English
If you’ve ever been inspired by a piece of literature, a scene from a film, or even a line of dialogue from a TV show, then you already understand the value of an English degree.
As an English major at Rollins, you’ll pursue a deeper understanding of the human condition and explore the creative endeavors of the human imagination. You’ll learn to read critically and write passionately, of course, but you’ll also listen and watch, travel and explore.
Our unique curriculum will help you develop skills to communicate ideas, analyze problems, and synthesize solutions—leaving you better prepared not just to pursue the career you want, but to be continually inspired along the way.
Why Study English at Rollins
Learn in the Real World
Our faculty-led field studies let you apply what you’re learning in class in the real world—like a week in London exploring contemporary drama or a Southern authors road trip that takes you from O’Connor’s Savannah to Faulkner’s Mississippi.
Develop In-Demand Skills
Our learning model builds a foundation of portable skills enabling your success in any career field, with an emphasis on close reading, critical thinking, effective communication, and creative and professional writing.
Investigate Across Cultural Texts
We offer flexibility in the way we investigate texts and culture, including books, films, television, drama, and other media. Studying English at Rollins teaches you to analyze storytelling and cultural practices in a variety of forms.
Interested in Studying English at Rollins?
Sign up to receive more information about living and learning at Rollins.
“Being well read and having the ability to conduct deeper analyses of the world around me has allowed my education to continue—no matter where I am or what I’m doing. In addition, the ability to write coherently—which isn’t as common as it should be—was enormously helpful when applying for law school and has been critical to my success in it.”
Rollins English Careers
Rollins English grads are making tomorrow happen at some of the world’s most innovative organizations.
Kristen Arnett ’12
Author, Mostly Dead Things
Michael van den Berg ’12
General Counsel, Le Tote
Chelsea Jane Cutchens ’13
Editor, ABRAMS
Destiny Reyes ’17
JD Candidate, Cornell Law School
Eddie Huang ’04
Author, Fresh Off the Boat and Double Cup Love; Host, Huang’s World
Renee Stone ’85
Chief of Staff, Natural Resources Defense Council
Real World Experience
Hone the knowledge and skills you’re developing in the classroom through internships and other professional experiences with some of Orlando’s top organizations.
See for Yourself
Get a feel for Rollins’ unique brand of engaged learning and personalized attention through one of our virtual or in-person visit experiences.
Popular Courses
Our diverse range of courses and flexible course requirements are designed to foster your creative thinking. You’re encouraged to create an individualized English program that reflects your interests and passions.
ENG 241 Before The Hunger Games: Dystopian Literature and Film
Study everything from Animal Farm to Wall-E while examining the conventions of this genre as well as its social and cultural anxieties, reflections, and implications.
ENG 307 Immigrants in American Literature and Film
Investigate the American immigrant experience, studying a broad range of content—from Chaplin’s The Immigrant to The Godfather and Hamilton to Trump.
ENG 233 Mean Girls in Literature and Film
Examine the cultural phenomenon of the mean girl through popular and literary American texts, including Cinderella, The Crucible, Beatrice Bobs Her Hair, and Mean Girls.
ENGW 267 Writing Books for (and with) Children
Examine the craft of writing books for children, especially picture books and chapter books for early readers. In addition to writing books for children, you’ll also partner with a child to co-author a picture book during a month-long immersion at Rollins’ Child Development Center.
ENG 345 Hemlock, Harlots and Harassment
Ancient Greek and Roman rhetoricians developed a rich theory of persuasion. Employ these theories to analyze political discourse, from speeches to tweets, from campaigning to complaining, and from aspirations to attacks.
ENG 430 Huck Finn’s Literary Kin
Explore works inspired by one of the most developed first-person narrators in American literary history. Study classics by Willa Cather and Harper Lee, and contemporary novels by Gabriel Tallent and Jesmyn Ward.
A Day in the Life of a Rollins English Major
“I have always been interested in being a writer and knew that the Rollins English major was the right place for me because of the awesome professors and small class sizes. The Rollins English department has taught me so much and has always encouraged my passion.”
Virtual Tour: Outdoor Classroom
Find out what a Rollins classroom is really like by going behind the scenes of one of English professor Jana Mathews’ creative courses in the Orlando Hall outdoor classroom.
Beyond the Classroom
Winter With the Writers Every February, Rollins hosts one of the South’s premier literary festivals with readings and workshops from some of the world’s top contemporary writers, including a pair of National Book Awards finalists. English majors do everything from organize the event to participate in master classes with the writers.
Sigma Tau Delta Members of our English honors society promote literary interest across the campus. In the past, they’ve hosted mystery-themed parties, planned movie screenings, and organized team trivia that pits students against faculty.
Brushing Our student art and literary magazine gives English majors valuable hands-on experience in the field—the chance to write, submit, edit, and publish—and it also serves as one of Rollins’ boldest creative voices.
Keep Exploring
What’s it like to be an English major at Rollins? See for yourself by exploring our game-changing courses and award-winning graduates.
August 10, 2020
Cool Class: Writing Books for & with Children
This honors course pairs students with preschoolers to explore the fine art of children’s literature—and the takeaways extend far beyond the creative process.
October 30, 2019
Success Story
As a best-selling author and a full-time librarian, Kristen Arnett ’12 is used to digging into a subject and finding her way to something new.
December 14, 2017
Blogs & Brews
A rare opportunity for first-year students to work with a real-world client delivers big gains on both sides.
Expert Faculty
Our robust English department faculty is equipped with a high number of terminal degrees in the field and a broad range of expertise in both writing and analysis.
Department of English
Telephone: 407.646.2666
Fax: 407.628.6309
Vidhu Aggarwal, PhD
Professor of English
Research interests: Contemporary and modernist poetry and poetics, with specialties in visual culture and Anglophone literatures
William Boles, PhD
Professor of English
Research interests: Drama
Victoria Brown, MFA
Associate Professor of English
Research interests: Fiction and creative nonfiction, transnational literature with a focus on contemporary Caribbean writers and post-colonial theory
Martha Cheng, PhD
Professor of English
Research interests: Rhetorical theory, argumentation, visual rhetoric, discourse studies, and professional writing
James Driggers, MFA
Lecturer of English
Research interests: Humanities, creative writing
Matthew Forsythe, PhD
Assistant Professor of English
Research interests: Fiction and creative nonfiction, American literature, the wilderness, and the elusive narrator in 20th-century fiction
Carol Frost, MA
Professor Emeritus of English
Research interests: Poetry
Ben Hudson, PhD
Assistant Professor of English
Research interests: 19th-century British literature, aestheticism, sexuality studies, and the intellectual history of amateurism
Jill Jones, PhD
Professor of English
Research interests: 19th- and 20th-century American literature, African American literature, women writers, and autobiography
Lucy Littler, PhD
Lecturer of English
20th-century American literature, including American exceptionalism and the meanings of race in contemporary American culture
Jana Mathews, PhD
Associate Professor of English; Co-Director, Pre-Law Advising
Research interests: Literature and culture of medieval and early modern England, with concentrations in alliterative poetry, legal studies, material culture, and kingship
Maurice O'Sullivan, PhD
Professor of English
Research interests: Literature and pedagogy
Amy Parziale, PhD
Visiting Assistant Professor of English
Research interests: 20th- and 21st-century multi-ethnic American literature; film, visual, and cultural studies; and the representation of trauma, disaster, and diaspora
Paul Reich, PhD
Associate Professor of English
Research interests: Late 19th- and 20th-century American literature, African American literature, the American West, and popular culture
Emily Russell, PhD
Associate Professor of English
Research interests: Medical humanities, disability studies, 20th-century American literature