- Book publicists
- Editors
- ESL instructors
- Freelance writers
- Literary translators
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- Marketing coordinators
- News anchors
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- Technical writers
English
- Bachelor of Arts
- Minor
- Teacher Certification Content Area
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Beyond the Page: Tailor your English Degree
The English Department offers a rich and rewarding experience in literature and the creative arts. English majors embark on the traditional route of literary study and then may chart a course toward mastery of classic and contemporary literature or toward preparation for careers in writing, publishing, translating, or teaching. Intensive writing instruction enables majors to tutor at the Writing Center, to publish in Generation, our literary magazine, or in The Review, the student newspaper. Also, majors can present their work at undergraduate conferences and intern with Eulalia Books, our small press.
To focus their studies, majors declare concentrations in
- Creative Writing
- Literature
- Literary Publishing
Non-majors can minor in
- English
- Creative Writing
English Secondary Teaching Certification: English majors who minor in education will be prepared to acquire their teaching ELA certification for grades 7-12. Learn more here: Education Certification: Grades 7-12.
Undergraduate Programs
Program Highlights
Internships and Work-Study
Students have opportunities to work at our small literary press or for Eulalia Books, a small independent publisher supported by the College. They can also write for the student newspaper The Review, edit our literary magazine Generation, or tutor at the Writing Center.
Travel Courses
Travel courses offered each spring enable students to see Shakespeare plays in London, listen to poetry in Dublin pubs, visit the homes of Dante and other writers, and see Paris from the expatriate perspective.
Eulalia Books
Students working with Eulalia Books will gain experience in manuscript acquisition, editing, and literary marketing. The press publishes two full-length books of international poetry in translation annually, along with letterpress chapbooks and broadsides. After taking the Small Press Publishing course, students can intern with the press for academic credit. Students can attend poetry and book readings throughout the semester engaging with published and award-winning authors and translators.
Sigma Tau Delta
Through our membership in Sigma Tau Delta, the national English Honors fraternity, students may present papers and creative work at the annual conference, for which students routinely earn Palumbo grants to fund their travel. Students can also work toward publishing academic and creative work in Sigma Tau Delta journals.
Classroom Experience for Future Teachers
Starting freshman year, English majors in the teaching certification track, engage in field experiences that integrate with their coursework allowing immediate application of educational theories. Opportunities include lesson planning for homeschooling students in our STEP-Up Enrichment program, immersive co-teaching, and a 14-week student teaching internship. Learn more details about our educational field experiences.
Careers After Saint Vincent
Our flexible degree allows students to choose their own path while equipping them with essential skills. Students interested in graduate school and academia can delve into advanced literature and theory courses. Pre-law students gain critical thinking skills for the LSAT and law school. Aspiring teachers can follow a certification track with our education department, preparing for the certification test and teaching careers. Student writers enhance their expository and creative writing skills for technical and professional writing careers. Those interested in publishing benefit from specialized coursework and internships.
Alumni will go into successful careers as:
Our students have secured jobs and internships at a variety of companies in their field and enrolled in prestigious graduate schools:
Employers
- Liturgical Press
- The United Way
- Broadleaf Press
- Bechtel Corp.
- Amazon
- Westmoreland County District Attorney’s Office
- Juxtaproof Press (student start-up)
Faculty Positions:
- University of Arkansas
- St. Mary’s University
- University of Pittsburgh
- Naropa Institute
- Saint Vincent College
Graduate Schools:
- Columbia University
- Carnegie Mellon University
- University of Pittsburgh
- University of Iowa Writer’s Workshop
- University of Illinois
Law Schools:
- Georgetown
- Dickinson
- George Washington
- University of Pittsburgh
- Duquesne
Student Success Stories
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Elizabeth Elin, C’23
“I am very appreciative of my time in the Saint Vincent English department, which gave me the foundation to be successful in my career in publishing. In my role at Liturgical Press and Give Us This Day, I used the skills that I learned in the English department every day. The Small Press Publishing course illuminated for me how a publishing career can also be an art form. In the two years that I spent interning for Eulalia Books, I gained hands-on experience in nearly every side of publishing, including editing, grant writing, and marketing and publicity. And as an editor for Generation, the English department's student literary magazine, I learned firsthand the book production process, from manuscript submission to print production to final copy. As a student at Princeton Theological Seminary, in the classroom, and in my thesis, I will use the writing, analytical and critical thinking, and research skills that I gained from my classes in the English department."
