Explore the Power of Language and Imagination

Great literature, literary study, and writing are at the heart of the Department of English’s mission. In our courses, students engage deeply with novels, poems, plays, essays, and song lyrics—works that explore the most fundamental questions of the human condition across time and culture. Our faculty are dedicated teachers and accomplished scholars who inspire students to think critically, write effectively, and see the world through new perspectives.

 

Student Spotlights

Judith P., Class of 2024
Judith graduated from Catholic University with a degree in English and minors in History, Philosophy, and Theology. As a student, she served as Editor-in-Chief of Vermilion and President of the English Society. After graduation, she brought her passion for language abroad and now teaches English to primary school students in Galicia, Spain.

Caroline M., Class of 2022
Caroline earned her B.A. in English with minors in Writing, Hispanic Studies, and Theology & Religious Studies. During her time at Catholic, she helped found the literary magazine Vermilion, served as Vice President of the English Society, worked as a copy editor for The Tower, and received the H. Edward Cain Award for Excellence in Literary Study. She is currently pursuing her M.Phil in Irish Writing at Trinity College Dublin.

 

Where Our Graduates Go

Our alumni go on to make an impact as:

  • Lawyers

  • Teachers and Professors

  • Writers and Editors

  • Communications and Marketing Professionals

  • Sales and Public Relations Managers

 

Recent Internship and Fellowship Experiences

Students in the Department of English have secured a wide range of exciting internships and post-graduate fellowships, including:

  • Legislative Interns – The Office of US Senators

  • Teaching Fellow – University of Notre Dame Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE)

  • Teaching Fellow – Providence Alliance of Catholic Teachers (PACT)

  • Editorial Internship – The Association of Literary Scholars, Critics, and Writers (multiple English students have been selected for this internship in recent years)

  • Interns – The American Enterprise Institute (AEI)

 

Featured Courses

  • ENG 379: Jane Austen and Her Legacy in Film

  • ENG 358: Tolkien: Medievalist and Mythmaker

  • ENG 355: Medieval Monsters

  • ENG 380: Yeats: Poet of Modern Ireland

  • ENG 381: Poetry and Rock: Poetic Song Verse

 

Did You Know?

  • The English Department produces Vermilion, a magazine of undergraduate creative writing.

  • Our students and faculty also help produce Inventio, Catholic University’s undergraduate research journal.

  • English majors regularly study abroad — not only through CUA’s Rome Program, but also at Oxford University and through the Irish Summer Institute, held annually in Cork and Dublin, Ireland.

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