Frequently Asked Questions

What can I do with an English Major?

The Department of English adheres to a mission statement based in the liberal arts.  Our faculty are dedicated to helping you learn, but that doesn't mean that they ignore preparation for life after academia.  The English major is a versatile course of study capable of preparing students for a a variety of career paths.  Curious about what past CSB/SJU English majors have done after leaving Collegeville and St. Joseph?  Take a minute to look at the Career Services' Web site and see how English students are prepared for just about anything. 

How do I learn about graduate school?

Graduate school files are located in the English department on both the CSB and SJU campuses.  These files contain information on graduate schools which are highly recommended for their English graduate programs. Students may review the files and check out information.  For further information, contact Bev Radaich at her CSB office, Richarda N28, extension 5175, or her SJU office, Quad 354A, extension 3552.

To see a list of recommended graduate schools, click here.

How do I learn about internship opportunities and guidelines?

Any internship approved by the English Department must be designed to utilize the skills of the English major.

The student must have successfully completed at least 20 English credits including Advanced Writing (English 311) before beginning the internship.

If the internship develops skills outside those addressed in the English major, the student should look into splitting credits between English and another appropriate department.  At the discretion of the Chair and the moderator, a maximum of 4 English credits can be granted to a student undertaking an internship.

Although the internship carries English credit, these internship credits may not be counted toward the English major unless the student completes the internship near the end of her or his academic career.  Under these circumstances, four such credits may be used to fulfill the capstone requirement.

The student must ordinarily initiate the application process by talking to the English faculty moderator at least two semesters before beginning the internship.

Proposals:

Students must present to their moderator a bibliography of works related to their desired internship work no later than the first two weeks of the internship.

During the internship, students must keep a journal of their work experience.  This journal, together with annotations of the bibliography mentioned above, should be included in a portfolio of all the writing the student has done in the course of the internship.  The faculty moderator will review this portfolio periodically.

Students must be able to demonstrate progressive learning in their internships.  Students should not be doing the same things at the same levels at the end of the term that they did at the beginning.  Instead, students must show an increase in the kind and/or level of work they are doing.

Students are responsible for providing their site supervisor with copies of these guidelines as well as the general CSB/SJU internship guidelines.  You can also contact the Internship Office with any questions you may have.

What help is available for students in writing?

The College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University provide Writing Centers on their respective campuses in order to give students with extra help when compiling their essays, short stories, and research papers.  To learn more about what these centers have to offer please click on the following link: CSB/SJU Writing Centers 

For information about the Writing Centers, please contact Ms. Jane Opitz.

If I major in English, can I also participate in a Study Abroad Program?

The Department of English encourages any interested students to pursue studying abroad.  Classes fulfilling requirements for English majors and minors can be taken while in the Australia, British, China, Cork, Greco-Roman, Irish, and South Africa programs.  Additional information about international learning opportunities can be found here.  Any specific questions regarding the transfer of credits from study abroad programs to the English Department can be directed to Department Secretary, Bev Radaich.