English Department

The English Department

As one of the largest departments on campus, English provides students many options for literary and cultural study while preserving small class sizes. Our award-winning faculty offer a variety of courses in literature, professional writing, and adolescence education, covering topics such as Shakespeare, world literature, rhetoric, new media, and 21st century literacies.

Students actively participate in the process of reading and writing and study how words work: how they can be shaped into literary art, organized into a lesson plan, or developed into distinct genres, from poetry to a resume; how we use them to fashion our understanding of ourselves and our place in local, national, and global communities.

Upon graduation, a SUNY Cortland English major is not only in demand by creative and professional institutions, but also well prepared for graduate school, law school, and careers in teaching, journalism, new media, communications and business.

Follow SUNY Cortland's English Department on Facebook and on Instagram.

Get 2 degrees in 5 years: The English 4+1 Program

The 4+1 Program in English allows SUNY Cortland students in English or Professional Writing to complete both their BA and MA in just five years. With just one additional year of coursework, students in the program graduate with a Master’s in English.