English
About English
Our Program and Courses
You can major or minor in English at F&M. A major in English follows one of two complementary tracks: creative writing or literature. No matter which track you select, you will gain some experience in both areas.
Creative Writing
Enter a gateway to a lifelong love and appreciation of reading and writing. F&M’s English creative writing track is built upon the premise that reading widely and deeply in literature — including contemporary literature — is essential to becoming a skilled creative writer. The best writers are also avid, engaged readers. Blending your passion for language and imaginative writing with the study of literature, you will explore poetry, fiction, and nonfiction and practice the craft yourself in workshop settings where writing is valued as a serious artform. The creative writing track culminates in an advanced workshop in which you will complete a creative thesis in the genre of your choice.Literature
The study of literature fosters an engagement with the big questions of living—questions about language, meaning, and value. It fosters self-reflection and greater awareness of the natural and social worlds in which we live. Moreover, studying literature gives us a purchase on how narratives and metaphors work so that we can interpret and deploy them wisely and even re-make them for our own time, with its enormous challenges and demands. You’ll study the traditional periods of British and American literature as well as Native American literature, Caribbean literature, African literature, science fiction, contemporary young adult literature, graphic novels, and more. You will also take at least one course in creative writing to appreciate the craft imaginative literature entails and perhaps to spark your own interest in creative writing.By the time you graduate with your F&M English degree, you will be able to demonstrate these skills:
- Reading actively and mindfully, including the ability to read figuratively, analytically, and interpretively.
- Writing, including the ability to write clearly, fluently, and persuasively; incorporate evidence gracefully; use discipline-specific language; use appropriate tone; and write with rhetorical deftness.
- Argumentation, including the ability to gather and deploy evidence, whether textual or contextual, in literary analysis and develop competencies and skills to structure and organize information from literary and secondary sources.
Learning Outside the Classroom
The Philadelphia Alumni Writers House
Unique among selective liberal arts colleges, F&M’s Writers House is an actual house — complete with comfy couches, a kitchen, and a picturesque fireplace — with a mission to give the writing and reading community exciting opportunities to fully immerse themselves in wordcraft and literature.Explore the Writers House at F&M
The Emerging Writers Festival
Every year, F&M’s English department partners with the Writers House to host the Emerging
Writers Festival. A hallmark literary tradition on campus, the Emerging Writers Festival
is a three-day event that invites the country’s most exciting emerging authors to
F&M to host readings, craft talks, and writing workshops. The festival is a collaborative
effort between students and faculty, offering students hands-on experience in bringing
a literary festival to life.Learn more about F&M’s Emerging Writers Festival
F&M Literary Publications
If you're eager to find an audience for your writing beyond the classroom or gain editing and production experience, you can write for or staff one of F&M's many literary publications:- The College Reporter, F&M’s student newspaper
- Epilogue, a literary magazine celebrating the creative works of F&M students, including fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and art.
- boy-band, a quarterly magazine with two sections: a lifestyle section focusing on conscious living, fashion, and entertainment, and a literary section featuring F&M authors and poets.
- FEM&M, a fresh, feminist-focused literary and visual arts magazine
Research and Independent Study
At F&M, we provide resources and opportunities to make hands-on learning the cornerstone of our educational experience. English majors have learned bookbinding techniques, created a graphic novel to explore art and writing in storytelling, examined Native American letters and articles, written and self-published a novel, and more.Explore research at F&M
Internships for Credit
Don't wait to fuel your dreams. Internships not only enrich your academic journey, but also allow you to immerse yourself in the day-to-day life of your field prior to entering the workforce. You can even submit an application to earn academic credit for your internship experience.Explore internships at F&M
Off-Campus Study
Analyze 19th-century horror fiction while you live in Bram Stoker’s birthplace. Retrace the imaginative journey of Hans Christian Andersen along Copenhagen’s Nyhavn Canal. Craft your budding fantasy novel on the banks of Loch Ness. Off-campus study at F&M offers immersive experiences that amplify your academic journey. You will work with your academic adviser and your off-campus study adviser for a full year to craft an experience that complements your F&M degree and goals. English majors also have the opportunity to apply for the Alice and Ray Drum British Isle Summer Travel Award, an award that supports summer research in the British Isles.Explore off-campus study at F&M
Success Beyond F&M
As an English student you, too, will be prepared to excel in a variety of careers or graduate school programs. English majors who graduate from F&M are particularly adept at collaboration and self-reflection, reading and analysis, critical and creative thought, and a greater perspective and understanding of the world. These useful and productive skills make you an attractive candidate for any post-graduate pursuit.
Graduate School
With a breadth of study that is uncommon at other liberal arts colleges, our graduates are immediately prepared to pursue advanced degrees upon graduating from F&M. Past F&M English majors have entered graduate programs studying English, creative writing, publishing, children’s literature, advertising, marketing, law, and more.Fellowships
It’s not uncommon for English majors to pursue fellowships, which offer often-funded experiential learning opportunities such as advanced study, research, internships, service, travel, and more. Our graduates have pursued teaching and public service fellowships with organizations such as Teach for America and Americorps. They also go on to complete fellowships overseas with the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, for which F&M is recognized as a top-producing institution.Explore fellowships at F&M
Career Paths
Our English graduates embark on a vast array of careers, including in education, publishing, advertising, marketing, public relations, media and entertainment, and more. They hold positions such as:- Copywriter
- Digital Content Specialist
- Editor
- Editorial Assistant
- English Teacher
- Grant Writer
- Lawyer
- Literary Agent
- Marketing Manager
- Professor
- Project Manager
- Public Relations Coordinator
- Publishing Assistant
- Reporter
- Science Writer
- Talent Agent
- Therapist
- Writer
Center for Career and Professional Development
F&M’s Center for Career and Professional Development offers targeted, expert guidance
while you discover your professional calling and develop the skills you need to succeed.
