Prepare for a Lifetime of Opportunities
If you want to read great literature, learn how to write for diverse purposes, and study how language creates our culture and can be used to change the world, the Bachelor of Arts in English program at UM-Flint is for you.
While the diverse and flexible curriculum provides a broad expertise in writing, literature, and linguistics, it ultimately centers on getting you employed. Throughout your courses you learn skills employers highly value: communicating, writing, critical thinking, teamwork, cultural sensitivity, and empathy, among others. These skills, which are transferable from one career to the next, will help make you an ideal candidate for the dozen jobs the federal government predicts you’ll have in your lifetime.
Through the development of an adaptable skill set in listening, reading, and writing, along with linguistic sensitivity and emotional intelligence, as an English major you will be prepared for a lifetime of personal and professional success. This includes being ready for a career as an editor or educator, a politician or producer, a director of advertising or human resources, a manager of public relations or social media, and a variety of other opportunities.
Why UM-Flint?
Our faculty have been intensively trained and are engaged in research or creative writing, but they come to UM-Flint because they love teaching and helping students succeed. That commitment extends to taking the time to work with you individually.
It also extends to mentoring students. As an English major, you have a faculty mentor you can talk with about planning your studies, internships, research opportunities, planning for jobs or graduate school, time management, work/life balance, and much more.
English majors at UM-Flint have virtually unlimited opportunities to learn and grow. Here are just a few examples:
- You can gain valuable experience with a paid position at The Michigan Times and M-Times online, the student-run newspaper and website, or at Qua Magazine, our biannual student-run literary and fine arts magazine. It publishes fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, and art.
- The English Department regularly invites students to participate in community service and outreach projects like Exploring Mideast Michigan’s Empty Spaces: A Traveler’s Guide, an update to the 1941 Federal Writers’ Project guide to Michigan, and the Community Foundation of Greater Flint’s Neighborhood Oral History Project.
- In a paid or volunteer role, you can collaborate with faculty on state-of-the-art research in the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program.
- UM-Flint’s Writing Center offers help with your writing and opportunities to be a paid tutor.
- Sigma Tau Delta, the international English honors society, provides the chance to meet and learn with students who share your interests and career aspirations.
- Volunteer opportunities abound at local organizations like the Flint & Genesee Literacy Network and Legal Services of Eastern Michigan.
- You can participate in local events like the Flint Community Read and the Flint Festival of Writers.
Elexis is working as a Native English Teacher for EPIK, a government-funded program in South Korea. When asked how the Linguistics program prepared her for success after graduation, Elexis stated, “My accumulated teaching hours have put me in higher positions than others in less-extensive programs. Also, the diversity of my teaching experience provided me with chances to teach language learners at all levels.”
Elexis Nelson
Linguistics 2016
English Programs at UM-Flint
We offer one major:
All UM-Flint students who aren’t majoring in English can choose from five minors:
Finally, we offer a certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, which can open the door to jobs around the world, and a secondary teaching certificate in English.
Scholarships for English Majors
UM-Flint provides a number of scholarships that are specifically for English majors. They include:
- Ellen Bommarito Book Fund
- Ralph M. and Emmalyn E. Freeman Writing Specialization Scholarship
- Richard S. Harris Scholarship Fund
- C. Scott Russell Scholarship
- A.J. Trela Scholarship
- Ruby Trela Scholarship
- University of Michigan-Flint Shakespeare Club of Flint Scholarship
- Elizabeth L. White Scholarship Fund
Our Office of Financial Aid offers a variety of other scholarships, grants, loans, and work-study positions. They’re all part of our effort to make your world-class University of Michigan-Flint education affordable.
Academic Advising for English Majors
Your English faculty mentor will be a huge help as you navigate college life and its opportunities. More help is available from dedicated academic advisors in the College of Arts and Sciences. They can assist you in choosing classes, navigating program requirements, overcoming personal issues, developing post-graduation plans, and more.
Nicole Altheide is the dedicated advisor for English majors. You can contact her at [email protected] or 810-762-3096. You also can make an appointment with her online.
To help you envision what your experience as an English major will look like, we’ve created a major map. It provides year-by-year details about classes you take, experiences available both on and off campus, preparing for life after graduation, and more. Download the major map today and start planning your future.
Career Opportunities in English
Your Bachelor of Arts in English degree from UM-Flint will open the door to a wide range of career options. Consider these projections for just a few possibilities from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics:
- High School Teachers (all subjects)
- Job growth through 2030: 8 percent
- Job openings annually through 2030: 77,400
- Typical entry-level education required: Bachelor’s degree
- Median annual salary: $61,820
- Postsecondary Teachers (all subjects)
- Job growth through 2030: 12 percent
- Job openings annually through 2030: 139,600
- Typical entry-level education required: Master’s or doctoral degree
- Median annual salary: $79,640
- Writers and Authors
- Job growth through 2030: 9 percent
- Job openings annually through 2030: 15,400
- Typical entry-level education required: Bachelor’s degree
- Median annual salary: $69,510
- Technical Writers
- Job growth through 2030: 12 percent
- Job openings annually through 2030: 5,500
- Typical entry-level education required: Bachelor’s degree
- Median annual salary: $78,060
- News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists
- Job growth through 2030: 6 percent
- Job openings annually through 2030: 5,400
- Typical entry-level education required: Bachelor’s degree
- Median annual salary: $48,370
- Editors
- Job growth through 2030: 5 percent
- Job openings annually through 2030: 11,200
- Typical entry-level education required: Bachelor’s degree
- Median annual salary: $63,350
- Public Relations Specialists
- Job growth through 2030: 11 percent
- Job openings annually through 2030: 29,200
- Typical entry-level education required: Bachelor’s degree
- Median annual salary: $62,800
More information about career opportunities for English majors is available from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Get Started on Your English Career Today
If you want a degree that prepares you for a wide range of career opportunities throughout your life, apply to the University of Michigan-Flint’s Bachelor of Arts in English program today. If you have questions, you can contact the program’s dedicated academic advisor, Nicole Altheide, at [email protected] or 810-762-3096. You also can make an appointment with her online.