English
The English major and minor challenge students with a wide range of courses appealing to the aesthetic as well as the practical nature of humanity, preparing them for the finest graduate programs, qualifying prospective teachers, and providing students a strong liberal arts foundation for a professional career.
Union's creative writing program is one of the nation's best. Each year we bring in nationally known writers, who conduct master-classes with our students. Our literary magazine, The Torch, consistently takes top prizes at a competition sponsored by Columbia University.
Our students have a very high acceptance rate in graduate programs and have completed graduate programs in English literature, creative writing, seminary, law school, and medical school. Recent alumni have been accepted at fine graduate and professional schools: Yale, the University of Virginia, Vanderbilt University, Ohio State, Washington University, New York University, Stanford, University of Massachusetts, the University of Georgia, the University of Louisville, and many more. Many have received fellowship offers to support their graduate work.
Most courses in the major follow a seminar format, with 12-15 students. All majors complete a senior thesis under the direction of a faculty member. This approach allows for the intensive mentoring of all majors.