Why Study English at Elizabethtown College?
As an English major at Elizabethtown College, you have three concentrations to choose from: literature, professional writing, and secondary education. The English curriculum affords you the flexibility to enhance your intellectual interests and career options by choosing to take additional courses, pursue a minor, or even double major. You can also study abroad and take advantage of our many internship opportunities and extracurricular activities.
Write and be Read
Our English degree program offers students interested in feature or creative writing opportunities to see their name in print. A number of our majors are editors or writers for our campus newspaper, The Etownian; the campus literary magazine, VOX; or the student yearbook, The Conestogan. Not to mention, there are many other on and off campus opportunities to intern or work somewhere you can develop your writing portfolio and gain valuable professional experience. A robust writing portfolio is a big advantage for our graduates as they search for their first job with their English major in Pennsylvania, and beyond.
Find an Alumni Mentor
More than 80 English department alumni volunteer as student mentors, offering career advice and sharing professional connections with current students. Each year our department hosts an alumni banquet -- an excellent opportunity for our majors to meet and mingle with former students who are now enjoying successful careers. Often times, our students know they want to write professionally, but are unsure of where to start, and our alumni mentors are able to guide them by sharing experience and offering practical advice. Concerned with job opportunities post-graduation? Don’t be--just ask our alumni base with over a 90% employment rate.
English Literature Alumn
Molly Campbell '08
Current job title: Associate in the Complex Commercial Litigation Group of Reed Smith, LLP with a focus on Business Corporate Disputes
Molly said, “I couldn’t have chosen a better one to go into the legal field” when referring to her chosen major. She feels that the emphasis on writing was the key to her success in law school. While the other skills such as analyzing writing aided her with analyzing documents, and her improvisation skills developed with Mad Cow Improv has come in handy when she needs to think on her feet in the court room these days. Her minor in Spanish has not gone unused either when communicating with clients.
Open Doors to Career Opportunities
Our close proximity to large metropolitan hubs like Harrisburg, Philadelphia, New York, Washington, D.C., and Baltimore allows our students to form connections with industry professionals, or even take internships at what could become full-time jobs.
Among our department graduates have been writers for syndicated television news programs and national magazines, award-winning sports journalists, music and film reviewers, as well as the creators of successful online magazines, web content writers, and many other careers which draw upon a strong work ethic, social skills for team projects, and outstanding communication skills. Some department alumni have also chosen to return to the classroom to teach at the high school level. E-town English majors graduate with a wide variety of opportunities before them; opportunities they have grasped with distinction.