English

Degree: Bachelor of Arts
Major: English
Concentrations:  Literature, Creative Writing and Professional Writing

University of Detroit Mercy's Department of English is home to three undergraduate major concentrations--literature, creative writing, and professional writing. Majors work closely with a faculty advisor to pick courses and plan for their career.

To obtain this undergraduate degree, the student must fulfill the requirements of the University core curriculum, the requirements for the 36-credit-hour program major and have completed a minimum of 120 credit hours. In their final semester English majors and minors will submit a portfolio of their work that demonstrates their academic growth within the department.

View English Department program outcomes.

Curriculum & Course Information ▶

Are you ready to accelerate your law career? Detroit Mercy’s innovative Accelerated 6-Year Law Scholars Program enables you to earn both a bachelor's degree and a Juris Doctor degree in only six years rather than the traditional seven.  English is an approved major for this program. Students must meet program entrance criteria.

• Earn a law degree in less time.
• Your space in the Detroit Mercy School of Law is reserved.
• Receive exclusive access to "law only" events such as the Lunch with a Lawyer series.
• Meet and network with judges and other legal professionals.

Visit the program page ▶

Find your voice and develop your craft as a poet, novelist, essayist or screenwriter. The creative writing minor is a minimum 18-credit-hour (six courses) program designed to provide students the tools for a deeper understanding of how to use language and to express the intricacies of the human experience. The creative writing minor gives students the opportunity to undertake creative writing projects—especially the writing of poetry, fiction, screenplays, and non-fiction—which emphasize the process of writing as well as the end product. In their classes, students read and study a variety of key published works, write from prompts and assignments and learn techniques for harnessing their own creative resources. The peer workshop, or group critique of student writing, is the cornerstone of growth as a writer.

View English Department program outcomes and final portfolio instructions.

Curriculum & Course Information ▶

Enhance your writing skills and set yourself apart from the crowd. The literature minor is a minimum 18-credit-hour (six courses) program designed to provide students with a critical understanding of a range of literary periods, genres, authors and literary theory. This minor complements a range of majors and is a good choice for any student who has an interest in reading, writing about and discussing literature. The literature minor is particularly valuable for students' professional development because it helps develop critical thinking and writing skills, historical and cultural awareness, and appreciation of the diversity of human experience and written expression over the ages.

View English Department program outcomes and final portfolio instructions.

Curriculum & Course Information ▶

Hone your writing skills for success on the job market and in your career. The professional writing minor is an 18-credit-hour (six courses) program designed to provide students with the broad range of tools necessary for writing in their profession. The professional writing minor helps students stand apart from their peers by enhancing writing and presentation skills directly applicable to diverse workplace environments. The minor complements all majors and is tailored to help students succeed in achieving their individual professional goals.

View English Department program outcomes and final portfolio instructions.

Curriculum & Course Information ▶

Upon completion of their degree requirements all English majors and minors will be able to:

1. Deploy close textual analysis to create original interpretations of literary texts.
2. Identify the formal characteristics and conventions of literary and rhetorical genres.
3. Analyze the complex relationships between artistic texts and the diverse historical and cultural contexts in which they are produced.
4. Apply theoretical/interpretive approaches to literary and rhetorical texts.
5. Assess audience needs and expectations for the purpose of effective communication.

Majors with a Literature concentration and Literature minors will be able to:

Produce original scholarly texts that synthesize and engage critically with scholarship in the field of literary studies. (6L)

Majors with a Creative Writing concentration and Creative Writing minors will be able to:

Produce creative texts that demonstrate originality of thought, inventive use of language, and skills in using observation, memory, and imagination. (6CW)

Majors with a Professional Writing concentration and Professional Writing minors will be able to:

Produce texts for oral, print, and electronic media that are effective for professional and workplace settings. (6PW)

Careers

An English major/minor prepares you with essential skills for your chosen career path. English does not prepare you for one career; it prepares you for a lifetime of professional development.

What jobs can you get with an English major/minor?

The question is, what job can’t you get? Great career options include:

Broadcasting/Television/Film
Business
Communications
Consulting
Copywriting
Creative Writing
Education/Teaching
Freelance Writing
Grant Writing
Higher Education Administration
Human Resources
Journalism
Law
Library Science/Information Science
Magazine Writing
Marketing/Advertising
Non-Profit Administration
Psychology/Therapy
Public Policy/Government
Public Relations
Public Service
Publishing/Editing
Research Analysis
Science Writing
Scriptwriting
Social Work
Speech Writing
Sports Writing
Technical Writing
Website Development

Why English majors rock their careers!

