Bachelor of English at Rochester Institute of Technology

Are you interested in a 21st-century English degree? 

Technology affects how we write, tell stories, and analyze literature. And there's no better place to explore the fusion of technology and English than at RIT. Our English bachelor's degree grounds you in critical thinking, writing, and making, all while preparing you with digital tools as well as the soft and hard skills that impress employers. With concentrations in creative writing, linguistics, or literature and media, the English major offers more than 70 courses for you to choose from. In addition to traditional literature, you'll study what interests you.

Our faculty offer exploration in fantasy worlds, Twitter bots, social justice, Afrofuturism, transgender poetics, graphic novels, Twine interactive game fictions, speech technologies, the rhetoric of science and terror, digital poems, and dangerous texts. You'll gain expertise in articulating your innovative ideas, building collaborative teams, managing projects, creating powerful messaging that gets results, providing critiques and feedback, making intelligent and ethical arguments and decisions, and speaking in ways that make you stand out.

Preparing You for Today's Dynamic Careers

Today's emerging careers require English language expertise, writing, and analytic skills paired with computer science, new media, linguistics, animation, and more. Today's writers are also content creators who use digital tools to communicate a range of messages across a variety of platforms and collaborate with game designers, animators, scientists, engineers, and digital media strategists. 

In the English bachelor's degree, we introduce you to digital tools which interface with the study of language, literature, and media. Additionally, your English degree includes professional electives in any area you choose, which empowers you to customize your English degree around your career goals. You'll have access to a range of computing and tech courses and the world-renowned faculty who teach them.

Are you interested in writing for video games? Your professional courses can come from RIT's major in game design and development.

Do you have a passion for science? Choose professional electives from our majors in biology, biomedical sciences, physics, and more.

In RIT's English degree, you will learn:

• Writing–Gain a complete command of the English language, including grammar, rhetoric, and argument. This gives you an edge in all types of writing, from effective presentations to video game text, and everything in between.
• Storytelling–Learn to tell smart, moving stories about yourself, your organization, your clients, or the products you're tasked with selling.
• Digital Creation and Literacy–Become an expert in creating, reading, and interpreting digital content, developing skills that combine writing and tech, using digital tools for textural analysis, and more.
• Close Reading, Critical Analysis, Interpretation–Articulate deep knowledge and understanding of all kinds of media, concepts, and theories, as you interpret difficult concepts, analyze and defend positions, and provide and accept constructive criticism.
• Communication–Gain expertise in nuance and subtext, and the different modes of writing and speaking in traditional and digital formats. You'll also understand how to assess different audiences in order to strike the proper tone and articulate ideas in clear yet sophisticated ways.
• Cultural Literacy–Learn about the power of language and its role in creating cultural meaning. You'll learn how different social and cultural contexts affect language and meaning, and learn about different cultures through their media traditions, from major literary works and genres to critical traditions.
• Research–Master a variety of research methods, including digital tools and data methodologies, specific to English majors, as well as presentation techniques.
• Organization–Attain the skills needed to work independently and in teams, manage projects, set schedules, meet and manage deadlines, organize projects, execute planning and research, lead and participate in discussions, and present ideas and information.

Concentrations

RIT's English BS offers three concentrations that provide you with an opportunity to tailor your degree around your interest and career aspirations.  

Creative Writing–At RIT, creative writing is more than writing poetry, fiction, and non-fiction. We analyze, write, and revise the traditional and innovative writing that inspires you. With a concentration in Creative Writing, you'll learn how to analyze and write in multiple genres and forms, including worldbuilding, digital creative writing, and playwriting. You'll roll dice to create characters and build your own scent bags to enhance your perceptual capabilities. With our organizational affiliations to RIT Storytellers, Mental Graffiti, Signatures Arts and Literary Magazine, and the digital literature journal gl-ph, you can gain valuable professional experience at the same time that you expand and refine your writing horizons.

Linguistics–Linguistics is the scientific study of language and how it's shaped by social factors, how the human brain processes language, how languages developed over time and human evolution, and more. In RIT's English department, our faculty are experts in computational linguistics, a cutting-edge and highly paid field at the intersection of language, linguistics, and computing.

Literature and Media–Literature involves reading and analyzing meaningful works of writing to dissect and understand their historical, cultural and literary significance. In this concentration, you'll examine a range of works, both classical and contemporary, to expand your critical thinking, analytical, and interpretive knowledge of writing and text. While you'll study Shakespeare, Austen, and Morrison, you'll also dive into everything from graphic novels to banned books, from anime to the works of rapper and Pulitzer Prize winner Kendrick Lamar. Add to that hands-on experience with the digital tools that English majors need, and you'll be able to pursue your specific interests at the same time you're setting yourself up for professional life.

English as a Double Major

Are you interested in pairing an English degree with your interests in programming, computing, law, foreign language, business, or the arts? With its focus on writing, critical thinking, and communication, an English degree deepens your expertise in both areas and broadens your skill set for a career in a range of dynamic fields. An English degree can complement the following RIT majors:

• Applied Modern Language and Culture
• Business Degrees
• Computer Science BS
• Criminal Justice BS 
• Digital Humanities and Social Sciences BS
• Film and Animation BFA
• Game Design and Development BS
• Human-Centered Computing BS
• Illustration BFA
• Marketing BS
• New Media Interactive Development BS

In addition, an English bachelor's degree is an excellent major for those wishing to pursue careers in law or medicine. RIT's Pre-Law and Pre-Med programs provide academic advising and guidance on course selection to help you build the core competencies needed to become a strong candidate for admission to law school, medical school, or graduate programs in the health professions.

Study Abroad

Opportunities to study abroad enhance your understanding of global cultures. Students may study full-time at a variety of host schools and are able to select courses in their major as well as liberal arts courses. Visit RIT Global to learn more about the range of study abroad programs available, including opportunities at RIT's global campuses in China, Croatia, Kosovo, and Dubai. Recent English study abroad programs have taken place in France, Croatia, and Portugal.

RIT's Pre-Law Program

Law schools welcome applications from students majoring in a wide range of academic programs. RIT's pre-law program will help you navigate the admission process for law school, explore a range of legal careers, and guide you through course selection to ensure you build the skills and competencies required of competitive law school applicants. The program is open to students in all majors who are interested in pursuing a career in law.

RIT/Syracuse University College of Law 3+3 Option

RIT has partnered with Syracuse University's College of Law to offer an accelerated 3+3 BS/JD option for highly capable students. This option provides a fast-track pathway to law school in which students earn a bachelor's degree and a Juris Doctorate degree in six years. In the 3+3 option, students may apply to the option directly. Successful applicants are offered admission to RIT and given conditional acceptance into Syracuse University's College of Law.

RIT's English degree is one of the approved majors for the 3+3 option. Learn more about the RIT/Syracuse University College of Law 3+3 Option, including admission requirements and frequently asked questions.

Combined Accelerated Bachelor's/Master's Degrees

Today's careers require advanced degrees grounded in real-world experience. RIT's Combined Accelerated Bachelor's/Master's Degrees enable you to earn both a bachelor's and a master's degree in as little as five years of study, all while gaining the valuable hands-on experience that comes from co-ops, internships, research, study abroad, and more.

+1 MBA: Students who enroll in a qualifying undergraduate degree have the opportunity to add an MBA to their bachelor's degree after their first year of study, depending on their program. Learn how the +1 MBA can accelerate your learning and position you for success.