B.A. DEGREE IN ENGLISH

T h e Un i v e r s i t y of M i s s i s s i p p iEnglishDEPARTMENT OFB.A.DEGREEINENGLISH

The University of Mississippiis a notable and energizingplace to study literature andcreative writing. Oxford is atown for book lovers, witha cultural vibe that can beexperienced through livelymusic, art, and culinaryscenes. Home in the pastto authors from WilliamFaulkner to John Grisham,the impulse to write and readis in the air. In the Departmentof English, we see ourselvesas heirs to the rich literarytradition that permeates theatmosphere on campus andin town and as educators fora transformative future.

English majors go everywhere. English is a relevant and adaptable undergraduate degree.In this new information age, analyzing and interpreting complex information for a specificaudience is a crucial skill. Gaining interpersonal and intellectual proficiencies sought in theworkforce empowers students to navigate changing and diverse futures.English majors build careers in journalism, education, marketing, professional and creativewriting, entertainment, business, information technology, editing and publishing, medicine,public relations, law, communications, politics, activism, and more.“My experience as an English major is one ofabsolute acceptance and support. There’s nevera bad idea or interpretation, and I’m learninga lot about myself just from the different waysmy professors and peers read the texts in class. Iconstantly encounter new ideas and new authors,which enriches the experience even more.”—MALERIE LOVEJOY (BA English and Linguistics ’19)

English majors learn toresearch, read and thinkcritically, and make clearwritten and multimediaarguments about complexand expressive texts. Theseare the most desired skills,according to employers.These skills are useful foralmost any profession andare pivotal for meaningfulparticipation in a thrivingeconomy and society.THREE REASONS WHYyou should study English atthe University of Mississippi1. Acclaimed literature andcreative writing faculty2. Small upper-divisionseminars with talented andcreative students3. Location in Oxford, a townfor book lovers with a legacyof great writers English majors do just about everything.Our grads include: Law School Professorsat UM and Elsewhere; a Judge for theUS Court of Appeals; Celebrity BusinessManagers; the Director of College SportsMarketing for Nike; a Business Developerfor the New Orleans Saints; Doctors ofDermatology, Optometry, and OrthopedicSurgery; a Flight Surgeon for the US Navy;Several Chefs; Teachers; the Principalof Jackson Prep; the Chief of Staff toMississippi’s Governor; a State Trooper;Entrepreneurs like the Owner of Oxford’sSquare Books; College and City Librarians;Pilots; Pastors; a PR Officer for the Marchof Dimes; Song Writers and Journalists; VPof Design for Land’s End; Publishers andBestselling Novelists; and the Prime Ministerof Dominica.ENGLISH.OLEMISS.EDU LIBARTS.OLEMISS.EDU

THE ENGLISH MAJORThe Department of English, with around500 majors and minors, offers a widerange of literature courses from Beowulfand Shakespeare to African and NativeAmerican literatures, blues culture,environmental studies, film, prison studies,literary theory, and Southern writing. Wealso have beginning and advanced coursesin the writing of poetry, fiction, creativenonfiction, and screenwriting. Our juniorand senior level classes are small (only15 to 30 students), allowing for a closeworking relationship between students andprofessors. Talented research faculty teachliterature classes, and widely publishedauthors lead our creative writing classes.Seth Blackledge(BA English ’18)WHY STUDYENGLISH AT THEUNIVERSITY OFMISSISSIPPI?“The English program isone of the hallmarks ofthe university. My way ofthinking about complexsubjects and dilemmas has fundamentally changed.Consider a degree in English if you want to challengeyour perspective while studying interesting topicsgrounded in history and contemporary eras.”

THE ENGLISH MAJORThe Bachelor of Arts degree witha major in English consists of 12courses: Two literature surveys A foundational course in literary interpretation At least one course from each of thefollowing categories:Literatures of the Medieval PeriodLiteratures of the Early Modern PeriodLiteratures of the 18th and 19th CenturiesLiteratures of the 20th and 21st CenturiesCounter-Canons and Critical Issues A capstone course with a significant researchand writing component English electives to explore other interestslike film, gender and sexuality studies,environmental studies, linguistics, the South,literary theory, world literatures, and popularcultureRECENT COURSES:“Lines of Resistance: How to Read anAmerican Poem”“Nature Writing”“Gender on Film: Interpreting JaneAusten”“Why are people still readingShakespeare?”“God and Science in AntebellumAmerican Literature”“African American Science Fiction”Pursue an optional creative writing emphasis bytaking four creative writing courses to developyour voice in writing poetry, screenplays, fiction,and creative nonfiction.Students read fromShakespeare inProfessor Erin Drew’sintroductory Britishliterature class.

