Case Western Reserve University

What you'll study

The English BA curriculum balances survey courses in historical periods and national literatures with specialised seminars and practical writing-focused classes. Core study areas include British and American literature, world and postcolonial literatures, Shakespeare, modernism and contemporary fiction, poetry, and drama. Students also take courses in literary theory and criticism, rhetoric and composition, linguistics, and digital humanities.

• Foundations in close reading, critical analysis and academic research
• Upper-level seminars on topics such as nineteenth-century realism, twentieth-century modernism, contemporary global literature, and gender and sexuality in literature
• Rhetoric and composition courses that train students in argumentation, advanced writing and multimodal communication
• Electives in creative writing, linguistics, film and media studies, and digital textual scholarship
• Capstone options including a senior seminar, independent research project or practicum involving internships or community-engaged writing projects

Students may combine the major with minors or dual degrees across Case Western Reserve’s programs, pursue faculty-mentored research, contribute to undergraduate journals, and take advantage of study-abroad and internship placements with cultural organisations in Cleveland and beyond.

Entry requirements

Admission to Case Western Reserve University is competitive and based on secondary-school performance, the strength of the curriculum undertaken in high school, letters of recommendation, and personal essays. Standardised test submission may be optional depending on current university policy; applicants should check the latest admissions guidance.

International applicants must demonstrate equivalent secondary credentials and English language proficiency through recognised tests or other university-approved qualifications. Students who have strong creative-writing portfolios or evidence of scholarly work in the humanities may highlight these in their application, though a separate portfolio is not typically required for admission to the English major.

Typical preparation for the major includes strong grades in English or humanities courses, experience in analytical writing, and coursework in social studies or foreign languages. Transfer applicants should have completed college-level composition and literature courses appropriate to placement in the major.

Career prospects

Graduates with a BA in English from Case Western Reserve enter a wide variety of fields where critical thinking and communication are valued. Common career paths include:

• Publishing, editing and literary agencies
• Journalism, content strategy and digital media
• Public relations, marketing and communications roles
• Education at secondary level and graduate training for higher education
• Law, business and policy—often following additional professional training
• Nonprofit programme management, cultural institutions and arts administration
• Graduate study in literature, creative writing, linguistics, library science and related fields

The department’s emphasis on writing, research and interdisciplinary work, together with internship and career-support services, helps graduates move into both professional roles and advanced degrees.

Why study at Case Western Reserve University

Case Western Reserve combines the resources of a major research university with small-class, seminar-style instruction common to liberal arts programs. The Department of English is known for strengths in rhetoric and composition, literary theory, American and British literature, and emerging work in digital humanities and interdisciplinary cultural studies.

Located in Cleveland, the university offers access to a vibrant cultural ecosystem—museums, theatres, literary organisations and publishing outlets—that supports internships and experiential learning. Students benefit from close faculty mentorship, opportunities for undergraduate research and publication, robust study-abroad partnerships, and centralised career services that connect humanities majors with employers and graduate programmes.

Overall, the English BA at Case Western Reserve is appropriate for students seeking rigorous literary study alongside practical training in writing and communication, with pathways to diverse professional and academic futures.