Department of English

Courses in the English Department have two goals --
to teach students to express themselves clearly in writing and speaking, and to help them understand and interpret the ideas of great writers of English and American literature.

The curriculum is broad and diverse. Writing courses include expository writing, critical analysis, and creative writing in several genres. Courses in literature cover everything from Old English poetry and Medieval drama to contemporary film and postmodern literary theory, encompassing a wide range of works and authors from Western and non-Western traditions.

Many students gain added writing experience by writing for The Gettysburgian, a student-run weekly newspaper, for The Mercury, student literary magazine, or for The Spectrum yearbook. Some students work as interns at The Gettysburg Review, the College's acclaimed national literary journal.

English is excellent preparation for a career in teaching, writing and publishing, journalism, law, government, and many other fields. Our majors go on to graduate studies in writing and literature and in fields such as business, social work, and urban planning, among others.