All English Majors will emerge from the program with the ability to:

• Read texts closely for nuances of language, content, and form
• Write effectively and produce clear and coherent prose demonstrating effective use of grammar and style
• Construct arguments and execute well-structured, thesis-driven interpretations based on textual evidence
• Conduct research
• Develop extended arguments that take account of existing scholarly conversations
• Analyze conventions
• Analyze texts using an understanding of generic conventions and literary devices
• Place literary traditions and situate major texts within the contexts of the literature of the
• British Isles and the United States
• Demonstrate awareness of English as a language, including its systematic structure, history, and uses