Career Pathways for English Majors
Learn more about how Merrimack College’s English major can prepare you for success for your future career. With a diverse offering of fields to enter, you’ll be set up for success here at Merrimack.
Gateway to Your Future
Simply put, the English program at Merrimack will prepare you for success in any field.
Our program cultivates a number of key skills—including careful analysis, clear communication, attention to detail and the ability to formulate conclusions based on evidence—that are valued in a variety of fields, from publishing, marketing and journalism, to teaching, freelance writing, public relations and beyond. Many of our students have gone on to pursue graduate work in English, education and journalism, as well as in law, library science and business.
Practically speaking, a degree in English is useful no matter what career path you choose. Why? Because the professional world values critical thinking and communication skills — precisely the ones we hone in our program, and indeed throughout the liberal arts education.
There are many ways to add breadth and depth to your experience as an English major or minor.
Co-Curricular Internships
Apply what you’re learning, gain valuable experience and deepen your involvement in the Merrimack community.
Sigma Tau Delta
Join an international honors society.
What Are Potential Career Pathways for English Majors?
Your job options are limitless if you earn a degree in English at Merrimack College. You could decide that you want to go further in your schooling and study law, medicine, or even earn a Ph.D. Some may choose to earn a master’s degree in fine arts.
A number of our English graduates are authors or work in marketing, publishing, or as librarians. The abilities you acquire throughout the English curriculum will set you up for a future that you may shape anyway you see fit.
Potential Career Fields
Graduate School
Filmmaking
Publishing
Marketing
Recent English Alumni
Molly Sweeney is currently attending graduate school at Pace University, where she will soon receive her MS degree in Book Publishing, while also working as the head coach for their cross-country team. Molly interned with WW Norton and Company during the summer of 2023, and will join their team permanently as a College Business Assistant upon graduation from Pace.
A recipient of the Bishop Markham Medal, Jessica currently works as a public librarian as well as a freelance writer, photographer, & visual artist. Her visual work has been featured in Grub Street, Muzzle Magazine, Waxwing, & elsewhere, and her writing has appeared in Rogue Agent, Stirring, & VIDA Review, among others. Jessica’s poetry was a finalist in Best of the Net (2020), and she was awarded a 2023 Sundress Academy for the Arts Writing Residency in Knoxville, TN to work on her first novel. Jessica’s debut poetry chapbook A Kiss for the Misbehaved (2023) is now available from BatCat Press.
Rachel currently works for J.P. Morgan Chase as a Senior Marketing Delivery Associate, where sheI builds and maintains pages and content across several of the firm's websites. Before joining the J.P Morgan Chase team, she worked with Universal Studios Parks and Resorts building their Hollywood, Orlando, and Tokyo webpages. While at Merrimack, Rachel majored in English and worked as an editor on the Merrimack Review, and eventually went on to earn her Master’s Degree in Business.
Since graduation, Matthew has been traveling around New England working on various TV & film productions such as HBO’s Julia and Beetlejuice 2. He was also a featured role in the upcoming Andy Warhol biopic The Collaboration. Outside of work, he has grown fond of being of service to his community. He likes working with fellow artists in Merrimack College’s Onstagers Dramatic Society and Boston University’s Film Department. He hopes to fill his days with heartfelt ambition and goodness.
