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Earning a degree from the English Department immerses you in the art of reading and the creative act of writing. Course work will open your mind to a range of perspectives across time periods, cultures, geographies, and experiences, introducing you to new and unfamiliar worlds on the page—and in your own imagination. Your adventures in reading and writing will, at the same time, hone your skills as a researcher, critical thinker, and writer, setting you up for success in a large number of career fields.
English, B.A. Creative Writing, B.F.A.
While a few of you may become published authors, like some of our faculty and English Department alumni, all of you will be grateful for the incredible versatility of a degree in English. The skills and perspectives you will gain are useful in publishing houses, at print and virtual publications, and in the social media, marketing, and copywriting departments of a range of businesses and organizations, from tech companies to law firms to nonprofits. Those skills, especially critical thinking and argumentation, will also prepare you for careers in public relations, law, education, library science, medicine, community organizing, politics, and on and on. Here is a partial list:
Part of this list was compiled using information from The 14 Highest-Paying Jobs for English Majors, which has additional information about degrees and salary details.
Brooklyn College’s mission is to provide you with the tools necessary for finding out what you want to do with your degree and how to secure a job in your prospective field. Every degree is different, and the resources available to you may vary depending on what you end up deciding to major in. But there are a number of resources available to all students that can mean all the difference in landing your dream job.
The Magner Career Center has a wealth of information on everything you need to get started in your career, help with résumés, an internships database, job fairs, etc.
The Learning Center provides peer tutoring in accordance with national best practices that empower students to cultivate the skills and behaviors of confident, independent, and lifelong learners. With support from the Office of Institutional Research and Data Science and ongoing oversight from the Office of the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs, the center designs relevant interventions for need areas to further Brooklyn College’s efforts to stimulate student-driven learning as well as increase retention rates and on-time graduation.
Brooklyn College has a rich community for students who are looking to improve their writing and editing skills. Notable among these is the Brooklyn College Vanguard student newspaper that offers paid editing positions to students and allows any student to submit their work to be published. There is also Stuck in the Library, which runs writing workshops and publishes student work each semester.
The English Department, specifically, hosts lively events that are for students and by students—an open mic series and regular writers’ circles—and publishes student writing in an annual magazine, The Junction, and weekly blog.
One point that can never be repeated enough is the importance of working with your professors and instructors. Even though there is plenty of good information to be found online, in each class you will learn from an expert in the field, who can answer your questions or direct you to the best resources available. The value of faculty cannot be overstated. Good connections with your instructors may be a deciding factor in landing your dream job.
2314 Boylan Hall E: mnadell@brooklyn.cuny.edu P: 718.951.5197
