Department of English

College of Humanities and Sciences

Current StudentsGive

Request information

Visit VCU

Apply Now

Why study English?

In a world resounding to the continuous drumbeat of “STEM, STEM, STEM,” to study English is to strike out on one's own.

We are a community of students and faculty dedicated to the skillful reading and writing of texts in a variety of genres, both creative and expository. Classes are small and our faculty members pride themselves on the excellence of their classroom instruction and the lasting relationships they make with their students. High-quality instruction, internship opportunities, and the opportunity to tailor the major to your intellectual and professional interests are only part of the story though.

Learn more about the value of a degree in English.

Explore careers in English

News

Split header: In her new book, VCU author Olivia Landry explores 21st-century films that put into focus the challenging reality of mothering. (Contributed images)

Nov. 12, 2025

Olivia Landry’s new book explores motherhood through the lens of modern film

In ‘Cinema of Crushing Motherhood,’ the VCU professor sees a new feminist sensibility.

From the onset of mass incarceration in the early 1970s to the 21st century, a new book, compiled and edited by David Coogan, brings together accounts from figures including political activist Assata Shakur, journalist Wilbert Rideau, and author and death row inmate Jarvis Jay Masters. (Contributed images)

Nov. 3, 2025

Prison writing tells an American story of mass incarceration

VCU author David Coogan’s new collection highlights perspective from behind bars.

Barbara Epler on stage, smiling in a black shirt

Oct. 30, 2025

An Interview with Barbara Epler, Editor and Publisher of New Directions Publishing

Prior to the Cabell First Novelist event, we sat down with the editor and publisher of "It Lasts Forever And Then It’s Over" to discuss her iconic career, how she chose to publish de Marcken’s work, and where to look for inspiration in a world that has come to devalue artists.

More news

English Spotlight

students gathered around a professor's desk collaborating on a project

New accelerated bachelor's-to-master's degree in English

If you're interested in fast-tracking your advanced education, the accelerated B.A. and M.A. program is for you.

Read more

Tess Stalls

Meet Tess

Tess Stalls' love for working with children and helping others inspired her to study English. Visit our 'Meet a Student' page to read more about Tess' favorite classes, favorite professors and a study abroad trip that will help her complete her studies and prepare for her future.

Read more

Blackbird journal logo: a stylized blackbird perched on the K of the word Blackbird overlaying the image of a photorealistic moon with a dark blue sky behind. The bird has a red berry in its beak the dot from the letter I in Blackbird.

Blackbird: an online journal of literature and the arts

Blackbird: an online journal of literature and the arts was founded in 2001 by the Department of English at Virginia Commonwealth University and New Virginia Review, Inc. The nationally recognized open-access journal features work by new and established writers and provides internship opportunities for students at both the undergraduate and graduate level.

Read more

british virginia

British Virginia

British Virginia is a VCU-hosted series of scholarly editions of documents touching on the colony. These texts range from the 16th and 17th-century literature of English exploration to the 19th-century writing of loyalists and other Virginians who continued to identify with Great Britain. Editions appear principally in digital form, freely downloadable.

Read more