Department of English


Department of
English
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Overview
The Department of English promotes the study of language and text within our ever evolving social and digital environments. Our students develop the skills they need to become lifelong proficient, inventive, ethical, and flexible thinkers. We inspire them to become creative and incisive, writers and makers. From Twitter poems to Scientific American articles, from Shakespeare to sentiment analysis, we encourage students to become intellectually curious, critically engaged, and socially aware.
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One major with two track options in creative writing and literature and media.
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Minors and immersions in creative writing; digital literature and comparative media; and literature and media.
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Undergraduate courses offered in creative writing; literature and media; and rhetoric.
$28K
Sponsored research (2019‑2020)
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Faculty-led study abroad opportunities in Paris, Portugal, Croatia, and Spain.
Latest News
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September 15, 2023
Students are studying gardening, pirates, and art ‘younger than the internet’ in the classroom this fall
Gardening, piracy, and contemporary art are just three of the varied topics students will delve into over this semester as part of RIT’s General Education curriculum.
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August 9, 2023
Exploring the deadly connection between Parkinson’s disease, weed killer, and misinformation
A current class action lawsuit calls into question whether information from manufacturers about the usage and safety of a chemical herbicide was deliberately misleading consumers. RIT's Amit Ray and University of Rochester's Ray Dorsey explore this issue and connect it with the sociological concept agnotology.
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June 7, 2023
Why we should care about the cost of insulin
Essay by David Martins, associate professor of rhetoric, published by the Rochester Beacon.
Degree Programs
RIT’s English BS pairs the study and production of literature, media, and language with the digital tools you need to excel in today’s professional environments.
Learn more about the English BS programRIT’s humanities, computing, and design major pairs the liberal arts with the latest tech to prepare you for careers in dynamic areas that require advanced computing and digital skills.
Learn more about the Humanities, Computing, and Design BS programMinors and Immersions
A series of creative writing courses offers students a practical, theoretical, and historical understanding of the art and craft of writing nonfiction, fiction prose, and poetry, as well as experimenting in digital storytelling and interactive media. The immersion encourages students to use these skills and insights for interdisciplinary projects and the enrichment of their careers and personal lives.
Learn more about the Creative Writing Immersion programThe creative writing courses offers students a practical, theoretical, and historical understanding of the art and craft of writing nonfiction and fiction prose and poetry, as well as experimenting in digital storytelling and interactive media. The minor encourages students to use those skills and insights for interdisciplinary projects and the enrichment of their careers and personal lives.
Learn more about the Creative Writing Minor programWe encounter digital texts and codes every time we use a smart phone, launch an app, or interact online. This immersion explores innovative and evolving questions and practices of text and code in literature, creative writing, and interactive media. It invites students to explore the social, cultural, and technological significance of text, code, and their interrelations.
Learn more about the Digital Literatures and Comparative Media Immersion programThe courses in the digital literatures and comparative media minor challenge students to think about how the digital in new comparative media affects the way we read, study, and understand literature: What happens to literature and the literary in an age of digital technology and new forms of media? Courses examine a varied collection of print genres and electronic literature in order to understand the current state of this new literary field and its relation to traditional concepts of literary study. The minor provides an entry point into investigating particular aspects of the general category of the digital and its comparative relation to the literary.
Learn more about the Digital Literatures and Comparative Media Minor programThe human language technology and computational linguistics immersion provides exposure to computational linguistics and relevant language science course work. Students gain knowledge and practical skills in computational natural language processing and technical linguistic analysis, useful for analytics and modeling with language data and for developing, evaluating, and maintaining language technology software.
Learn more about the Human Language Technology and Computational Linguistics Immersion programStudy literature and other cultural works, as well as linguistics, and creative writing. The immersion is flexible in order to accommodate student interest in areas such as specific literary historical periods or geographic areas, multimedia and the visual arts, or literary genres and forms such as science fiction, the novel, the short story, poetry. Courses in the immersion emphasize the ability to read literature and other mediums analytically and write critically.
Learn more about the Literature and Media Immersion programExplore literature and other cultural works, as well as linguistics, and creative writing. The minor familiarizes students with works composed or translated into English and provides them with the opportunity to explore a variety of historical periods and geographical regions. Courses in the minor explore literary genres such as science fiction and fantasy; literary forms such as the novel, the short story, poetry, and graphic storytelling; and literary practices across media and multimedia arts. The minor builds an awareness of methods, theories and technologies for both the creation and analysis of literary texts, and provides an introduction to critical or creative writing.
Learn more about the Literature and Media Minor programFeatured Work
Using historic worlds to inspire creative writing
Trent Hergenrader
When it comes to world building, the best worlds result from an author’s immersive understanding of the feelings, smells, sounds, and energy in a setting. In "World Building Based on Historic Worlds,"...
Student Organizations, Awards, and Resources
Signatures Literary & Arts Magazine, the Center for Engaged Storycraft, and more—get involved and inspired with clubs, awards, and affiliated resources offered by the Department of English.
Explore student organizations, awards, and resources for the Department of English
Courses
The Department of English offers more than 65 courses in creative writing; literature and media; and rhetoric and writing.