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Is an English degree as flexible as the professors say it is?

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Dhairya’s Answer

:) Maybe. It's not what you studied that matters, but what you learned. I was a creative writing and interdisciplinary double major. An English degree is a great way to learn critical thinking and communications skills. This comes through practice and spending significant time writing and researching. However, I do recommend double majoring in a more applied major (social sciences, engineering, math, etc). And an English degree in combination with many other degrees can go a long way.


Currently I do artificial intelligence research for a venture backed startup. Being an English major didn't automatically get me this job or any other jobs I had in the past. But it did set me apart. The communication skills were helpful when I interviewed. On the job I was able to communicate technical and complex ideas effectively to different audiences (managers, other technical colleagues, and non-technical audiences). Structured thinking, clear articulation of ideas, and the ability communicate through writing are all useful skills that will be valuable in your career search.
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Tom’s Answer

Nope. Not knowing what you've been told makes it tougher to be exact, but that said, I'd say NO. Don't major in English. Maybe minor in it, but in my experience you would have a much easier job search if you had a wider net. For instance, major in Journalism with an English minor. Or major in communications (my degree), or maybe public relations, technical writing or some other field that really floats your boat. And tuck English in as you can.

Let me add a note about communications as a degree. It is a fantastic career platform since all organizations need it and you can 'twist' a communications degree a bit to fit a ton of job descriptions. I sure did.

Good question, Devon, good luck!
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M.’s Answer

Very much so. I was a double major, with English being my primary major and now a Government Relations professional. Studying the English discipline and learning how to write well is very important in all professions. Equally important is learning how to think critically and the exposure to different authors of works in different genres and time periods exposes one to a variety of perspectives, which in turn, requires analysis and thoughtful s. These skills will translate into a wide variety of professions.
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