The English Department at SUNY Broome offers a broad range of writing and literature courses that encourage students to become sophisticated readers, and to develop excellent writing and critical thinking skills. The Department regularly offers courses in American, British, and world literatures; the short story; drama; and creative writing. Becoming alert to the nuances of language reaches into every profession and thus provides students with a solid foundation to build upon as they launch their careers. A degree in English offers you the opportunity to become nimble-minded and deft in the wielding of language; it also provides the satisfaction of reading deeply and becoming a thoughtful, original writer and informed citizen.
In an essay reflecting on the value of literature, the writer Mario Vargas Llosa suggests that it is “one of the common denominators of human experience through which human beings may recognize themselves and converse with each other, no matter how different their professions, their life plans, their geographical and cultural locations, their personal circumstances.” He goes on to emphasize that “nothing better protects a human being against the stupidity of prejudice, racism, religious or political sectarianism, and exclusivist nationalism than this truth that invariably appears in great literature: that men and women of all nations and places are essentially equal, and that only injustice sows among them discrimination, fear, and exploitation.”
Consider just a few of the following professions, with average salaries associated with each.
- Advertiser $113,610
- Book Editor $53,500
- Comedian/Joke Writer $68,000
- Copy Writer $56,856
- Film Editor $66,690
- Lawyer $114,970
- Proofreader $34,980
- Speech writer $121,052
- Sports Writer $49,000
- Teacher $48,000
- Technical Writer/Editor $65,500
For some well-known English majors, including authors, curators, historians, film directors, and business executives, visit this website:
