About

In the Purdue English department, you will learn the kind of adaptive thinking, empathy, and creativity that the current job market demands and that global citizenship requires.

In other words, our classes cultivate skills that will never go out of fashion, including:

• reading and writing skills (how to read patiently, and with empathy and insight; how to recognize patterns in texts; and how to express your observations effectively)
• creative and literary thinking (metaphorical and other non-literal reasoning; connecting the dots both globally and historically; telling stories with data)
• analytical and research skills (how to take texts and ideas apart for a greater understanding of the whole; how to find, compile, and synthesize important information)
• cutting-edge presentation skills (how to read and understand images and digital texts; how to present your ideas in the most effective manner)

When majoring in English, you may choose from our B.A. programs: English (literature), Creative Writing, English Language in a Global Context, and Professional Writing. Our more than 40 faculty members (excellent teachers, researchers, and writers) will provide you with an education that will last a lifetime. We also offer a combined BA + MA degree for Purdue students interested in an accelerated study program.

With over 40 graduate students in English: we offer the M.A. and Ph.D.in Literature, Theory and Cultural Studies. We also offer the Ph.D. in Rhetoric and Composition.

The top-tier scholarly journal MFS: Modern Fiction Studies was founded in 1955 at Purdue..

The Department makes significant contributions to the education of thousands of students from across the university by teaching courses in first-year composition, professional writing, creative writing, and literature, including courses listed in the Core Curriculum for Purdue and for the College of Liberal Arts. We are recognized nationally and internationally for our well-known Writing Lab and Online Writing Lab.