English
- BA
- Major
- Teacher Certification
Learn to read carefully, write critically, think creatively, and conduct research independently in our English (BA) program. Students in the major study literature and other cultural products written in English, and develop their critical and aesthetic understanding through research and writing.
As a student in this program, you will broaden your intellectual horizons through an introduction to literature from a range of historical periods and countries around the world, and analyze language, history, race, and gender to better understand the representations at the heart of our rapidly changing world.
Our English majors interpret and analyze literary texts from a minimum of three different genres–poetry, film, and fiction–while cultivating their professional writing skills. These advanced writing and thinking skills support careers in teaching, publishing, law, film, journalism, the arts, communications, mental health, and business.
Combined Programs
BA/MBA Program
The “4 + 1” Bachelor’s/MBA is a five-year program, during which students spend three years taking courses required for their chosen bachelor’s degree program and in their fourth year, complete (along with required undergraduate program courses) 6 credits’ worth of graduate business (MBA) coursework that satisfies undergraduate degree requirements and counts toward achievement of the MBA degree.
BA/MA in English
Ambitious students entering the English major can apply for a five-year dual-degree program and earn a master’s degree in English with only one additional year of study. Students can cap their undergraduate studies with more intensive graduate-level work under the supervision of a faculty of nationally recognized scholars.
Career Opportunities
The skills that you develop in studying English—reading, writing, thinking, research—matter in the workforce, in democracy, and in your personal life. English majors learn to interpret difficult texts, conduct independent research, evaluate conflicting arguments, understand cinematic vocabularies of image and sound, and communicate effectively. They acquire and develop skills that not only help to land them a job, but also strengthen their chances for promotion after they’ve landed it, when employers and supervisors recognize their talents for research, analysis, communication, and persuasion.
Our graduates are informed citizens, independent researchers, careful readers, artful writers. They become teachers at every level, kindergarten through college, at home or in remote areas of the world. They are editors, lawyers, journalists, entrepreneurs, policy analysts, public relations personnel and public servants across many industries, including:
Advertising
Banking
Business/Industry
Education
Law
Library Science
Public Relations
Publishing
Retailing
Technical
Writing/Editing
Featured Faculty
Jeremy Lopez
- Chairperson
Jeffrey Gonzalez
- Associate Professor
David Galef
- Professor
Jonathan Greenberg
- Professor
Melinda Knight
- Professor and Director of the Center for Writing Excellence
Patricia Matthew
- Associate Professor
Laura Nicosia
- Interim Director, Interdisciplinary School for Social Transformation
Wendy Nielsen
- Professor
Real Student Voices
What’s it like to study English at Montclair State University? Our alumni say it best. Read how their time in the program impacted their time at Montclair and paved the way for their future.
[Literature is] a universal way to connect with those before and after us and I think it is such a privilege and I am grateful that I get to study it.
Paloma Lupino Class of 2025
Program: English:
Questions? We’re Here to Help.
If you have any general questions regarding the application process and requirements, please email or call us.
Undergraduate Admissions Office
Whether you’re looking to begin an application, have questions about transferring to Montclair or trying to check your application status, the Office of Undergraduate Admissions is pleased to help you in any way we can.
- msuadm@montclair.edu
- 973-655-4444
- Susan A. Cole Hall, Suite 100
The English Department is a vibrant community of teachers and students devoted to the study of literature, language, and culture. English majors pursue an engaging course of study that is intellectually rigorous yet flexible and dynamic.
- msuenglish@montclair.edu
- 973-655-7031
- Dickson Hall 170