• University Storm Recovery Updates

    UPDATE: Tuesday, Oct. 29, 8:30 a.m.
    We are pleased to announce that Wi-Fi service has been restored to the Asheville Center. Current students, faculty, and staff may now access the building for study, work or other necessary activities. Please note there may be occasional short outages as our service provider continues the recovery process.

    Drinking water is not available in the building. Some bottled water is available on site, but we encourage anyone using the building to bring their own drinking water if possible. The bathrooms on site now have working toilets.

    We appreciate your patience and understanding as we navigate the challenges posed by Hurricane Helene. Please stay tuned for further updates.

    University Storm Recovery Updates

English, B.A.


Our English major will empower you to explore the world and your place within it by teaching you to read, think and write critically, flexibly and creatively. Through engaging deeply with a wide range of texts—including those from voices historically marginalized or underrepresented—you will develop close reading skills, conduct meaningful research and connect diverse cultural perspectives. 

You will learn to communicate your ideas effectively in various contexts and to a wide range of audiences, even those with whom you tend to disagree. Additionally, our program fosters intercultural awareness, encouraging you to reflect on your experiences and those of fellow students, challenge your assumptions and deepen your understanding of cultural diversity and commonality.

In short, we want our majors to develop the powers of empathy and intellectual integrity, allowing you to contribute to the public good in whatever way you choose beyond your college years.

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Take the next step toward completing your Bachelor of Arts in English degree at Lenoir-Rhyne University.

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Take the next step toward completing your Bachelor of Arts in English degree at Lenoir-Rhyne University.

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Learning Outside the Classroom


Educational opportunities provided through the English major extend beyond the classroom. You can attend events of the Lenoir-Rhyne Visiting Writers Series, which brings internationally recognized novelists, poets and dramatists to the campus each year. 

There are also opportunities for you to submit your creative work for publication in the campus literary magazine, "Cantos," or to be involved in the editorial board. 

Internships on campus or in the community give you the chance to put your skills into action, and the innovative Creative Futures class allows you to explore how you can turn your love of literature into a meaningful career.

Kiera Elliott

I love writing because it takes me out of reality, but it also gives me a voice to challenge and change it.

Kiera Elliott ’24, English

Career Opportunities & Post-Graduate Education


Through the English major, you learn the critical and analytical skills that will help prepare you for a range of graduate programs and rewarding career choices. Professional fields that rely on communication and writing are especially good opportunities: journalism and public relations, business and marketing, the fine arts and education/teaching.

You may consider taking advantage of Lenoir-Rhyne's Accelerated Master's Degrees program, an innovative curriculum that enables students to complete both the bachelor's degree and master's degree in just five years. You can select a multitude of graduate-level programs offered through Lenoir-Rhyne such as the Master of Arts in Teaching, Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing or Master of Business Administration.

The Lenoir-Rhyne Alumni Advantage program allows you to complete your graduate degree at a discount cost. 

Major Requirements

The English major offers undergraduate students the chance to develop writing and reading skills while studying a wide range of texts from the British, American, and world traditions. Students work closely with faculty in small classes, reading and engaging in thought-provoking discussions about all aspects of literature. The curriculum of the English major not only teaches students about literature; it also develops skills like critical thinking, research, collaborative work, and editing. The English major earns a B.A. degree.

Honors

Students majoring in English who are judged qualified by the faculty may, upon invitation, elect to pursue honors work in English. To graduate ''With Honors in English,'' students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0, a minimum major GPA of 3.25, and complete, with a minimum grade of ''B,''  and . In addition, they must pass an oral defense of the thesis. , with approval, may count as three elective credits towards the English degree;  counts as three credits of electives beyond the major.

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