Humanities as Essential Services
Inside Higher Ed, May 21, 2020 

In the Salary Race, Engineers Sprint but English Majors Endure
New York Times, Sept. 20, 2019

The surprising thing Google learned about its employees — and what it means for today’s students
Washington Post, Dec. 20, 2017

Surprise: Humanities Degrees Provide a Great Return on Investment,”
Forbes, Nov. 20, 2014.

“The Best Argument for Studying English? The Employment Numbers,”
The Atlantic, Jun. 25, 2013.

“That ‘Useless’ Liberal Arts Degree Has Become Tech’s Hottest Ticket,”
Forbes, Jun. 29, 2015.

“A Top Medical School Revamps Requirements To Lure English Majors,”
May 27, 2015.

"A Liberal Arts Degree Can Be More Beneficial than Most People Think,"
March 28, 2016.

“Logitech CEO: ‘I Love Hiring English Majors,’” Business Insider, Jun. 20, 2013.

“Employers and Public Favor Graduates Who Can Communicate, Survey Finds,”
The Chronicle of Higher Education, Sep. 18, 2013.

“What Is Knowledge Worth? A Liberal Arts Education Has Enduring Value,”
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Feb. 17, 2013.

“A Liberal Arts Foundation for Any Career,”
New York Times, Mar. 24, 2013.

“Why I Hire English Majors,”
Huffington Post, Jun. 23, 2013.

“Open Minds, Open Arms, Open Hearts,”
(by Giulia Pink, University of Detroit Mercy English Alumna), Conversations on Jesuit Higher Education, March 2015.

“Reading Literature Makes Us Smarter and Nicer,”
Time, June 2013.

“Why English Majors are the Hot New Hires,”
American Express Forum, July 2013.

Download this flyer for great tips on professionalizing your English degree.

Detroit Mercy English courses are taught by award-winning faculty members, who are passionate teachers and active scholars and authors.

Michael Barry, Ph.D., Professor of English

What His Students Are Saying:

• “I LOVE Michael Barry. He made me fall back in love with writing. He was so encouraging and helpful.”
• “It’s clear that he loves the literature and thinks about it often. He is extremely well read and poses questions that take a while to process, which is infinitely more interesting than a simple question with a simple answer. He makes me want to read everything.”
• “Dr. Barry is always thinking of new ways to make the material more interesting. For example, he twice prepared dishes that were part of the stories we read in class. I definitely appreciate Dr. Barry’s effort!”

Mary-Catherine Harrison, Ph.D., Department Chair and Associate Professor of English

What Her Students Are Saying:

• “Professor Harrison is an amazing professor. She is energetic about the material she teaches, challenges her students, and is always available if needed. I would encourage any student to take a course with her.”
• “Professor Harrison’s contagious energy helps to make studying poetry engaging and informative.”
• “Not only does Dr. Harrison excite students about learning, but she sets the academic standard in every course she teaches. She utilizes every moment of class time to get as much as possible out of her students, and gives them much more than anyone could imagine a professor could dedicate in return.”

Amanda Hiber, M.F.A., Senior Lecturer

What Her Students Are Saying:

• “I learned so much from Prof. Hiber. I will definitely use all of the writing tools she taught me for the rest of my life.”
• “I started the class nervous about my writing skills. After the class was over, I felt more confident in my writing. Prof. Hiber had a great balance between leading her students in the right direction and letting us write on our own.”
• “Prof. Hiber was very helpful and was very easy to meet with outside of class. I’ve never been good at English but she made it easy for me to understand. I learned a great deal from her and am so thankful.”

Heather Hill, Ph.D., Professor of English

What  Her Students Are Saying:

• “I’ve always loved books, but Prof. Hill taught me how to truly respect the corpus and meaning of the works we learned. She opened up the doors of thought and reasoning that has helped me in every class since.”
• “Dr. Hill taught me, through interactive lectures and productive group work, that no facet of our society should go unexamined. She not only taught about inspirational figures, but was an inspiration to her own students.”
• “Dr. Hill wants her students to succeed. She makes herself extremely available, working with each student personally and pushing them to produce their best work. She is very kind, tough (in the best way possible), and demands that students challenge their every-day perceptions to seek out the deeper meaning in anything they experience.”

