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Contact Information:

USD English Department
Dakota Hall 212
USD, 414 E. Clark Street
Vermillion, SD 57069-2390
phone: 605-677-5229
fax: 605-677-5298
english@usd.edu

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Last Modified: 10/05/07

Why should you major in English at the University of South Dakota?

"I just finished my sophomore year in the English Department and I've found that there are many advantages to being an English major. Although my emphasis is on secondary education, realistically, I could do anything after I graduate. The ability to read and write well are crucial in every job out there. It doesn't matter how good you are at accounting or business; if you can't express yourself well, then you've got nothing."

--Ellen E. Jacobsen, Junior, 5/5/03

"If you've ever written a poem on a napkin, you're an English major. If you've ever honestly answered a girl when she asked you what you're thinking about, and if she was a little disappointed, you're an English major. If you've ever read a book in one night even though you had to get up early, you're an English major. Especially if there was a Biology test the next morning."

--Elliot Harmon, Graduating Senior, 7/03

"The professors at the U. are great! Here, teach you they fine the art of sentence structure, and that ain't no lie! They also refine your interpretation skills. You'll be able to extrapolate meaning from the most mundane activities. You'll see that those blobs in your lava lamp represent many exciting themes such as death, love, and the plight of the penguin in northeastern South Dakota."

--Melissa Houghton, Junior, 5/5/03

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Some reasons to consider. . . .

English majors read literature. Did you ever enjoy “losing yourself” in a good book? As an English major, you will get to do so all the time, with opportunities to take classes in fiction, drama, or poetry, ranging from Chaucer and Shakespeare to Virginia Woolf and Toni Morrison, from Emily Dickinson and Nathaniel Hawthorne to Louise Erdrich and Gabriel Garcia Marquez. What’s more, you will get to explore regional authors (like Kathleen Norris, Willa Cather, and Kent Meyers) and specialized topics in literature (such as postmodernism or American Indian literature).

English majors get passionate about language, literature, and life in discussions with their classmates and teachers, becoming part of a lively community that cares about the written word.

English majors write. They write essays, keep web logs and journals, and, for those with a creative bent, write poetry, fiction, and plays. If you want to strengthen your writing skills, discover yourself as a writer, or work toward getting published, an English major is a natural path to those goals.

The English major hones any student's ability to think critically and write well--a great foundation for students contemplating law school, politics, medical school, and a host of other graduate or professional programs.

Employers want people who can communicate effectively. After surveying 120 major American corporations, the National Commission on Writing--founded by the College Board--concluded that “”writing is a ‘threshold skill’ for both employment and promotion, particularly for salaried [professional] employees” and that “[p]eople who cannot write and communicate clearly will not be hired and are unlikely to last long enough to be considered for promotion.”

You can combine an English major with one of the U’s many other majors, giving you a competitive edge. For instance, our English majors have doubled with political science, art, business, biology, psychology, Spanish, or computer science. When you're competing for a job or a spot at a graduate school, a double major that includes English offers a powerful advantage. Other students who want to teach have chosen English Education as a major.

Take classes from English faculty who inspire and mentor students like you. English professors share current thinking based on their own professional scholarship and creative work, and help you prepare to present your work at IdeaFest and other conferences.

Scholarships are available for new English majors. Last year, we handed out over thirty Sanger scholarships to deserving English majors. This is a great way to reduce the cost of tuition and add a line on your résumé. Other scholarships and awards are available to English majors as well.

The English Department offers lots of ways to get involved.  Join the award-winning Vermillion Literary Project, a student organization that publishes a literary magazine, runs a radio show, and hosts a variety of literary events, such as monthly poetry slams and a short story contest. You also can be paid to tutor in the U. Writing Center, gaining valuable experience. Another option is to join Sigma Tau Delta, our local chapter of the international English honors society.

English majors travel the world teaching and writing.  English majors from the U. have taught English in China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Uzbekistan, and Venezuela, gathering material to include in their writing while experiencing the world.

English majors tend to “think outside the box” when it comes to the careers they choose and the lives they lead. Below is a brief sampling of some of the world’s more famous English majors:

Mario Cuomo: former Governor of New York Joe Paterno: football coach (Penn State University) Michael Eisner: former Walt Disney CEO Bob Woodward: journalist, writer of All the President’s Men Marty Schottenheimer: coach of the San Diego Chargers Michael Lynne: Co-Chairman and Co-CEO of New Line Cinema Amy Tan: author of The Joy Luck Club John Updike: author of Witches of Eastwick, the Rabbit series of novels Conan O’Brien: talk show host, writer Richard Rodriguez: print and broadcast journalist Kathryn Fuller: World Wildlife Fund CEO David Henry Hwang: playwright (M. Butterfly) Clarence Thomas: U.S. Supreme Court Justice Allen Ginsberg: poet, author of “Howl” Pete Wilson: former governor of California Joy Behar: writer, comedienne, co-host of The View Helen Thomas: White House correspondent

Joseph Heller: author of Catch-22 Sally Ride: astronaut Jodie Foster: actor, filmmaker Russell Baker: journalist Toni Morrison: author of Beloved, The Bluest Eye Stephen Spielberg: filmmaker Paul Simon: songwriter, singer John Cusack: actor Diane Sawyer: broadcast journalist Stephen King: novelist Renee Zellweger: actor Martin Scorsese: director Johnny Carson: talk show host Matt Damon: actor, screenwriter Harrison Ford: actor Barbara Walters: broadcast journalist Dr. Seuss: children’s author Sting—singer, songwriter, musician

Donald Regan: former president of Merrill Lynch, Secretary of the Treasury Joyce Carol Oates, author of "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" and other fiction John Dill, Creative Brand and Essencing Strategist, Hallmark Greeting Cards (English alumnus, USD) Carol Browner: former head of the Environmental Protection Agency James Cameron: director, editor, producer, screenwriter of the movie Titanic Arthur Miller: playwright most noted for Death of a Salesman and The Crucible A. Bartlett Giamatti: president of Yale University and Commissioner of Baseball Douglas Adams: Sci-Fi writer who wrote the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series Linda Bloodworth-Thomason: television writer/producer (Designing Women, Evening Shade) Harold Varmus: Nobel laureate in medicine, former Director of National Institutes of Health Garrison Keillor: Minnesota writer and creator of the radio show The Prairie Home Companion

If you're already a student at the U., you can declare an English major by visiting the Advising Center in the basement of Arts and Sciences, room #20. (Then, be sure to apply for a Sanger scholarship.)