Students who major or minor in English follow careers in such diverse professions as law, advertising, teaching, finance, editing, technical writing, public relations, and public administration. Our graduating seniors have been employed by Working Woman in magazine writing; Tyson, Monsanto, IBM, Paul Mueller Company, and Strout Realty in technical writing and editing; St. John’s Regional Health Center in public relations; and Noble and Associates in advertising. Many of our students have succeeded in graduate study in law, literature, library science, journalism, and research. Job prospects in the fields of teaching, professional writing, and other related fields should remain strong for many years.   

The Missouri State Department of English offers majors in teaching (B.S.Ed.), literature (B.A.), and writing (B.A. in Creative or Professional Writing, B.S. in Professional Writing). Minors that enhance a variety of majors are available in Literature, Creative Writing, Technical Writing, and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). Students should consult the Missouri State Catalog online at www.missouristate.edu/catalog for information about specific requirements for the B.A. and for required sequences of courses needed for state certification with the B.S.Ed. High school students who wish to be well-prepared for college-level work are advised to enroll for the most challenging courses available, including four units of English.

The following representative list of courses offered by the Department of English provides only a narrow glimpse of our total offerings.

Writing Courses

• ENG 110: Writing I
• ENG 210: Academic Writing
• ENG 215: Creative Writing: Short Story
• ENG 221: Writing for the Professions
• ENG 235: Critical Approaches to Literature
• ENG 321: Beginning Technical Writing
• ENG 373: Writing with Technology
• ENG 377: Technical Editing
• ENG 503: Advanced Writing: Poetry

Literature Courses

• ENG 312: Introduction to Shakespeare
• ENG 350: Survey of American Literature I
• ENG 354: Ethnic American Literature
• ENG 380: Introduction to Women’s Literature
• ENG 544: British Romantic Literature
• ENG 562: Contemporary American Poetry/Fiction

Language Courses

• ENG 390: Modern English Grammar
• ENG 491: History of the English Language
• ENG 494: Dialects of American English
• ENG 592: Sociolinguistics for Language Teaching
• ENG 595: Principles of Second Language Acquisition

The faculty members of the Department of English constitute the largest and one of the best prepared, most dedicated groups of teachers on campus. Bringing a variety of research specialties into the classroom, our English teachers not only carry on tradition but also experiment with innovative methods and subject matters. You can expect individual attention and accessible instructors in your writing and literature classes. As well as encouraging research and scholarship, creative writing, and worldwide travel, the department sponsors several visiting writers and speakers every year. All Department of English faculty maintain an open-door policy during office hours. They carefully advise students about programs of study, specific courses and other academic concerns.

A well-staffed computer lab, exclusively for the use of students enrolled in English classes, is open every weekday and selected weekend hours. The Writing Center and the English Language Institute are campus-wide facilities providing opportunities for students to receive training and experience as writing tutors or English as a Second Language tutors.

All English majors may join the English Society, and technical writing students may join the Society for Technical Communication. Upper-division English majors with GPAs of 3.0 or above are eligible to join the national English honor society, Sigma Tau Delta. Professional writing majors and minors may work in internship positions for course credit. All students are encouraged to submit their writing to the Moon City Review, the campus literary magazine.

Each year, the Department of English awards academic scholarships totaling more than $10,000 to its majors. (For specific information, consult the Office of Financial Aid.) Springfield offers many cultural opportunities in drama, art, and music, some directly related to the study of literature and writing.