Readers, Writers, Movers & Shakers
Major: Creative Writing | Literature
Minors: Literature | Writing | Classical Studies
“Pleasure is by no means an infallible critical guide, but it is the least fallible.”
Whether our English majors focus on literature or creative writing, their experience in many ways reflects Auden's union of writing and pleasure. The Lycoming College English department is a tight-knit literary community where students marry their passions for writing and reading with their natural curiosity about the world around them. Intimate class sizes facilitate casual group discussions on literary themes, in-depth analysis of cultural contexts, and collaborative writing workshops with peers. Here, students become each other’s biggest fans and most careful critics, all while gaining the practical communication, research, and critical thinking skills the real world demands. Our graduates leave Lycoming with a breadth and depth of knowledge that gives them a competitive edge as they head off to graduate school or to pursue a wide range of careers.
Student Opportunities
- Attend readings, classes, and workshops with world-class authors through our endowed Himes/Sweeney Visiting Artist Series.
- Contribute and help publish The Tributary, our school’s student-run literary journal or be selected to work alongside faculty on the national journal, Brilliant Corners.
- Write for the school newspaper, The Lycourier.
- Gain teaching/editing experience as a tutor in the Academic Resource Center.
- Co-author and publish with faculty or present research at undergraduate conferences.
- Spread your love of literature and writing on campus and in the community with the English Society.
- Join the Association of English Majors or be inducted into Sigma Tau Delta (the English honors society).
- Find local and national internships in publishing, editing, law, library science, marketing, and more through the Center for Enhanced Academic Experiences (CEAE).
Why Lycoming?
- Our carefully crafted curriculum helps students develop creative and critical reading, writing, and thinking skills that prepare them for a multitude of jobs and careers.
- Classes are taught by a small group of professionals with the highest degrees in their field and a combined total of more than 40 publications.
- Courses emphasize reading and explore a wide variety of genres, from poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction to American, British, Classical, Medieval, Renaissance, Romantic, Victorian, and African American literature.
- Our degree programs make it easy for students to enhance their career outlook by also pursuing a primary or secondary education certification or by adding another major/minor in complementary programs such as medieval studies, women and gender studies, media writing, and American studies.
- Small class sizes guarantee individualized learning, cooperative experiences, and fieldwork such as assistantships, study abroad, internships, and publication.
Why Lycoming is the Right Choice →