At Marshall, Literary Studies is available as both a major and a minor within the English Department. In the bachelor’s degree program, students begin with a multi-genre introductory course, followed by courses that focus on British literature, American literature and studies of a particular author or genre. Majors also take courses that explore the literature of various English-speaking cultures and time periods.

By completing a few additional courses, Marshall literature majors can choose to earn a double major in Creative Writing and Literary Studies.

The Literary Studies program at Marshall University gives students the opportunity to develop their writing and close-reading skills through the application of critical and cultural theory in a vibrant learning community. Course offerings for the Literary Studies major encompass a range of subject matter from Shakespeare and slave narratives to The Hunger Games and horror films. Going beyond written texts, this unique literature degree program also features courses that critically consider both cinematic and digital texts.

The Marshall degree in Literary Studies is an academic discipline that develops fundamental tools for thinking, writing and communicating that will be needed in any career path in an ever-changing world. You’ll learn to examine and analyze, and be ready to expand on and augment ideas across all fields. You’ll work with excellent professors in Marshall’s English Department who are dedicated to your development as an educated person who’s well-prepared for a successful life and career.