Santa Clara University

English - Department of English

English department

Welcome to Santa Clara University's English Department

California Legacy Project

Canterbury Program

Creative Writing

English Club

Ethnic Studies

Honors Program

Internship Program

Medieval & Renaissance Studies

Office of the Registrar

Peer Educator Program

SCU Alumni Thriving

Sigma Tau Delta

Women's and Gender Studies Program



We offer courses in literature, rhetoric, composition, creative writing, theory, new media and film.

  • All undergraduates take several courses in English
  • Many students take poetry or fiction workshops
  • Some students minor or specialize in creative writing
  • Students develop advanced skills in close analysis and research
  • Students majoring in many other fields often take such courses as argumentation, screenwriting, or business writing

Santa Clara alumni consistently report that writing and analysis are among the most valuable assets they bring from the campus to the world after college.

Majoring in English

Those selecting English as a major often intend to work professionally in journalism or the arts, to become teachers or professional/technical writers, or study further in graduate or professional school (in law, medicine, film/television, and business). The Career Center can provide majors with additional information regarding careers.  

Many appreciate the training in analytical thinking, rhetoric, and persuasion, while others find literature a way to enter empathetically into the lives of others, and see their studies as a wonderful preparation for social and civil service, sometimes after spending time in such popular forms of community service as the Peace Corps or Teach for America.

And still others see in creative writing an opportunity for self-exploration and vibrant expression, leading to careers in the media arts, education and public relations. Many of our graduates go on to seek an M.A., M.F.A., or Ph.D.

English majors take courses in writing, literature, and critical theory. They explore a broad range of approaches to literature, culture, new media and film, including feminist criticism, critical race theory, postcolonialism, semiotics, and queer theory.

Students have the opportunity to study traditional British and American texts as well as contemporary media and multicultural literatures from around the world.