The University of Toledo
Visit
Apply
Give
The University of Toledo
Visit
Apply
Give
Search
Menu
Menu
  • Admissions
    • Admissions
    • Freshman
    • Online
    • Adult/Transfer/Military
    • International
    • Graduate/Professional
    • College Credit Plus
    • Guest
    • Admitted/New Rocket
  • Academics
    • Explore Majors and Programs
    • Academic Colleges
    • Arts and Letters
    • Business and Innovation
    • Education
    • Engineering
    • Graduate Studies
    • Health and Human Services
    • Honors
    • Law
    • Medicine and Life Sciences
    • Natural Sciences and Mathematics
    • Nursing
    • Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
    • University College
  • Research
    • Areas of Research Excellence
    • Research News
    • Research and Sponsored Programs
    • Tech Transfer
    • Research Compliance
    • Human Research Protection Program
    • Economic Development
  • About
    • About UToledo
    • Mission
    • Senior Administration
    • Accreditation
    • Diversity
    • Student Outcomes
    • Expression on Campus
  • Athletics
  • Alumni
  • UTMC
  • Giving
  • MyUT
Main Menu
Academics
  • Academic Programs

Colleges

  • Arts and Letters
  • Business and Innovation
  • Education
  • Engineering
  • Graduate Studies
  • Health and Human Services
  • Honors
  • Law
  • Medicine and Life Sciences
  • Natural Sciences and Mathematics
  • Nursing
  • Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
  • University College

Resources

  • Academic Calendar
  • Bookstore
  • Course Catalogs
  • Libraries
  • About UT
  • Campuses
  • Directions/Maps
  • Admission
  • Professional Licensure Information
  • Employment Opportunities
  • Campus Directory
  • Contact Us

Contact Us

1.800.586.5336 webmaster@utoledo.edu

English

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)

Curious. Creative.
English majors at UToledo master the communication and “people” skills that can launch their careers in fields from law and government to teaching and journalism.

Curious. Creative.
English majors at UToledo master the communication and “people” skills that can launch their careers in fields from law and government to teaching and journalism.

English Bachelor's Degree Overview

“What can’t an English major do?”  

An English degree from The University of Toledo offers flexibility in today’s quickly changing job market. UToledo educates creative readers and writers who use language effectively and communicate clearly. Employers, no matter what field, value these skills.

UToledo’s English majors read great literature and think hard about the complicated circumstances of the human condition.  

Concentrations

There is considerable integration between the two concentrations we offer. Literature is a standard part of the creative writing curriculum and vice versa.

  • Literature — Provides a solid background in literature, literary criticism and literary history.
  • Creative writing — Focused around three writing workshops. Students engage in peer review and rigorous revision.

English Bachelor's Degree Highlights

  • A one-of-a-kind approach. UToledo’s English majors encounter the world’s literature from Homer to Toni Morrison. They take courses in film, women’s and gender studies, cultural differences, environmental literature, mythology and more. State-of-the-art classrooms allow instructors to make full use of technology and the rich resources of the internet.
  • Flexibility. Students and advisers collaborate on an ideal program for each student.
  • Internationally known faculty members have unique areas of interest and use their evolving research and experiences in class.
  • UToledo’s unique typography lab. The lab is home to Aureole Press, a literary fine-press that publishes established and up-and-coming writers. Students can work on these publications, as well as take classes in how to create and produce fine-press books.  
  • Practical writing experience.
    • Edit and publish the The Mill, UToledo’s literary magazine.
    • Work for The Independent Collegian, UToledo’s student newspaper.
  • Partnership with UT’s art school. Our Department of English has a relationship with the Toledo Museum of Art and UToledo’s Center for the Visual Arts. The museum’s archives of print materials and artists’ books allow for courses in visual language and letterpress printing.
  • Learn from alumni and visiting scholars. Renowned writers lecture and present their work on campus and visit classes. Annual panels feature UToledo alumni who share how their English degrees have led to professional success and personal satisfaction.
  • Research. Faculty work with students who have been awarded funding through the UToledo Undergraduate Summer Research and Creative Activity Program. Funds also are available for students to present their research at conferences.
  • Dual degree for teachers. Get a BA in English and a bachelor’s of education through a program in conjunction with UToledo’s Judith Herb College of Education.

