Bachelor's program in English

Today's business leaders value English majors who can think critically, write clearly and communicate effectively.

"The awesome part about [the English] major is its flexibility…The skills you learn can be applied to a ton of different industries-from business, education, government and research, to publishing, entertainment, media and communication…Why all the career options? It's simple: English majors know how to communicate. And that's a vital talent for all kinds of jobs. You write well, organize ideas in a logical way and create strong arguments. Add razor-sharp analytical thinking, a good dose of creativity and awesome research skills, and you've got the makings of a great career." — Inside Jobs, 2013

Careers for English majors

  • Law - forensic linguistics, business, criminal
  • Technology - software engineering and app development
  • Business and marketing - advertising, public relations, content strategy
  • Administration - public, arts, business, education, libraries
  • The arts - entertainment, museums, galleries, performance spaces
  • Writing - journalism, freelance writing, technical writing
  • Editing and publishing - business, books, magazines, websites, podcasts
  • Teaching at all levels - elementary to graduate, including teaching English abroad
  • Medicine, social work and psychology
  • Library sciences and information services

Famous English majors

  • University of Nevada, Reno President Brian Sandoval
  • Toni Morrison, Gwendolyn Brooks, Stephen King, Julia Alvarez, Dr. Seuss
  • President Joe Biden,* First Lady Jill Biden, Barack Obama,* Senator Mitt Romney, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, Former First Lady Laura Bush, NV State Representative Selena Torres
  • Jeopardy! champion Ken Jennings, Astronaut Sally Ride, behaviorist B. F. Skinner
  • Steven Spielberg, Christopher Nolan, Martin Scorsese, James Cameron
  • Emma Watson, Shonda Rimes, Conan O’Brien, Reese Witherspoon, Harrison Ford, Vin Diesel, Matt Damon, BJ Novak, John Legend

*Minored