The English major at Rollins uses literary texts, film, television, and popular culture to equip you with transferable skills in research, analysis, teamwork, and written and oral communication.

You’ll develop these skills through our flexible curriculum alongside core knowledge that spans time, continents, and genres. Pursuing the careful work of interpretation and cultivating powers of argument and inquiry will hone your competencies as an adept critical reader and expert writer prepared to excel in virtually any career—from business and marketing to education, health care, and law.


Why Study English at Rollins

  1. Writing 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.

  2. Develop In-Demand Skills

    Rather than focus on survey courses, our developmental learning model builds a foundation of skills that employers want—from critical thinking and collaborative problem solving to persuasive speaking and writing.

  3. Grow As a Creative Storyteller

    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?

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Robert Vezina

“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.”

Robert Vezina ’12

Associate Attorney, Vinson & Elkins


Rollins English Careers

Rollins English grads are making tomorrow happen at some of the world’s most innovative organizations.

  • Kristen Arnett

    Kristen Arnett ’12

    Author,
  • Michael van den Berg

    Michael van den Berg ’12

    General Counsel, Le Tote
  • Chelsea Jane Cutchens

    Chelsea Jane Cutchens ’13

    Editor, ABRAMS
  • Destiny Reyes

    Destiny Reyes ’17

    Associate, Weil, Gotshal & Manges
  • Eddie Huang

    Eddie Huang ’04

    Author,
  • Renee Stone

    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.

  • Orlando Weekly
  • Barnies Coffee and Tea
  • Edible Orlando
  • Orlando Style
  • Orlando Ballet
Professor and students in a class discussion at a Rollins outdoor classroom

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.

Take a Closer Look

Popular Courses


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.”

Gigi Nappi ’21

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

Visiting Writers Every year, the English department brings prominent local and national writers to campus to perform readings and conduct student writing workshops and master classes.

Department Events Faculty and students regularly come together to celebrate. The department hosts movie screenings, career preparation workshops, faculty-student dinners (at a faculty member’s home); team trivia nights; and poetry competitions.

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.

Ingrid Ryan ’24

July 11, 2022

Ryan ’24 Earns Leadership Alliance Award

Ingrid Ryan ’24 has been selected for a prestigious program through the Leadership Alliance, which has paired her with a political science internship at Columbia University.

From left: Virginia Breen and her daughter Elizabeth Bonker ’22

May 05, 2022

Raising Her Voice

Elizabeth Bonker ’22 long struggled to communicate with a world that didn’t always understand or accept her. Now, armed with her Rollins education, she’s starting a nonprofit to bring communication assistance to those affected by non-speaking autism.

February 28, 2022

Rollins Named Top Producer of Fulbright Students for 10th Time

Rollins’ focus on global citizenship, study abroad, and responsible leadership has once again earned the College a spot in the top producers of Fulbright Students.


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

Carnegie Hall
1000 Holt Ave. – 2766
Winter Park, FL 32789

Telephone: 407.646.2666

Fax: 407.628.6309

Visit the Department of English Website

Contact English Professors

  • Vidhu Aggarwal

    Vidhu Aggarwal, PhD

    Theodore Lawrence and Barbara Alfond Professor

    Research interests: Contemporary and modernist poetry and poetics, with specialties in visual culture and Anglophone literatures

  • William Boles

    William Boles, PhD

    Jeanette McKean Professor

    Research interests: Drama

  • Victoria Brown

    Victoria Brown, MFA

    Associate Professor

    Research interests: Fiction and creative nonfiction, transnational literature with a focus on contemporary Caribbean writers and post-colonial theory

  • Martha Cheng

    Martha Cheng, PhD

    Professor

    Research interests: Rhetorical theory, argumentation, visual rhetoric, discourse studies, and professional writing

  • Matthew Forsythe

    Matthew Forsythe, PhD

    Assistant Professor

    Research interests: Fiction and creative nonfiction, American literature, the wilderness, and the elusive narrator in 20th-century fiction

  • Ben Hudson

    Ben Hudson, PhD

    Assistant Professor

    Research interests: 19th-century British literature, aestheticism, sexuality studies, and the intellectual history of amateurism

  • Suzanne Jamir

    Suzanne Jamir, PhD

    Visiting Assistant Professor

    Research interests: Creative writing

  • Jill Jones

    Jill Jones, PhD

    Professor

    Research interests: 19th- and 20th-century American literature, African American literature, women writers, and autobiography

  • Lucy Littler

    Lucy Littler, PhD

    Senior Lecturer

    Research interests: 20th-century American literature, including American exceptionalism and the meanings of race in contemporary American culture

  • Jana Mathews

    Jana Mathews, PhD

    Professor; Co-Director, Pre-Law Advising

    Research interests: Medieval and Early Modern Literature and Culture; material culture studies; sororities and fraternities in higher education

  • Paul Reich

    Paul Reich, PhD

    Professor

    Research interests: Late 19th- and 20th-century American literature, African American literature, the American West, and popular culture

  • Emily Russell

    Emily Russell, PhD

    Kenneth L. Curry Professor

    Research interests: Medical humanities, disability studies, 20th-century American literature

  • Sharif Youssef

    Sharif Youssef, JD, PhD

    Visiting Assistant Professor

    Research interests: British literature, legal studies

  • Anne Zimmermann

    Anne Zimmermann, MFA

    Lecturer

    Research interests: American literature, creative writing, rhetoric and composition