Overview

Combine great literature courses with specialized writing courses and get a major that will help you become a versatile wordsmith. Learn to write for magazines, the Web, newspapers, books, and more. Experienced, award-winning professors will serve as mentors as you hone your craft.

Careers in English - Writing

• publisher
• journalist
• editor
• proofreader
• investigator
• reporter
• social media strategist
• web content strategist
• paralegal

See job placement rates for Calvin grads.

Student involvement

Study abroad in England, Hungary, Ghana or New England; Participate in biannual, department-wide retreats; Write or help to coordinate Chimes or Dialogue; Attend the Festival of Faith and Writing; Volunteer to help out with the Festivals of Youth Writing.

Course Requirements 2012-13

Writing major

(36 semester hours)

• ENGL-295 Introduction to Studies in English (prerequisite for all-300-level literature courses)
• ENGL-260 The Craft of Writing
• One from
  • ENGL-262 Business Writing
  • ENGL-264 Basic Journalism
  • ENGL-265 Writing for the Media
  • ENGL-266 Feature Journalism
• Two from
  • ENGL-360 Creative Nonfiction
  • ENGL-362 Creative Writing - poetry
  • ENGL-362 Creative Writing - fiction (may take both fiction and poetry)
• One from
  • ENGL-261 Academic and Professional Writing
  • ENGL-373 Stylistics and Discourse Analysis
  • ENGL W48 Revising for Publication interim
• One from
  • ENGL-200 Literature in a Global Context
  • ENGL-202 Russian Literature
  • ENGL-212 Survey of British Literature I
  • ENGL-213 Survey of British Literature II
  • ENGL-214 Survey of British Literature III
  • ENGL-220 Survey of American Literature I
  • ENGL-221 Survey of American Literature II
  • ENGL-225 African American Literature
  • ENGL-226 Ethnicity in American Literature
  • ENGL-230 Understanding Literature
  • ENGL-234 Gender and Literature
  • ENGL-238 Film as a Narrative Art
  • ENGL-300 Advanced World Literature
  • ENGL-310 British Literature of the Middle Ages
  • ENGL-311 British Literature of the Sixteenth Century
  • ENGL-312 British Literature of the Seventeenth Century
  • ENGL-313 British Literature of the Eighteenth Century
  • ENGL-314 British Literature of the Early Nineteenth Century
  • ENGL-315 British Literature of the Middle and Later NineteenthCentury
  • ENGL-316 British Modernism
  • ENGL-317 Comtemporary British and Commonwealth Literature
  • ENGL-320 Literature of the United States I: Settlement to Civil War
  • ENGL-321 Literature of the United States II: Civil War to Great Depression
  • ENGL-322 Literature of the United States III: WW2 to the Present
  • ENGL-332 The Novel
  • ENGL-333 Poetry
  • ENGL-334 Drama
  • ENGL-335 Genre Study
  • ENGL-337 Major Authors
  • ENGL-338 Shakespeare
  • ENGL-340 Children's Literature
  • ENGL-341 Adolescent Literature
• One from ENGL 310-322, 337, or-338 (see above)
• One from
  • ENGL 300-322, 332-341 (see above)
  • ENGL-370 Linguitics
  • ENGL-371 History of the English Language
  • ENGL-372 Sociolinguistics and Issues in Language Education
  • ENGL-373 Stylistics and Discourse Analysis
  • ENGL-374 English Grammar
  • ENGL-375 Grammar for Teachers of ESL
• One from
  • ENGL 300-322, 332-341 (see above)
  • CAS-200 Advanced Oral Rhetoric
  • CAS-211 Argumentation and Advocacy
  • CAS-305 Persuasion and Propaganda
  • CAS-318 American Politics & Mass Media
  • CAS-327 Rhetorical Criticism
• One from
  • ENGL-380 Internship in Journalism and Publishing
  • ENGL-390 Independent Study
  • ENGL-399 Honors Thesis
• ENGL-395 Senior Seminar

Only one interim may count toward the major

Writing minor

(21 semester hours)

• ENGL-260 The Craft of Writing
• One from
  • ENGL-360 Creative Nonfiction
  • ENGL-362 Creative Writing - poetry
  • ENGL-362 Creative Writing - fiction (may take both fiction and poetry)
• One from
  • ENGL-262 Business Writing
  • ENGL-264 Basic Journalism
  • ENGL-265 Writing for the Media
  • ENGL-266 Feature Journalism
• One from English 200-238 (see above)
• Two from
  • ENGL-261 Academic and Professional Writing
  • ENGL 262-266 (see above)
  • ENGL-360 Creative Nonfiction
  • ENGL-362 Creative Writing poetry or fiction
  • ENGL-380 Internship in Journalism and Publishing
  • approved English interim
• One course chosen in consultation with advisor

Only one interim may count toward the minor

Scholarships

Dollar amounts reflect awards given for the 2012-13 academic year.

