Programs

English Studies: Language and Literature
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Literature expresses and examines the values, histories, and beliefs of diverse human societies. In the English Language and Literature major at La Roche College, students read the great works of American, British, and World literature, explore the issues these works raise, and cultivate the writing and research skills necessary to participate in ongoing discussion and debate about life, language, and literature. The major prepares students for graduate school, as well as for careers in fields such as law, publishing, library science, media, government, and other forms of public service.

English Studies: Professional Writing
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Effective written communication is the basis of all social interaction. In the Professional Writing major, students hone their skills as readers and writers in various media venues, including journalism, creative writing, public relations, technical writing, grants writing, and writing for television, radio, and the internet. The college newspaper, The Courier, provides on-site, hands-on experience, while external internships offer a taste of the working world. Majors are then ready to step into a variety of careers as professional writers.

For students intrigued by the growing field of Creative Nonfiction, the Professional Writing major also offers a Creative Nonfiction Concentration.

What is Creative Nonfiction?

Creative Nonfiction, also known as literary journalism, is a relatively new genre in the field of writing, combining the best skills of the journalist, the poet, and the fiction writer. Creative Nonfiction traces its origins to the first-person correspondents who covered World War II from the battlefields of Europe and Asia . The genre evolved rapidly during the 1960s, becoming perhaps the most popular form of writing in America today. Writers of Creative Nonfiction craft profiles drawn from everyday life, their stories taking readers to places they could not go on their own. Writers of Creative Nonfiction teach readers, giving them fresh, new perspectives and new ways of viewing the world we share.

The Creative Nonfiction Concentration

The English Department's Creative Nonfiction Concentration provides unique opportunities not found at any other college in the region. Building upon La Roche College's strong Core Curriculum and solid liberal arts heritage, the Concentration combines writing and basic publication design skills to produce a highly marketable graduate. Students who successfully complete the program will not only be able to write stories in the exciting genre of Creative Nonfiction; they will possess the skills needed to take compelling photographs and to bring those stories and images together in solid publication designs.

Career Opportunities in Creative Nonfiction

Creative Nonfiction writers enjoy a vast market for their work. Magazines, newspapers, Web sites, advertising and public relations firms, and the broadcast media all employ the varied and unique skills that practitioners of Creative Nonfiction possess. Having the ability to write, photograph, and design publications will give you an advantage that graduates from other colleges will not have.

English Secondary Education
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Teaching, they say, is one of the toughest jobs you'll ever love: it requires rigorous training, exceptional perseverance, and total commitment. In the English Education program at La Roche, we prepare students for careers teaching English language and literature at the secondary level (middle and high school). Mentored by faculty within both the English Department and the Education Department, our majors receive excellent student teaching placements at local schools and then go on to find employment throughout the Pittsburgh region and the nation. For further information, see the Education Department's website.

The English Minors

The English Department offers two minors, one in Literature and the other in Professional Writing. These minors provide students in other major programs opportunities to further their love of language and literature, to challenge themselves as readers, writers, and thinkers, and to add an attractive bonus credential to their résumés. Students who major in fields such as History, Marketing, and Communication have found the English minor a perfect complement to their major course work.

Literature
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The Professional Writing Certificate
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For students in other major programs who seek an even deeper immersion in the varied forms of professional writing, the English Department also offers a Certificate in Professional Writing. Students choose from courses in creative writing, technical writing, business communication, electronic publishing, journalism, grants writing, writing for advertising, writing for television and radio, and public relations writing. Obtaining the certificate signals to prospective employers a well-rounded individual with strong and diverse writing skills.

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