English Major

Majoring in English at Bryn Athyn is about exploring the beauty and power of thought and language through written texts. As an English major, you'll read, analyze, and write about a wide variety of literature, from various cultures and historical periods up to modern day.

Program Strengths

Our English courses range from classical, medieval, Renaissance, and Shakespearean literature to creative writing, mythology, poetry, and film. More specialized courses focus on Elizabethan literature, Victorian literature, poetry of devotion, novels, and the writing of Henry James.

Our program emphasizes the importance of writing, clarity of thought and expression, and sharp analysis and synthesis of ideas. Our faculty specialize in writing, literature, and rhetoric.

English Majors can select from two tracks:

  • Language and literature
  • Writing

Hands-On Learning

At Bryn Athyn, hands-on learning is built into the English major. You can choose to undertake an off-campus internship working for a publishing house, dedicate your free evenings to help staff the Writing Center, write scripts for tours at Glencairn Museum, or become a staff writer for the Bryn Athyn Beacon.

Some of our experiential education opportunities are well-established and clearly structured, while others are tailored more specifically to meet individual interests.

On-Campus Internships

  • The Development Office for Bryn Athyn College offers internships in print and web-based publishing, media management, and marketing.
  • The General Church Office of Outreach provides students with opportunities to explore the various avenues of printed media.
  • Education Interns at Glencairn Museum learn and guide tours of the museum, create and script tours of the museum, and assist with press releases and museum publications.
  • The Bryn Athyn Beacon our campus newspaper, provides opportunities for students interested in journalism, copy editing, typesetting, and staff writing.

Off-Campus Internships

For internship credit, English students have done many projects, including:

  • Teaching English at an elementary school in Michigan.
  • Teaching English as a Second Language to students and community members in Ghana.
  • Working for a Magazine in New York City.

Meet the Major Head

Dr. Sylvia Montgomery Shaw
Assistant Professor of English

BA, Eastern University
MA, Clark University
PhD, University of Rhode Island

Dr. Shaw hails from Boston University and joined the faculty of Bryn Athyn College in the fall of 2010. She serves as Director of the English program, as advisor to the college publication, The Beacon, and as an instructor of a wide range of literature and writing courses. Dr. Shaw is passionate about writing that explores the spiritual and moral dimension of life. She specializes in 19th Century American Literature, influence studies (Swedenborg’s impact on World Literature), and writing—both fiction and nonfiction. Her research interests include, American Transcendentalism, William Dean Howells, Classical Rhetoric, and Mexican historiography. Paradise Misplaced, the first novel in her Mexican Eden Trilogy, will be released this spring.

More English faculty