English Department

English Major, Minors and Concentrations

The English department at Roanoke College offers a major and minor in English, minors in American and British literature, and concentrations in communications and creative writing.

Get Experience through Clubs and Student Publications

English majors and other students interested in building a portfolio of published work should investigate opportunities such as:

• The Brackety-Ack, the student newspaper 
• On Concept’s Edge, the College’s fine arts magazine 
• Rawenoch, the College’s yearbook

Focused on Professor Accessibility

Roanoke has tripled its number of English faculty in the last twenty years, adding to the accessibility of its professors.

The wide variety of types of writing, scholarly work, and teaching styles exposes students to different ways to approach writing and the study of English. In fact, the English faculty as a group have scholarly and writing experience in all four genres—fiction, poetry, drama, and creative nonfiction.

Hear From Relevant Visiting Writers

The English department hosts visiting writers every year who are particularly relevant to students pursuing an English major and others interested in writing. Recent guests include U.S. Poet Laureate Ted Kooser, Poet Stanley Goldbarth, and Peace Activist Janeal Ravndal.