A concentration in English at the University of Michigan-Dearborn focuses on the dynamic intersection of language, literature, and society as well as the identities and communities shaped by this intersection. Concentrators in the English discipline have the opportunity to explore the relationships between reading and writing printed text by becoming familiar with the strategies that writers use to shape conceptions of truth.

The primary goal of the English discipline is to help students develop a sensitivity to the ways spoken and printed language frame how we conceive and discuss our identities throughout history. The UM-D English Faculty is committed to this goal by offering rigorous, comprehensive courses that contextualize language in terms of the various traditions and genres of English and American literature, the history of the English language, and the critical skills necessary to craft effective expository and creative writing.

Acknowledging the unique perspective provided by studying English language and literature in a part of urban America that offers vibrant multi-cultural experiences, the UM-D English concentration also exposes students to the future of English language and literature in the context of a global community both in — and beyond — Detroit. Therefore, concentrators in the English discipline may expect to develop a close relationship to the social ramifications of the written word and its potential for incorporating both communities and individuals into a larger, more internationally aware reading and listening audience.

In this way, the UM-D English concentration is committed to providing a quality of education in English language and literature that students of a top-tier public university in urban America both demand and deserve.