Career Opportunities

The door is wide open for UToledo English majors in any number of careers. English courses enhance and enable essential career skills, including:  

  • Clear, precise writing
  • Logical critical-thinking
  • Accurate interpretation of texts, facts and events
  • Persuasive oral articulation of ideas and concepts
  • Proficiency in research

Graduates find jobs as editors, teachers, journalists, public relations professionals, speech writers and ad writers. Or they use their skills in communication and analysis to venture into mass media, entertainment, politics, business and government.

The major also provides a solid background for students considering law or medical school, as well as graduate study in English or other fields.

UToledo English majors have found jobs as:

  • Learning consultant, Pearson Corporation, London
  • Learning Resource Center, Toledo Museum of Art
  • Director of the Educational Resource Center, WGTE Public Media, Toledo
  • Creative editorial materials coordinator, Amazon.com affiliate Brilliance Audio, Grand Haven, Mich.
  • Editor of American English Language Teaching series, Oxford University Press, Manhattan
  • Copywriter, Sandbox Agency, Chicago
  • English teacher, Toledo School for the Arts
  • Ohio House of Representatives, Columbus, Ohio
  • Editor and reporter, Toledo City Paper
  • Performing & literary arts coordinator, Arts Commission in Toledo
  • Community library manager, Queens Borough Public Library, New York

Our Alumni

  • English Department alumna Sean Shannon’s first novel was shortlisted for the Dundee International Book Prize and was a quarterfinalist for the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. The Kindle book is called The Prostitutes of Lake Wiishkoban. Sean earned a BA in creative writing in ’04 and a master’s degree in English literature in ’06 from UToledo.
  • Former UToledo English major Marcus Jackson’s poem “First Warm Morning, Amsterdam Avenue” appeared in the Sept. 2, 2013 issue of The New Yorker. He is an assistant professor of English at Ohio State University.  
  • English department alumnus Joe Geha’s novel Lebanese Blonde won the Arab American National Museum Fiction Award. 
  • Matthew A. Szollosi served as a Democratic member of the Ohio House of Representatives, representing Toledo and Lucas County from 2007-2013.

English Bachelor's Degree Plan of Study

English Bachelor’s Degree Sample Courses

  • Literature of Postcolonial, Diasporic, and Non-white Communities
  • Art and Process of the Book
  • Typography and Publication
  • Single-author courses on writers like Geoffrey Chaucer, John Milton, Salman Rushdie and Zadie Smith

View Plan of Study

Internship Opportunities for English Bachelor's Degree

English majors have completed internships for credit at:

  • Local organizations, such as Aurora House, Bethany House, Kingston Assisted Living and Kids Unlimited
  • Metzger’s Printing
  • The (Toledo) Blade
  • The Toledo City Paper
  • The University of Toledo’s UT Press and Canaday Center

Want More Information?


English Bachelor's Degree

4-year program

Program Availability

 On Campus
* Also available as a minor

Program Quick Links

View Admission Requirements
Department of English Language and Literature
College of Arts and Letters
Apply Now

Schedule A Visit

Tuition & Scholarships

Find Admission Counselor

Request Information

Scholarship Opportunities

The University of Toledo is on a mission to make college affordable for everyone. Use our search tool to find scholarships you qualify for.

Search Now

© 2020 THE UNIVERSITY OF TOLEDO • 2801 W. Bancroft St. • Toledo, OH 43606 • 800.586.5336

A - Z List | Careers | Report a Concern | Nondiscrimination | Accessibility | Web Privacy | Brand Guide | Feedback | Contact Us

Last Updated: 3/21/2023