English

English
Offered as a major (B.A.) and a minor

Literature is a window into the human condition, a reflection of our world and how we relate to one another. The English program at Saint Anselm explores rich literary history, equipping students with exceptional reading and writing skills and the ability to analyze complex information, invaluable experience for any profession. With passionate professors who bring decades of knowledge to the classroom, both major and minor equip students with the tools to discover the heart of some of the world’s greatest works, preparing you for careers in education, journalism, business, and beyond.

The department seeks to produce readers who can recognize literary excellence in ancient poetry or modern novels and who can discern the humanistic values intrinsic to these works. To accomplish a mastery in written expression, the department offers a wide range of courses from basic to advanced composition, journalism, and creative writing.

To view degree requirements, click the "Academic Catalog" button, navigate to "Programs by Area: Majors and Minors," and select your program.

Academic Catalog

english & communication

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I love English at Saint Anselm College because it not only has made me a better writer and introduced me to new literature, but it has also significantly challenged my world views and positively impacted how I think.

— Jennifer Patient ’26 English Major

Featured Course

EN 375: Gender in Music and Literature

This co-taught course explores literary and musical works through the lens of gender, leading students on a journey through history. You’ll analyze songs from early country and 90s hip-hop as works of poetry and find the musical influence within contemporary literature.

Apply Knowledge Through Internships

The English Major at Saint Anselm prepares you for any path forward. While engaging in their studies, students apply their acquired skills in a variety of fields and gain first-hand experience through internships and research. Recent internships include:

Cape Cod Life
New Hampshire Fisher Cats
Touchstone Journal
The Journal of the NH Poetry Society
NH Humanities
Saint Anselm College Office of Communications and Marketing
The NH Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence

Celebrating the Bard’s Birthday

Saint Anselm is home to a yearly birthday celebration like no other: a day-long sonnet reading festival honoring the legacy of Shakespeare. First held in 1989, the yearly tradition brings together community members of every age to recite, act-out, and even sing each of the 154 sonnets - and of course, there’s cake!

Learn more about Shakespeare’s Annual Birthday Celebration →

Opportunities to Build Essential Skills

English students participate in campus life both in and out of the classroom, and there is no shortage of ways to get involved.

Dana Center for the Performing Art

Grappone Humanities Institute

Meelia Center for Community Engagement

English Major Program Information

English Majors take ten total courses within the discipline including EN 106 – Introduction to Literature and EN 475 – English Senior Seminar.

Freshman Year - Fall Semester

EN 105 – First Year Writing

Freshman Year – Fall/Spring Semester

EN 106 – Introduction to Literature

See the four-year course sequence on the college catalog →

Recent Outcomes

Recent Career Outcomes

Constant Contact
Walt Disney World
City of Cambridge
AlphaSights
Marancook Community High School
American Tower
UNH Franklin Pierce School of Law
Bailin Sloat Law, PLLC
Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Raytheon Technologies
Saint Anselm College
Franciscan Children’s Hospital
Loretto Volunteer Program
St. Augustine Catholic High School
Bishop Stang High School
GE Aviation
Retrieve Technologies
Inspire Brands
Sarepta Pharmaceuticals
Harvard University
Hi Marley
Maura O’Malley Interiors
Scholastic
Maersk
Watertown MA Public Schools
The Philanthropic Initiative
Operation Smile
Saint Patrick Academy

Recent Graduate School

Boston University
Johnson and Wales
University of Edinburgh
University of Notre Dame
University of Washington, St. Louis

ALUMNA PROFILE: ABIGAIL ST. JEAN ’21

As a double major in English and Spanish, Abigail St. Jean ’21 utilized her skills to engage with the downtown Manchester community by tutoring students enrolled in the English for New Americans Program and assisting Saint Anselm students in writing at the Academic Resource Center (ARC). She now works as a Content Developer for Constant Contact, employing her language skills as she crafts articles designed to optimize the user experience, especially for small businesses.

“Take what you learned on the Hilltop and have confidence to foster new connections and get curious; you never know where a connection may lead you.”