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College of Arts and Sciences
Books on a shelf of the English Department.

About the Department

English at Seton Hall is one of the liberal arts and, as such, is devoted to the search for wisdom and understanding. The mission of the Department of English is three-fold: 1) to provide all students with the essential linguistic and literary competency upon which other liberal arts disciplines may build; 2) to develop in all students the ability to think analytically, to read closely and to write well; 3) to provide majors with a broad knowledge and critical understanding of British, United States, and Anglophone literary traditions, with additional emphasis upon comparative literatures and genres.

The English Department provides a nurturing environment and excellent advisement throughout your time at Seton hall. Our department offers small classes and personal attention. In fact, freshman English classes at Seton Hall average just 16 students, ensuring that you'll get off to a great start.

Our goal is to provide you with the ability to read critically and insightfully, write clearly and effectively, analyze, and carefully evaluate. These are skills vital for many careers. Being an English major opens the doors to many opportunities and the Career Center will start working with you as a freshman to help you figure out ow to put your skills and interests towards an exciting and rewarding future.

Our students have done amazing internships at Sirius Radio, Marvel, Cengage Publishing, Penguin Publishing as well as for law firms, major corporations, non-profits and pharmaceutical giants.

Here are some other exciting things the English department has to offer:

  • Faculty who are nationally and internationally recognized scholars in their field and work closely with students
  • A very active English Club/English Honor Society, which sponsors field trips, social events, weekly discussions, and other events.
  • A literary journal, Corner Pocket
  • Poetry-in-the-Round, a nationally recognized speaker/reading series
  • Events, such as Quiz Night, "What You Can Do with an English Major," and the Holiday in the Hallway help make the department a real community of students and faculty.

In addition to the English major, the department also offers an English minor and a writing minor, both 18 credits and available to students of any major. At the graduate level, the Department of English offers a Master of Arts designed for present or prospective teachers of English on the secondary or college level, for students contemplating the Ph.D., and for those already involved in careers in publishing, business, writing or media. English majors who qualify for the Dual Degree B.A./M.A. program in English can complete the M.A. degree in one year beyond their B.A.

Learn more about the English Academic Programs »