Department of English

English Studies at Kutztown University

Kutztown University's English Department proudly offers a wide range of degree programs to serve undergraduate and graduate students with diverse career interests. If you are interested in writing for a newspaper or magazine, teaching high school English, studying literature at an advanced level, creating content for websites, editing for publishing companies, writing for public relations, producing technical documents, strengthening your skills in written argument and research, laying a foundation for a legal career, or earning a master's degree in English, Kutztown's English Department can provide the foundations you need to achieve your career goals.

Our students select from robust offerings in literature, film, journalism, composition and rhetoric, public relations, business and technical writing, creative writing, cultural studies, and digital media. Our program encourages students to think critically about diverse texts and communicate clearly in a variety of forms. In addition to working closely with our faculty in small classes, students can participate in opportunities such as pre-professional internships, a range of publications that include the Keystone student newspaper, the International Journal of Dracula Studies, and various clubs and activities.

"Please explore our different degree options and areas of study below. If you have any questions about becoming an English major, picking up one of our minors, or taking some of our classes, please email our Department Chairperson, Dr. Jonathan Shaw, or visit us in Old Main 441."

Mission

The English Department provides experiences in the critical study and production of texts in all their forms in both General Education and major classes. In our courses, students research, analyze, and create texts that communicate effectively. We position critical reading, writing, and thinking as central not only to intellectual and professional work, but also to thoughtful participation in democracy and a global society.
Values

Our students are an integral part of our community of readers, writers, and intellectuals. Therefore, the English Department values participatory learning: students actively discuss and produce ideas and texts in and out of the classroom environment. Further, the department fosters a nuanced, rigorous understanding of how texts inform individual and cultural attitudes of and toward marginalized identities and experiences. The department values literary and rhetorical traditions as well as innovation and progress.

English at Kutztown University

Hear from Kutztown University students to find out about what it's like to be an English major at Kutztown University.

B.A. in English

The Bachelor of Arts in English at Kutztown University prepares students for professional and personal success as they produce original research and demonstrate their findings.

Dedicated and creative faculty guide students through an exploration of diverse and exciting texts. We insist that our students chart their own course of study by choosing from a variety of classes on writing, literature, multimedia, practical rhetoric, and social controversy.

Our emphasis on rigorous research and adventurous thinking prepares students for the workplace, graduate school, and socially engaged lives.

Students who choose the B.A. in English also have internship opportunities available, as well as several departmental programs and clubs that support further learning.
B.A. in Professional Writing

The Professional Writing Program at Kutztown University, established in 1987, is a unique, robust, and rewarding course of study offered by the English Department.

Featuring a diverse curriculum that can be tailored to suit any individual career path, the program provides students with the skills and knowledge required for professional success after their undergraduate experience has come to an end. Professional Writing students contribute to, manage, and edit campus publications such as The Keystone, Shoofly, and Essence.

The pride of the Professional Writing Program is its strong emphasis on professional preparation, highlighted by the senior coursework that students are required to complete. The program’s strong internship component includes at least one pre-professional experience of the student’s choosing with the ultimate goal of helping students identify and pursue their professional goals. Professional Writing students are prepared for careers as a writer, editor, journalist, columnist, technical writer, publisher, or public relations representative.
B.S. in Public Relations

Public Relations encompasses the professional management of communication between any organization or individual and its audiences. This communication can come in the form of events, media relations, or complex strategic campaigns.

The bachelor of science in public relations at Kutztown University features an innovative approach to prepare its graduates for successful careers in the field, including in public relations and social media, or to pursue graduate/advanced study. Public Relations students are prepared for careers in public relations, social media, corporate communications, media relations, public affairs, and public information, among others.
B.S. in Social Media Theory and Strategy

Employers are demanding and paying top salaries for the digital competence and skills that are taught in Kutztown University's exciting new Bachelor of Science in Social Media Theory and Strategy program. Graduates of the program will be equipped with the skills needed for success, longevity and leadership in careers rooted in social media content development, management, administration, marketing, and analysis.

Minor in Literature

The Minor in Literature, 18 total credits, offers students a great deal of flexibility and creates the opportunity to develop deep knowledge of a specific period, genre, or thematic. Nine credits are required; students must take ENG 100: Principles of Literary Analysis, and must choose two of the program’s major survey courses: ENG 105: Experiences in American Literature, or ENG 106: Experiences in British Literature; ENG 101: World Literature I, or ENG 102: World Literature II. The remaining 9 elective credits can be earned through completion of any literature course with an ENG prefix at the 200-level or higher. Students are encouraged to work closely with an advisor to construct a program of study that fits their interests and goals.
Minor in Professional Writing

The Minor in Professional Writing at Kutztown University is fast becoming a popular choice for students in all fields of study. The Professional Writing Minor allows individuals specializing in other fields to gain a patent advantage in their approaching career. By equipping students with an enhanced ability to communicate within their chosen vocation, a minor in Professional Writing will help to differentiate one job applicant from the next.

Virtually every job that exists requires some type of writing. Scientists must be able to write detailed, coherent reports on their findings. A student majoring in political science with a minor in writing could have a prolific career as a speech writer or press correspondent. For the budding philosopher, a minor in writing could be the difference between his texts wallowing in the despair of obscurity or flourishing in the splendor of philosophical esteem. Criminal Justice majors can improve the quality of their position papers and reports with a minor in writing. Whatever the case, the value of a minor in Professional Writing can not be denied.

The Professional Writing Minor consists of 18 credits of core and elective courses.
Minor in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
The Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies minor provides a multicultural, multiracial, and multi-generational look at the evolution of women’s experiences. Students explore politics, sexuality, health, and education through a multidisciplinary curriculum.

The goals of the program are fundamental to all human endeavors:
- To work toward educational equity.
- To develop a curriculum and a community that is free of sexism, racism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, and all forms of discrimination.
- To create awareness of the worldwide contributions of women.
- To establish an educational environment that encourages personal and academic growth.
Minor in Public Relations

Like the Minor in Professional Writing, the Minor in Public Relations is a popular minor among Professional Writing majors and Speech Communication majors. The minor is a great way to broaden a college education and effectively double the number of prospective jobs that students are prepared for.

The Professional Writing Program, in coordination with the Department of Communication Studies, offers a 21-credit Minor in Public Relations designed to provide the student with a firm foundation in the fields of public relations and corporate communications. Four required courses, two electives and a 3-credit practicum constitute the minor.
Paralegal Studies

English and law make for a powerful combination. The Kutztown University English Program offers students a chance to simultaneously obtain a B.A. degree in English and to complete an American Bar Association-approved Paralegal Studies Program.

Students who complete this program are prepared for a career in a legal setting with a strong foundation in the writing, close reading, and research skills of the English major. Students will gain an understanding of what paralegals can accomplish, as well as the limitations imposed by the unauthorized practice of law statute. Internships provide students with practical experience in the paralegal field.

The paralegal concentration is a stepping stone to a variety of career opportunities, including legal secretary, real estate, law researcher, trust coordinator, title researcher, settlement clerk, litigation specialist, contract coordinator, or law librarian. Additionally, the English B.A. with a Paralegal Concentration provides an excellent foundation for law school.

The Paralegal Concentration is comprised of seven Paralegal Courses offered exclusively through our alliance with Lehigh Carbon Community College (LCCC). Students take general education credits, the English core, the English electives, and 7 paralegal classes (6 requirements and 1 elective) that are all available at Kutztown. This is an exclusive agreement between Kutztown University and Lehigh Carbon Community College.