Students come to the JMU English Major for a variety of reasons and with a variety of interests, and the program is designed to allow course choices to suit those different interests.  Nonetheless, there are some characteristics majors tend to have in common.

If you’ve been wondering whether an English major could be right for you, you might want to consider the questions below.  This isn’t a compatibility survey. In other words, there’s no “score” that you need in order to get into the major or complete the major successfully. This is, however, a tool to help you think about what is important to you in your academic career.  If you’re not sure you know the range of courses we offer in the JMU English Department and would like more specific information about the structure and requirements of the English Major, you can also look here. If you’d like more information about careers or career preparation as an English major, look here. If you have additional questions about the major and would like to talk with someone, you are welcome to contact the English Department. 

TEN QUESTIONS FOR POTENTIAL ENGLISH MAJORS:

1. Do you love to read?  
   
   
2. Do you enjoy being challenged by your reading and being introduced to writers who use forms and styles you’ve never read before?
   
   
3. Do you want to be able to communicate more accurately, powerfully, and/or beautifully with written language?
   
   
4. Have you ever been moved by the beauty of what someone has said or written?
   
   
5. Do you like history and diverse cultures and points of view presented through narrative storytelling?
   
   
6. Do you want to develop a more mature and sophisticated ability to see techniques and creative choices through which people can be and are influenced by words?
   
   
7. Are you fearless in the face of a dictionary?  Of a library?  (If not, do you wish you were?)
   
   
8. Are you drawn to careers in which strong writing, reading, research, persuasion, and/or language analysis skills are required?
   
   
9. Are you comfortable with a major that sets the foundation for a wide range of different career options rather than one that is focused on a particular career path?    (See note below.)
   
   
10. Will you regret it in ten years if you missed your opportunity to study English?
    
    Note:   Remember, you can check here for more on careers and internships for English majors.  Also, students who are interested in Secondary Education Licensure in English are definitely in the right place and should also check out the information on the College of Education website.

Click Here for a list of Famous English Majors