Welcome to UMBC’s English Department
UMBC’s English Department is a vibrant center for research, teaching, and learning. We offer two, new major concentrations. The Literature & Culture concentration examines the broad range and diverse traditions of literature written in English, including its cultural and historical contexts. The Writing, Rhetoric, and Technology concentration fosters the rhetorical ability to produce various kinds of texts through the use of a wide range of technologies, from clay tablets and print to social media and AI.
In addition to serving as the home of UMBC’s innovative First-Year Composition Program, the Department offers new minors that parallel the major concentrations for students in other disciplines who wish to enhance their reading and writing abilities for work in their future professions. And the new minor in Creating Writing allows students to experiment with different kinds of writing including fiction, poetry, and creative non-fiction, and then specialize in certain forms.
The Department also provides a Master of Arts in Texts, Technologies, and Literature, which allows practicing teachers, work place professionals, and life-long learners to further their understanding of how a broad array of texts including public rhetoric, educational curriculum, and literature function in every day use, both from a historical and contemporary perspective.
Alumni Spotlight
Clair Volkening (B.A. 2023; Communication and Technology track; she/her) is a former English major now working as a Technical Writer contractor for the federal government. You can read more about her story here!