Editor at Liturgical Press and earning master's at Princeton Theological Seminary
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Mallory Truckenmiller Saylor, C'19
“During my internship for Asymptote Book Club, I worked with an international team of editors and translators from various backgrounds while experiencing the complex, demanding, and overlapping responsibilities of managing a literary service. My responsibilities included promoting the book club through social media and literary communities, collaborating with the marketing team to devise strategies for incorporating the book club into educational environments, and reading unpublished translation manuscripts and writing reader’s reports. I learned how to communicate quickly and efficiently with an editorial team in order to ensure a smooth and successful operation within an ever-changing publishing environment. This internship reshaped my career path and shifted my attention to new literatures and languages.”
Director of the Saint Vincent College Writing Center
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Angel Scalamogna, C’23, G’24
“My experience traveling to London through the Shakespeare in London course was nothing short of transformative. The course not only deepened my understanding of Shakespeare’s genius but also allowed me to immerse myself in the very places where his plays were performed and his words came to life. Walking the streets of the city, visiting the Globe Theatre, and standing before the majestic sites that shaped his world, I felt a profound connection to the literary history that continues to influence our culture today. London itself became an open classroom, where every corner seemed to tell a story — from the bustling streets to the cozy local pubs and famous landmarks such as The Tower of London and our day-trip to Stratford-upon-Avon.”
Curriculum Requirements
The English major is part of the School of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences and is supported by our core curriculum, where students delve into diverse academic subjects at both foundational and advanced levels to explore how different disciplines connect, fostering deeper self-understanding and proficiency in their chosen field of study. We offer a wide range of courses that feed curiosity, broaden perspectives, and prepare for careers.
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Major - Required Courses
THE ENGLISH MAJOR: 38 CREDITS
Students majoring in English must complete the following
requirements:
Take two Literature Survey Courses (choose 2): 6
EL 114 British Literature: Beginnings to Present
EL 118 Global Literature
EL 133 American Literature: Beginning to Present
Take one Critical Theory Course (choose 1): 3
EL200 Ways of Reading: An Intro to
Literary Theory
Take one Linguistics Course (choose 1): 3
EL 119 History of the English Language
Take two Advanced Literature Courses (choose 2): 6
EL 214 Shakespeare Greatest Hits
EL 216 Satan and Co.: British Renaissance Lit
EL 236 Breaking and Remaking: European Lit From
1800 to present
EL 242 Tortured Genius: Lit of the American
Renaissance
El 250 Around the World in 15 weeks: Contemporary
World Lit in Translation
EL 256 Sentimental Fictions: 19th C AME Heroines
EL 258 The beautiful and damned: AME Modernist
Novels
EL 271 Land as Word: Indigenous Literature
Take one senior project course (choose 1): 3
EL 400 Literature Capstone
EL 401 Creative Capstone
Take three English Concentration Courses 9
(choose 3) See below *
Take two English Elective Courses 6
EL xxx English elective
EL xxx English elective
Complete experiential components 2
EL 550 English Internship
EL 551 English Travel
EL 552 Careers in English -
Concentrations - Required Courses
By the end of their freshman year, English majors, in consultation with their English advisors, should choose one of the following concentrations, each of which has required courses and experiential component recommendations:
Concentrations*:
By the end of their freshman year, English majors, in
consultation with their English advisors, should choose one of
the five following concentrations, each of which has required
courses and experiential component recommendations:
Literature:
Required courses (in addition to the Introductory and
Intermediate required of all concentrations):
• One 100-level literature elective (3 cr.)
• Two 200-level literature Electives (6 cr.)
Recommended experiential component:
• Internships: any internal or external internship
• Travel: Conference travel, travel course, or study abroad
Teaching Certification:
Required Courses (in addition to the Introductory and
Intermediate courses required of all concentrations; no
exceptions):
• EL110: Intro to Creative Writing (3 cr.)
• EL 205: Advanced Writing (3 cr.)
• One Shakespeare course EL 214, 127, or 166 (3 cr.)
• One British Literature or Global Literature Course EL 114 or
EL 118 (3cr.) * fulfilled above
• EL 133: American Literature (3 cr.) * fulfilled above
Recommended Experiential Components:
• Internship: Writing Center Writing Consultant or Associate
• Travel: Conference Travel, travel course, or Study Abroad
Creative Writing:
Required Courses:
• EL 110: Introduction to Creative Writing
• Two of the following:
• EL 203: Poetry Workshop (3 cr.)
