English, B.A.
The UC Merced English Program teaches students the story of how stories are made, how they make a difference in the world, and how they form the foundation of knowledge itself. Stories allow the marginalized to be heard by the powerful: they help humans understand each other’s past and present, and they help us imagine different futures.
Studies show that English majors and other humanities majors achieve substantially greater gains than business, technology, and engineering majors in writing ability, complex reasoning, and critical thinking—skills that today’s employers are actively seeking.
Our English majors take 24-person seminars throughout their time on campus. Small class sizes, supportive professors, and brilliant, kind students make our program one of the most nurturing both at UC Merced, and in the whole UC system. Our passionate and caring instructors teach courses that cover literature of all kinds, from Renaissance England to 18th century India to modern day California. In the Senior Thesis class, Honors Program, and UROC-H program, English majors work closely with faculty to conduct research, adding impressive experience to their job or graduate school applications.
Graduates of the English program have gone on to become tech entrepreneurs, lawyers, medical professionals, teachers, non-profit leaders, librarians, park rangers, and more, while others have gone on to be admitted to top literature, creative writing, theatre, and law graduate programs across the country. The skills of critical thinking, interpretation, and writing that are developed in English classes are valued by multiple professions, including law, education, medicine, business, technology, journalism, politics, and social work.
