Student Opportunities
This page showcases the many exciting opportunities—clubs, activities, publications, research projects, scholarships, internships, awards, and more—available to English majors at WCU. These activities can help you expand your learning experience beyond the classroom, develop valuable career skills, express yourself in new ways, and collaborate with others who share your passions. Get involved! For information about opportunities available to our M.A. graduate students, please visit our Graduate School page.
Activities and Clubs
- English Club
English Club hosts open mic nights and publishes the student journal Literati. - Daedalus
A literary journal of poetry, prose, art, and photography by WCU students. - Sigma Tau Delta
WCU's chapter of the International English Honors Society. - NCTE
WCU's NCTE chapter offers resources & community for BSEd English majors. - Writing Center
The WC offers writing consultation and hires English students as tutors. - EAPSU Conference
A venue for PASSHE English majors to present their scholarly work. - Aralia Press
A literary fine press that teaches students the art of making books by hand. - The Quad
WCU's student newspaper; JRN minors may complete a Quad internship. - The Serpentine
WCU's official student yearbook. - Creative Writing Club
Offers writing students a supportive space for honing their craft.
Undergraduate Research
Our students work frequently with individual faculty members on research and creative projects. Here are some of the research opportunities available to you as an English major:
Summer Undergraduate Research Institute
Summer Undergraduate Research Institute (SURI) aims to enrich the undergraduate experience
and prompt students to grow beyond consumers of information into creators of knowledge.
West Chester Center for Book History
West Chester Center for Book History is dedicated to providing a multidimensional,
interdisciplinary forum for the history and study of the written word.
PA Literary and Cultural Heritage Map
The Literary and Cultural Heritage Map of Pennsylvania is a graphic display of the
literary history of our Commonwealth.
Student Awards and Scholarships
The English Department is proud to offer several awards and scholarships in recognition
of the outstanding achievements of our students. Honorees are announced at various
times throughout the fall and spring semesters and are usually recognized at both
the English Department's year-end student reception & awards ceremony and the College
of Arts & Sciences annual Student Recognition Ceremony. Recipients are chosen by English
Department faculty. View the complete list of English student awards, scholarships, and past winners.
Internships
The English Department encourages all of its B.A. majors to pursue internships. The
advantages are numerous: internships enable you to apply your reading and writing
skills to real workplace situations, make informed decisions about your career plans,
and build valuable contacts. Our students have completed an exciting array of internships—in
journalism, publishing, broadcasting, marketing, public relations, social media, and
more—both on and off campus. Read More.
Study Abroad
As readers and thinkers with a strong affinity for the workings of language and culture,
English majors are often naturally drawn to the experience of living and learning
in another country. Our students have studied abroad in England, Ireland, Latin America,
and many other places around the world. If you're interested in studying abroad, we
urge you to start by consulting with your academic advisor and also making time to
visit WCU's Global Engagement Office.
Sustainability
The English Department supports efforts to live and learn sustainably. We offer several
courses focused on sustainability and environmentalism, including WRH 310: Written Rhetoric: Power, Politics, & Environmental Writing and ENG 305: Environmental/Experiential Writing: Taking Action. Our ENG 400 Research Seminars and our WRT 220: Critical Writing courses also frequently emphasize environmental themes. English faculty active in
sustainability efforts include Professors Buckelew, Burns, Lalicker, Patriarca, Rademaekers, and Wanko. To learn more about sustainability initiatives taking place at WCU and beyond, please
contact those faculty members or WCU's Sustainability Advisory Council
.