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.
News
July 1, 2026
Olufunke Grace Bankole wins the VCU Cabell First Novelist Award for ‘The Edge of Water’
She will receive the prize, which is now in its 25th year, during a public event at VCU on Nov. 12.
June 4, 2026
In ‘After Jail, Before Freedom,’ VCU author David Coogan revisits his co-authors
The English professor’s new sequel to ‘Writing Our Way Out’ continues exploring incarceration, and its aftermath, through storytelling.
June 2, 2026
Two current VCU students, two recent alums receive prestigious Fulbright awards
The selections continue VCU’s upward trend of honorees in the federal cultural exchange program.
English Spotlight
New accelerated bachelor's-to-master's degree in English
If you're interested in fast-tracking your advanced education, the accelerated B.A. and M.A. program is for you.
Meet Tess
Tess Stalls' love for working with children and helping others inspired her to study English. Visit our 'Meet a Student' page to read more about Tess' favorite classes, favorite professors and a study abroad trip that will help her complete her studies and prepare for her future.
Blackbird: an online journal of literature and the arts
Blackbird: an online journal of literature and the arts was founded in 2001 by the Department of English at Virginia Commonwealth University and New Virginia Review, Inc. The nationally recognized open-access journal features work by new and established writers and provides internship opportunities for students at both the undergraduate and graduate level.
British Virginia
British Virginia is a VCU-hosted series of scholarly editions of documents touching on the colony. These texts range from the 16th and 17th-century literature of English exploration to the 19th-century writing of loyalists and other Virginians who continued to identify with Great Britain. Editions appear principally in digital form, freely downloadable.