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Contrary to the comedic portrayal of English students as unemployable, a degree in English can lead to an endless number of career paths.

At its heart, English is about meaningful human communication across time and place in different contexts, and communication skills are the #1 essential skill for workers in any profession and any industry.

With an undergraduate background in English, students can enter careers in marketing, teaching, publishing, editing, journalism, public relations, general business administration, social media management, advertising, content creation, fundraising, real estate, and similar roles. Combining English with another applied field of study or proceeding on to a graduate degree leads to career advancement and additional career options in law, human resources, business management, research, college-level teaching and administration, data analytics, public policy, and more.

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Undergraduates
Learn more about our undergraduate programs, how to declare your major and access helpful resources to make the most of your learning experience at UWM.
Visit Undergraduate Information
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Graduates
Explore our graduate programs, learn how to apply and access other helpful resources to for UWM graduate students.
Visit Graduate Information

Students in English programs will:

1. Read literary works, media texts, and other cultural objects critically, and support interpretive claims with appropriate evidence.

2. Communicate effectively, persuasively, and/or artistically, with multiple and diverse audiences.

3. Expand their cross-cultural perspectives in relation to diverse populations, both historical and contemporary.

4. Analyze texts with consideration of socio-cultural, historical, and other formative contexts.

5. Develop research practices that are grounded in sound theoretical frames and historical backgrounds.

UWM Land Acknowledgement: We acknowledge in Milwaukee that we are on traditional Potawatomi, Ho-Chunk and Menominee homeland along the southwest shores of Michigami, North America’s largest system of freshwater lakes, where the Milwaukee, Menominee and Kinnickinnic rivers meet and the people of Wisconsin’s sovereign Anishinaabe, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Oneida and Mohican nations remain present.   |   To learn more, visit the Electa Quinney Institute website.