A degree in English or Professional Writing from King’s College will give you the communication, research, and critical thinking skills you need to succeed, both at King’s and in the professional world.

What makes us different
Our graduates are working in a diverse and satisfying variety of fields, such as journalism, public relations, editing and publishing, teaching, consulting, technical writing, higher education administration, and the law. Additionally, a variety of businesses now actively seek English majors because they possess creative, flexible minds that can offer fresh approaches to situations and come equipped to communicate in the business environment. Thus, we have a number of recent graduates working in business fields, such as marketing and advertising. Perhaps most importantly, the communication and critical thinking skills our graduates possess earn them promotions and leadership positions later in their careers.

Placement Highlights
Listed below are just a few job positions, workplaces and graduate schools where our recent alumni have found success.

  • Emergency Communication Coordinator, U.S. Coast Guard
  • Grants Coordinator, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
  • Assistant in Book Marketing at Boyds Mills Press
  • Publicist, University Press of Florida
  • Assistant Provost, Faculty Affairs, Thomas Jefferson University
  • Technical Writer at Solid Cactus, Inc.
  • Reporter, Citizen’s Voice
  • Online Marketing Specialist at Maternal and Family Health Services
  • Communications Specialist at AVE by Korman Communities
  • Law programs at Penn State’s Dickinson School of Law and Duquesne University
  • Editor at Northeast Editing
  • Secondary education teachers at numerous school districts throughout the United States
  • Graduate programs at the Universities of Virginia and Delaware, Purdue University, and American University.
     

Recent Articles About Jobs for English Majors

TESTIMONIALS

  • Samantha Fiesel Zaboski ’11
    Publicist, University Press of Florida
    After receiving my BA in professional writing, I completed Emerson College's MA in publishing and writing program. While both degrees prepared me for my current position as a publicist and subsidiary rights manager at the University Press of Florida, the King's College coursework tailored to improving critical reading and writing skills contributed to my success at Emerson and capacity for effective writing at the press. My position requires I write catalogue copy, cover copy, press releases, and pitch letters for various audiences. My ability to write with a clear audience in mind developed through various King's College courses, particulary the Advance Writing course. The rhetorical theory course continuously informs my copy, as catalogues, covers, and pitches require subtly persuasive sales text. The four-credit Editing course prepared me for the copyediting course at Emerson, and both have allowed me to edit both my own and others' work throughout my career. Additionally, the foundations of design taught in Document Design trained me in the skills required to create catalogues, flyers, and posters for our books. Despite never receiving formal training in contract writing specifically, I am adept at reading and writing complex contractual agreements as part of my position, which stems from the practice I received by reading critically throughout my literature courses, most notably the Foundations Seminar, Early American Literature and The Short Story courses. These literature courses teach you to write clearly and effectively. Finally, the creative writing workshops instilled in me the drive to practice and perfect the fluidity of my prose. The professors at King's--no matter what writing level you enter with--push you to do better. If you think you write perfectly now, you'll have a lot to gain from these brilliant individuals. Their guidance, motivation, and support will always be behind everything I write. This is no small feat for an English department. I truly believe they're a hidden gem among the programs across the country.
     
  • Zac Hammond ‘10
    Stand-up Comedian
    Stand-up comedy allows me to say whatever I want…so long as it’s funny. I have performed in world famous clubs, theaters, worked with some of the most talented people in the business and have recorded two albums. “So long as it’s funny” is a very important point to make. It is THE main rule I have to follow for every crazy thing that I spew out of my face. I have a dark sense of humor and thoroughly enjoy finding the humor in taboo topics, and nothing is off limits. I take great pride in my material and always make sure it’s the best it can be. My background as an English major is what forces me to hold myself and my jokes to a high standard. Editing is a huge part of comedy, and forces me to be highly critical of every word and every sentence that I speak.
     
  • Drew McLaughlin ‘09
    ​Attorney
    I studied English and Mass Communications at King's College before I ultimately graduated with a degree in professional writing and I use that training everyday of my life. After college, I worked for almost five years in municipal government. I wrote speeches and press releases, drafted editorials, and helped city attorneys and other government officials dissect and interpret contracts and ordinances to name a few examples. Sometimes I needed to translate complicated financial transactions, such as a municipal bond refinancing, into terms that reporters and the general public could quickly understand. I also helped write grant proposals to secure state and federal funds to build playgrounds, purchase police cruisers, or improve critical infrastructure, such as flood protection walls, in the City of Wilkes-Barre. My writing skills helped me advance within the organization and earn the trust of many community leaders. Eventually, I decided to attend law school at the Dickinson School of Law at the Pennsylvania State University in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. My writing background and professional writing degree has been invaluable to my success in law school. Every attorney, whether a traditional litigator or a transactional attorney, will need to be a proficient writer and editor. A litigator is more likely to win a case by writing a persuasive brief with the court than by brow-beating a witness into a confession on the witness stand. Transactional attorneys can save their clients millions of dollars because a contractual dispute boils down to the placement of a comma. I personally observed the U.S. Supreme Court uphold a criminal defendant's ten-year prison sentence because the U.S. Congress drafted the statute in the passive voice as opposed to active voice. Words matter and they have real-world consequences. A properly trained English major is a valuable commodity in an ultra-competitive job market. If I did not attend King's College and study English and professional writing, then I would not be poised to graduate from law school with honors. I have been lucky to have a pretty diverse and interesting career so early in my life but it all began when I walked into my first Effective Writing class.