As an English major, you’ll be trained in the rigors and pleasures of critical thinking, close reading and lucid writing. Through writing workshops and literature courses in a wide range of periods, genres and traditions, you’ll explore the powers of narrative, image and the written word to illuminate the complexities of human experience.
Requirements
Want to start right away? Here are some basic requirements for students wanting to major in English. Keep in mind this isn’t the complete list of formal requirement — that list can be found on the Courses of Study page.
To graduate with an English major, you must complete 40 credit hours in English, including
- 12 credits (normally three courses) from courses in which 50% or more of the material consists of literature originally written in English before 1800 (such courses are indicated in the English course listings);
- 8 credits (two courses) must be at the 4000 level or above;
- 12 credits (three courses) must form an intellectually coherent concentration.
Sample classes
- Shakespeare and the 20th and 21st Centuries
- Literature as Moral Inquiry
- Medieval Romance: Voyage to the Otherworld
- Africa Writes Back
Outcomes
All information below is based on the 2014-2018 First-Destination Post-Graduate Survey. Lists are not exhaustive; rather, they are a sampling of the data. "Other" includes time off, travel, volunteer experiences, and/or preparing for graduate school. If you would like more information, please email as_careers@cornell.edu
55% Employed
28% Attending Grad School
11% Seeking Employment
6% Other
65% of the Class of 2014-2018 English graduates completed the survey. n = 204
Below, you will find:
- Top Employment Sectors
- Where Graduates Work
- Top Graduate Fields
- Where Graduates Study
Top Employment Sectors
- Communications/Media (39%)
- Education (15%)
- Technology (12%)
- Nonprofit Organization (6%)
- Financial Services (4%), Law (4%), Business - Other (4%), Consulting/Prof. Practice (4%)
- Government (3%)
- Real Estate (2%), Retail (2%)
- Hospitality (2%)
- Agriculture (1%), Insurance (1%), Biotech/Pharma/Life Sciences (1%)
Where 2014-2018 English Graduates Work
| Employer | Job Titles |
|---|---|
| American Express | Digital Commerce Analyst |
| Amherst College | Assistant Museum Educator |
| Apolish-Thinktown Inc | Education Consultant |
| Asia Foundation | LankaCorps Fellow |
| Berkshire School | English Teacher |
| Broadway Technology | Software Consultant |
| Carat | Assistant, Integrated Publishing |
| Cars.com | Associate Account Manager |
| Catamount Wines | Business Owner |
| CBS Corporation | Page |
| Cheddar | Production Assistant |
| Citi | Capital Markets Analyst |
| Citizen Schools | Teaching Fellow |
| City Year | Corps Member |
| College Forward | Access Coach (VISTA AmeriCorps) |
| CollegeVine | Program Manager (2) |
| Comcast/NBUniversal | Reporter Trainee |
| Glamour Magazine | Fashion Closet Assistant |
| Cornell University | eCornell Marketing Coordinator |
| Cravathm Swainem & Moore LLP | Litigation Legal Assistant |
| David R Godine, Publisher |
Assistant Editor |
| Each One Teach One | Teacher |
| Editing for Authors | Associate Editor |
| Epic Systems | Project Manager |
| Examlam | Content Editor |
|
Content Strategist |
|
| Fundera | Search Engine Optimization Associate |
| Future of Life Institute | Freelance Writer |
| Gamgee Inc | Project Manager |
| Generator Media + Analytics | Communications Strategy Intern |
| Associate Account Strategist | |
| Gorkana | Media Executive |
| Graywolf Press | Editorial Assistant |
| Harris, Wiltshire, & Grannis LLP | Legal Assistant |
| Hartford Coutant | Intern Reporter |
| Hawaii home & Remodeling Magazine | Digital Editor |
| Hearst Magazines | Editorial Assistant to Editor-in-Chief |
| Houghton Mifflin Harcourt | Editorial Intern |
| IBM | Marketing-Digital Optimization Client Relationship Representative |
| Impendi Analytics | Business Analyst |
