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Because we teach the arts of rhetoric, English faculty have a special obligation to defend and promote the open exchange of ideas, and to expose and resist deliberate misrepresentations of the past. We honor the right to free speech and will oppose the intrusion of hate speech and hateful symbols of oppression on our campus. Since we recognize that the College of Charleston, like the rest of the country, has yet to shed the vestiges of our racist history, we stand committed to working toward a fully diverse and inclusive educational environment. Read More.

Read our faculty and staff's Statement of Solidarity and Commitment to Antiracism here

Why English?

If you are a student reading this page, you probably already know why you want to study English.

You already feel the pull of the word and the image. You already know the pleasure afforded by language shaped into stories, poems, memoirs, and essays. You already experience the thrill of entering other worlds, adopting other perspectives, and grappling with big questions. You already experience the satisfaction of getting a sentence just right, expressing your idea, articulating your vision.

What you might not yet know is that English represents a pragmatic course of study as well as a fulfilling one. After all, there are some widespread misconceptions about how English majors fare on the job market. When you tell friends that you want to study English, some of them might have asked, “what are you going to do with that – teach?”...[Read more...]

Fall 2023 registration 

You can view Fall 2023 English list of courses, including detailed descriptions here.

Our fall offerings include a number of exciting special topics courses, alongside returning favorites.

You’ll find upper-level classes on: 

ENGL 302 Shakespeare

ENGL 309 English Language Grammar and History

ENGL 313 African American Literature

ENGL 316 Writing and Literacy

ENGL 334 Technical Writing

ENGL 351 Studies in American Film

ENGL 360 Coming of Age in Southern Spaces

ENGL 364 Fire in Little Africa

ENGL 367 Creative Nonfiction

ENGL 369 Writing for the Web

ENGL 370 British Gothic Literature

ENGL 377 Poetry Writing II

ENGL 378 Fiction Writing II

ENGL 488 Proseminar in Cultural Studies: Medieval Feminism

ENGL 495 Internship in the Major        

Have you heard about our newest concentration Literature and Film?

The concentration inLiterature and Film provides a rigorous education in writing and analysis through the study of a wide variety of literary and cultural texts, from medieval manuscripts to modern films. Strong writing and incisive thinking are increasingly specialized skills that are in demand in a wide variety of professional fields. Graduates of this program have gone on to careers in education, academia, journalism, marketing, publishing, copywriting, law, and medicine. 

Faculty Spotlights: 

Congratulations to Prof. Kathy Béres Rogers, who received the College of Charleston's Distinguished Service Award at yesterday’s Celebration of Faculty.

Congratulations Prof. Varallo! Publish date 11/15/23! Available for preorder now. Preorder WHAT DID YOU DO TODAY by Anthony Varallo!

Student Spotlights: 

Congratulations to Adam & Catherine, our 2023 HHS SCHOLARS! The English department is incredibly proud of you, and thank you for being such stellar students! We wish you the best in your future endeavors and cannot wait to hear of the great things you will accomplish!

Congratulations to our 2023 Outstanding Students!

Congratulations to these published students!

Mary-Martha wrote “Letting Go of Momma Honda” about giving up her beloved vehicle. 

Katherine’s “Saved by a Bagel” described how eating a bagel reveals a medical emergency.

Brayana wrote "They Act Like They're Scared of Us" about her shared experience of being afraid of men and how they should learn to respect women.

Audrey’s “The Iron Lady and the Violin” focused on music in Parisian streets under the Eiffel Tower. 

Izzy wrote “Checklists Make Great Life Rafts,” which describes coping with autism as an undergraduate. 

Learn More

Folio: The Department Blog

The Department of English's department blog, Folio, features stories on alumni, current students, new professors, department events, and faculty accomplishments. If you would have an accomplishment, event, or information that you would like the department to share through Folio, tell us about it.