English Language and Literature/Letters
Literature
Colleges award this field under 6 named programs, from General Literature to Literature, Other.
Inside the major
Programs within this field
Colleges may offer this field under 6 more specific program names. The program you choose affects the courses you take.
- General Literature
- Focuses on literature from one or more genres, cultures or traditions. Covers period and genre studies, author studies, literary criticism, and studies of various types of literary text.
- American Literature (United States)
- Focuses on the literature and literary development, both formal and folkloric, of the United States from the Colonial Era to the present. Covers period and genre studies, author studies, literary criticism, and regional and oral traditions.
- American Literature (Canadian)
- Focuses on the literature and literary development, both formal and folkloric, of Canada from its origins to the present. Covers period and genre studies, author studies, literary criticism, and regional and oral traditions.
- English Literature (British and Commonwealth)
- Focuses on the literatures and literary developments of the English-speaking peoples of the British Isles and the British Commonwealth, from the origins of the English language to the present. Covers period and genre studies, author studies, country and regional specializations, literary criticism, and the study of folkloric traditions.
- Children's and Adolescent Literature
- Focuses on the scholarly study of children's and adolescent literature and that may enhance the professional work of teachers, librarians, publishers, booksellers, and creative writers. Covers period and genre studies, author studies, literary criticism, studies of various types of literary text, book artists, and children's films.
- Literature, Other
- English language literature not listed above.
Also called Literary Studies
Also called Literature for Children and Young Adults
Where it can lead
Careers this field can lead to
Explore related careers, starting with the closest connections and the occupations hiring the most people.
Writers and Authors
- Median pay
- $76,910
- Hiring change through 2035
- −0.3%
- Job openings a year
- 11,900
To get hiredBachelor's degree
Explore this career Holding steadyEnglish Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary
- Median pay
- $78,760
- Hiring change through 2035
- 0.0%
- Job openings a year
- 4,500
To get hiredDoctoral or professional degree
Explore this career ShrinkingEditors
- Median pay
- $77,920
- Hiring change through 2035
- −1.1%
- Job openings a year
- 7,900
To get hiredBachelor's degree
Explore this careerAll work is projected to grow 3.5% between 2025 and 2035; read every hiring-change figure against it.
Working style
How and where the work happens
Related careers can feel very different from one another. Compare the specific occupations to understand the work each one involves.
Few of the careers connected to this field are measured as substantially in-person or active work. Compare the specific occupations to see how much time each one involves with people, equipment, and movement.
College options
Where to study it
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