The field of English focuses on the study and practice of various forms of writing in English. It includes:

• the study of written works in English—whether by writers from the United States, Britain, former colonies, the Commonwealth nations, or elsewhere—whose aesthetic achievement and cultural significance qualifies them as literature;
• the study of literary criticism and theory, of the relationship between literature and popular culture, and of allied narrative forms such as film, performance, electronic communications, and other new media;
• the study of the English language, its historical development, and its rhetorical dimensions;
• the theory and practice of writing, whether of poetry, fiction, nonfiction prose, or other expository forms;
• the theory and practice of teaching English language and literature, particularly at the secondary level.

Students who major in English develop broad reading and writing skills that make possible both an analytical engagement with, and a critical understanding of, diverse fields of cultural and aesthetic production. 

This  program is offered by the University of Illinois at Chicago. The English major offers excellent preparation for careers in writing, editing, publishing, teaching, government, law, and advertising.