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English, B.A.

42 Credits  |   Main Campus

With the ability to read attentively and write curiously, clearly, and confidently, a good English graduate can win an argument without ever raising her voice.

Poems, memoirs, movies, novels, fairy tales, speeches, ads, stories, TV shows, laws, contracts, bumper stickers, even tweets: all are texts. In the English program, become familiar with great texts, from the works of Toni Morrison to today’s latest best sellers and scripts, to classics from long ago from cultures around the globe. Hone your skills for reading, understanding, analyzing, discussing, creating, editing, advocating, and evaluating.

Get involved with English students organizing and participating in spoken-word events such as “Speakin’ It Real” and the creative writing magazine, The Record. Learn from writers and artists invited to your English courses. Field trips to local museums, libraries, and other literary venues (such as the Smithsonian, Library of Congress, Folger Shakespeare Library, National Archives) are regular excursions in many literature courses.

With the ability to read attentively and write curiously, clearly, and confidently, a good English student can win an argument without ever raising her voice. As such, studying English readies you for an unlimited range of professions and experiences.

What You’ll Learn

  • Develop facility in original writing, including academic, professional, and creative writing
  • Focus on gender, race, and ethnicity
  • Study the traditional canon of literary works as well as ideas and texts that have challenged the canon’s centrality
  • Attention to literature by and about women, and to literature written in English by members of diverse cultures in the United States and internationally
  • Provide an understanding of literary genres, of themes and movements, and of major figures
  • Develop the ability to analyze, criticize, and synthesize the structures and ideas encountered in texts
  • Understand literature as a sociological and political event and as a commentary on human values, particularly values related to justice, gender, and race
  • Develop skills and insights that are highly prized in the professional and scholarly worlds
  • Develop the ability to conceive, write, and present nuanced arguments and analyses
  • Think empathetically and interdisciplinary as conscientious, creative communicators and leaders

Local Internships

  • National Archives
  • Folger Shakespeare Library
  • Sitar Arts Center
  • Trinity Writing Center

Applying to the English, B.A. Program

Applying to Trinity is free, and Trinity reviews each application as soon as it is complete: you’ll get our decision right away.

We’re here to help at 202-884-9400 or admissions@trinitydc.edu.

Apply Now