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English

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Careers and Internships

Intern Interviews

Career Tracks

Career Support

English majors communicate like pros and their thoughtful analysis leads to successful careers in education, law, arts, business, media, finance, entertainment, sales, sports, and health care, among other fields. The Department of English is deeply committed to the career success of its students by providing a robust curriculum that emphasizes real-world skills and support that equips students with the tools they need to succeed in their chosen careers.


Career Support

Our in-house career services include:

  • One-on-one coaching with faculty
  • Resume and cover letter assistance
  • Internships for pay and academic credit
  • A dedicated Director of Careers and Internships
  • Mentorship with UT alumni
  • Grad school application help
  • ENGL 499: Careers for English Majors

47%

of English degree holders have an advanced degree, compared to 38% across all fields

84%

of humanities graduates are satisfied with their jobs

78%

of humanities graduates believe they are living their best possible life, according to Humanities Indicators

155.05

is the average LSAT score of English majors, compared to the average score of 153.24 for all majors

507.6

is the average MCAT score for English majors, compared to the average score of 505.6 for all majors.

63%

of of English degree holders are employed in occupations that require at least a bachelor’s degree, higher than the 62% average for all fields.

English Prepares You

For Professional Success

There are many career paths for English majors! English majors are found in a wide range of fields including law, medicine, publishing, advertising, education, nonprofit management, public relations, government, and more.

See What Our Alumni Are Doing
Photograph of Erin Elizabeth Smith

Erin Elizabeth Smith

Director of Career Development

Office Hours- Mondays 3-4 and Wednesdays 10-11 in McClung 312

Get in Touch

Law & Government Alumni

Headshot photo

Jasmine Johnson (’16), Corporate Attorney

Everyone wants someone who can analyze well and connect with multiple audiences. As a part of connecting with multiple audiences, you learn emotional intelligence and how to practice empathy. These are skills that are universally desired, and they aren’t just career skills, they are life skills.”

Read an interview with Jasmine Johnson


Headshot photo

J. Scott Rose (‘84), Partner, Jackson Walker, LLP


Business & Nonprofit Management Alumni

Headshot photo

Amanda Henneghan (’08), Senior Manager at Amazon


Headshot photo

Kara Orellana (‘13), Head of Strategy and Planning, Global Marketing Services at Visa


Headshot photo

Dylan Platz (‘14), Lead IT Consultant and Salesforce Product Manager, Vanderbilt University


Health & Science Alumni

Headshot photo

Dr. Leigh Ball (’12), Internal Medicine Physician

Read an interview with Dr. Leigh Ball


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Erik Schiller (‘13), Marketing Specialist, American Medical Association (AMA) Journal of Ethics


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Nicole Matis (‘20), Medical Student in Psychiatry


Headshot photo

Ashley Barker (‘96), Operations Section Head at Oak Ridge Leadership Computing

I think communication is a key aspect in any position. If you can communicate well, people want you on their team and want you to be part of their project.”

Read an interview with Ashley Barker


Writing & Publishing Alumni

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Monica Brashears (’19), Novelist

I love the English department. They helped support me, whether through feedback, writing recommendation letters, or still being willing to talk after graduation and provide advice and real mentorship.”

Read an interview with Monica Brashears


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Claire Dodson (’15), Editor at Teen Vogue

Read an interview with Claire Dodson


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Rodney Thompson (‘04), Video and Tabletop Game Designer

[In screenwriting classes], you had to communicate everything you could through dialogue and a little bit of stage direction. It’s very much like minimalist storytelling. And I think that taught me to distill a narrative down to its most essential elements.”

Read an interview with Rodney Thompson


Headshot photo

Sierra Swanson (‘20), Associate Publicist, Atria Books

Read an interview with Sierra Swanson


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Amien Essif, Special Correspondent for Deutsche Welle

Read an interview with Amien Essif


Education Alumni

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John Luke Bell (‘14), Professional Learning Content Design Manager at HMH, Co.


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Will White (‘20), Health Sciences Librarian, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee


Headshot photo

Skikila Smith (‘17), Austin-East High School English Teacher


English

College of Arts and Sciences

301 McClung Tower
Knoxville, TN 37996-0430
Main Office: 865-974-5401
Office of Graduate Studies: 865-974-6933
Fax: 865-974-6926

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The University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Knoxville, Tennessee 37996
865-974-1000

The flagship campus of the University of Tennessee System and partner in the Tennessee Transfer Pathway.

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