| IOP Publishing | Editorial Assistant |
| Ithaca Times | Reporter |
| JPMorgan Chase & Co | Analyst |
| Kaplow Communications | Account Coordinator |
| Kekst and Company | Analyst |
| Law Office of Carmen Naranjo | Law Clerk |
| Leadership Public Schools | 9th Grade English Teacher |
| LEVICK | Fellow |
| Lock Haven Express | County Beat Reporter |
| Macmillan | Marketing Assistant Publicity Assistant |
| Match Public High School | Match Tutor Corps Member |
| Morvillo Abramowitz PC | Paralegal |
| Musee Magazine | Writer |
| NJ Public Interest Research Group | Fellow |
| New York City Department of Education | Middle School Teacher |
| NY County District Attorney's Office | Trial Preparation Assistant |
| New York Daily News | Digital Content Producer |
| Nomura | Global Markets Analyst |
| Omnicom | Brand Coordinator |
| Oracle Corporation | Sales/Business Development Representative (3) |
| Oxford University Press | Editorial Assistant |
| Paradigm | Theatrical Literary Agent Assistant |
| Penguin Random House | Publicity Assistant |
| Piazza Technologies, Inc | Business Operations |
| Pittleman & Associates, Inc | Legal Recruiter |
| PlantBased Solutions | Marketing Manager |
| PMC | Freelance Video Editor |
| Politics and Prose | Bookseller |
| PwC | Management Consultant |
| Reuters | Reporter |
| Routledge | Editorial Assistant (2) |
| Rubenstein Associates | Project Coordinator |
| Sage English Academy | English Language Teacher |
| Shakespeare Theatre Company | Artistic Fellowship |
| Sher Tremonte LLP | Paralegal |
| Shmoop | Consumer Content Editorial Assistant |
| Sony Pictures Entertainment | Writer's Production Assistant |
| State Farm | Insurance Agent |
| Swirl Networks, Inc | Quality Assurance Engineer |
| Teach for America | Teacher (5) |
| The Ellen Degeneres Show | Production Assistant |
| The Paris Review | Editorial Intern |
| Thermo Fisher Scientific | Employer Brand Social Media Specialist |
| Triple Threat TV | Research and Development Assistant |
| UGallery | Marketing Associate |
| Ulsan Metropolitan Office of Education | English Teacher |
| Unique homes | Editorial/Advertising Coordinator |
| United States Department of Justice | Paralegal Specialist |
| Universal Music Group | Business and Legal Affairs Assistant |
| Viacom | Coordinator |
| WW Norton & Company | Critical Editions Intern |
| Weston Associates, Inc | Resident Services Coordinator |
| Will Packer Productions | Development Intern |
| Williamstown Film Festival | Apprentice |
| Yelp | Account Executive |
Top Graduate Fields Pursued
- Law (30%)
- English (14%)
- Medicine (9%)
- English Language & Literature (7%)
- Education (5%), Journalism (4%), Publishing (4%)
- Public Policy (2%), Atmospheric Sciences (2%), Psychology (2%), French (2%), Business Admin (2%), Film & Video Studies (2%), Russian & Soviet Studies (2%), Classics (2%), Geological Sciences (2%), Creative Writing (2%), International Development (2%), Public Affairs Management (2%), Education Administration (2%)
Graduate Degrees Pursued
- JD (29%)
- MS (22%)
- PhD (17%)
- MA (10%)
- MFA (5%)
- Certification/License (2%), MPA (2%), MLitt (2%), Post-Bacc (2%)
Where 2014-2018 English Graduates Study
- Brown University
- Columbia University
- Cornell University
- Duke University
- Emory University
- Fordham University
- Georgetown University
- Harvard University
- HEC Paris
- King's College London
- New York University
- Northwestern University
- Pennsylvania State University
- Princeton University
- Queen's University
- Rutgers University
- Stanford University
- Thomas Jefferson University
- Tulane University
- University of Arizona
- UC-Berkeley
- UC-Los Angeles
- University of Heidelberg
- University of London
- UNC - Chapel Hill
- University of Oregon
- University of Oxford
- University of Pennsylvania
- University of Stirling
- University of Texas
- University of Virginia
- Vanderbilt University
- Yale University