STUDENT LIFE“Being an English major is exactly what you make of it.Whether that’s stoking your love of reading at the localindependent bookstore Square Books, enhancing yourwriting skills by working with our campus Writing Center,or just bonding with like-minded English students, thereare so many opportunities to explore your passions!”— J O S H UA MAN N E RY (BA English ’21)Founding President of Cover-to-Cover,a social and service organizationfor undergraduate English students

STUDENT LIFECreative writing and academic essaycontests carry scholarship awards: W. Alton Bryant Award Fayssoux Corneil Campbell Award Elmo Howell British Literature Award Virginia Morgan Scholarship Evans Harrington Creative Writing Scholarship The Ella Sommerville AwardStudent Organizations: Cover-to-Coversocial and service organization for majors,minors, and all undergraduates who lovereading and writing literature Rebel Writersa peer creative writing group forundergraduates looking to publish Sigma Tau Deltaa national English honors societyJacqueline Knirnschild (English ’20) shares her poetry at our undergrad reading series, lowercase.ENGLISH.OLEMISS.EDU LIBARTS.OLEMISS.EDU

OUR ALUMNIJulie Dhossche (English andBiochemistry ’11)Pediatric Dermatologist, OregonHealth and Science University.“The study of English is multifaceted—you’re learning literature,language, culture, art, philosophyand you’re honing your skills in speaking and writing.The ability to communicate is so valuable in life, andwhat better place to learn than in Oxford? The Englishdepartment is stellar, and something about this place inspires development and creativity.”Tametrice Eckols Strickland(English ’95)Vice Principal, Quitman CountySchool District“UM faculty are so advanced inpreparing students that methodsand resources introduced to medecades ago are still effective in the classroom today.English is global, and it opens the doors to unlimitedopportunities and career paths.”Taylor Sledge (English ’07)Owner and President of Sledge& Company Financial, LLC“[I realized when I started workingin finance after graduation] thatthe main thing I needed to do—alongside learning more aboutmoney—is to be considerate andthoughtful of peoples’ problems, to really listen and takein what they need. Having a degree in English has beenincredibly powerful to my career path because it taughtme how to be a better communicator and learn more.That’s what a liberal arts education does in my opinion—it puts you on a track of learning how continuously totake in ideas and learn and grow.”“University of Mississippi English Alumni at Work:A Panel Discussion” was part of Next Chapters: CareerNetworking with English Alumni, a career advising and networkingprogram designed specifically for our English majors and minors.Panelists included: Campbell McCool (Entrpreneur and Developer, Oxford) Kent Jackson (Senior Product Manager at Core Logic Inc., Oxford) Nicole Tisdale (Subcommittee Staff Director, Homeland SecurityCommittee of House of Representatives, Washington, D.C.) Kayleigh Webb (Associate Publicist at HarperCollins, New York) Kimbrely Dandridge (Associate Counsel at Gap Inc., San Francisco) Lindsey Neyman (Production Talent Manager at FuseFX, Los Angeles)

OUR ALUMNI“I have been a high schoolteacher and a softwaredeveloper, and am nowan education coordinatorfor a software developertraining program. Excellentcommunication skills wererequired for each of thesedisparate positions, andthe skills I developed andthe projects that I producedas an English major stoodme in good stead for eachopportunity.”—Melissa Smith (BA English ’06)

OUR ALUMNIOther notable English majorsGreg Iles (BA English ’83)Best-selling novelistWhere are ourAlumni WorkingIles studied creative writing with University ofMississippi faculty, including Writer-in-Residence WillieMorris, a revered writer and editor who brought infriends William Styron, James Dickey, John Knowles,and many others to enrich his classes.After years playing in the band Frankly Scarlet, Iles wrotehis first novel, Spandau Phoenix (1993), about Nazi warcriminal Rudolf Hess that became the first of thirteenNew York Times Best Sellers. With his third novel,Mortal Fear, Iles began setting his novels in Mississippi,and in The Quiet Game, his fourth, he created PennCage and placed him in Iles’ own hometown of Natchezon the Mississippi River. His novels have been made intofilms, translated into 20 languages, and published in 35countries.Glen Ballard (BA English ’75)Six-Time Grammy Award winnerOne of popular music’s most accomplished producersand songwriters, Ballard’s records have sold 150 millioncopies worldwide. His production company AUGURYdevelops original, music-driven content for television, film,and stage. During his diverse career, Ballard has workedwith the biggest names in music, from Barbra Streisandand Aerosmith to Dave Matthews and Katy Perry.He produced and cowrote Alanis Morissette’s JaggedLittle Pill (33 million sales worldwide, four Grammys,and named Best Album of the Decade by BillboardMagazine), wrote and arranged “Man in the Mirror”for Michael Jackson, and cowrote and produced theGrammy-winning and Oscar-nominated song “Believe”(Josh Groban) for the feature film The Polar Express.Higher EducationLawBusiness& Finance13.713.917.612.8%6.3Hospitality& Personal Care4.9Healthcare4.4Trades, Agriculture,& Transport2.3K-12 Education9.87.76.6Arts, Culture,& MediaSTEMCommunityServices& Non-ProfitIT, Telecommunications,Science, Engineering,Manufacturing, & Energy

O U R FA C U LT YAuthor and screenwriter Chris Offutt’s work includes True Blood, Treme, Weeds, and Country Dark.The forty plus faculty members in the Department of English are invested in their students’educations and futures. They are connected to communities across the university, Oxford, the stateof Mississippi, and beyond. They are award-winning scholars and creative writers who have beenrecognized with prestigious fellowships and leadership roles in their professional associations.“What I appreciated most about being an Englishmajor were the opportunities I had to meet andlearn from well-known, award-winning authors.With my degree, the possibilities are endless.”—ALLIE JONES (BA English ’19)ENGLISH.OLEMISS.EDU LIBARTS.OLEMISS.EDU