Breadcrumb
Department of English
Use the transformative tool of language to enact change.
Analyze texts and language, challenge entrenched ideas, and think critically about how to amplify diverse voices. Create, listen, write, teach, and plan your mark on the world.
As an English major, you'll work closely with faculty and a supportive cohort of peers to explore the deep connection between theory and practice, critique and creation. Graduates leave the University with a renewed passion for the study of English and a broad set of skills to carry into diverse and exciting careers.
Degree Programs
English, B.A.
English is a place for students who want to make a difference in their communities. How do words and stories shape our worldviews? By studying the relationship between language, identity, and power, English students engage in conversations about social justice, pedagogy, literature, and writing that extend beyond the classroom.
English, M.A.
Graduate students study how language acts upon the world and apply their learning through internships in teaching, editing, digital humanities, and library curation and archives, with opportunities to conduct original research and creative digital projects. Small seminar-style classes, close faculty mentorship, and a collaborative cohort create an environment where students can pursue advanced study tailored to their interests.
Real-world Opportunities
English majors and graduate students have so many opportunities to dive in and learn by doing: from joining the editorial staff at Toyon to participating in teaching internships, producing podcasts, and designing books for Humboldt Press.
Tailored to You
We tailor each student’s experience to their passions, academic interests, and career ambitions. Our faculty are committed to offering flexible course schedules and customized degree pathways.
A Thriving Community
English majors and graduate students are part of a close-knit learning community at Humboldt. With a faculty to undergraduate student ratio of about 17:1, students develop meaningful relationships with faculty and peers, with multiple opportunities for active collaboration through research, publishing, teaching, and community organizing.
Featured Alumni - English B.A.
Featured Alumni - English M.A.
Careers
In preparation for a range of career opportunities, English majors and graduate students will study great works of literature, learn how to analyze literary texts and their contexts, improve their writing and critical thinking skills, and explore the beauty of the English language.
- High School English Teaching
- Research and Library Science
- Authorship and Book Design
- Book and Journal Editing
- Ebook and Digital Media Production
- Social Media Marketing
- Podcast and Audiobook Production
- Literary Marketing, Publicity, & Agenting
- Video Game Development and Production
- Animation Writing
- Story Editing for TV and Film
- English as a Second/Foreign Language Teaching
- Arts Administration
- Communications for Nonprofits & Activist Organizations
- Law and Legal Advocacy
- Non-profit Organization Development
- Copywriting & Communications Strategizing
- Business and Technical Writing
- University and Community College Teaching
- Writing Center Administration
- University Program Coordination
- Grants, Fundraising, and Development
- Bookstore Management
Achievements
Find out what our students, faculty, and staff are being recognized for.
Nicolette Amann
English
The California Writing Project (CWP) has been named a 2026 Library of Congress Literacy Awards Successful Practices Honoree. Announced on International Literacy Day, September 8, the award recognizes CWP’s statewide network of teacher leaders along with its comprehensive reach, replicable model, and community-responsive approach to literacy education. The recognition celebrates the collective work of CWP sites and educators across California to support teachers of writing and create literacy opportunities shaped by the needs and strengths of local communities. Since 1977 and with generous support from CAHSS and the English Department, the Redwood Writing Project (RWP) has provided professional learning, resources, and a supportive community for local K-college teachers in our region.
Lisa Tremain, Libbi Miller
English
A new open-access book is available through the WAC Clearinghouse (https://wacclearinghouse.org). The book is edited by Lisa Tremain and Libbi R. Miller.
Across diverse institutional, disciplinary, and educational contexts, the contributors to this edited collection challenge conventional understandings of transfer and explore alternative frameworks grounded in antiracist, queer, feminist, relational, and other marginalized epistemologies. Radical Frameworks for Writing Transfer offers new directions for those interested in writing development, writing across the curriculum, composition, rhetoric, education, and teaching and learning. It serves as both a critique of existing frameworks and an invitation to rethink how writing knowledge is recognized, valued, and carried across contexts.
The book can be found at https://wacclearinghouse.org/books/perspectives/radical/
Nicolette Amann and Jessica Citti
English
Nicolette Amann (English Department Faculty & Redwood Writing Project Director) and Jessica Citti (Writing Specialist & Writing Studio Coordinator in the Learning Center) co-led a session called “When Outsourcing Writing is Outsourcing Learning: The Impact of GenAI on Writing Development" at the Humboldt County Office of Education Day of Learning on October 27, 2025. This AI-themed professional development conference was attended by over 150 Humboldt County K–12 teachers, instructional staff, and administrators.