Department of English
Take a journey through the human experience via literary study. Explore creative expression across a broad array of texts—novels, plays, film, digital media and more. Interpret motivations behind stories of yesterday and today and hone your skills as a writer.
Our curriculum is called English and Textual Studies (ETS) to acknowledge the breadth and diversity of the texts you will study. In addition to traditional literature courses in Chaucer and Shakespeare, the Romantics and Victorians, and literary modernism, you can also take courses in:
- Fantasy and Science Fiction
- Hollywood film
- Video game history
- Comics and Graphic Novel
- Hip-hop culture and more
ETS is designed to:
- Introduce you to a wide array of texts
- Enhance your ability to interpret texts and express ideas
- Develop powers of argument and analysis
- Train you to write critically and clearly
- Develop skills for writers of poetry and fiction
- Become critical readers of your own work
Our diverse faculty includes literary historians, critical theorists, film scholars, editors, poets, and novelists who approach the field in a variety of ways.

(May 12, 2022)
Righting WrongsEnglish alum Joshua Koskoff ’88 continues his family’s legacy of fighting for justice.

(May 11, 2022)
Eleanor Maine Receives Wasserstrom Prize for Graduate TeachingThe prize memorializes William Wasserstrom, a noted professor of English at Syracuse University.

(April 14, 2022)
Humanities Center Fellowships and Grants Support Graduate Student Research in the HumanitiesThanks to this support, recipients are positioned for success in their fields.

(March 17, 2022)
Helping to Advance Latino History and Culture in the United StatesA&S Professor of English Silvio Torres-Saillant is part of a committee charged with guiding the design and development of the National Museum of the American Latino.
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