English and Business Communication

Undergraduate
On Ground
120 hours
4 years

English and Business Communication

The B.A. in English and business communication equips graduates with excellent writing skills and deep capacity for understanding other people — a powerful combination for any corporate business or entrepreneurial venture. The degree couples these core English skills with a solid grounding in macroeconomics, business leadership and management. Students specialize with further training in marketing, finance, media, creative writing or entrepreneurship.

Learn more about the English Department

Why study English and business communication at Harding?

Embrace a wider world

Nearly 100% of our students gain successful admission to law school or graduate school, if they apply, and around 90% of those seeking employment land satisfying jobs. Our graduates’ excellent writing skills, creativity and empathy prepare them for success as lawyers, teachers, writers, librarians, editors, creative project managers, ministers, missionaries, counselors, philanthropic researchers and corporate communicators.

Leverage professional connections

Students in our program benefit from dedicated support from the Center for Professional Excellence which helps students polish their resumes, practice their interview skills and get plugged in with hundreds of top employers across the country and around the world. The interdisciplinary flexibility of this degree also allows students to train in photography, film production, videography or artistic design with industry veterans. .

Grow in insight and character in a nurturing community

English faculty walk with students, involving them in their scholarly and spiritual lives as they learn and grow together. We worship together in weekly English chapel and talk about good books and ideas in our classes and several weekly clubs. Sometimes we travel together to New York City, Washington, D.C. or international destinations. We support every student in applying  for professional internships, first jobs, law school or graduate school. Every student has a dedicated faculty mentor.

More Information

  • To help all students develop critical thinking skills and gain proficiency in expository and persuasive writing;
  • To help prepare English majors for their professions, whether for teaching, graduate study, or a variety of other fields;
  • To model and mentor Christian scholarship.

Creative Writing: Provides an overview of creative writing genres and allows a focused track in fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction and screenwriting through workshop experience

Editing and Publishing: Develops skills in editing, proofreading and media software in preparation for careers in editing and publishing

English: Builds on required composition and world literature courses to help students sharpen their writing and critical thinking skills through support of upper-level courses

Film Studies: Explores a variety of film genres along with courses in film history and technique from the department of communication

Linguistics: Interdisciplinary study in the phenomenon of human language and excellent preparation for graduate study or careers as diverse as computing and technology, international business, education, and clinical fields relating to speech and language

Medieval and Renaissance Studies: Explores the literature, history, art and theatre of the medieval and renaissance periods through interdisciplinary studies

Women’s Studies: Prepares students for a range of employment opportunities by training them to be sensitive to the experiences and needs of women in many fields of work and phases of life

Writing: Builds off required composition courses to help students explore creative and professional writing

Sigma Tau Delta, an international English honor society, strives to confer distinction for high achievement in English language and literature in undergraduate, graduate and professional studies; provides, through its local chapters, cultural stimulation on college campuses and promotes interest in literature and the English language in the surrounding communities; fosters the discipline of English in all its aspects, including creative and critical writing; promotes good fellowship among its members; and exhibits high standards of academic excellence.

What can you do with a degree in English and business communication?

Advertising

English majors are prepared for a variety of advertising roles including media planners and buyers, writers, print production managers and more. 

Digital content creation

English and business communication majors are fully equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to be successful in a variety of careers including digital content creation. Bring your creative ideas, writing skills and business acumen to innovative teams to produce content across all digital channels. 

Marketing

With a degree in English and business communication, you'll be prepared for a variety of marketing roles including content writing, public relations and brand management.

Studying English refines a skillset that can't be taught by an employer in the way that logistics or jargon can be. Our soft skills are personal and important to engaging well with others.”
Alyssa T.

B.A. in English

The topics, themes, ideas, and stories I studied as an English major deepened my understanding of the world and humanity, equipping me also to envision how they might be different. I learned how to write by thinking, and I learned how to think by writing. I grew in my faith as it was repeatedly challenged, and I became more open to the unknown and things outside my comfort zone (e.g. ideas, contexts, perspectives, etc.). I am, of course, grateful for my English major's professional value, but above that as a personal investment, it permanently transformed the way I see the world, think about it and live in it.”
Micah Gill

B.A. in English, theological studies, and business administration

Studying literature reframes your brain. Once you start reading significant works, you're exposed to new vocabulary, ideas and structure. Your mind can understand large topics faster. It teaches your brain to completely zone-in and make micro judgment calls on the fly. Studying culture, language and literature, you get in the habit of automatically connecting anything you learn to other topics you’ve written or read about. Your mind becomes a playground for good ideas.
Bailey F.

B.A. in English and business communication

I could talk at length about the tangible, marketable skills that an English degree teaches — communication, articulation, understanding, critical thinking, literacy, close-reading, writing skills. And yes, all of those are wonderful, but none is the central and most permeating good. The heart of an English degree is that one learns how to be human. A student of English is a student of life.
Alyssa D.

B.A. in English

Language is a foundation of human thinking, and by understanding language and how to build with it, we can better communicate ourselves to the world. Literature is a way for us to communicate deep, complicated truths about ourselves or the world that are difficult to express. Culture can be complex, but it helps us structure a worldview and gives us unifying values. All three of these are incredibly important for understanding how God has created us and what is our role in the world. In terms of practicality for a job, English teaches good writing and communication skills, which is highly sought-after among employers.
Shannon K

B.A. in English and B.S. in chemistry

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