Axe ’Em, Jacks!
Excel in a wide range of careers
English majors are well-prepared and uniquely suited to succeed in a range of careers. The critical and analytical skills you’ll develop, together with your exposure to a broad range of ideas, will give you the ability to communicate effectively in writing and in person. You can learn the specifics of an industry quickly and bring needed creative and strategic skills to your chosen career.
In particular, English majors have the advantage of an especially important skill set in our internet-centered world of online media and content. Opportunity and demand for educated, literate writers who can produce high-quality online content for diverse audiences will only increase.
What jobs can I get with an English degree?
The critical-thinking and communication skills you’ll develop as an English major are necessary for success in a wide variety of careers. In addition to teaching, you’ll be qualified to pursue work in professions including
- corporate communications
- creative and technical writing
- digital publishing and marketing
- financial services
- management and administration
- media, entertainment and film
- nonprofit agency work
- public relations and advertising
- social and government work.
English majors also become government speech and policy writers, broadcast journalists, bank executives, archivists, literary agents, attorneys, buyers for corporations or businesses, counselors, environmental planners, correspondents, researchers, lobbyists, politicians, fundraisers and communication specialists.
Where can a degree in English take you?
English majors develop the ability to read deeply, write clearly and think critically – three valuable skills that can help you pursue a career in nearly any industry, from business and finance to health care, entertainment and education. Want to see what kinds of careers await you? Check out the diverse career paths of some of our graduates and you’ll find award-winning entertainers, published academics and SFA’s very own president emeritus, Dr. Baker Pattillo.
Dr. Ben Click, Class of ’80 and ‘82
Professor, St. Mary’s College, Maryland
Ben Click is a professor of English at St. Mary’s College in Maryland. He is also the director of the college’s Writing and Speaking Center and the Twain Series on American Humor and Culture. Dr. Click is co-editor and contributing author of a critical reassessment of Charlie Chaplin, called Refocusing Chaplin: A Screen Icon in Critical Contexts.
Will Jennings, Class of ’67
Songwriter
Will Jennings was an American songwriter, known for writing the lyrics for "My Heart Will Go On," the theme for the film Titanic. He was inducted into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame and won several awards, including three Grammy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards and two Academy Awards.
Dr. Baker Pattillo, Class of ‘65
SFA President 2006-2018
Dr. Baker Pattillo was one of the charter members of SFA’s Sigma Tau Delta English Honorary Society chapter. He was president of Stephen F. Austin State University from 2006 through 2018.