English Major Changes to Career Focused Concentrations
Illustration by Breanna Newburn
Article by Madeline Teeter
NEWBERG, Ore. – This school year, the English Program created new concentrations to better prepare students for future careers. The traditional Literature and Writing concentrations have been replaced with three new options.
The new concentrations are Literary Arts, Teaching and Travel, and Creative Storytelling in the Public Sphere. Handouts in Armstrong House (the Department of English and Language’s building) list careers that are associated with each option, as well as professional opportunities available at George Fox University (GFU).
The English Major web page is in the process of being updated, so the information on the old concentrations can be found there.
“This [change] was approved by the curriculum committee in January of 2025,” said Jessica Hughes, Chair of the Department of English and Languages.
Hughes explained that she realized literature and writing depend on one another, so it does not make sense to have to choose between one or the other. “In breaking down this false dichotomy, it helps students more concretely imagine post college life,” she said.
The English Major is often criticized for not preparing students professionally. Hughes said the department needed a new approach that would show students their variety of career options.
“The great irony is that we faculty were doing a really bad job at telling our own story,” said Hughes. All of the GFU’s English Department faculty are proof that an English Major can succeed professionally.
Due to this realization, Hughes asked, “What can we do that’s different but true to the humanities?” She researched other universities’ English Departments to see if anyone else had career focused concentrations.
“No one else is doing this,” Hughes said. “Let’s be different.” She found that all the other universities she checked simply had the WRIT/LITR concentrations, with a few having teaching as a third option. As it stands, GFU’s English program is uniquely structured.
Hughes revealed that most universities have declining English Departments, while GFU’s is not only stable but growing. Before the changes were made, Hughes said that they marketed the program with the new concentrations. The department grew from around 50 students to over 80 in just two years.
“This structure helps us fulfill the Be Known promise better,” Hughes said. The new concentrations allow students to curate their classes to their career path.
Hughes explained the importance of showing others that an English ajor is capable of having a respectable career. “Trust your major matters,” Hughes said. “Be confident when you talk about your own path.”
“The new major structure only impacts you if you came in this year, but if you want to opt into one of the new concentrations, you’re more than welcome to,” said Hughes. While it awaits to be fully seen how this change impacts the program, it is clear that the Department of English and Languages is working to build a community where students can thrive both in college and beyond.
