We offer

Individualized Attention

Small class sizes from award-winning faculty & staff and advisors

Active Learning & Research

Classes dedicated around active learning in research, creative endeavors, and historical archives

Communities & Connections

Establishing connections through clubs, mentoring, guest speakers, and networking events

Degree Areas

english ba

Our flexible English major offers four programs of study: Literary Studies, Creative Writing, English Education, and Popular Culture.

Film Studies BA

Innovative Bachelors of Arts in Film Studies, as well as a Minor in Film Studies, & two filmmaking Minors in Fiction Filmmaking and in Documentary Production.

Creative Writing Minor

The creative writing minor offers students a program that blends foundational work in literary studies, exploration of creative writing in multiple genres, and a focused capstone experience.

Popular Culture Minor

The popular culture minor offers students opportunities for in-depth study of popular culture texts, trends, and topics across a range of media.

english Ma

Provides students with a comprehensive grounding in literature, critical theory, and a variety of research methodologies. Designed to develop the skills associated with literary and cultural criticism, as well as editorial, research, writing, and teaching skills.

English PHD

Our doctoral program offers advanced study of English, and global Anglophone literature in a range of theoretical orientations and interdisciplinary, cross-field areas of study in combination with the historical periods that have generally defined the study of national literatures.

Administrative statement: For an Antiracist English Department

As we continue to process the abhorrent killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and Rayshard Brooks, and witness the largest protests in the U.S. since 1968, the leadership of the MSU Department of English wishes to affirm its commitment to anti-racist action.

2021 Department of English Outstanding Senior Awards

This year, the Department of English launched a new student award—the Outstanding Senior Award. This award, sponsored by the Dianna S. Cavett Endowment for English Literature, recognizes graduating seniors who embody the mission and values of the Department of English.

english student earns marshall scholarship

Emily Steffke, an Honors College senior majoring in neuroscience in the College of Natural Science and English in the College of Arts and Letters, has been named a Marshall Scholar. The Marshall Commission provides support for up to 50 of the most outstanding undergraduates in the country …

Spring 2023 Graduate Shares Experiences Working Remotely for Company in Ireland

Ryan Chaben, a Spring 2023 Michigan State University graduate with a B.A. in English, recently shared her experiences as a Spartan with the College of Arts & Letters’ Excel Network and the Department of English for its 2023 Senior Spotlight. Among the many impactful experiences highlighted was working as a consultant for MSU’s Writing Center […]

Summer Fellowships Support Study and Research in Latin America and the Caribbean

Six College of Arts & Letters students have received summer fellowship from the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies (CLACS) at Michigan State University to pursue education abroad, language study, or field research in Latin America and the Caribbean during summer 2023. The following is the list of recipients from the College of Arts […]

The Plot Pilot: MSU’s Pivotal Role in Blockbuster Career

Four years after graduating from Michigan State University with a B.A. in English, Jack Epps Jr. met with Jim Cash, his former screenwriting instructor who also earned his B.A. in English from MSU, at the MSU Union Grill. The duo discussed movie ideas and decided to join forces. They went on to write ’80s and […]