Department of English: Literature, Teaching, Pre-Law, and Creative & Professional Writing
Join Team English! Tracing our literary roots to Charles W. Chesnutt, the first great African American novelist, we are the department that helps our students to create their own destinies. Now a nationally recognized university online program, in fall of 2023 FSU's English program received recognition as one of the top ten English Online programs in the nation by Forbes Advisor Education team. Strong reading, writing, speaking, and critical thinking skills afford English: Literature, Teaching, Pre-Law, and Creative & Professional Writing (ETLW) majors with the ability to succeed at numerous careers or advanced degree programs, including law school or at a job in education, advertising, publilc relations, human resources, sales departments, marketing, finance, journalism, publishing, editing, technical writing, the arts, in effect at an array of corporate, government, and profit/nonprofit sectors. English majors are in high demand as they are needed in every institution, organization, and company.
Students who opt for an English major may earn the English Language & Literature (BA) degree along with the possibility of three additional/optional concentrations that offer a specific focus: Teaching Licensure Concentration (Secondary English 9-12), Pre-Law Concentration, and Creative & Professional Writing Concentration. FSU’s English online degree program allows students to complete upper-division (junior and senior level) courses online.
As of August 2023, Forbes Education Advisor has named Fayetteville State University’s online English Program one of “the best online English degrees" because of its “relatively high retention rate, relatively high socioeconomic diversity, and low average annual net price for students receiving Federal Aid,” and, as the Forbes Advisor Education team puts it, "Forbes is committed to bringing our readers unbiased rankings and trustworthy, informative articles” (Habas, Beagle, Forbes Best).
Announcements
Department of English: Literature, Teaching, Pre-Law, and Creative & Professional Writing
Who needs something to do this summer? If we are amenable to a student internship, the North Carolina Real Estate Commission (NCREC) has two positions for which we might apply! The Commission's flyer notes that one position works with the accounting department while the other works with the education department. This six-week internship will be onsite at their Raleigh Office. To qualify students must be "at least a rising sophomore," will receive "Competitive pay [...] $20.00" an hour, and gain "valuable insight and experience in State government." FSU students will be trained on the job and in the field. Please contact Minerva Mims at (919) 875-3700. If anyone needs a letter of recommendation or help with interview strategies, feel free to contact me, Dr. Micki Nyman - mnyman@uncfsu.edu - to set up a meeting.
Eastern Illinois University, EIU, located in Charleston, IL, has written us, seeking appllicants into their Master's Program. EIU's Master's program in English is known for offering: small class sizes, a fully face-to-face format, a fully online format, or a combination of the two. EIU's fully online program is popular with working professionals, including English Language Arts teachers who seek the MA as professional development. In addition, EIU offers many on-campus graduate assistantships (GAs) who begin their program with taking a first-semester practicum in Writing Center Pedagogy and working as writing consultants. Afterwards, GAs take a Mentored Composition Teaching seminar in whicch they shadow a veteran writing instructor for an entire semester. This experience qualifies them to apply to teach solo during their second year in the program. EIU's MA English graduates have many options to choose from, including: tenure-trak jobs at two-year colleges, admission to good Ph.D. programs, and in various other professions. EIU provides indiviualized, in-person advising to help students meet their academic and professional goals. If you are interested, please contact Professor Marjorie Worthington. Dr. Worthington is also happy to meet with interested students via Zoom.
