Area of study
English & literature programs
When you study English and literature at UT, you sharpen valuable critical-thinking skills and gain the ability to use language both strategically and creatively. Discover the greatest writers in history and perhaps become one yourself. From courses exploring early American literature to creative writing, programs within this study area will prepare you for a successful future in a variety of fields.
Your future as a professional
Alumni who have graduated from UT with a degree in English and literature have gone on to write books and work for magazines like Teen Vogue. Others have become advertisers, teachers, video game designers, entrepreneurs, and more using the invaluable storytelling and strategic-thinking skills they obtained from their courses.
What you can do with a degree in an English and literature program:
English & literature careers
- Editor
- Educator
- Grant writer
- Journalist
- Lawyer
- Librarian
- Marketer
- Novelist
- Science and medical writer
- Social media manager
- Speech writer
- Technical writer
Potential employers
- Advertising agencies
- Broadcast media companies
- Computer systems design companies
- Government agencies
- Healthcare industries
- Museums
- Nonprofit organizations
- PR firms
- Publishers
- Schools, colleges, and universities
- Self-employment
- Sports and entertainment organizations
Studying at UT
Setting you up for success
As a student studying an English and literature program, you’ll dive into the works of iconic writers like William Shakespeare and Toni Morrison. You might even be taught these classics by a published author! Many of our professors have written books covering topics from coming-of-age tales to poetry to history.
UT has been the recipient of the Writing Program Certificate of Excellence, a national award from the Conference of College Composition and Communication. All of our students learn how to use language as a social tool, develop well-constructed arguments, and apply critical-thinking skills to understand the world around them.
Your success here on Rocky Top extends beyond the classroom. We provide students with opportunities to connect with one another through clubs and special events. Maybe you’ll attend the English department’s Jane Austen Regency Ball where you’ll learn Regency-era dances and interact with actors portraying Austen’s characters, for example.
Research & hands-on learning opportunities
Our students often participate in local and national internships. To name a few, you might intern for the McClung Museum, HarperCollins, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, or Teach for America.
As Tennessee’s flagship university and a premier land-grant research institution, undergraduate students have conducted research on topics ranging from Hemingway to bog bodies. Graduate and PhD students have access to special collections in British and American literary history and resources from the Marco Institute for Medieval and Renaissance Studies.
And in true Volunteer spirit, you’ll have the chance to get involved in the community. Maybe you’ll become a tutor to seniors at local high schools through the Judith Anderson Herbert Writing Center.
Learn around the world
You’ll delve into history, discover new worlds, and learn other ways of thinking through the magic of words in our English and literature programs. But you can also experience this in person through studying abroad. Students have traveled to Ireland and the United Kingdom to study playwrights, discover the medieval charm of Galway, and explore Shakespeare’s hometown.
Where you’ll study
English and literature programs are housed within the College of Arts and Sciences. As a student in this study area, you could pursue English or creative writing. You might also choose to concentrate on literature or technical communication, to name a few options.
I also took a creative writing course my last year. It was a workshop, which meant we would write short stories and everyone would read them and we would talk about them together. It was a really great way to learn to write through practice. But it was also a great way to learn how to take and give feedback. Those are skills I’m still using today.
Rodney
(’04)
Creative Writing
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