Why Study English?

English majors and minors read literary masterpieces and craft their own creative works. They study the structure of language and the history of rhetoric. And they learn how to teach.

They also develop skills that employers demand most.

Written communication was the single most desirable skill sought by employers in the 2019 National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) job outlook report.
Oral communication, written communication, and critical thinking were among “the skill and knowledge areas of greatest importance to both business executives and hiring managers” when hiring college graduates, according to a 2018 Association of American Colleges and Universities survey

WMU English majors have a strong record of post-graduation success.

94% of English majors who responded to the 2022-23 WMU Career Activities Report were actively engaged in post-graduation endeavors, primarily full-time employment and continuing education.
86% of English majors said their education and experiences at WMU "prepared me for my profession."

See these sources for more on the personal and professional values of majoring in English.

“The World’s Top Economist Just Made the Case for Why We Still Need English Majors” by Heather Long (The Washington Post)
“In the Salary Race, Engineers Sprint but English Majors Endure” by David Deming (The New York Times)
“Studying STEM Isn’t the Career Boost We Think” by Derek Newton (Forbes)
“We Don’t Need More STEM Majors. We Need More STEM Majors with Liberal Arts Training” by Loretta Jackson Hayes (The Washington Post)
Humanities Research is Groundbreaking, Life-Changing. . . and Ignored” by Gretchen Busl (The Guardian)
“Why Storytelling Will Be the Biggest Business Skill of the Next 5 Years” by Shane Snow (HubSpot Blogs)
“The Humanities Are in Crisis: Students Are Abandoning Humanities Majors, Turning to Degrees They Think Yield Far Better Job Prospects. But They’re Wrong” by Benjamin Schmidt (The Atlantic)