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Undergraduate

Students pursuing the English major at Penn study literature and culture across the full range of texts, from books and manuscripts to film and digital media.

Graduate

Ranked as one of the top graduate programs in the country, our program combines broad coverage of English and American literature with student-shaped concentrations.

Faculty

Distinguished for their innovative scholarship and pedagogical talent, our faculty includes many of the most renowned literary critics working in the field today.

Intellectual Life

Our program offers myriad opportunities for intellectual development, including over a dozen graduate working groups, a departmental lecture series, and a full calendar of interdisciplinary events.

Events

News

Meet the Faculty

Keep in Touch with Alumni

If you would like to receive specific career advice from one of our hundreds of Alumni Mentors or simply want to learn what Penn English majors go on to do with their lives, click here to visit our English Alumni Mentor Database.

Featured Alumni

Generations of alumni have experienced lifelong success as a result of majoring in English at Penn. Click here to read an interview with our featured alumnus, Laura Zandi.