You go English Majors!

So while my doctorate is in English Education, and while half the courses I teach are required courses for secondary English Education majors, the reality is that I am an English Professor in an English Department.  And while I couldn't be happier at the variety of courses I teach, I am often asked by people "What can you do with an English Degree?"  I am constantly stating how English majors are typically well versed in reading and writing, something that ANY career requires.  The path may be less direct than it is for a Business or Technology major, but every job out there, in one way or another, requires reading and writing.  But I always forget, that there's more to it that that, which is why I am so happy to have found this article which essentially suggests that there is a lot of complex cognition going on in the department of English.  In other words, yes, there is a lot of reading and writing, but there is so much more than that, as the authors suggest.  Creativity, does have value.  That's the number one reason why I went into English Education.  If I can't find creative ways to teach and assess...then I'm not happy.  But not everyone that majors in English wants to be an educator.

Give the article a read if you are interested in majoring in English or if you are curious as to why the major has value, or especially if you know someone who is interested in majoring in English.  Like I said earlier...the career path may not be direct....but there are a multitude of positions out there that require complex thinking and analysis, skills that all English majors acquire.