The study of literature broadens and humanizes. It fosters openness to
experience and develops awareness of and empathy with human struggles. By
exposing the student to other lives and other circumstances and to various
visions of reality, it expands the imagination and widens the intellect.
The study of literature also sensitizes the student to language and to the
subtleties of thought and expression, and it causes him or her to confront
some of the central questions of human existence. The English concentration
at UM-Dearborn, which stresses the importance of historical and linguistic
backgrounds and contexts, prepares students for the critical appreciation
of literature and language in every period and genre.
Through training in writing and critical reading, the student of English
develops analytical, interpretive, communicative, and research skills that
are valuable assets in the pursuit of many career goals. An English concentration
offers appropriate undergraduate preparation for a wide variety of fields,
from business to publishing, from law to social work. With good reason,
English has been described as the "perfect pre-professional major."
UM-Dearborn English graduates have been welcomed in graduate and professional
schools across the country and have successfully pursued careers in education,
in business, and in the professions.
The English faculty at UM-Dearborn is dedicated both to classroom teaching
and to research in language and literature. They welcome the opportunity
to counsel students both in specific academic programs and in general career
planning. Faculty office hours and telephone numbers may be obtained in
the Humanities Department Office, 2126 University Mall, (313) 593-5433.
