People have always told stories to explore what it means to be human. UNC Asheville’s English major consists of a supportive community of readers, writers, and scholars contributing to this ever-changing story.
Why Study English at UNC Asheville?
Breadth of Coursework
From antiquity to our contemporary moment, you’ll study western and world literature to learn how novelists, poets, playwrights, and literary critics shaped, and were shaped by, our shared cultural and historical contexts. Within the English major, you may choose between four concentrations: literature, literature with teaching licensure, and creative writing with or without teaching licensure. If you study creative writing, you’ll learn how to critique poetry, fiction, drama, and creative nonfiction and craft works of your own.
Visiting Writers & Critical Perspectives
Free and open to the public, the Visiting Writers Series connects students, faculty, staff, and the broader Asheville community with established authors to hear their work and the stories behind it. The Critical Perspectives Series integrates diverse analytical insights of scholars, theorists, and critics from literary and cultural studies into English classrooms and beyond. A complement to our Visiting Writers series, Critical Perspectives bridges “creative” and “critical” work and features speakers who model various approaches and subjects in contemporary literary studies—from historical to cultural and theoretical to formal.
First-Year Writing
First-Year Writing classes invite students to explore the dynamic ways that writing and other forms of communication are produced and used across a variety of situations. College writing matters not only as a product that shows what we can do, but also as a process that helps us test what we’re thinking, keep track of what we’re learning, and interact with others’ ideas. Learning to do all of this takes time, of course, but our classes offer a supportive environment where students can practice thinking critically, engaging ethically with others, and making rhetorically effective communication choices.
Headwaters Literary Journal
At UNC Asheville, you can get your work published while earning a BA in English. Headwaters, published annually, is the creative arts magazine of UNC Asheville that allows students, faculty, and staff to submit poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and art. This is your space to share your unique voice with the campus community, or you can get involved in the production side of things by taking a four-credit course where you’ll work on the Headwaters team alongside your peers to create, edit, publish, and distribute the journal.
English Student & Alumni Spotlight
“Everyone in the department takes the time to get to know you and goes the extra mile in supporting you. I had professors go out of their way to help me with my grad school applications, from zoom calls over the summer to weekly office visits. I wouldn’t be going to the University of Georgia to get my masters without the foundation I’ve built here at UNC Asheville!”
Emily Jacquez, Class of ’24
UNC Asheville alumni and current writer-in-residence Wiley Cash exemplifies all that our students are capable of. A New York Times bestselling author and winner of, among others, the Southern Book Prize, Sir Walter Raleigh Award, and Mary Frances Hobson Prize, Cash inspires students to reach their full potential both creatively and academically.
Professor of English Lori Horvitz founded the Queer Girls Literary Reading in 2009, which students and alumni to join other local authors in sharing their writing at this annual event
“One of the biggest surprises for both subjects was probably how much there was for me to learn and engage with. There are so many lenses through which to analyze texts, so many themes to follow and identify over time, and the professors in both departments have the experience and the training to take broad subjects and flesh them out into incredible detail. I’m always learning more than I ever expected in any of my classes,”
Sam Decker, Class of ’22
“I’ve always had a lot of interests, but my top two were theater and writing. When coming to college I knew I wanted to pursue both interests. I would never be able to choose because both make me so incredibly happy.”
Jenna Meaney, Class of ’24
English Majors Outside the Classroom
Hands-on learning is a big part of UNC Asheville’s liberal arts approach to education. Students can apply their knowledge and explore their interests and potential careers through student clubs and organizations, internships, and by attending and participating in exhibitions and other art events.
The Literature Club welcomes all students interested in the study of literature and language. We meet to participate in the exchange of ideas as well as sponsor visiting writers and literary scholars to speak on UNC Asheville’s campus. The club also helps arrange student-faculty parties to advance the camaraderie of the department and further develop mentoring relationships.
Internships for English Majors
Gain experience writing across diverse contexts, developing strong professional communication skills, and learning new technologies. There are a variety of opportunities for English majors to explore writing and language in the workplace through semester-long internships with community agencies like local nonprofits, publishers, and businesses. Students can assist with services such as acquisitions, copy editing, content writing, event planning, social media management, and more.
