{"id":8787,"date":"2026-02-09T15:56:39","date_gmt":"2026-02-09T20:56:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/academics\/?page_id=8787"},"modified":"2026-05-01T17:41:42","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T21:41:42","slug":"english","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/academics\/majors-and-minors\/english\/","title":{"rendered":"English"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Visit the full English site<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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The Department of English allows students to develop the ability to read closely and engage in skilled textual analysis in order to gain an understanding of literary genres and diverse literary histories.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Through courses as varied as “Shakespeare and Early Modern Racialization,” “English Literature Before 1100,” and “African American Literary Criticism,” students will expand their capacity for critical reading, writing, and thinking. In addition, English majors who wish to concentrate in creative writing can focus on either fiction or poetry, culminating in a creative thesis to cap off their academic experience.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Contact Us<\/h5>\n\t

Peter N. Philbin, Academic Administrative Assistant
\n3 Andrews Road
\nHathorn Hall
\n Phone: 207-753-6963\n<\/span>pphilbin@bates.edu<\/a><\/span><\/p>

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What You Will Learn<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\"garnet<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
To formulate original ideas about texts through discussions, reading, and coursework<\/h6>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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To present persuasive arguments in both speech and writing<\/h6>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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How to formulate and test questions about written work and compare them critically<\/h6>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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How to recognize the strengths and weaknesses of sources, methods, and interpretations<\/h6>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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To develop your capacity for reading as an intense, concerned involvement with textual expression<\/h6>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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To produce original work \u2014 either fiction or poetry \u2014 through the creative writing concentration<\/h6>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Life After Bates<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Graduates from the English department go on to a wide variety of careers, including content creation, teaching, publishing, writing, and more. In addition, English majors from Bates have embarked on graduate study in literature as well as graduate programs that focus on medicine, law, business, public health, bioethics, and library science.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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94%<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

of 2020-2024 Bates graduates are employed and\/or attending graduate school \u2014 settled into their next opportunity within 6 months of graduation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cMy exploration of narrative medicine and creative writing firmly grounded me in why I want to pursue medicine, and allowed me to envision the kind of physician that I want to be: one that grounds my practice in the story.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2014 Sommer Glasgow  \u201921<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Selected Places of Employment\/Service<\/h6>\n\n\n\n