February 9, 2015

USA Today names UW third-best nationally for English majors

Pardon, Princeton. Step aside, Harvard. Maybe next time, Yale and Columbia — this one’s going to the University of Washington Department of English.

UW colleges and departments are often named among the best in the country for science, technology and research. But the latest ranking has more to do with semi-colons than computer algorithms: USA Today has named the UW English Department as the third-best in the country for English majors.

“The university challenges students to view the world through multiple lenses and understand how fields are related,” the USA Today story stated. “English majors are taught to interpret texts while analyzing theoretical problems in relation to the societal, historical and political context of the writing. UW students complete the program with a strong understanding of critical perspectives along with excellent analytical, research and writing skills.”

Brian Reed, English department chairman, said department faculty and staff are excited and honored by the national distinction.

“We have an extraordinarily dedicated, hardworking faculty and staff who believe strongly in our undergraduate program and in the value of a B.A. in English, both in the workplace and as an entry point into a lifelong engagement with literature and language.”

Like other UW departments, English continues to innovate. Reed said the department has begun offering an English minor and will soon also offer a writing minor. The latter, he said, will be right for students “who are looking specifically to hone their composition and communication skills, including writing for digital and multimodal environments.”

Learn more about the UW English Department online.