Guide to the English Major

We’re here to help! This guide should help you navigate some of the exciting—and extremely varied—opportunities in front of you with the English Department, Loyola, Chicago, and Beyond. We’ll give you a timeline through the major, as well as suggest plans for future success after graduation.

English is flexible: in the structure of the major, in the kind of knowledge we make, in the skills we practice. We think resiliency and diversity are our greatest strengths. Our English majors go on to an astonishingly broad range of careers. Better, English majors report higher satisfaction with their careers than almost any other major. Your time with us will be transformative, and after, you’ll get a good job—and more importantly, a job you’ll like, because you chose it, and sometimes, you made it. The world is all before you, and while we know that’s exhilarating for creative people like you, we also know it can be a little daunting, especially early in your studies! So let’s talk.

First Year

In the Major:

• Start with taking a few courses that are interesting to you. These can be either at the 200- or 300- level. 200-level courses are designed for both English majors and Tier 2 Core students. 300-level courses are designed for English majors, though curious non-majors are very welcome. Don’t be afraid to experiment—at this stage of your progress, everything you take will satisfy something in the major, and nothing will be wasted. Choose something that seems appealing, and be ready to learn amazing things.
• Get to know the department’s course catalog. Look over recent course offerings to get a sense of what might be available in upcoming semesters. Read around at https://www.luc.edu/english/courses.shtml.
• Stay curious! We have lots of offerings, across a range of historical, generic, and national traditions, as well as a very strong Creative Writing program. Think about what might be fun to explore, outside of your comfort zone.
• Drop by your professors’ office hours. We’d love to get to know you. This is of course the case for your current professors, but get to know the rest of us, too! If somebody teaches or writes on something that sounds interesting to you, stop by!
• Interested in teaching? Loyola’s double BA in English and Secondary Education program lets you hit the ground running, doing important and rewarding work immediately after graduation. Set up a meeting with the UPD, or the Secondary Ed advisor, to learn what it entails, and what your path for the next four years would look like. Would you like to learn more? Visit https://www.luc.edu/english/teachinglicensure/.

At Loyola and Beyond:

• Get involved! Join Diminuendo, our student-run literary magazine, and learn about writing, editing, publishing (and even budgeting!) first hand. Join the Quidditch team, so that you’ll be good at parties. Find Diminuendo at https://www.instagram.com/diminuendo.luc/?hl=en.
• Volunteer! Social Justice is Loyola’s core mission, and it’s an essential component of our student experience. Set the world on fire in a cause that’s meaningful to you—and think about what a future career in advocacy, justice, and non-profit work might look like for you. You can get started at https://www.luc.edu/serve/.
• Come to our “Careers for English Majors” events! We run these events with the Career Services Center every semester—they’ll be your best introduction to the vast landscape of careers open to you, as well as the tools you can use to help you in your journey.
• Set up a meeting with the Humanities counselor at Career Services. They’re experts in guiding Humanities majors toward rewarding internships and career opportunities. Get them involved in your career planning early, and keep them engaged. Learn more at https://www.luc.edu/career/index.shtml.
• Get on LinkedIn and Handshake. Look for Loyola English alums, explore their professional outcomes, and arrange informational interviews with them to learn more about their paths. Career Services is a great resource for helping you toward these contacts.
• Explore internship opportunities in Chicago and elsewhere. Start thinking about what sort of work sounds interesting to you.
• Reflect on your passions—what do you love doing? Think about how “who you are” might help you find out “what you might become.” Your history, hobbies, and skills outside the classroom can help you find all sorts of possible futures. Explore yourself and what you can do, and what you’d like to do.

Around Chicago

• You’re living in one of the greatest cities in the world—get out into it. Just a few blocks (or El stops) from Loyola, you can find taquerias on Clark Street, curries on Devon Ave, and pho on Argyle, all of which are attractively priced for students, and some of which you may find life-changing. Hop on the red line down to Chinatown, too!
• Chicago’s fine arts scene is world-class, as well. There are often very affordable student tickets available with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Lyric Opera, Joffrey Ballet, Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Goodman Theatre, and Steppenwolf Theatre.
• Ride the Red Line to the Lincoln Park Zoo! Live at the Art Institute! You can even ride the Metra (from the Rogers Park stop, or transfer from the Red Line in Evanston) to the Chicago Botanic Gardens (get off at Braeside and walk), or, in the first few weeks of every Fall Semester, to the Ravinia Festival (the Metra stops right in the park)

Sophomore Year

In the Major

• Start thinking intentionally about the requirements in the major—take some 300-level courses with an eye toward historical and multicultural requirements. If you’ve been able to get some 300-level courses under your belt already, consider working on your Critical Theory or Shakespeare requirements in your fourth semester. If you’re interested in the Creative Writing Concentration, start on your first-level workshops (ENGL 317-319).
• Apply to the English Department’s Honors Program! This will give you the chance to start taking our advanced seminars (English 390), and integrating them into your course of study early. All seminars are on fascinating topics, built new every year, and they’re capped at 15 students each. If you’re in the departmental honors program, any relevant seminars can also fulfill your historical, Shakespeare, Critical Theory, and multicultural requirements—they’re opportunities to enrich your experience, rather than extra courses you have to take.
• Explore offerings in the Department, and beyond. What do you love doing with us—and what do you love doing elsewhere in the University? What other Minors or Programs might complement the experience you’d like to make for yourself at Loyola, and the careers you’d like to pursue after?
• Are you interested in the Department’s 5-year BA/MA program? This is a good opportunity to integrate graduate work into your undergraduate career, and apply your undergraduate financial aid to MA credits. Find out more at https://www.luc.edu/english/undergraduate.shtml#Five-Year%20B.A./M.A.%20Degree.
• If you think you might be interested in Secondary teaching, now would be an excellent time to plan out your second major in Education. It can be challenging to fold this in without getting started now.
• Keep coming to office hours—get to know most of the faculty in the department! Are you interested in doing a substantial research project with a faculty member? Loyola’s LUROP fellowship is for you: https://www.luc.edu/celts/programs/undergraduateresearch/.

At Loyola and Beyond

• Interested in teaching English to adult learners in Rogers Park? Consider positions at Loyola’s Literacy Center. Interested in helping other students in their writing? Explore the Literacy Center. Student workers can receive course credit (ENGL 393 and ENGL 220), as well as engaged learning credit, for their work at both.
• If you’ve been involved in Diminuendo, student clubs and activities, or volunteering, now is a great time to start taking on leadership responsibilities.
• Start thinking about study abroad—at Loyola’s Rome Campus, or at any of the amazing programs on offer through the study abroad office. If you intend this for your Junior year, start planning this now. You can find more information at https://www.luc.edu/studyabroad/index.shtml.
• Are you curious about graduate or professional school? Start exploring. English is one of the best preparations for law school—learn more at https://www.luc.edu/prelaw/. Find out about the wide world of professional degrees, in things you may never have thought of—our students regularly go on to medical and business school, graduate schools in English, Library Science, and more. Meet with your faculty advisor, and set up meetings with the Career Services staff.
• Apply to internships, for the summer and/or the academic year. Follow up on the internship research and informational interviews from last year, and think about possibilities within your own personal interests. You can receive course and Engaged Learning credit (as well as credit toward your major!) for your internships as ENGL 394. If you’re interested in public service, Loyola’s “LUC in DC” program is right up your alley: https://www.luc.edu/dc/.
• Attend Career Fairs and Workshops offered by Career Services. Keep looking for interesting alums doing interesting work, and reach out for informational interviews.

Junior Year

In the Major

• If you haven’t already, fulfill your multicultural, Critical Theory, and Shakespeare requirements. Make good progress on your historical requirements—and keep exploring anything of interest for your electives! If you’re a Creative Writer, start on your Advanced Workshops (392, 397, 398).
• There’s still time to join the Department’s Honors Program! As a Junior, you’ll be primed to get the most out of our advanced seminars.
• If you’re studying abroad, take glamorous photos, and send them back to us.

At Loyola and Beyond

• Stay engaged in activities and volunteering. Intentionally explore how these might guide (or become) your future after Loyola.
• Cast a wide net for internship opportunities—think very flexibly about your interests. Apply courageously, and frequently.
• Keep setting up informational interviews, and maintain your connections.
• Keep your resume up-to-date, and workshop it with Career Services.
• If you’re interested in graduate or professional school, start identifying specific programs. Start preparing your materials for these applications no later than the summer after your Junior year, and have them ready by the start of the fall semester of your Senior year. Workshop your application materials with your faculty.

Senior Year

In the Major

• Take your capstone seminar (English 390). Finish up any remaining requirements. Relish being the most experienced student in the classroom, but be nice about it, you know?
• Apply to graduate school. Even if the application deadlines are in the Spring semester, make sure your materials are finalized in the Fall. Workshop these materials with faculty. Ask for letters of recommendation from trusted faculty, and give them plenty of time, so that they can write you the strongest letter possible. Have a portfolio of work (your application materials, projects, and papers) ready to share with your recommenders, so they can speak to it in their letters.
• Have a vision for exactly which paths you’d like to pursue after graduation. Intern during the academic year in a position relevant to your goals, and that has the possibility for full-time employment after graduation.
• Continue going to Career Fairs and Workshops—and keep setting up informational interviews.

At Loyola and Beyond

• Apply to graduate school. Even if the application deadlines are in the Spring semester, make sure your materials are finalized in the Fall. Workshop these materials with faculty. Ask for letters of recommendation from trusted faculty, and give them plenty of time, so that they can write you the strongest letter possible. Have a portfolio of work (your application materials, projects, and papers) ready to share with your recommenders, so they can speak to it in their letters.
• Have a vision for exactly which paths you’d like to pursue after graduation. Intern during the academic year in a position relevant to your goals, and that has the possibility for full-time employment after graduation.
• Continue going to Career Fairs and Workshops—and keep setting up informational interviews.