ENGLISH DEGREE
at Meredith College

If you want to feed your imagination and prepare for a successful career, an English degree from Meredith College is an excellent option. English majors engage with the world’s greatest literature and hone the critical thinking and writing skills that employers value.

“I am so grateful for the wonderful faculty I have gotten to know during my four years at Meredith. The encouragement and advice from those close to me gives me determination and inspires my commitment to see an objective through.”
Delaney Rhodes
Delaney Rhodes, ʼ20

Our English Degree Program

As an English major at Meredith, you’ll have opportunities to immerse yourself in literature and gain real-world experience through internships and student organizations. Thanks to Meredith’s core liberal arts education, you will be ready for various fields and career paths. 

You will be prepared to read attentively, think critically and creatively, and communicate effectively, orally and in writing. Through close study of written texts and other media, you’ll encounter diverse voices in language and literature to understand the complexity of human values and perspectives. 

At Meredith, you can earn a major or minor in English, a minor in creative writing, a minor in professional writing and presentation media, or add a Teacher Licensure to teach in elementary, middle, and secondary school settings.

Students earning a major in English are required to complete 37- 40 total credit hours, which include 15 hours of required English classes. 

English major course descriptions

Undergraduate course catalog

Students earning a minor in English must take 18 hours of English courses beyond ENG-111, at least 9 of which must be in courses at the 300 or 400 level.

English major course descriptions

Undergraduate course catalog

Students earning a minor in creative writing are required to complete 18 credit hours, which include three hours of required courses, six hours of genre courses, six hours of writing workshops, and three hours of pre-professional courses.

English major course descriptions

Undergraduate course catalog

Students earning a professional writing and presentation media minor are required to complete 18 credit hours, which include three hours of required courses, three hours of visual principles and practice courses, six hours of writing electives, and six hours of general electives.

English major course descriptions

Undergraduate course catalog

Why Get Your English Degree From Meredith?

    • Pursuing an English degree at Meredith prepares students for a wide range of careers through internships, student organizations, and a diverse liberal arts curriculum.
    • Students earning a degree in English are eligible to seek North Carolina teacher licensure for English/Language Arts for middle grades (6-9) or secondary education (9-12).
    • English majors are encouraged to supplement their coursework with experience on the job. Meredith English students have worked as interns at a variety of locations, including
      • NC Center for Public Policy Research
      • NC Museum of Art
      • NC Museum of History
      • NCSU Literacy Program
      • WRAL
    • Meredith’s English major offers 11 scholarships the department awards for excellence and potential in academic achievement, creativity, leadership, and character.
    • English majors have the opportunity to be a part of student-run publications, including 
      • The Meredith Herald, the weekly newspaper
      • The Colton Review, an award-winning arts and literary journal
      • The Oak Leaves, the College yearbook
    • Student organizations available for English majors include
      • The Colton English Club
      • Sigma Tau Delta

 

  • Examples of student success include Alexandra Rouch, ’20, who built lasting connections with faculty and other students. Working on The Colton Review was a formative experience that led to her current career in publishing. She now works as an Editorial Team Lead at Oxford University Press.

What Can You Do With An English Degree?

An English degree prepares students for various career fields, such as business, libraries, museums, journalism, professional and technical writing, public relations, editing, and education. Students of Meredith’s English program are well-prepared to further their education in graduate school at prestigious universities. 

  • Potential jobs for graduates with an English degree: editor, elementary, middle, or high school teacher, journalist, public relations specialist, technical writer, author, college instructor or professor, librarian, and more.
  • Professional positions held by Meredith graduates include
    • Technical Writers at IBM, Red Hat
    • Editors at Duke University Press, Oxford University Press
    • Assistant Marketing Director, North Carolina Museum of Art
    • Children’s Services Specialist, West Asheville Library
    • English Teacher (Meredith has a 100% placement record in this program)


The median annual salary for those with an English degree is
$51k.

Ph.D. programs attended by Meredith graduates

  • Ph.D. in English, Columbia University
  • Ph.D. in English, Duke University
  • Ph.D. in English, UNC-Chapel Hill
  • Ph.D. in Philosophy, DePaul University 


Master’s Degree Programs attended by Meredith graduates

  • M.A. in English, University of Virginia
  • M.A. in English, N.C. State University
  • M.A. in English, George Mason University
  • M.S. in Library Science, UNC-Chapel Hill
  • Master of Divinity, Duke University

Law Schools attended by Meredith graduates

  • William and Mary Law School
  • Pepperdine University School of Law
  • Campbell University Law School
English Student working on paper.

After graduating from Meredith, Fulbright scholar, Delaney Rhodes, ʼ20, plans to take the knowledge and insights she has gained at Meredith to South Korea, where she will teach English.

Combining her passion for social change and teaching, Meredith Legacy Scholar and Teaching Fellow Kirby Jones, ՚19, knows that leadership opportunities and internships while at Meredith have prepared her to educate the next group of strong women.

Videos About Meredith’s English Degree

English News and Events

The Meredith College Documentary Film Festival will be held on Sunday, January 28, 2024, in Kresge Auditorium. (Snow date: February 4). This event is free and open to the public. The 2024 festival features a series of short documentaries and a concluding panel discussion with filmmakers.

The Meredith College Department of English will host a reading by award-winning poet Threa Almontaser on October 4, 2023, at 7 p.m. in Kresge Auditorium. The reading, which will also include a Q&A and book signing, is free and open to the public.

Contact Information
Robin Colby
Head, English Department
116 Lux Hall
(919) 760-2290
colbyr@meredith.edu
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