<p>How strong is Pitt's (undergraduate) English Literature/Writing Program? My D is considering majoring in English and Pitt is on her list of schools to check out. So, I would really appreciate any feedback. Thanks.</p>
<p>Does anybody have any input? Thank you.</p>
<p>I really don't have much to say except that Michael Chabon is a prominent graduate. His first novel, "The Mysteries of Pittsburgh," put him on the map. He also wrote "Wonder Boys" and "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay," which won a Pulitzer Prize. My daughter is currently taking the freshman English composition course and is finding it challenging. Why doesn't your daughter look at Pitt's course offerings and see if she likes what's there? Maybe other posters will have more direct experience.</p>
<p>Thanks for the response. She definitely will look at Pitt, including the course offerings, in more depth when her search goes into high gear. However, I was hoping, in the meantime, to get some feedback from any current students/parents on this forum about the strength of their English program. There doesn't seem to be many really strong English programs in the (smaller) state universities, but she's hoping that Pitt might be different.</p>
<p>momonthehill, did you ever find out about Pitt's English program? What about anyone else?</p>
<p>This is from Pitt's website:</p>
<p>Communications and English</p>
<p>Why choose a major like communications or English?</p>
<p>The benefits of choosing a major like communications or English are endless. The concepts and theories you study, from how people interact in small groups to how people use the English language, are applicable to situations throughout everyday life. You also develop better speaking and writing skills, two of the most sought-after qualities by employers in the job market today.</p>
<p>What does the job market offer students with a degree in communications or English?</p>
<p>Students who graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in communications or English from the University of Pittsburgh obtain jobs in a variety of different fields. The coursework is particularly helpful in preparing students for careers in print journalism, broadcast journalism, advertising, public relations, marketing, public speaking, and teaching. The skills that you develop as a communications or English major can also be applied to jobs in many other professions, including (but not limited to) business, law, and medicine.</p>
<p>What makes Pitt's communications and English majors distinct?</p>
<p>Our communications and English majors allow students the flexibility to tailor coursework toward an individual area of interest. For example, an English writing major can choose to take a concentration of courses in one of three tracks-journalism (news and magazine writing), poetry, or fiction. If you have always dreamed of becoming a Pulitzer Prize winning novelist like Michael Chabon, the 1984 graduate who wrote The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, you would probably pursue the fiction tract. If writing for a national magazine like Glamour® or GQ® is more your speed, then you would choose the journalism tract. Of course, English writing majors also take courses outside of their chosen tract to broaden their training.</p>
<p>In addition to the English writing options, we offer a comprehensive English literature major. You have probably already studied some of the classics of Western literature, like the plays of Shakespeare or novels of Ernest Hemingway in an English class. While continuing to study English and American literature, our program offers you a chance to expand your education to include new genres that you may not have been exposed to, like science fiction or children's literature. Many world literature courses taught in English are also available through individual foreign language departments such as French, Russian, or Chinese.</p>
<p>As communications majors, students focus more on the processes of oral communication both in theory and in practice. Many students interested in television and radio find that courses such as Media Theory, Media & Consumer Culture, and Television & Society directly relate to their chosen field. Students interested in advertising and public relations will benefit from other courses, including Theories of Persuasion, Nature of Language, and Speech Composition.</p>
<p>Are there opportunities outside the classroom?</p>
<p>Coursework is a very important part of a college education, but prospective employers want to see that you also have experience outside of the classroom. Opportunities for internships abound. For instance, University of Pittsburgh students have obtained internships as production assistants at television stations, editorial assistants at magazines, and public relations assistants with professional sports teams. To learn more, click Experiential Learning opportunities at the University of Pittsburgh.</p>
<p>In addition to exploring internships, you may want to get involved in one or more of our student organizations. We have over 300 student organizations ranging from The Pitt News, our student-run newspaper, to the Pitt Program Council, a student-led board that coordinates activities for students.</p>
<p>With Honors . . .</p>
<p>The University Honors College (UHC) is designed to meet the needs of academically talented and motivated students. The UHC offers special course work and advising, fosters academic community, and provides the opportunity to obtain an Honors College Degree.</p>
<p>According to US News, Pitt is ranked #36 for its graduate programs in english. Even though this is for graduate programs, I would think that this shows that overall the english program is pretty good.</p>
<p>Thanks for the quote. I know that the grad program is decent, but I'm worried that this translates to lesser-quality UG education--i.e. the intro class required for all English majors is a lecture survey course primarily taught by a TA ("TF"). Or am I simply expecting too much of Pitt, to meet LAC all-seminar standards?</p>
<p>Here are Pitt's students reviews of the English professors at Pitt</p>
<p>University</a> of Pittsburgh - Pennsylvania - RateMyProfessors.com</p>
<p>University</a> of Pittsburgh - Pennsylvania - RateMyProfessors.com</p>
<p>Penn State has an outstanding English department</p>
<p>Thanks liz7 although I'm not interested--Penn State is way too big for my personal taste, even with the honors college. And, I'm a hardcore football-hater.</p>
<p>Keilexandra: Thanks for reviving this thread. My D is currently a HS junior and we're planning to visit Pitt later on this year, during which time she hopes to sit in on an English class (other than a basic Writing class) and hope that that will help get a better sense of the English department. Also, she's hoping to either get a hard copy, or find access online to Pitt's (undergraduate) literary magazine, if there is an undergraduate journal that's currently active--just to get a feel for the level of creative writing there. From what she's looked up in the college guidebooks, she has the impression that Pitt's English department is relatively strong. With a student population of around 16,000 (?) Pitt won't have the same ambience as a LAC, but I would think that, as a student progressed in the English program, the classes would gradually have a smaller, more seminar-like, feel to them. If you're looking for another moderate-sized state U with an English dept., we've also heard good things about SUNY Binghamton.</p>