Program Overview
The BA in English with a Writing and Rhetoric concentration at UNT equips students with exceptional writing, communication, and critical thinking skills for diverse careers. The program boasts renowned faculty, small class sizes fostering collaboration, and a distinguished alumni network in fields such as law, journalism, education, and writing. Students benefit from research opportunities and access to esteemed English honor societies and literary journals.
Program Outline
Degree Overview:
The Bachelor of Arts degree in English with a concentration in Writing and Rhetoric prepares students for jobs that require strong writing, communication, and analytical thinking skills. The program aims to deepen students' understanding of a range of writing situations, improve their writing abilities, and provide a solid background for a number of career paths, including professional and technical writing, teaching, creative writing, journalism, linguistics, graduate studies, and other careers where effective writing is important.
Teaching:
- The faculty hails from top graduate programs in the country, are active scholars and researchers, and are consistently recognized as some of the best teachers at UNT.
- Some faculty honors include the BBC International Short Story Award, a $1 million U.S. State Department grant, and the National Book Critics Circle Award in Poetry.
- Class sizes are restricted to provide opportunities for collaboration with other students and close interaction with professors.
Careers:
Graduates choose careers in a variety of fields, including:
- Law
- Publishing
- Education
- Advertising
- Journalism
- Public relations Many alumni teach English composition, British or American literature, or English as a Second Language in public and private schools. Some pursue master's and doctoral degrees in a variety of fields in competitive graduate programs nationwide. Other alumni include:
- An editor with Rolling Stone magazine
- A curator in the Rare Book Division of the New York Public Library
- A member of the public relations staff at PricewaterhouseCoopers accounting firm
- Novelists Karleen Koen, David Lindsey, and Larry McMurtry
- Poets Chad Davidson and John Poch
- Screenplay writer and director Ken Harrison
Other:
- Students can participate in a number of student organizations, including the Sigma Tau Delta international English honor society.
- Students may also help faculty members with research projects or with one of the department journals—the American Literary Review, Studies in the Novel, or Conradiana.