Nick Rombes, Ph.D., Professor of English

What His Students Are Saying:

• “Awesome professor. I felt as though he truly prized what students said which made it easy to participate and present in class.”
• “I wasn't really interested in the film-making process before I took Prof. Rombes' class. Now I find myself watching films and pointing out different techniques that I never would have noticed before. “
• “Prof. Rombes was great and made the class thoroughly interesting. He was extremely educated in the film subject and he was passionate about film. This passion was easily passed on to his students. “

Rosemary Weatherston, Ph.D., Associate Professor of English

What Her Students Are Saying:

• “Dr. Weatherson makes sure she is available for her students when they need help and goes out of her way to help them. I've never had a professor that shows such passion for the subject they teach and true concern to see her students succeed.”
• “Dr. Weatherston’s understanding of the text and interpretation of writing is exceptional. She made it available for us to apply the skills that she holds to our own personal work. I enjoyed this course very much and Dr. Weatherston was more than willing to work with students and help them achieve their greatest potential.”
• “Hands down, one of the best professors and teachers I have ever have. She is so passionate about literature and fiction. I truly enjoyed having her as a teacher.”

[sic]
Student Arts Journal

Many of our English majors and minors have their creative work featured in [sic], the University's student arts journal. Established in 1992, [sic] is published annually by the English Department’s Dudley Randall Center for Print Culture. The publication features the poetry, fiction, prose, photography and fine art of Detroit Mercy's exceptionally creative student body. The journal is edited and designed by undergraduate students and publishes annually.

For more information, contact Rosemary Weatherston, associate professor of English: weatherr@udmercy.edu.

Click the link to read more about [sic].

The Dudley Randal Center for Print Culture connects academic, student and community writers through its literary events and creative publishing projects. Named after Dudley Randall, the late poet, publisher, and University of Detroit Mercy librarian and poet-in-residence, the Center continues Randall’s vision of the written word as a living art form intimately connected to community and to self-determination. Read more about the Dudley Randall Center for Print Culture or contact Rosemary Weatherston, associate professor of English, for more information at weatherr@udmercy.edu.

The Howard Walsh Memorial Award is presented each year to the English major who has demonstrated the greatest proficiency in English language and literature; the award was founded in 1927 by Annie Doheny Walsh.

• 2024 Erin Letourneau
• 2023  Mahnaz Seddiqi
• 2022  Hannah Alexis
• 2021  Bek Hirschmann and Nurzahan Rahman
• 2020  Mary Kate McNally
• 2019  Hannah Tillman
• 2018  Lauren Webley
• 2017  Nicole West
• 2016  Stephanie Hilliard
• 2015  Giulia Pink
• 2014  Mohammad-Yasser Ibrahim
• 2013  Christa Hoen
• 2012  Susan Kalkstein and Chelsea Smialek
• 2011  Constantine Demontfort
• 2010  Noel Rivard
• 2009  Tanya Davidson
• 2008  Megan Misczak

Founded in 2022, the John C. Freeman Scholarship honors the talents and legacy of Dr. Freeman, an inspirational professor and scholar who impacted thousands of students across the University of Detroit Mercy for more than 33 years. The scholarship supports a deserving English major and Literature, Professional Writing, or Creative Writing minor in their junior or senior year.

• 2024 English major recipient: Asha George
• 2024 English minor recipient: Haley Gavigan
• 2023 English major recipient: Hannah Cunningham
• 2023 English minor recipient: Deja Spruill
• 2022 English major recipient: Erin Letourneau
• 2022 English minor recipient: Sam Strader

9:55: Circle of Scribes [PDF]. A creative writing chapbook from Detroit Mercy’s fall 2023 Introduction to Creative Writing course, taught by Poet-in-Residence Stacy Gnall and designed by Erin Letourneau, English major.

Inspired by the Dead(line) [PDF]. A poetry chapbook from Detroit Mercy’s winter 2023 Intermediate Creative Writing class, taught by poet-in-residence Stacy Gnall and designed by Erin Letourneau, English major.

Take a Second with This [PDF]. A poetry chapbook from Detroit Mercy’s fall 2022 Introduction to Creative Writing class, taught by poet-in-residence Stacy Gnall and designed by Erin Letourneau, English major.

Moving [PDF]. A poetry chapbook from Detroit Mercy’s winter 2022 Intermediate Creative Writing class, taught by Prof. Nick Rombes and designed by Erin Letourneau, English major. Dedicated to Adia Palmer.

A Few Frigid Pigeons: A Poetry Chapbook [PDF] A poetry chapbook from Detroit Mercy’s winter 2021 Intro to Creative Writing class, taught by Nick Rombes and designed by Santana Scott ‘20, creative writing minor. This chapbook was enclosed in the university’s 2021 time capsule.

Voices Through the Flickering Pixels [PDF] A pandemic anthology from Detroit Mercy’s fall 2020 Intro to Creative Writing class, taught by Sean Madigan Hoen and designed by Santana Scott ‘20, creative writing minor.