Graduates with multiple skills are highly valued in today's job market. Because English majors understand human thought and feeling and know how to use language effectively, many career paths are open to them. English majors are proficient in writing, analysis and communication, which can lead to careers in law, teaching, publishing, public relations, journalism, business and travel, to name just a few.
Canisius College alumni who majored in English hold such positions as:
- Professor of English at a university
- Producer of a nationally televised news program
- Advertising copywriter
- Senior vice president for movies and miniseries at a major movie studio
- President and CEO of a hospice
- Editor of a publishing house
- Business columnist for a national daily newspaper
- Regional representative for a U.S. senator
The New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) has awarded Janet McNally ’02 an unrestricted artist’s grant for $7,000.
A native of Kenmore, NY, McNally is among 18 fiction writers from New York State to receive the prestigious NYFA fellowship. More than 4,500 artists applied and only 144 received grants. Previous NYFA fellows include Spike Lee, Tony Kushner, Todd Haynes and Junot Diaz.
McNally holds a BA in English from Canisius College and an MFA from Notre Dame University. She has published stories in a number of literary magazines, including New Madrid, Iron Horse and Traffic East; and is currently at work on her first novel.
Graduate Study In English
Graduates of English programs pursue many programs of academic and professional study, including English graduate programs in literature, creative writing, or rhetoric and composition; law school; and library school. For information and guidance about these programs, see Professor Sandra Cookson, Department of English Chair, or any of the professors in the Department. Dr. Frank Riga can provide you with information about applying to graduate school, as well as applying for the Fulbright program and other scholarships and fellowships.
If you are considering graduate study, keep in mind that many schools will require you to take a standardized test such as the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) for entrance. It is important for you to plan ahead to take such a test, since the GRE and other tests are offered only a few times a year. For instance, it is best to take the GRE no later than the fall of your senior year, since many schools will require the scores by winter (as early as January) for admission to their programs in the following fall. A fast way to find the GRE test dates is to go to the GRE Web site.
You can significantly improve your performance on the GRE through careful study. See an English professor or the Career Center for more details about this test. The Career Center has registration forms.
A list of dates for tests for various academic and professional graduate programs can be found at the "Graduate Guide" Web site.
For more information about graduate schools, see the Career Center's home page. At the bottom of that page click on "Students"; then on the page that will appear next, under "Students Section Web Links," click on "Career Planning."