English
Apply for AdmissionWhy Study English
A major in English will prepare you to express your ideas, develop a distinct voice, and practice critical thinking skills that are valued and desired in many diverse career fields, such as law, teaching, advertising, journalism, artificial intelligence, entertainment, communications, and business administration. In studying arguments and expository texts, you will explore diverse perspectives and develop your own critical reading and writing processes, equipping you to effectively and confidently communicate your ideas.
Through the study of literature and the practice of creative writing, you will deepen and expand your understanding of the world and the significant historical and cultural contexts that inform so much of the conversations, art, and pop cultural influences that shape consciousness. In the ever-changing world and growing global society, majoring in English at Foothill will prepare you to embrace new ideas, adapt to evolving technologies, and engage in meaningful discourse throughout your academic, personal, and professional life.
What you can do with a degree in English
A major in English can prepare you for a range of careers and disciplines such as:
- Writing & Editing
- Communications
- Education
- Content Strategy & Development
- Law
- Journalism
- Nonprofits
- Business Development
and so much more!
This course invites you to be part of a community that explores what it means to be a creative writer. We’ll study how individuals have used creative writing to do the work of taking space, sustaining community, challenging stereotypes, preserving cultural knowledge, and responding to injustice. How do writers talk to their readers and offer viewpoints? At the same time that we observe these writers, we’ll practice putting our own perspectives onto the page, experimenting with a range of creative writing techniques. We’ll discover the possibilities for saying what means the most to us.
Learn about why poetry is one of the oldest forms of creative and artistic expression around the world by studying historical and contemporary poets and their work. Poetry can do so many things, and we will study how it can exist both in culturally traditional forms as well as modern forms, including free verse.
"All Power to the People: Survey of Black Panther Literature" offers students a hands-on trek through the history—and lasting impact—of the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense, started in Oakland, California, in 1966. Students use BPP literature and related events, including the BPP's foundational 10-Point Program ("What We Want, What We Believe"), letters and personal memoirs by BPP leaders Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale, media coverage and reports, video, poetry, court documents, transcripts, interviews, BPP community programs, The Black Panther (the BPP's newspaper), etc.
Jump into independent journalism and write stories for the Script! Working with the campus paper, in Introduction to Reporting/Newswriting & Intermediate Reporting/Newswriting, you'll be asked to take on the role of 'student reporter,' reporting on campus events and issues to the student body and broader Foothill Community.
Degrees & Certificates
Foothill offers two degree paths in English. Each program is designed to support your academic and career goals. Each degree includes a suggested schedule to help you meet program and college requirements. You can customize your plan with help from a counselor.
View the list below for programs offered at Foothill. Then select a program map for a possible schedule that fulfills program and college requirements.
For program requirements and full course listings, view English degrees and certificates information.
I learned so much about literary analysis and also quite a bit about how intentional certain aspects of our country were shaped in the Early American Literature survey. I was at a summer premed program at Stanford, and for our unit on health disparities, it was shocking how much the literature we covered directly tied into medical outcomes today.
As an English major, when we say we read a text, whether it be literary or non-literary, we do not simply mean reading and expecting one absolute way of interpretation; we practice close reading–the ability to unpack nuances in one’s use of language, analyze the functions of structures and tone, and make meanings out of contextual reasoning. Through these practices, I have developed the abilities to write and communicate with clarity, persuasion and accountability, to be sensitive to word choice and the operation of rhetoric, which have generally prepared me well in my professional pursuit in law and public service and recently helped me get an internship with a California Assemblymember where my thorough understanding of linguistic functionality and ambiguity allows me to effectively translate complex legislation into accessible information for constituents and mediate community conflict through storytelling-inspired communication.
Ways To Experience More
Showcase your ideas and creativity at Foothill’s annual symposium, where students present research, service projects, and creative work through talks, posters, performances, and art exhibitions.
Research & Service Leadership Symposium
Pass the Torch is a study team program that helps you earn the highest potential grade in a specific course so you can advance to the next level.
Pass the Torch
Build a pathway to transfer, degree completion, and leadership through a dynamic learning community. Puente empowers students through culturally relevant coursework, mentorship, and academic support focused on Latino experiences.
Puente
Experience a supportive, year-long community rooted in unity and cultural connection. Umoja empowers African American and other students through a curriculum that highlights the legacy of the African and African American diasporas and promotes academic success.
Umoja
The Script, the student news site for Foothill College, serves as the voice for our Foothill student population—providing news, analysis, and editorial content that shines light on important student-centered issues.
The Script
