Words shape how we think, connect, and create change. Studying English helps you understand—and influence—the world through language, ideas, and stories.
Overview
At SUNY Oswego, our English program explores how stories, language, and ideas shape the world. You’ll study literature across genres, periods, and cultures—while strengthening your skills in writing, research, and critical thinking.
Courses emphasize both the art and craft of writing, giving you opportunities to analyze influential authors, join writing workshops, and publish in student-run journals. Whether you’re preparing for a career in law, publishing, education, or business, you’ll graduate ready to communicate effectively and think creatively in any field.
Students present papers at regional and national conferences, publish their work in The Oswegonian, Great Lake Review, and Exist, and can join the Oswego chapter of the international English honor society, Sigma Tau Delta. As a senior, you’ll take Words in the World, a capstone course connecting classroom learning to real-world writing and research projects for businesses and nonprofits.
Curriculum
Bachelor of Arts
Outcomes
Graduates of the English program will be able to:
- Evaluate and analyze literary and cultural texts from diverse critical perspectives.
- Recognize literary movements and historical contexts, demonstrating how writers use and transform traditions.
- Analyze how texts represent and critique cultural systems such as race, gender, and power.
- Revise writing for clarity, accuracy, and rhetorical strength, applying research effectively.
Career Opportunities
- Teaching
- Publishing
- Editing
- Copywriting
- Marketing
- Public service
- Law
- Advocacy
- Nonprofit and corporate communications
- Grant writing
- Library science
- Management
The English Department at Oswego doesn't treat you like a student, but rather like a scholar. Professors treat you as equals and do their best to help you evolve in your styles of argumentation.
I participated in a GLS 100 class to London. It was a place I had always wanted to visit and the class I went with enhanced my knowledge and understanding of the culture.
For my English major, I love the variety of classes am offered. I've taken classes that range from feminist theory to Harry Potter.
The professors really want you to succeed and are willing to sit down and help you figure out your plans both before and after graduation. The English and Creative Writing Department has a very approachable atmosphere.
Program Resources
Diverse Course Offerings
Explore topics such as Afrofuturism, games and visual media, gender and sexuality studies, Norse mythology, Indigenous horror, Latina/o/x poetics, apartheid, and colonialism. Our faculty challenge you to see literature through new lenses.
The Oswego Guarantee
- Timely course offerings
- High touch connections to alumni
- Small student to faculty ratio
- Limited room & board increases each year
Living Writer's Series
Each fall, Pulitzer Prize winners, bestselling authors, and rising voices in contemporary literature visit Oswego to meet with students, discuss their creative process, and share their paths to success as writers.
Honors Society
The student-led SUNY Oswego Chapter of the International English Honor Society organizes workshops, panels, and campus-wide events. They also lead One City. One Campus. One Community., a photojournalistic project featured at both City Hall and Quest Day.
Study Abroad
Take classes and participate in internships while immersing yourself in all that region has to offer.
Get Involved
Start an internship at a local newspaper or business, join the editorial board of The Great Lake Review, or gain hands-on experience as a teaching or research assistant. From clubs to events, there are many ways to get involved in the English community on campus.