English Department

Beverly Chin, Chair

The Department of English is among the oldest and most prestigious units at the University. As one of the campus's original departments, it offered some of the University's inaugural courses, including literature classes taught by UM's first president, Oscar J. Craig.  In 1919, Rhodes Scholar H.G. Merriam inaugurated one of the first creative writing programs in the country. Now, more than a century old, this department offers a B.A. with options in Literature, Creative Writing, Teaching, Film Studies, and Linguistics, and graduate degrees in Creative Writing (M.F.A.), Literature (M.A.), and Teaching (M.A.). Our Composition program serves the entire University by offering the first-year composition requirement, as well as courses in advanced composition and graduate seminars in the teaching of writing. We have a relatively new minor in Irish Studies.

Admission Requirements

To be admitted to any option of the undergraduate English major, a student must satisfy the following requirements:

  1. Completion of 24 credits overall with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 or a GPA of 2.5 in the previous two terms.
  2. Completion of at least nine credits in English, excluding WRIT (composition) courses, with a minimum GPA of 2.5 and no grade lower than a C (2.00) in those courses.

Students who intend to major in English but who have not yet met the above requirements are admitted to the program as pre-English majors. Pre-English majors will be assigned to the English department Academic Advisor. Before a student can graduate with a major in English, she or he must meet the requirements to become an English major and declare a specific option within the program.

Undergraduate Degrees Available

Subject Type Option Track
English Bachelor of Arts Creative Writing
English Bachelor of Arts English Teaching
English Bachelor of Arts Film Studies
English Bachelor of Arts Linguistics
English Bachelor of Arts Literature
English Literature & The Environment
English Minor
English Minor Teaching English
Film Studies Minor
Irish Studies Minor

Department Faculty

Professor

  • Robert Baker, Professor | Director of Literature
  • Judy Blunt, Professor
  • Kevin Canty, Professor
  • Casey Charles, Professor
  • Beverly Chin, Professor and English Chair
  • Nancy Cook, Professor
  • Debra Earling, Professor | Director of Creative Writing
  • Louise Economides, Professor | Director of Graduate Studies
  • Ann Emmons, Visiting Professor
  • John Glendening, Professor
  • Brady Harrison, Professor
  • John Hunt, Professor
  • Ashby Kinch, Professor (English)
  • Joanna Klink, Professor
  • Christopher J. Knight, Professor
  • Deirdre McNamer, Professor
  • Carla Mettling, Visiting Professor
  • David L. Moore, Professor
  • Prageeta Sharma, Professor
  • Karen Volkman, Professor

Associate Professor

  • David Gates, Associate Professor
  • Quan Manh Ha, Associate Professor
  • Kathleen Kane, Associate Professor
  • Eric Reimer, Associate Professor

Assistant Professor

  • Erin Wecker, Assistant Professor, Director of Composition

Adjunct

  • Tobin Addington, Adjunct Assistant Professor - Media Arts; Film Studies
  • Brian Buckbee, Instructor
  • Joe Campana, Online Instructor
  • Leanne Deschamps, Adjunct, English Teaching
  • Henrietta Goodman, Adjunct
  • Natalie Peeterse, Adjunct, Composition

Lecturer

  • Rob Browning, Visiting Assistant Professor
  • David Gilcrest, Lecturer | Director of Literature and the Environment
  • Sean O'Brien, Director of Film Studies
  • Traolach O'Riordain, Director of Irish Studies
  • Amy Ratto Parks, Assistant Director of Composition
  • Erin Saldin, Lecturer
  • Robert Stubblefield, Lecturer

Affiliates

  • Michael Murphy, Professor
  • Michel Valentin, Professor

Emeritus

  • Jill Bergman, Professor Emeritus
  • Phil Fandozzi, Professor
  • Greg Pape, Professor