Over the last one-hundred- fifty-five years, the Beloit literary tradition has developed, most notably, from its folds the Beloit Fiction Journal and the Beloit Poetry Journal. The English department is home to one of the nation's most highly regarded undergraduate creative writing programs and the Lois Wilson Mackey'45 Chair in Creative Writing. Mackey chair holders teach creative writing to small seminars of Beloit students. Mackey Chairs have included Raymond Carver, Billy Collins, Ursula LeGuinn, Denise Levertov, Bei Dao, and Amy Hempel.

THE MAJORS
Students who study English at Beloit have the choice of three majors: creative writing, literary studies, or rhetoric and discourse. Each major begins with a core curriculum that focuses on the methods of literary study, English-language literature, and creative writing. After these courses, each major becomes distinct.

Beloit's undergraduate creative writing program is one of the best programs of its kind. Our students study with writers such as Billy Collins, Robert Stone, and Richard Bausch in the Mackey Program and with a faculty of committed writers. Creative writing majors focus their studies on various forms of composition. Students begin composition in the two major modes of writing, poetry and fiction, then specialize by choosing from among several advanced writing courses in poetry, fiction, playwriting/screenwriting, and creative non fiction.

Literary studies majors examine literature as a living part of the culture from which it springs. Literary studies majors become familiar with literature written in English and with literary history and theory, while they learn to craft analytical essays. In addition to literature and theory-based courses, our program offers advanced courses on literature as related to the visual arts (film or painting, for example), popular culture, politics, law, psychology, and science.

Rhetoric and discourse majors concentrate on rhetorical theory or discourse theory and their application and relevance in the information age. Students analyze print advertisements, political speech, literature, and electronic images, while they learn how to create persuasive arguments.

FUTURES FOR ENGLISH MAJORS          
English majors complete many local and national internships at newspapers, public relations firms, radio and television stations. Although many majors pursue work related to these internships, others go into high school teaching or to law school or graduate school in English. Some of our top alumni teach at Harvard, Stanford, Rochester, and Macalester. Others have published award-winning novels and collections of poetry. Our graduates have used their skills in publishing and editing for employers as varied as Alfred A. Knopf, Business Week, and Adventure Travel; in newspaper and magazine writing for outlets ranging from the Chicago Tribune and The New York Times to National Geographic and The New Yorker.          

WRITING AND PUBLISHING AT BELOIT
Beloit's English department is home to the highly-regarded Beloit Fiction Journal. The Journal publishes the best in new fiction and includes undergraduate students on its editorial staff.

The English Department sponsors several writing contests each year. Students make substantial contributions to Pocket Lint, a student run literary journal publishing Beloit College submissions as well as submissions from other colleges; to the Round Table, the student newspaper, complete with its own literary supplement.

For more information about recent departmental news and events, check out the English Department's facebook page at  http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=146764082014428