Great Smokies Writing Program
The Great Smokies Writing Program (GSWP) provides opportunities for UNC Asheville English majors and members of the community to work on the craft of writing in workshops and seminars. Workshops may be specific to fiction, poetry, or nonfiction or could be genre-specific.
The workshops and seminars offered in this program are available for credit toward your degree and may be offered both online or in person, making it even easier for you to gain hands-on experience honing your craft.
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Undergraduate Research
Your English degree at UNC Asheville is made all the more valuable by the opportunities you’ll have to conduct research through the Undergraduate Research Program (URP). Through the URP, you can dive deeper into what you’re curious about and work alongside faculty members as you execute a research project that adds to the body of knowledge in your field. Your undergraduate research work will equip you with skills that you can translate into your career and can even set you up for success if you’re considering pursuing graduate studies.
Meet the English Faculty
Our English faculty are active in their fields, publishing their scholarship and creative work. Our department brings noteworthy writers to campus for readings, workshops, and conversation. Many of our students conduct independent and faculty-mentored research, publish in the University’s literary journal Headwaters, and are active in Asheville’s vibrant writing community.
Kirk Boyle, Ph.D.
Department Chair & Associate Professor of English
| Office: 239 Karpen Hall |
| Phone: (828) 250-3915 |
| Email: kboyle@unca.edu |
Mildred Barya, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of English
| Office: 218 Karpen Hall |
| Phone: (828) 251-6573 |
| Email: mbarya@unca.edu |
Wiley Cash, Ph.D.
Writer-in-Residence
| Office: 239 Karpen Hall |
| Phone: (828) 251-6583 |
| Email: wcash@unca.edu |
Gary Ettari, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of English
| Office: 237 Karpen Hall |
| Phone: (828) 251-6830 |
| Email: gettari@unca.edu |
Brian Graves
First-Year Writing Coordinator & Senior Lecturer of English
| Office: 214 Karpen Hall |
| Phone: (828) 251-6410 |
| Email: bgraves@unca.edu |
Evan Gurney, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of English
| Office: 204 Karpen Hall |
| Phone: (828) 251-6575 |
| Email: egurney@unca.edu |
Rachel M. Hanson, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of English
| Office: 224 Karpen Hall |
| Phone: (828) 251-6597 |
| Email: rhanson@unca.edu |
Lori Horvitz, Ph.D.
Professor of English
| Office: 205 Karpen Hall |
| Phone: (828) 251-6590 |
| Email: lhorvitz@unca.edu |
Leslee Johnson
HUM 124 Coordinator and Lecturer of English
| Office: 209 Karpen Hall |
| Phone: (828) 251-6581 |
| Email: ljohnso5@unca.edu |
Erica Abrams Locklear, Ph.D.
Professor of English | Thomas Howerton Distinguished Professor of Humanities
| Office: 217 Karpen Hall |
| Phone: (828) 251-6592 |
| Email: elocklea@unca.edu |
William Revere, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of English
| Office: 219 Karpen Hall |
| Phone: (828) 251-6602 |
| Email: wrevere@unca.edu |
Taylor Sykes
Lecturer of English
| Office: 210 Karpen Hall |
| Phone: (828) 251-6580 |
| Email: tsykes1@unca.edu |
English Degree Careers & Outcomes
Through seminar-style discussion and project-based learning, English majors learn how to analyze texts, think critically, and communicate their knowledge and ideas. These skills, among others you’ll develop through the program, are highly valuable in today’s marketplace. Depending on which industry you pursue in your career, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that careers for those with an English degree are expected to increase between 4%–12%, resulting in ample opportunities for you to shape your career path.
With an English bachelor’s degree, you can pursue careers in industries such as education, writing, communications, marketing, library management, or publishing. Some students may even consider applying to graduate programs to continue their study of literature in pursuit of becoming an English professor or to pivot into a different field, such as law or business. This is to say, a degree in English literature is versatile, and UNC Asheville graduates enjoy meaningful careers as teachers, professional writers, journalists, entrepreneurs, and beyond.
Related Programs
Experience Literature Like Never Before in UNC Asheville’s English Major
From our strong liberal arts core to our seemingly endless opportunities for hands-on engagement with literature and the writing craft, pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in English at the University of North Carolina Asheville gives you an undergraduate experience unlike any other.
Contact Us
| Department of English |
| Phone: (828) 251-6411 |
| Email: williams@unca.edu |
