Department of English

The Bachelor and Master of Arts in English degree programs at the University of South Alabama prepare students for jobs in many professional settings. English majors and minors are taught by talented faculty and field experts in the College of Arts and Sciences.

The English undergraduate program allows students to explore the study of literature and interpretation of novels, stories, poems and essays through critical approaches and writing, build the skills to craft meaningful creative work, and develop skills in professional writing and editing. Through classes, as well as research opportunities and internships, students build skills in critical reading and writing, research, and instruction that support a range of career fields in business and education.

Undergraduate Program

English majors focus on literature and can choose a concentration in creative writing. Minor in English, creative writing or professional writing.

Master of Arts in English

Continue your education at South. Earn a master’s degree in English with a concentration in creative writing or literature.

Stokes Center

The Stokes Center for Creative Writing sponsors readings, lectures, forums, community projects, and other events that are free and open to the public.

Race and Identity Lecture Series

Wednesday, January 27, 2021 at 4:30pm

USA Writer in Residence Frye Gaillard and Journalist in Residence Cynthia Tucker will present Reflections on Isabel Wilkerson's Caste: A New Perspective on Race in America. This is the first installment in the Race and Identity series sponsored by the English Department. This event will be held over Zoom. Registration link coming soon!

Wednesday, February 24, 2021 at 4:30pm

Dr. Channette Romero, Associate Professor of English at the University of Georgia specializing in Native and Multiethnic literature and film, will present. This event will be held over Zoom. Registration link coming soon!

Wednesday, March 17, 2021 at 4:30pm

Rev. Joseph Brown, SJ, Professor in the Department of Africana Studies at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, will present Race and Identity in Literature and Culture. This event will be held over Zoom. Registration link coming soon!

Wednesday, April 21, 2021 at 4:30pm

Dr. Mudiwa Pettus, Assistant Professor of English Composition and Rhetoric at Medgar Evers College, CUNY, will present Against Compromise: What Black Rhetorical Education in the Age of Booker T. Washington Teaches Us About Our Current Moment. This event will be held over Zoom. Registration link coming soon!

▼ Announcements

Frye Gaillard Reading: January 28, 2021 @ 4:00 p.m. via Zoom
Frye Gaillard, USA Writer in Residence, will read from his new book, Live As If... A Teacher's Love Story, reflecting on the life and work of his wife, Nancy Gaillard, who died of leukemia in 2018. Partly a memoir of a vibrant marriage, Live As If... also recounts the story of Nancy's work as a public school teacher, principal, and assistant professor at South Alabama, as well as her final journey with leukemia. "If love had a voice and could tell us its story," says best-selling author Patti Callahan Henry, winner of the Harper Lee Award, "it would be this one by Frye Gaillard. As Gaillard recounts the extraordinary life of his wife, Nancy, he . . . offers us a peek into a life so well-lived, a life so full of courage and generosity, that it changes us just by reading about her." Register for the event here: https://tinyurl.com/StokesGaillard
Spring 2021 Themed Literature Surveys
The Department of English has lined up some exciting, 200-level, themed literature surveys for spring semester. Click here to see what we're offering.

▼ Information and Resources

The University Counseling and Testing Center (UCTC) offers access to counseling services and resources for people of color experiencing trauma and links to a range of resources for all of us to work against racism and violence and open dialogue.
Learn more about the African American Studies program at the University of South Alabama.