George G. Harper Scholarship

• award amount: $2,400
• junior or senior
• GPA 3.0+
• financial need required; U.S. African American minority student
• automatic consideration

Reverend Bernard Haven Memorial Scholarship

• award amount: $3,200
• first-year
• HS GPA 3.0+
• financial need considered; child of missionary
• submit a letter to the Financial Aid Office (finaid@calvin.edu) describing your qualifications by February 1

Winifred Holkeboer Memorial Scholarship

• award amount: $2,500
• junior or senior
• GPA of 3.0+
• financial need not required
• apply through the English department

Kenneth and Lillian Kuiper Scholarship

• award amount: $2,600
• senior
• GPA of 3.0+
• financial need considered
• apply through the English department

Helen Hoogland Meulink Education Scholarship

• award amount: $1,500
• junior or senior
• financial need required; secondary education; preference to an English major
• apply through the Calvin Portal

William and Matilda Monsma Scholarship

• award amount: $2,500
• sophomore, junior, or senior
• GPA 3.0+
• financial need required; preference to students from the South Chicago area
• apply through the Calvin Portal

Schemper-Kamp Family Scholarship

• award amount: $1,000
• junior or senior
• GPA of 3.0+
• financial need required; demonstrate a Christian perspective in writing
• apply through the English department

Henrietta Ten Harmsel English Scholarship

• award amount: $2,300
• sophomore or junior
• GPA of 3.0+
• financial need not required; show an enthusiasm and love for reading and writing
• apply through the English department

Richard R. and Kathleen J. Tiemersma Scholarship

• award amount: $2,100
• senior
• GPA of 3.3+
• financial need required
• apply through the English department

Steve J. and Viola Van Der Weele Scholarship

• award amount: $2,000
• junior or senior
• GPA of 3.0+
• financial need required; interest in English language and literature; demonstrate an ability to integrate faith and learning
• apply through the English department

William E. and Margaret J. Van Wienen Scholarship

• award amount: $2,200
• junior
• GPA of 3.0+
• financial need required; have an interest and be active in community involvement projects
• apply through the English department

Clarence and Janice Walhout Scholarship

• apply through the Calvin Portal

Henry and Mildred Zylstra Scholarship

• award amount: $1,600
• senior
• GPA of 3.5+
• financial need considered; planning to attend graduate school in literature or language within five years following graduation
• apply through the English department

View all scholarship opportunities

Faculty

Megan Berglund Adjunct, English Department of English YC 111 meb8@calvin.edu (616) 526-8632 Donald Hettinga Professor Department of English CFAC 274 hett@calvin.edu (616) 526-6520 Nancy Hull Assistant Professor Department of English CFAC 286 nhull@calvin.edu (616) 526-6728 Lew Klatt Associate Professor, on leave spring 2013 Department of English CFAC 296 lsk4@calvin.edu (616) 526-7530 Shelly LeMahieu Dunn Director of Festival of Faith and Writing Department of English mld5@calvin.edu (616) 526-8720 Sara Mulder Instructor Department of English CFAC 275 sjm33@calvin.edu (616) 526-7830

Debra Rienstra Professor Department of English CFAC 270 drienstr@calvin.edu (616) 526-8526 Gary Schmidt Professor, on leave spring 2013 Department of English CFAC 287 schg@calvin.edu (616) 526-6540 John Timmerman Professor Department of English CFAC 291 timm@calvin.edu (616) 526-6560 Dean Ward Professor Department of English CFAC 269 ward@calvin.edu (616) 526-6139 Jennifer Williams Assistant Professor Department of English CFAC 276 jlw28@calvin.edu (616) 526-8515