Department of English

Dean: Peter Dorsey

University Professor: Carol L. Hinds

Professors: Peter Dorsey, Indrani Mitra

Associate Professors: Thomas Bligh, Sarah K. Scott, David Z. Wehner

Assistant Professors: Jack Dudley, Sean G. Lewis, Jordan Loveridge

Students in the English program explore the ways literature represents human experience and the relationship between literature and the world. Specialized electives are devoted to creative writing, to the study of the English language, and to the study of the literatures of a variety of periods and places. The department offers courses in the literature of Britain and Europe, the United States, and many other regions of the world. Study of traditional forms such as lyric, drama, and prose fiction is complemented by investigations of autobiography, essays, diaries, and film. The cultural and literary analysis practiced in English courses, together with the writing skills developed in them, helps prepare students for responsible citizenship and careers in diverse fields, including journalism, law, publishing, government service, public relations, teaching, and business. Faculty counsel students interested in secondary-school teaching, graduate school, law school, and other professional study.

The core curriculum at Mount St. Mary’s is designed to enable students to become informed heirs and active makers of their culture. Literary study contributes to this goal by helping students see the varieties of cultural life; the connections between literature and religious, political, and social practices; and the distinctive ways in which language and literary forms make sense of our experience.

Students who major in English will learn

To enjoy the beauty of literary expression.
To analyze critically traditional and non-traditional texts, including diverse voices within them.
To study genres, modes, and literary periods of British, American, and world literatures.
To produce analytical and argumentative writing with an awareness of audience and a mastery of standard written English.
To engage in literary research using databases and secondary sources.
To explore the relationship between language and culture in order to become responsible citizens within American society and the larger world.