Purdue University College of Liberal Arts

The Department of English has played a vital role at Purdue since its first days. A Professor of English and Drawing was one of six founding members of the faculty when Purdue opened its doors in 1874, and from 1876-1883, a Professor of English served as President of the university. Today, the Department has developed undergraduate majors and graduate programs that represent the breadth of contemporary English Studies and contribute to the education of nearly every student on campus. Over 60 faculty members work with over 200 graduate students in M.A. programs in Literature, Rhetoric and Composition, English Language and Linguistics, and English Education; an M.F.A program in Creative Writing, and five Ph.D. areas: Literature, English Language and Linguistics, English as a Second Language, Rhetoric and Composition, and Theory and Cultural Studies; and with nearly 500 undergraduate majors enrolled in B.A. programs in English, English Education, Creative Writing, and Professional Writing. Faculty members from the Department are also involved in thirteen of the interdisciplinary programs in the College of Liberal Arts. In addition, the Department makes significant contributions to the education of thousands of students from across the university by teaching courses in first-year composition, professional writing, literature, and English as a Second Language, including 25 courses listed in the College of Liberal Arts Core Curriculum.

...Dr. Irwin Weiser, Head

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