ONE SINGLE WORD CAN'T BEGIN TO CAPTURE THE POSSIBILITIES offered by English study at Hamilton. English is not so much a subject as an ensemble of interrelated disciplines. It explores the cultural place and vitality of language. It considers the artistic pleasure and social role of literature. It surveys the historical sweep of prose, poetry, theatre and film in their many forms. And it illuminates the creative spark at the very center of all meaningful human activity.
The goals of the English Department for students engaged in mastering the arts of creative writing and the study of literary texts are to develop a sophisticated understanding of the role literature plays in human experience, both historically and in contemporary life; to strengthen and refine skills in literary analysis and interpretation; and to become compelling, elegant writers.More ...
Academic Program
STUDY ABROAD OPPORTUNITIES
Many English majors spend a semester or
a year studying abroad, typically in England, Ireland or Australia.
Hamilton-affiliated programs offer a chance to explore first-hand the
historical roots and cultural settings of many of our most important authors
and works. While study abroad is an integral part of the liberal arts
curriculum, it has special resonance for students of English as they learn to
analyze not only traditional texts but the larger cultural and creative
interactions that produce them.
THE SENIOR PROGRAM
English majors at Hamilton progress toward a unique senior seminar, a culminating experience in which students work with a professor to define and articulate the critical approach to literary study they have developed over previous semesters. Honors students in English participate in a two-semester project that concludes with a public presentation and a written thesis. Senior creative writing students seeking honors undertake a one-semester work or collection that is presented in a public reading.
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RESOURCES
Hamilton's Burke Library has among its substantial literary holdings an important collection related to the American modernist poet and Hamilton alumnus Ezra Pound. It also offers a wide selection of Caribbean literature and a remarkable handwritten, hand-decorated manuscript from 1465 that students in medieval courses may examine and handle.
While nearly every campus has a writing center, Hamilton’s Nesbitt-Johnston Writing Center is regarded as one of the nation’s best — a model for other colleges and universities. Here students learn the fine points of researching, developing and organizing essays. All students have access to — and most make use of — the center’s student tutors, who are drawn from the best writers in every discipline across campus.
A recent national survey found Hamilton to be one of just two liberal arts colleges nationwide to offer exemplary instruction in writing — not just in English, but across all disciplines and departments.
A Comprehensive Approach
The English Department balances specialized study and breadth of knowledge. We teach the entire history of literary expression in English, from medieval to postcolonial as well as African-American and Asian-American literatures.
Research Collaborations
Many English faculty members work collaboratively with students on research projects and publications. Projects are often funded by grants from the Emerson and Freeman foundations.
Recognized Scholars
In addition to being committed to classroom education, members of the English Department regularly earn national recognition for their scholarship. The Fulbright Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the American Council of Learned Societies and the Stanford Humanities Center have all honored Hamilton’s English faculty in recent years.
A recent national survey found Hamilton to be one of just two liberal arts colleges nationwide to offer exemplary instruction in writing — not just in English, but across all disciplines and departments.
A Comprehensive Approach
The English Department balances specialized study and breadth of knowledge. We teach the entire history of literary expression in English, from medieval to postcolonial as well as African-American and Asian-American literatures.
Research Collaborations
Many English faculty members work collaboratively with students on research projects and publications. Projects are often funded by grants from the Emerson and Freeman foundations.
Recognized Scholars
In addition to being committed to classroom education, members of the English Department regularly earn national recognition for their scholarship. The Fulbright Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the American Council of Learned Societies and the Stanford Humanities Center have all honored Hamilton’s English faculty in recent years.
A recent national survey found Hamilton to be one of just two liberal arts colleges nationwide to offer exemplary instruction in writing — not just in English, but across all disciplines and departments.
A Comprehensive Approach
The English Department balances specialized study and breadth of knowledge. We teach the entire history of literary expression in English, from medieval to postcolonial as well as African-American and Asian-American literatures.
Research Collaborations
Many English faculty members work collaboratively with students on research projects and publications. Projects are often funded by grants from the Emerson and Freeman foundations.
Recognized Scholars
In addition to being committed to classroom education, members of the English Department regularly earn national recognition for their scholarship. The Fulbright Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the American Council of Learned Societies and the Stanford Humanities Center have all honored Hamilton’s English faculty in recent years.
A recent national survey found Hamilton to be one of just two liberal arts colleges nationwide to offer exemplary instruction in writing — not just in English, but across all disciplines and departments.
A Comprehensive Approach
The English Department balances specialized study and breadth of knowledge. We teach the entire history of literary expression in English, from medieval to postcolonial as well as African-American and Asian-American literatures.
Research Collaborations
Many English faculty members work collaboratively with students on research projects and publications. Projects are often funded by grants from the Emerson and Freeman foundations.
Recognized Scholars
In addition to being committed to classroom education, members of the English Department regularly earn national recognition for their scholarship. The Fulbright Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the American Council of Learned Societies and the Stanford Humanities Center have all honored Hamilton’s English faculty in recent years.
GRADUATE STUDY
Thinking about graduate school after English at Hamilton? Learn more.
After Hamilton
Hamilton graduates who majored in English are pursuing careers in a variety of fields, including:
Reading Specialist, Poughkeepsie City School District
Integrated Marketing Director, Wired Magazine
Editor, Newark (N.J.) Star-Ledger
Communications Manager, IBM Corp.
Vice President, Wachovia Bank N.A.
President, Scholastic Media
Executive Editor, ESPN, Inc.
Director, National Aquarium in Baltimore
English Professor, Smith College
Director, Electronic Publishing, Scientific American