North Carolina Central University, located in Durham, NC, welcomes graduate applications in their Master's English program. The Department of Language & Literature at North Carolina Central University is recruiting graduating undergraduates into its English Master's Program. As the nation's first state-funded college of liberal arts for African Americans, NCCU has a long tradition of educating some of the country's brightest students. The English MA program provides a comprehensive education in literary study; the program is designed to foster thorough scholarship and to develop a student's ability to pursue independent research. To learn more information or to apply to the program, please contact Dr. Nathan Dixon
The Writers Club held their final student-focused event, a Poetry Slam reading in Room 238 of FSU's Student Center, RJSC, Tuesday, April 22 from 7 - 9 pm. Students read poetry, socialized, and everyone in attendance voted for their favorite poets/presenters, won cash prizes and enjoyed snacks and beverages. A good time was had by all! Consider joining the Writers Club by signing up on the Writers Club member page on Bronco Advantage today, and stop by our booth at the Student Fair in Fall of 2025!- bring a poetry selection from your favorite author to read or your own work. Snacks and beverages will be provided. Please contact our President Annica Funchess or Dr Micki Nyman, mnyman@uncfsu.edu,with any questions, or feel free to sign up for The Writers Club through Bronco Advantage. One of our members, FSU English major, Remy Pleasant, is currently creating a university magazine proposal with plans to feature the work of two FSU student writers. Please contact Remy Pleasant if interested in having your work published.
UNC-Chapel Hill Senior, Mila Mascenik, the editorial assistant at The Vincent Brothers Review, an independent literary magazine in Chapel Hill shares with us that "TVBR's 'Waves' - themed short story contest is opened to FSU student writers. Ms. Mascenik tells me, "we have an important update to share about the contest: we are now accepting submissions through Submittable until April 30, 2025. Please share this news with students, faculty, and appropriate organizations through listservs, newsletters, and other means. It would be much appreciated!" Feel free to contact Mila Mascenik with any questions.
Dr. Brenda Hammack has published the 15th edition of Glint Literary Journal that "features poetry, short fiction, creative nonfiction, visual art, and hybrid genre work by 46 contributors from around the world." Dr. Hammack has expressed gratitude to the "editorial board who read during the early summer. Dr. Hammack tells us "students are encouraged to contact her if they are interested in intervninng or reviewing. FSU's Writing Center Heather Bass has published a book review in Glint as well as FSU student Krestine Whaley. Submissions are now open for Glint's 16th edition.
What does an FSU degree in English offer?
The great variety of English courses we offer prepare our students for law school and for careers in teaching, technical writing, publishing, public relations, marketing, finance, news media, and the arts. Our graduates are editors, lawyers, community organizers, entrepreneurs, and educators—some alumni even teach overseas.
An Epic Major
From Chaucer to Chesnutt, “Beowulf” to Batman, and Romanticism to rap, English is epic in variety, vitality, and versatility. Just as books are windows to the world, English opens doors to a myriad of careers. Witness English majors Clarence Thomas, a U.S. Supreme Court Justice, and Reese Witherspoon, the Academy Award-winning actor who played a lawyer onscreen in Legally Blonde.
Studying English can lead to law school, but strong reading, writing, speaking, analyzing, and researching skills can make a job in education, advertising, public relations, marketing, finance, journalism, publishing, editing, technical writing, the arts, or the public or non-profit sectors happen. Many English majors fashion careers that serve their abilities and proclivities, including teaching in Europe or China.
Building on the legacy of Charles Chesnutt, the first great African American novelist and former FSU leader, the Department of English offers programs and curricula that explore the relationship among language, literature, history, culture, and new media. We offer a Bachelor of Arts in English Language and Literature, with optional concentrations in Pre-Law, Teaching Secondary English 9-12 with Licensure, Teaching English as a Second Language, and Creative & Professional Writing. Our innovative/interative classes are taught by faculty who are distinguished scholars, experienced editors, and award-winning authors.
Our Department seeks to equip students with research, communication, and critical thinking skills in preparation for diverse, innovative, and global career options in fields ranging from education and law to business and the non-profit sector. The English Department incorporates high-impact practices, such as service learning, internships in marketing and publishing, and a senior culminating experience into its curriculum in its ongoing efforts to provide our students with high-quality teaching as well as practical and innovative training within the discipline. This approach helps to ensure that students are both engaged with the field’s history and with its most cutting-edge trends, while also demonstrating the value of the humanities within the wider communities of Cumberland County, the state of North Carolina, and beyond.
Through pedagogy grounded in current trends in the digital humanities and cultural studies, as well as innovative scholarship on topics ranging from political rhetoric and African-American aesthetics to medieval literature, our mission is to stress the value of the humanities and the flexibility of the English major while providing a solid liberal arts education for our students.
