Why study English?

In a world resounding to the continuous drumbeat of “STEM, STEM, STEM,” to study English is to strike out on one's own.

We are a community of students and faculty dedicated to the skillful reading and writing of texts in a variety of genres, both creative and expository. Classes are small and our faculty members pride themselves on the excellence of their classroom instruction and the lasting relationships they make with their students. High-quality instruction, internship opportunities, and the opportunity to tailor the major to your intellectual and professional interests are only part of the story though.

Learn more about the value of a degree in English.

News

Students in a class focused on the poet John Milton visited historically significant sights related to the literature they were studying. Here, the group is in the Wren Library at Trinity College. (Contributed image)

Oct. 24, 2025

VCU students follow in John Milton’s footsteps — literally

Summer study abroad program from the Department of English embraces the life and times of the ‘Paradise Lost’ poet

SJ Sindu’s new graphic novel, “Tall Water,” is about an American teenager named Nimmi who is visiting Sri Lanka in 2004 when a tsunami strikes. (File photo)

Oct. 20, 2025

Family, war and a tsunami propel ‘Tall Water,’ SJ Sindu’s new graphic novel

The VCU creative writing professor from Sri Lanka says her latest work stems in part from the responsibility she feels to bear witness to ‘the horrors and the joys of the world.’

Marcel Cornis-Pop, Ph.D., a longtime English professor at VCU, died in September. Of Cornis-Pop, a former colleague said, “No one relished new ideas with more enthusiasm. And no one communicated that enthusiasm to students more genuinely.” (File photo)

Oct. 16, 2025

Marcel Cornis-Pop, a leader in VCU humanities education, dies at 79

The Romanian-born scholar served as chair of the Department of English and established the interdisciplinary doctoral program in media, art and text.

English Spotlight