Our career guidance is structured through “career communities” – dynamic groups aligned
with specific industries that transform your aspirations into clear options, meaningful
opportunities, and a network of support. The Arts, Education & Social Impact career
community in particular offers tailored resources for those drawn to making change
through creativity.
Learn more
Each spring, the English Department at Franklin & Marshall College hosts its annual
Emerging Writers Festival, dedicated to championing the work of writers early in their
careers. Since its inception in 2002, the Festival has been a collaborative effort
between students and faculty, bringing people together across the campus community
and beyond for readings, workshops, and the opportunity to mix, formally and informally,
with some of the country’s most exciting new literary talents. An Emerging Writers
Festival student organizing committee is formed each year, offering students hands-on
experience in bringing a literary festival to life.Alumni Spotlight
“F&M is a phenomenal, rigorous, academic school.”
Robert “Robbie” Suite ’17, an English major at F&M, said the College’s liberal arts
approach prepared him for the fundamentals of law school.
“F&M is a phenomenal, rigorous, academic school. I was prepared in the sense of being
a strategic thinker. You hone skills like reading, writing and analytical thinking,”
Suite said.
Suite graduated from Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law in 2020 and now
manages complex disputes and legal matters as counsel at Compass, a technology-driven
real estate brokerage. He has since been named to the Pennsylvania Super Lawyers List
for business litigation and selected to join the National Black Lawyers Top 100 and
Top 40 Under 40, a network dedicated to recognizing and highlighting African American
legal excellence.
“I've been blessed with a lot of cool opportunities,” he said.
Read More »Alumni Spotlight
“I felt a sense of community and shared academic passion that day that I had not felt
anywhere else.”
Four years ago, Skylar Zachian ’25 logged on to a virtual admitted students event
during which Associate Professor of English Erik Anderson taught a creative writing
lesson.
“I could have stayed on that Zoom meeting for hours,” Zachian said. “I felt a sense
of community and shared academic passion that day that I had not felt anywhere else.
I could truly picture myself as an F&M student, studying English on the College’s
unique creative writing track and engaging with distinguished authors at The Philadelphia
Alumni Writers House.”
During her time on campus, Zachian honed her craft as a writer while exploring new
subjects, becoming a double major in English and film and media arts, with a minor
in theatre.
“I loved F&M’s focus on academic exploration and knew that I would have room to explore
new interests along with writing,” she said.
Read More »Alumni Spotlight
Randy Wilkins ’01 Directs and Produces “The Captain,” an ESPN Docuseries
In fall 2002, Randy Wilkins ’01 — then a senior English major at F&M — found himself
sitting next to Spike Lee at dinner prior to the filmmaker’s Mueller lecture. But
rather than talk cinema, America’s greatest pastime was on the agenda. More than 20
years later, Lee asked Wilkins to direct and produce “The Captain” – an ESPN docuseries
focused on baseball hall-of-famer Derek Jeter.
“It’s a love for baseball. It's a love for the sport. It's a respect for the sport,”
said Wilkins, a former centerfielder for the Diplomats.
Wilkins said the basis of how he approaches his film work is rooted in his F&M experiences.
“In my work, I have to challenge myself and challenge the viewer. It’s all rooted
in critical thinking at F&M. When you see my work, you see F&M.”
Read More »The Emerging Writers Festival
Related Fields of Study
Classics
Immerse yourself in a rich artistic and intellectual tradition. By studying Classics at F&M, you’ll gain a deep understanding of the ancient Mediterranean while building an appreciation of its lasting legacies, empowering you to become a productive and thoughtful citizen in today’s rapidly changing world.
Comparative Literary Studies
Investigate the development of literature in an international and historical context. When you immerse yourself in comparative literary studies at F&M, you’ll explore foundational works of literature from a variety of historical periods and national traditions to better understand the ways in which literary processes unfold in various environments.
Linguistics
Language is what sets humans apart from other species, but how well do we understand it? By studying linguistics at F&M, you will learn about the roots of language, and why it’s so important in understanding humankind.
English in the Spotlight
September 9, 2025
Samuel Ossa Rodriguez ’24 Guides Next Generation of Students
F&M opened the door to a career in education for Samuel Ossa Rodriguez ’24. Now, he helps the next generation of students unlock their potential as a college adviser at nearby J.P. McCaskey High School.
August 18, 2025
Haunah Thomas '27 Reaches for the Stars in Writing and Research
A love of science fiction inspired Haunah Thomas ’27 to choose a college where she could get hands-on research experience in astrophysics while still pursuing her creative passions.
July 3, 2025
Young Alumni Share Law School Journeys
Robert Suite ’17 and Matthew Thomas ’19 first met at F&M. Their post-graduate paths led them both to Drexel School of Law. Follow their story of friendship and mentorship.