What's Your Story?

With an English degree you can create your own story

Read | Write | Teach

Undergraduate Programs   Graduate Programs 

Read to Envision

Alison Powell
BA English Language & Literature (2006)
MA English: Literature (2007)

Watch Alison's alumni forum recording on how her undergraduate and graduate degrees in English at CWU prepared her for a position as Senior Program Manager in Student Programs at Amazon.

A degree in English Language & Literature provides you with essential skills in persuasive communication, analytical reasoning, creative thinking, and emotional intelligence that are most in demand by employers in a variety of professional fields. Our inclusive curriculum will introduce you to the world's most brilliant writers, broaden your knowledge of literary history and traditions, and develop your understanding of different cultures. Our faculty actively publish in scholarly journals and present at national and international conferences, while closely mentoring students in research, writing, professionalization, and preparation for graduate study. This program can be completed on campus or online.

Write to Inspire

Karla Maravilla
BA English: Professional & Creative Writing (2023)

Listen to Karla reading her poem "Dreamland" for CWU's Symposium on University Research & Creative Expression (SOURCE).

Our nationally-ranked degree in Professional & Creative Writing offers students a range of courses across modalities and writing styles for an increasingly technological world that depends on evolving, merging, and expanding forms of writing and communication. In professional writing courses, students learn practical workplace skills in usability testing, document design, and new media development. In creative writing courses, students learn the nuances of genre and develop writing practices in poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, playwriting, screenwriting, and mixed forms. Students learn from visiting writers, work closely with published faculty mentors, and produce our annual Manastash student literary journal. This program can be completed on campus or online.

Teach to Empower

Haley Cottingham
BA English/Language Arts Teaching (2022)

"The English department at CWU equipped me with both the creativity and critical thinking skills necessary to engage the future generation. I was taught the importance of self-reflection and how crucial it is for effective teaching. I now have gained the confidence to be an educator who both understands and can convey the importance of English to students."

The English/Language Arts Teaching degree, in combination with the Professional Education Program, prepares you for a teaching career in middle, junior, and high schools. Our program blends knowledge of English studies with methods of teaching language arts, including courses on teaching multicultural literature, young adult literature, and writing. Clear and concise writing, analytical thinking, persuasiveness, and precision are valuable skills that students will learn for teaching in a wide range of fields. Our faculty have received numerous national and state grants to support the Central Washington Writing Project, which aims to improve student writing achievement in all content areas and across all grade levels.