In the English department at Charleston Southern University you will learn exceptional written and oral communication, textual analyses, analytical and critical thinking, creativity, literary appreciation, and research skills that will benefit you your entire life, no matter what career path you choose. You may choose from a general English, English Writing, or English Education degree in coordination with the College of Education.
English majors can choose from a wide variety of practical writing courses for their degree such as, Workplace and Technical Writing, Literary Criticism, Advanced Composition, Creative Writing: Narrative, and Advanced Reporting. Students can also choose from a selection of engaging literature studies ranging from Diversity in American Literature to The Modern Short Story to Topics in Christianity and Literature.
There are plenty of opportunities for you to gain field experience with locally offered internships, as well as internships with the University Publications office located on campus. You will have the opportunity to publish, write for, and edit Olive & Ash, the student-run literature magazine, and many English students work in the school’s writing center as tutors.
This degree prepares you for a variety of careers in teaching, writing, publishing and other areas and gives you the essential knowledge and skills needed to stand out in a highly competitive field. More importantly, it gives you the opportunity to explore literature that will teach you valuable life lessons about yourself and the world around you, and it allows you to develop competent writing skills that will expand your power to express yourself through words in any medium. These invaluable benefits make an English degree a desirable option for any kind of student.
Olive & Ash, previously known as SEFER, has existed on campus since the ’70s. The organization is run by students with the help of faculty and provides CSU with a place to express creativity and relish in literary and artistic expression.
Mission Statement: Olive & Ash is a student-run literary magazine that seeks to polish, present, and publish the poetry, fiction, non-fiction, and art of students attending Charleston Southern University. Our goal is to highlight the creative communities at Charleston Southern and to give students a place where their voices can be heard. Follow us on Instagram for recent news and updates.
Gilmore Creative Writing Award: By submitting your poetry or prose, you will automatically enter your writing in this contest named in honor of the late Margaret T. Gilmore, a long-time employee of CSU and poet.
Cover Art Contest: The staff chooses the cover artwork from the pieces submitted by student artists. Send us your artwork!
Contact the faculty advisors: Dan Leach and Kyler Campbell
Sigma Tau Delta is the National English Honors Society, and Charleston Southern’s Official Chapter, Alpha Eta Alpha, has existed since 1997. Membership is based upon GPA and class rank, and any individuals interested in being inducted can contact Dr. Cole Jeffrey. All students are welcome to participate in their events.
The club hosts several events throughout the year such as their Valentine’s Day Used Book Sale, Induction Ceremony, Spring Tea, and Film Viewings. They participate in the Walk for Water, complete special projects for the English Department, and often host speaking engagements from Professors. Being part of the organization also provides students with opportunities to attend and present at conferences, participate in workshops, and take part in YALL Fest, the largest southern Young Adult and Middle Grade books Festival, which is held in Charleston.
Participation in this organization will benefit students on both a long and short term basis. Because it is a national organization recognized among most English majors in the workforce and by any English graduate program, it gives students credibility and speaks to their academic achievements. This affiliation will help distinguish them as they apply for competitive positions or schools upon graduating. On a more immediate level, there are often publishing opportunities for participating students with the Sigma Tau Delta Journals or other organizations.
Charleston Southern University’s accreditation can be found here.
Assistant Professor of English and Department Chair
Norris Hall
P843-863-7281
Embusch@csuniv.edu
The Writing Center helps you become a better writer. It is a place to talk through your writing and receive feedback from other writers in one-on-one sessions. Through these tutoring sessions, you can learn to analyze assignments, address audiences appropriately, improve composition processes, strengthen the focus and organization of writing, and improve basic grammar, usage, and mechanics.
An English major learns to think critically and expansively to understand the links between the humanities and technologies. If you are looking for broad knowledge of literary and cultural studies, plus skills in writing and critical analysis, this degree is for you.
Students interested in a career focused on writing get the opportunity to take classes such as Advanced Creative Writing, Theories and Applications of Grammar and Composition and Workplace and Technical Writing. This emphasis helps hone students’ writing skills for a career after graduation. The emphasis consists of 40 hours and requires a minor. Students will choose classes from a list of writing emphasis electives to complete along with their English degree classes.
Interested in teaching English at the high school level? Click here to learn more.
A minor in professional writing could prepare you for a career in professional or technical writing with courses like: Editing, Publishing, and the Literary Magazine; Workplace and Technical Writing; and Multimedia Writing and Reporting.
With every passing year that I am in the business world, I grow increasingly more thankful for the time I spent at CSU. I came to CSU as a second year transfer student from a highly selective, academically rigorous state school. I say this only because that transfer experience gave me valuable insight into CSU that I may not have had otherwise. In that first semester after my transfer, I was required to repeat several class equivalents because the credits did not transfer. This proved to be a valuable endeavor. The professors in the CSU English department covered the same literary works, led rich, thought-provoking discussions in the same ways I was accustomed, assigned challenging topics of research and did it all in classes one quarter the size of what I’d experienced before. The academic rigor and the challenge to hone my skills in critical thinking, research, writing and beyond were all present; yet, the individualized attention and focus on truly personal relationships was like nothing I’d yet experienced, and it changed my life. Every day in work and in life, I use the skills and knowledge of English and self that I gleaned while at CSU. I am forever grateful for the time I spent there.
Katie Lee DePoppe / English, ’11Director of Culture & Brand Relations, Chick-fil-A franchise