English majors at Xavier study a wide variety of literature
by men and women from various periods in Britain, the United
States and the rest of the world.
The major in English is designed to develop writing skills,
a critical and historical understanding of the English language
and its literature, and a knowledge of current theories of
literature, language, and humanistic interpretation. The English
major is an excellent preparation for law school and for careers
in education, journalism, editing, publishing and other communications
fields. It is also a fine preparation for a variety of business
careers and for graduate school in business and, with appropriate
science courses, for medical school. In essence, majoring
in English at Xavier provides a student with skills that are
highly desirable by any
employer or graduate school: critical and analytical thinking,
writing and research.
Majors develop their writing abilities in all English courses;
special attention is paid to writing during the first two
years and in later writing electives. Research skills are
developed during the final two years, culminating in the senior
seminar. This course emphasizes both written and oral presentation
of the student's research and analysis.
The English major can conveniently be combined with the business
minor (a 20-21 hour concentration), the peace studies minor
(15 hours), or the women's and minorities' studies minor (15
hours), if the student chooses.
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