Department of English

• About Us
• Alumni Update
• Composition Program
• English in Action
• Faculty and Staff
• Graduate
• Internships
• Service Learning
• Undergraduate

Welcome to the Department of English at UNCW

Majoring in English at UNC Wilmington means more than reading books and writing papers. The best minds in the country meet the students on the common ground of learning through the Buckner Lectures, which has brought such notables as Pulitzer Prize-winning author Philip Roth and award-winning author Susan Cheever to campus.

Here, English majors are part of a community of learners, contributing original scholarship and also putting this knowledge into practice.

From one-on-one interaction with faculty to service learning opportunities built into the curriculum, the English Department values student contributions and supports them in experiences that prepare them for life after college.

Dedicated Mentoring

English faculty get to know each of their students through small classes and one-on-one mentoring. Courses in English are typically no larger than 30 students -- and many are under 20 -- so professors have the time to meet with students individually to answers questions and guide their development. Majors also receive detailed advising, not only when preparing to register for courses each term, but also when they make decisions about what they plan to do after graduation. Also, being an English major doesn't mean saying goodbye at the end of four years; we keep in touch with our former students with an extensive and frequently updated area of our Web site called Alumni Update. If you're curious about where an English degree can lead you, click on Alumni Update and see the variety of careers our graduates have carved out for themselves.

People's Choice award winners in the
Spring 2013 English in Action Showcase.

 

Student Research

Faculty also guide students in developing their own research agendas. The Department awards Wentworth Travel Grants every year for students to pursue research abroad. Qualified undergraduates can also work with faculty to write an Honors Thesis, an individual research project based on the students own interests. Graduate students also have the option of completing a Masters Thesis as part of their degree, with the ultimate goal of producing original scholarship for publication.

Applied Learning

Being part of the English Department community also extends beyond Morton Hall. Students can apply their learning outside the classroom by working with real-world clients to put their education into practice. Our department prides itself on providing opportunities for students to become applied learners by incorporating service learning components throughout the curriculum, particularly Professional Writing courses and in the PW Internship. Each semester the department also highlights these service learning projects with the English in Action Showcase.