English at Hamline

As Isaac Disraeli famously wrote, “There is an art of reading, as well as an art of thinking, and an art of writing.” The English major at Hamline integrates these three sets of liberal arts and professional skills through courses in literature, cultural theory, and creative as well as professional writing. Class sizes are small, which allows for engaging discussions and close student/faculty collaborations.

English Major Overview with Professors Kristina Deffenbacher & Rachel Tofteland-Trampe

The English major consists of ten courses that offer students opportunities to pursue their interests in a diverse field. Students may choose an English major with a concentration in creative writing or minors in literature, creative writing, professional writing, or linguistics. English majors interested in teaching at the secondary level may elect an education minor with a communication arts and literature concentration.

The faculty of the English department have three goals for students who graduate with a major or minor in English.  

1. Students should be able to read, write, and inquire critically and imaginatively, understanding both the theoretical and practical dimensions of reading and writing.

2. Students should understand the rhetorical, cultural, historical, and interdisciplinary contexts of the literatures we teach and the profession we practice.

3. Students should join the discourse of the field and explore the nature of the profession, which includes valuing independent and collaborative learning, blurring and crossing disciplinary lines, and investigating the relationship between language and culture.

In order to achieve these goals, students pursuing a major or minor in English take ten classes in four different categories: Introductory Inquiries, Gateway Courses, Intermediate Courses, and Courses that Synthesize Theory and Practice.

Learning Outcomes

The purpose of learning outcomes at Hamline University is to ensure that our mission and values are realized in what our graduating students know, value, and can do. View all learning outcomes for English.