Welcome

Welcome to the English & Communication Studies Department of St. Mary’s University. The Department invites students to choose from three undergraduate and two graduate degree programs:

• Bachelor of Arts, English
• Bachelor of Arts, Communication Arts
• Bachelor of Arts, Speech Communication
• Master of Arts, English Language and Literature
• Master of Arts, Communication Studies

Our undergraduate majors have the option to pursue undergraduate and graduate studies jointly by participating in one of our five-year B.A./M.A. programs. Our graduate students have the option of participating in a joint degree program with St. Mary’s University Law School, generally completing the M.A. and J.D. within four years . Students may also pursue minors in each of the three undergraduate programs.

Our nearly 200 majors within the Department select from a variety of courses in American, British, and International literature, language and criticism, communication theory, and media production, as well as a full range of internships. All courses offered through the Department are writing- and reading-intensive. (Visit the following Web sites for information on the importance of writing well: The National Writing Commission, The National Writing Project, and The National Association of Colleges and Employers.)

Our students participate in two honor societies as well as the Poets and Writers’ Group, the Book Club, and the Debate Team. Many of our majors write, edit, and design our national award-winning student newspaper, The Rattler. They also write for and edit our literary magazine, The Pecan Grove Review, and participate in the University’s annual undergraduate research exhibition, as well as the annual Las Americas Letters. The Department strongly encourages students to participate in these experiential learning activities as well as in Internships, Study Abroad programs, Service Learning and Civic Engagement courses, and Immersion programs.