English

Engage with others through reading, writing and film

Do you love to tell stories? Are you passionate about writing? Does the world around you fade when you’re reading a good book or watching a great film? Then you should be an English major. Studying English at Alverno means building your program of study to match your professional goals and personal passions. As a major in English, choose your courses from the following tracks – Literary Studies, Film Studies and Creative Studies in Writing. Or focus your minor on one area for a more intensive experience.

Put your imagination to work

Choosing English as a major or one of the three tracks as a minor means putting your creative thinking and your strong communication abilities to work. Whether your professional goals are in publishing, marketing, new media, business, technical writing or teaching, our programs offer a rigorous foundation on which you can build your career. A degree in English can also lead to success in graduate and professional schools.

Building relationships with faculty

You’ll receive one-on-one guidance from a full-time faculty member through your course-work and career planning. Using a hands-on digital portfolio process that includes publication and production possibilities in AlvernoINK, the college’s online literary site, faculty will mentor your development as a reader, writer and creative communicator.

Internships for the English student

English students have completed internships with the following organizations: WTMJ 4’s The Morning Blend, Harley Davidson, Reiman Foundation, The Shepherd Express, Betty Brinn Children’s Museum, Milwaukee Magazine, Milwaukee Public Museum, Milwaukee Art Museum, Journal Sentinel, Metro Parent Magazine, Milwaukee Public Schools, Milwaukee State Public Defender’s Office and Milwaukee International Film Festival.

Literary Studies

Books matter and the people who read them develop a set of sought after critical abilities–excellent communication, creative thinking, strong close reading, sharp synthesizing and a keen understanding of the role of the language and literature in the world. Whether you’re participating in a mock trial on moral dilemmas in a class on the novel or reading and writing memoirs, literary studies prepares you for a variety of traditional careers and any number of emerging ones.

Film Studies

Explore the history and techniques of film and engage in creative cultural interpretations and analysis in this exciting program. Core courses explore fiction into film, influential genre films, and world film while introducing you to film production. This program gives you the opportunity to respond to film at a highly informed and active personal level.

Creative Studies in Writing

Whether you want to write creative non-fiction, fiction, poetry, comics or scripts, this program nurtures your creative thinking, heightens your distinctive voice and style, while developing your narrative skills and a sophisticated use of language. The program also teaches you how to navigate the challenging world of publishing and getting published if your interests are in that area.

Sample Curriculum
First Year

Introduction to the Arts
Introduction to the Humanities
Integrated Communication
Quantitative Strategies
General Psychology
Introduction to Social Science
Foundations in Natural Science

Second Year

The Short Story
Literary Criticism
Literature and Film
Identity and Imagination in Literary Studies
Global Experience
Humanities electives

Third Year

Genre Studies (such as the mystery)
Major Literary Figures (such as Shakespeare)
Literature and Culture (such as African-American literature)
Studies in Alternative World Views
The Global Experience
Internship
Support area courses

Fourth Year

Literary Theory (such as modernism)
Literary Forms (such as the 19th-century novel)
Senior Humanities Seminar
Support area courses