<p>Hello there,</p>
<p>I'm a Sophomore in high school who has started the college search. I am about 85% sure that I want to pursue a degree in the liberal arts, preferably something in the Humanities (English, philosophy,etc.). A few weeks ago I visited and toured Virginia Tech and was very impressed with what I saw. The campus was beautiful, the size was right, and it was easy for me to picture myself as a student there. Despite these qualities, the academic side of college is even more important to me than how it feels. Although I am quite familiar with Tech's excellent reputation in fields such as Engineering, Architecture, and Business, it is difficult for me to size up the more liberal artsy departments in the college. Are these programs moderately strong despite the influence of Tech's flagship departments? Do they get the short end of the stick when it comes to attention and/or funding from the University? Are they somewhat reputable/respected on the nationwide scene? I know there are many other colleges with much stronger liberal arts programs, but would my education be SUBPAR if I pursued an English major at VT? I'm not asking for a world renowned program, but it is very important that I can at least get a great education.</p>
<p>Sorry for all of the questions, I'm just trying to figure out my life a little bit. Thanks for your support.</p>
<p>My D is graduating next week Magna Cum Laude with a degree in English and French. She had a great experience, and some great teachers who taught her how to write well. She loved every minute of it. I’ll try to get her to post on here and tell you about it.</p>
<p>hi thinkingahead-
I am the daughter guillaume was talking about. Although it is under the radar, Tech’s English department is very good. I am in the Creative Writing option (like a minor, they just call them options–there’s also Literature Language and Culture, Professional Writing, and others I can’t quite remember). I’ve had the privilege of being taught by wonderful professors who are well-respected, well-published experts in their fields. Professors like Thomas Gardner, Bob Cantor, Robert Siegle, and of course Nikki Giovanni (whom I’ve never had but have heard wonderful things about) are a few professors who make this English department excellent. I owe it to the English department for teaching me how to write well and how to think critically. I also never felt overlooked by the university and never thought Tech didn’t care as much about English as it did about engineering or architecture. And the fact that there aren’t as many English majors as there are in the other fields makes it possible for classes to be very small and intimate. </p>
<p>You also said you might be interested in philosophy. I’ve only taken 3 philosophy classes at Tech (Morality and Justice, Language and Logic, and Modern Logic) but I learned a lot from them and thoroughly enjoyed them. Morality and Justice was a freshman level class but it was challenging and interesting. I took the logic classes as a substitute for math (I am hopeless at math) and they were also hard but fascinating. For a time I considered adding a philosophy minor but didn’t have room in my schedule. I’ve heard great things about the philosophy department. </p>
<p>I have learned so much in my 4 years of being here. I fully recommend pursuing a liberal arts degree at Tech and can assure you that you wouldn’t get a subpar education–on the contrary, you’d get an excellent education. </p>
<p>Good luck!!</p>
<p>Not on topic, but just a post wishing guillaume’s hokiegirl congratulations for her upcoming graduation with honors! Way to go! </p>
<p>(@ guillaume- one down 
congrats to you, too!)</p>
<p>Thank you KandKsmom! You’ll be next if I remember correctly.</p>
<p>Thanks guys, that is such a relief! I was really only worried because of some things I had read in the Fiske Guide about humanities programs being cut hard by the budget axe, but I will trust a primary source over a book any day. Also, I have already had some wonderful experiences with the Virginia Tech English department, including a visit to my school by professor Nikki Giovanni and participation in two of Kwame Alexander’s (alumnus) “Book-in-a-Day” poetry programs. These experiences have left nothing but great impressions in my mind of Virginia Tech, and a certain love for writing as well as giving back to the community is definitely evident (I still haven’t had any encounters with UVA’s department…cough cough).</p>
<p>Thanks again for the peace of mind!</p>