington Literary Society
Founded in 1833, the Washington Literary Society is the oldest student organization at Randolph-Macon College.
The society sponsors activities in literature and the arts, such as poetry readings, lectures, coffee houses following drama guild productions, film viewings and discussions, and discussions with visiting authors and poets. It promotes the arts on campus and publishes Stylus, the college’s literary magazine.
Sigma Tau Delta
International English Honor Society
the Yellow Jacket
The College’s long-running student newspaper relaunched as a digital publication online.
From Here To What you can do with an English degree from RMC
Tommy Proffitt ’11
Account Manager
Two Oceans Education Partners
“There were so many experiences and professors that made an impact on me during my time at Randolph-Macon that it would be hard to pick just one. But I think the common thread among them all would be that they all, in some way, helped me develop skills to approach every situation with a critical, curious, and analytical mindset. Every role I’ve held during my career has required me to do something I’ve never done before and learn something new — be it a new system, new process, or a new industry. The lessons I learned at RMC truly prepared me, not only to get through those moments, but to excel in them.”
John Mark Adrian Ph.D. ’97
Professor of English
University of Virginia, Wise
LaChelle lewis ’12
Director of Annual Giving and Donor Relations
The Valentine Museum
Sarah Rochte Goodwin ’18
Pastor
Fultondale United Methodist Church
John Working ’01
Attorney
Railside Law Group
Casca Dominiski ’15
Web Content Writer
LifeBridge Health
Kathryn Poe ’12
Attorney
Johnson, Ayers & Matthews
Barry Landis ’88
Producer
Fox Sports
DEE RAUBENSTINE ’80
Director of Development and Sponsor Events
The Richmond Forum
Cary Hastings Chenery ’08
Speech Language Pathologist
Crozet Speech and Learning Center
BuzzWorthy The latest from RMC English
News Story categories: English
Academics
Art History
Spotlight: A Look at January Term in the Classroom
Every January Term, Randolph-Macon students take advantage of the opportunity to immerse themselves in unique courses.
News Story categories: English
Classics
Faculty
Randolph-Macon Honors Faculty Members with Bruce M. Unger Awards
Each spring, Randolph-Macon College honors the contributions of retiring faculty with more than 10 years of service to the College…
News Story categories: English
Asian Studies
Classics
Randolph-Macon Professors Earn Tenure and Promotion
Randolph-Macon College President Robert R. Lindgren is pleased to announce that the Board of Trustees recently voted to approve the…
More to explore 55+ areas of study to discover at RMC
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