English Major Map
Use this major map to explore possibilities and plan for success in five overlapping areas of career and academics.
Choose your year below, then see what you can do when you:
- Learn. Develop the knowledge and skills to complete your major.
- Engage. Contribute to campus and the community.
- Network. Build a foundation of professional connections.
- Transform. Make a positive impact in a diverse world.
- Prepare. Plan for life after graduation.
The map just offers suggestions - you don’t have to do it all.
Learn: What foundational courses should I be taking?
- Take the required course ENGL 200: Introduction to English Studies.
- Take one or two of the required courses that survey the history of literature in English: ENGL 311, 312, 313, and 314.
- Find out which 300 and 400-level courses will be offered next year.
Engage: What kinds of activities and organizations can I explore?
- Join Talent Gateway - UM-Dearborn’s online community where you can complete challenges, earn points, and connect experiences with courses and professional goals.
- Check out all the opportunities offered by the Office of Student Life.
Network: What are important topics in my field?
- Visit your professor’s office hours to introduce yourself and discuss your academic and career interests
and goals. - Visit and explore the Modern Language Association (MLA) website.
Transform: What are the challenges and the strengths in my community?
- Participate in the MLK Day of Service.
- Learn about the literacy needs in your community and consider becoming a literacy tutor.
- Take a course with an academic service-learning component.
Prepare: What are the career options for people with my major?
- Take the EXPS 102 one-credit course to explore career possibilities and gain interviewing skills.
- Talk to English professors about your academic and career goals.
Learn: How do I build on foundational courses?
- Take the remaining required courses that survey the history of literature in English (ENGL 311-314).
- Select at least one or two 300 or 400-level courses in English literature for which you have already taken the appropriate required survey course (311-314).
Engage: What activities and organizations will help me develop professional skills?
- Sign up for MLK Day of Service or Alternative Spring Break.
- Join a major-specific club or any of a number of Student Organizations on campus.
- Join the staff of the Lyceum (the campus’s literary journal) or the Michigan Journal (the campus’s student newspaper).
- Join the League of Extraordinary Poets.
Network: How do I connect with faculty and students with similar interests?
- Attend the Meeting of Minds Undergraduate Conference.
- Attend English lectures or other research talks.
- Submit a work of creative writing to Lyceum, the campus’s literary journal.
- Attend readings and/or workshops by creative writers; submit a work of creative writing to the UM-Dearborn Writing Awards.
Transform: What are the challenges and strengths of the Detroit Metro area?
- Become a Diversity Ambassador or participate in a Conversation on Race.
- Volunteer for a project at a local K-12 school.
- Take an ENGL course that deals with African American, Arab American, LGBTQ, women’s, immigrant or
environmental issues.
Prepare: What resources are available on campus to help me develop the professional skills I will need?
- Develop your “academic toolkit” through numerous Seeds of Success workshops through the Office of Student Life.
- Sign up to be a student mentor or research assistant for one of your English professors.
- Visit the Humanities/History Internship office to investigate possibilities.
Learn: How do I gain expertise in my major?
- Take 300 and 400-level English literature courses that meet the historical and diversity requirements for the major.
- Plan to fulfill the Dearborn Discovery Core requirements for upper level writing, intersections, and capstone with courses in English literature.
Engage: How can I grow as a leader on campus?
- Consider running for Student Government or a leadership position in a campus organization.
- Check out the options through the Office of Student Life’s Leadership Development webpage.
Network: How can I broaden my professional relationships?
- Submit your best paper or research to either the Meeting of Minds Conference or the UM-Dearborn
Writing Awards. - Attend the conference for either the Michigan College English Association or the Michigan Academy of Arts and Sciences.
- Connect with alumni through the 30-Minute Mentors Program.
Transform: How can I prepare to effectively solve local and global challenges?
- Visit the Office of International Affairs to plan and register for a Study Abroad course.
- Consult with English faculty about non-English electives that complement and diversify your academic and career interests and goals.
- Contribute to a community project through OMI.
Prepare: What practical things should I do to further my career options?
- Schedule a visit to the Office of Career Services.
- Work a Humanities/History internship into your schedule to gain professional experience.
Learn: How do I finish strong?
- Take at least one 400-level English literature course that meets the research requirement for the major, or do an Independent Study (ENGL 398 or 399) under the direction of an English faculty member.
- Request any needed letters of recommendation from faculty who know your work.
- Present your research at the Meeting of Minds conference.
Engage: How can I mentor others to be leaders on campus?
- Become a peer tutor in the CASL Writing Center.
- Become a research assistant to an English faculty member.
- Become a student mentor in English.
Network: How can I demonstrate my readiness for the next steps?
- Make sure your applications for graduate or professional schools are complete with a writing sample and personal essay.
- Network with alumni working in careers of interest.
- Request letters of recommendation from faculty who know your work.
- Submit your best paper or research to either the Michigan College English Association or the Michigan Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Transform: How can I add to the strengths of my community, the region, and the world?
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Add a minor or certificate program to your degree.
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Consider volunteering with a government agency or nonprofit organization.
Prepare: How do I make the best use of university resources to launch my professional next steps?
- Visit Career Services for advice with job searching and interviewing, resumes, and graduate school applications.
- Explore graduate programs at UM-Dearborn.
- Register for postgraduate entrance exams (GRE, MCAT, LSAT) if you plan on graduate school.
Those who earn a degree in English have a range of career opportunities available to them because of their training in communication, critical thinking, creative problem solving, organization, cultural competency, collaboration, leadership, and community building.
Besides the teaching and writing professions, a number of businesses and nonprofit organizations also welcome those with an English degree. Here are some of the possibilities:
- Writing/Journalism (creative, technical, nonprofits, web content management)
- Business (in-house publications, product marketing)
- Teaching (K-12 with an undergraduate degree; college or university with a graduate degree; teaching abroad with an undergraduate or graduate degree)
- Publishing (editing, public relations)
Use the map on the interior portion of this brochure to review possibilities and plan for success in the five areas listed - Learn, Engage, Network, Transform, Prepare. The map gives options so you can select what best matches your interests and goals. Start thinking about your future now and build a path throughout your UM-Dearborn career that will prepare you for success.
College is a time for discovering your passions–figuring out who you are and what drives you. UM-Dearborn offers more than 100 majors and minors, so you can find a program that is right for you. We are committed to cultivating a campus community that acknowledges our similarities and celebrates our differences. On campus you’ll find a range of support services and offices that provide the programs you need to be successful both academically and personally.