• EL 204: Fiction Workshop (3 cr.)
• EL 244: Creative Nonfiction Workshop (3 cr.)
Recommended Experiential Components:
• Internship: Generation, Eulalia Books, The Review.
• Travel: Conference Travel or Study Abroad
Publishing:
Required Courses:
• EL 142: Poetry in Public: Outreach and Curation in the Literary Arts
• EL 185: Indie Lit: Making Magazines (3 cr.)
• EL 230: Small Press Publishing (3 cr.)
Recommended Experiential Components (4 cr.)
• Internship: Eulalia Books, Generation, The Review
• Travel: Conference Travel or Study Abroad
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Minor - Required Courses
The minor in English offers a flexible program of study that allows students to build skills in writing, analytical reading, and critical thinking. This minor nurtures curiosity and fosters appreciation of literature, art, and culture. A minor in English communicates both technical and analytical competencies to future employers and graduate admissions counselors. Because it enhances intellect, conversational agility, and marketability, a minor in English complements any major.
Students seeking a minor in English must take:
- Either EL 200 or EL 205
- One 100-level EL course
- Three 200-level EL courses
- One core or interdisciplinary course upon approval
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Key Courses
Environmental Literature: This course explores the connections between literature and the environment, covering nature writing, culture, animals, children’s literature, global warming, and post-apocalyptic environmental disasters. It includes short readings, novels, and various ecocritical and interdisciplinary perspectives.
Shakespeare’s London: A study-abroad course where students experience Shakespeare’s plays in London. Before traveling, students read the plays and share interpretations via blog posts. In London, they visit key sites, attend lectures, and watch performances at Shakespeare’s Globe and the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-Upon-Avon.
Small Press Publishing: Provides hands-on experience in small press poetry publishing. Students collaborate with Eulalia Books, exploring independent publishing through readings, discussions, and workshops. They learn about the historical, aesthetic, ethical, and social aspects of publishing, as well as design and printing techniques for handmade books and digital formats.
Our Faculty
Instructor | Director, Writing Center
English
724-805-2558 | Library 107 | Placid Hall 405
Events
Eulalia Book Launch
Eulalia Books brings ex-centric, ecstatic poetries into English for the first time. This award-winning small press was founded by Michelle Gil-Montero and is supported by English faculty, alumni, and current student interns who curate, edit, market, and debut contemporary poetry from Latin America. Book launch events celebrate Saint Vincent College’s unique ability to publish poetry that brings the broader world close at hand.
Generation Magazine Launch
Established in 1962, Generation magazine celebrates creative writing and visual arts. Now open to alumni and pre-college students, Generation is compiled, designed, and distributed by current students. A launch party and reading are held each spring.
Ragan Poetry Contest and Reading
The Ragan Poetry Contest was established in 1995 through a generous gift from Dr. James Ragan, a 1966 graduate of Saint Vincent College and former Director of the University of Southern California’s Graduate Professional Writing Program. The award honors Dr. Ragan’s parents, John and Theresa Ragan, and is intended to encourage interest in poetry among Saint Vincent students. The reading features student recitations of winning poems, along with a reading by this year’s judge.
Scriptorium: A Literature Conference for High School Students
A scriptorium was a room in medieval monasteries where monks transcribed scripture into beautifully illuminated manuscripts. This conference invites local high school students to visit the Saint Vincent College campus and share their writing with fellow literature lovers at the oldest and largest monastery in the United States.
Facilities and Resources
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The Writing Center
The Saint Vincent College Writing Center helps students become confident, independent writers through personalized support at every stage of the writing process. Students can also become writing tutors, gaining valuable experience while assisting their peers. Rooted in Benedictine Hallmarks, the center fosters a welcoming and constructive environment that celebrates individuality and collaboration. -
Eulalia Books
Eulalia Books, an independent publisher supported by Saint Vincent College, offers a unique opportunity for English majors to engage with contemporary Latin American poetry. By publishing works that have not yet appeared in full-length English translations, Eulalia Books highlights the artistry of translators and fosters a discourse on translation and poetics. Students can gain hands-on experience in literary publishing, translation, and collaboration, making it an enriching addition to their academic journey. -
The Letterpress
Our working printing press, a Chandler and Price Old Style Press (circa 1892), is used in our Small Press Publishing course and for Eulalia Books. It brings to life small-run poetry chapbooks, broadsides, postcards, bookmarks, and other unique ephemera. Students have the opportunity to set type and designs, learning the art of inking and operating this historic letterpress.