English BA
Write your own success story with a degree in English.

Understanding the art of the written word opens the door to so many career opportunities.
English majors develop numerous in-demand soft skills that employers seek and that translate into a wide range of professional fields.
In-Demand Careers
- Editor
- Copywriter
- Social Media Manager
- Grant Writer
- ESL Teacher
- Risk Management Analyst
Why English? | Why Our Program?
- Our students learn to understand diverse perspectives, communicate and persuade, research and think imaginatively – all highly marketable, transferable skills with a broad range of applications.
- We offer two concentrations – creative writing and professional writing, which allow students to pursue more specialized learning goals.
- Our minors in creative writing and professional writing allow students majoring in other disciplines to develop as writers, thinkers and communicators.
- Topics covered in the include: creative writing, professional writing, theory and criticism, children’s literature, writing for health professions and poetry.
Our accelerated English BA-to-MA program enables students to complete both undergraduate and graduate degrees in English as little as five years.
English Faculty

Dr. Susan C. W. Abbotson
- Professor

Dr. Jeremy P. Benson
- Associate Professor

Dr. Vincent Bohlinger
- Professor

Dr. Karen Lee Boren
- Professor

Dr. Becky Lynn Caouette
- Professor

Dr. Joan C. Dagle
- Associate Dean
- Faculty Arts and Sciences

Dr. Anita Duneer
- Professor

Dr. Brandon Hawk
- Professor

Dr. Jennifer Holl
- Professor

Dr. Zubeda Jalalzai
- Professor

Dr. Kathryn M. Kalinak
- Professor

Dr. Michael J. Michaud
- Professor

Dr. Janice L. Okoomian
- Assistant Professor

Dr. Russell A. Potter
- Professor

Ricardo Quintana Vallejo
- Assistant Professor

Dr. Carrie Shipers
- Associate Professor

Dr. Alison Shonkwiler
- Professor

Dr. Rosalind A. Sibielski
- Assistant Professor

Dr. Joseph L. Zornado
- Professor
Hear from a Student

Jailene Perez
“People have often asked me, ‘What are you going to do with an English degree?’ I always felt like I had to have a Plan B…I learned that I can expand on my English degree as far as I’m willing to go with it. I can write. I can research. I can edit. For the first time, I don’t feel afraid to tell someone that I’m interested in writing professionally.â€
Primed for Career Success

Let these successful alumni show you what they did with theirs.

Take the Next Step!
Arts and Sciences
The Faculty of Arts and Sciences is a community of scholars that pride themselves on academic excellence, diversity and service.
- emailDeanFAS@ric.edu
- phone401-456-8106
- placeGaige Hall
