English Major & Minor

If you’re passionate about books and ideas and want to delve deeper into the study of literature, an English major or minor is for you! Whether you’re interested in publishing your writing or serving on an editorial board, you’ll get plenty of hands-on experience with our student publications: The Record, the award-winning student-run newspaper; Broadside, an outlet for short poems and prose; Red Cents, an annual creative arts journal; or Pinchpenny Press, a book publisher right on campus. Alongside traditional literary surveys, our literature courses feature special topics courses on graphic novels, banned books and Shakespeare in film.

As an English student, you can customize your degree with a balance of literature, writing and language courses. By the time you graduate, you will be able to communicate effectively, think critically and write fluently, vital skills for success in graduate school or the professional world.

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English at Goshen College

Watch this video to learn more about the Goshen College English Department's publishing opportunities.

News & Events

World authors to converge at Goshen College for conversation

September 22, 2016

Ellah Wakatama Allfrey, John Freeman, Aleksander Hemon and Aminatta Forna, four internationally-acclaimed and award-winning writers, will take part in a conversation at Goshen College on Thursday, Oct. 6 at 7:30 p.m. in the Newcomer Center, Room 17. The event is free and open to the public.

Malinda Sanna '89: How offbeat majors helped these 5 creative CEOs succeed - Inc. Magazine

September 17, 2016

"Studying vocal performance at Goshen College taught me how to read an audience and shape my performance. Spending years on stage gave me speaking and presenting skills that I wouldn't otherwise have."

Indiana Poet Laureate Shari Wagner '80 to host workshop, poetry reading

September 14, 2016

Shari Wagner, a 1980 Goshen College graduate and current Indiana State Poet Laureate, will host a poetry workshop from 4-6 p.m. and poetry reading at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 28, at Goshen College in Newcomer Center, Room 17.

What can you do with a Goshen College degree? We asked 10 recent alumni.

September 12, 2016

Ever wonder what you can do with a Goshen College degree? Wonder no more — we checked in with a few of our recent graduates to find out what they’ve been doing since graduation.

From students to teachers: GC education alums teach locally

August 4, 2016

More than half of last year’s Goshen College Education Department graduates decided to stick around and set up their first classrooms right here in Northern Indiana. Meet a few of our recent graduates here.

Stats

90^%

of English alumni are satisfied or very satisfied with their undergraduate education

100^%

of English secondary education graduates in 2014 who sought teaching jobs were employed right after graduation

Number of books published by Pinchpenny Press last year

Number of campus publications to write for (Broadside, Red Cents, The Record, Goshen Commons)

Students & Alumni

Elizabeth Derstine '16

Communication and English Writing Majors

Elizabeth, a communication and English writing double major, got behind a video camera her first semester, and now she's hooked. She hopes to someday travel the world and film the stories she sees and hears.
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Rosanna Nafziger Henderson '06

English and Mathematics Double Major

Rosanna Nafziger Henderson graduated from Goshen College in 2006 with majors in English and math--not the most obvious path to becoming an authority on food.
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Ellah Wakatama Allfrey ’88

Communication Major

Ellah Wakatama Allfrey was awarded an Officer of the Order of the British Empire at Buckingham Palace for her work in the publishing industry. Read more

Nathan Vader '13

English Writing Major

Nathan Vader graduated in 2013 with an English writing major and a theater and Bible, religion and philosophy minor. On the side, he edited for the campus newspaper, The Record, authored a book, acted and directed plays. Read more

Kate Yoder '15

English Writing and Art Double Major

Kate Yoder studied English writing and art and enjoyed spending her time in the community garden close to campus, playing piano, editing for college publications and creating mixed media collages. Read more

Mary Roth '13

English Writing Major

Mary Roth, a 2013 graduate with an English writing major, was chosen as the 2013 Luci Shaw Fellow at Image, a quarterly journal of faith, literature and the arts in Seattle, Washington. Read more

Elizabeth Franks-North '16

English and Education Major

Elizabeth, an English and education double major from Greensboro, N.C., wants to become an English teacher. In the meantime, she’s the editor of The Record, a member of Hymn Club and a co-leader of the Ultimate Frisbee Club. Read more

Hannah Sommers '96

English and Natural Science Double Major

Hannah Sommers, a 1996 graduate with an English and natural science degree, is a program manager at National Public Radio (NPR). Read more

Faculty