UB Programs At-A-Glance

English

Department of English
College of Arts and Sciences
306 Clemens Hall
North Campus
Buffalo, NY 14260-4610

Phone: 716.645.2575
Fax: 716.645.5980
Web: cas.buffalo.edu/english

Cristanne Miller
Chair

Susan Eilenberg
Director of Undergraduate Studies

About the Program

English students explore the expressive power of language primarily through a comprehensive study of the English and American literary tradition; however, this focus often broadens to include other verbal arts, such as drama, folklore, film and video, and foreign works in English translation. Some students also develop their creativity through select courses that emphasize the writing of poetry, prose fiction, and autobiography, as well as playwriting. Our diverse faculty aim to help students become critical readers and writers. Critical readers employ analytical skills of close reading, historical contextualization, and theoretical reflection. Critical writers synthesize the results of their analyses into coherent and original critical essays.

About Our Degrees

Acceptance Criteria

Minimum GPA of 2.0.
Completion of the university writing skills requirement.
Two 200-level literature courses (202-299) with a minimum GPA in those courses of 2.5.
Students should bring their current UB DARS report directly to the English department.

Acceptance Information

Deadlines: Rolling

Degree Requirements

See the Undergraduate Catalog.

About Our Courses

We limit enrollment into our lower­ and upper-division courses so that we can offer good students the rare chance to study in a proper intimate environment of students and teachers. We offer courses both in traditional areas of literary studies and in cross­disciplinary approaches to literary texts so that students may use English as a general preparation for any career that requires writing skills, literacy, research methods, and cultural awareness.

Working poets and novelists teach literary classes; distinguished critics offer seminars from Beowulf to best-sellers. Courses in literature and psychology, literature and the law, and cultural studies also further the department’s commitment to the methods and insights of diverse fields.

The typical class size for:

Freshman/introductory courses is: 24
Lower and upper level courses is: 40-45
Honors seminars is: 12-15

In the Department of English, what do teaching assistants (TA's) do?

TA's teach the freshman composition sequence (ENG 101 - ENG 201), and some 200-level literature courses.

Suggested Introductory Courses


For course descriptions, please see the Undergraduate Catalog.

About Our Faculty

The English department has been consistently ranked in the top thirty English departments in the United States. The faculty consists of nationally and internationally prominent scholars who also take teaching very seriously; six faculty members have won the prestigious SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching.

We recommend that students meet with the Director of Undergraduate Studies (303 Clemens Hall, 716-645-2575), to discuss their future program and the requirements of the department.

See a list of our undergraduate faculty.


Practical Experience and Special Academic Opportunities

Notable Program Features

The English Department physically houses the Center for the Study of Psychoanalysis and Culture, an interdisciplinary research center which studies various aspects of Freudian theory. It also houses the North American Centre for Interdisciplinary Poetics, a web-based free exchange Poetics forum. The English Department regularly sponsors readings and events like the Poetics Plus Poetry Series, Exhibit X Fiction Series, Early Modern Reading Group, and the Buffalo Film Seminars. Each of these provides students with an interesting opportunity to learn about specific aspects of poetry, literature and film, and, often, the chance to meet famous writers in each field.

Undergraduate Research and Practical Experience

The English Department is one of three collaborating departments (along with Communication and Media Study) which are a part of the relatively new Journalism Certificate Program. This program provides students with a strong educational foundation in writing and reporting for publication, emphasizing hands-on workshops and internships designed to transition students into the professional world.
Students in the English Department not only learn to write critically but can test their skills at writing fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. They may participate in internship opportunities by writing for student publications as well as for outside media outlets.

Internships
The English department awards academic credit to students who submit an acceptable writing internship proposal for work either on campus or in the community, and who successfully complete their chosen project.

Honors, Awards, and Scholarships

Honors Program
The English department offers an honors program for serious students who enjoy doing intensive work and would like the challenge and excitement of exchanging ideas and research with fellow students and instructors in a seminar setting. Planning and writing a thesis is another opportunity the honors program offers. Students may qualify for the honors program when they are accepted into the English major if (1) they have taken at least two lower­-division and two upper-division English department courses with a minimum GPA of 3.5, and (2) they submit a writing sample.


George Knight Houpt Prize
Awarded to a graduating English major who has exhibited excellence and proficiency in his or her work in the English department. The prize is $150. Criteria include a high GPA in English, high overall GPA, recommendations from faculty, and a piece of written work submitted by the student.

Arthur Axlerod Memorial Award
This prize is for poetry only and is open to all University at Buffalo undergraduates. There are two prizes of $150 each.

Scribblers Prize
For the best piece of creative writing by an undergraduate woman. The prize is $150.

The Joyce Carol Oates Prize
The prize of $200 is for the best piece of fiction by a university undergraduate or graduate student.

The Albert Cook, Mac Hammond, and John Logan Prizes
Awarded for the best offerings in poetry, fiction, or drama. There are three prizes of $500 each.

The English Department Essay Contest
The prize of $200 is for the best critical essay written in a U.B. undergraduate English class (other than ENG 101, ENG 102, or ENG 201).

Extracurricular Activities

The English Department regularly sponsors readings and events like the Poetics Plus Poetry Series, Exhibit X Fiction Series, Early Modern Reading Group, and the Buffalo Film Seminars. Each of these provides students with an interesting opportunity to learn about specific aspects of poetry, literature, and film, and, often the chance to meet famous writers in each field.

See the UB Student Association.

Complementary Programs and Courses

Career Information and Further Study

Skills gained in this program include:

  • Writing: Writing creatively, creating persuasive messages, using precise language, assessing an audience, presenting specific viewpoints, writing concisely, drafting documents, and editing.
  • Research: Defining problems, establishing hypotheses, gathering information, using original sources, interpreting data, summarizing and presenting information, and evaluating results.
  • Critical Thinking: Thinking independently, reading critically, understanding components of complex problems, perceiving patterns/structures, comparing/contrasting, synthesizing themes, and summarizing ideas.


Career Choices

  • Admissions representative
  • Advertising specialist
  • Author
  • Broadcaster
  • Editor/publisher
  • Educator
  • Film/arts critic
  • Freelance writer
  • Grant writer
  • Journalist
  • Lawyer
  • Legislative assistant
  • Librarian
  • Market research analyst
  • Paralegal
  • Public relations director
  • Radio production assistance
  • Scientific/technical writer
  • Screenwriter
  • Speech writer
  • Writer’s agent


Alumni in English have found employment in the following ways:

Many of our students go to graduate school in English, law, business, library science, and social work. Others receive teacher certification and teach high school. Still others work in business and media.

What percentage of undergraduates goes on to find related employment?

70%

Work settings include:

  • Advertising agencies
  • Book publishers
  • Chambers of commerce
  • Consumer action groups
  • Educational institutions
  • Government agencies
  • Health and human service organizations
  • Large companies
  • Law firms
  • Literary agencies
  • Magazines
  • Newspapers
  • Political offices
  • Printing firms
  • Public interest organizations
  • Public libraries
  • Radio/television stations
  • Research institutions
  • Theatres
  • Tutoring services


Salary Information

Salaries range greatly from one occupation, position, and work setting to another. According to the April 1998 NACE national salary survey for bachelor's degree graduates, English graduates' salaries averaged $28,129 and ranged from $20,000 to $40,000.

What percentage of undergraduates goes on to graduate school?

20%

Links to Further Information About This Program

Last Modified: Tuesday, 7-Nov-2006 10:26:07 EST