English
“The English program at UB taught me to see the world through a fresh set of eyes. I learned how important it is to live an examined life.”
—Patrik Fleming, B.A. ’08
Want to add a minor to your major?
Learn more about our minors. (Note that not all minors are possible to combine with every major.)
Thinking about law school?
Learn more about our Automatic Admit option through the UB School of Law.
Shorten your path to your master's degree.
Students who qualify may take up to 9 graduate credits, which apply to both the bachelor's degree in English and the M.A. in Publications Design. Contact us for more information or learn more about our accelerated options.
Learn more about internship opportunities available to you.
Acquire professional writing, editing and technical communication skills that give you credibility on the job market.
Studying English means immersing yourself in a classic liberal arts education, but at UB, we offer something more.
Our Bachelor of Arts program, offered by the School of Communications Design, is something else entirely. It prepares you for positions in publications and communications (media production, graphic design, electronic publishing, writing, editing and public relations) and provides a solid education in theory and literary studies for those who intend to pursue graduate degrees.
As an English major, you'll cultivate habits of attention, inquiry and analysis that come from reading and thinking about literature. You'll develop awareness of language, mastery of technique and creative vision as poets and fiction writers. And you'll gain practical understanding of how technologies shape ideas, forms of expression and cultural values.
- The literature specialization fosters critical-thinking and interpretive skills (what we think are the keys to lifelong success) and exposes you to aesthetic and historical perspectives. You'll read deeply and widely, discussing and writing about what you read, and you'll develop a keen appreciation for what the poet Byron called "the magic of the mind."
- The professional writing specialization concentrates on the in-demand editing, writing and publishing skills valuable in almost every academic, governmental, nonprofit and business setting.
- The creative writing specialization develops and nurtures your creative voice and gives you the opportunity to establish a deep understanding of the importance of audience and of the editing process.
- The discourse & technology specialization encourages you to become media literate, combining the study of language and narrative with a variety of practical applications like video and digital design. You'll explore the ways in which ideas and experiences may be represented through various technologies, which in turn shape our ideas and experiences in a constant, forward-moving cycle.
Beyond the classroom, you'll have the opportunity to participate in internships; write for UB's newspaper, The UB Post, and its literary magazine, Welter; attend and participate in readings and other literary events; and even publish your own work.