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Hemingway Letters Project Receives NEH Grant
Professors Sandra Spanier and Vernal Kale secured a Scholarly Editions and Translations grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Learn more about the grant
Gabrielle Foreman Elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Professor Foreman joins a prestigious membership that dates back to the American Revolution
Learn More about This achievement
Write and Explore in Ireland
Students in this summer program visit key cultural and historic sites in Ireland and study the rich tradition of Irish literature and art.
Learn More about the Program
PWR Approach to Artificial Intelligence
The Department of English's Program in Writing and Rhetoric has prepared an approach for exploring the role of artificial intelligence in writing instruction.
Read about the PWR's Approach to AI
Our Mission, Our Values
The Penn State English Department is committed to creativity, rhetorical and civic deliberation, scholarly inquiry, and an openness to new ideas.
Learn more about our Mission and Values
Hemingway Letters Project Receives NEH Grant
Professors Sandra Spanier and Vernal Kale secured a Scholarly Editions and Translations grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Learn more about the grant
Gabrielle Foreman Elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Professor Foreman joins a prestigious membership that dates back to the American Revolution
Learn More about This achievement
Write and Explore in Ireland
Students in this summer program visit key cultural and historic sites in Ireland and study the rich tradition of Irish literature and art.
Learn More about the Program
PWR Approach to Artificial Intelligence
The Department of English's Program in Writing and Rhetoric has prepared an approach for exploring the role of artificial intelligence in writing instruction.
Read about the PWR's Approach to AI
Our Mission, Our Values
The Penn State English Department is committed to creativity, rhetorical and civic deliberation, scholarly inquiry, and an openness to new ideas.
Learn more about our Mission and Values
Hemingway Letters Project Receives NEH Grant
Professors Sandra Spanier and Vernal Kale secured a Scholarly Editions and Translations grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Learn more about the grant
Gabrielle Foreman Elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Professor Foreman joins a prestigious membership that dates back to the American Revolution
Learn More about This achievement
Write and Explore in Ireland
Students in this summer program visit key cultural and historic sites in Ireland and study the rich tradition of Irish literature and art.
Learn More about the Program
PWR Approach to Artificial Intelligence
The Department of English's Program in Writing and Rhetoric has prepared an approach for exploring the role of artificial intelligence in writing instruction.
Read about the PWR's Approach to AI
Our Mission, Our Values
The Penn State English Department is committed to creativity, rhetorical and civic deliberation, scholarly inquiry, and an openness to new ideas.
Learn more about our Mission and Values
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Our Mission, Our Values

The Penn State English Department is committed to creativity, rhetorical and civic deliberation, scholarly inquiry, and an openness to new ideas.

Welcome to the Department of English

Become an English Major

Learn more about our undergraduate program and courses »

Pursue a Graduate Degree

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program »

Meet our Faculty

Read about our accomplished scholars & dedicated teachers »

About the Penn State Department of English

Welcome to Penn State English, a department of pathbreaking scholars, magnificent teachers, talented students, and accomplished alumni. Our faculty—many well-known scholars and national leaders among them—have set a standard of excellence for the department and for the University. Indeed, in the most recent National Research Council ranking of doctoral programs (2010), Penn State English placed near the top, behind only Princeton, Harvard, Stanford, Michigan, and Columbia.

Learn More About the Department

Upcoming Events

Upcoming Events

Digital Culture + Media Initiative presents Omedi Ochieng
April 3, 2025
3:30 p.m.–5:00 p.m.
Grucci Room, 102 Burrowes Building
Writing in Displacement
April 4, 2025
11:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library
“The Public Sphere of First Drafts”
April 4, 2025
4:00 p.m.–5:30 p.m.
202 Welch Building
“Insubordination: Anna Julia Cooper and the ‘Courageous Revolt’ against Jim Crow Education”
April 8, 2025
noon–1:00 p.m.
124 Sparks Building
Digital Culture + Media Initiative presents Kalindi Vora
April 10, 2025
3:30 p.m.–5:00 p.m.
Grucci Room, 102 Burrowes Building
Rolling Reading Series presents Jamil Jan Kochai
April 10, 2025
6:00 p.m.–7:30 p.m.
Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library
Digital Culture + Media Initiative presents Aaron Shapiro
April 17, 2025
3:30 p.m.–5:00 p.m.
Grucci Room, 102 Burrowes Building
More Events

Latest News

Latest News

Elizabeth Kadetsky has another cover essay in American Scholar, “Tiger Mom.”

Samuel Kọ́láwọlé’s novel, The Road to the Salt Sea, has been longlisted for the PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel.

Grace King was recognized by Penn State News for her work on materials associated with George Nelson, the chaplain on board the Harriman Alaska Expedition of 1899

Congratulations to our teaching faculty members who were recently promoted.

Keith Gilyard will launch his second memoir, The Promise of Language, and read from his forthcoming fifth (!) collection of poems, On Location, at The Print Factory.

More news

Contact Info

Find Us

Graduate Office
403 Burrowes Building
814.863.3069

Undergraduate Office
434 Burrowes Building
814.863.0258

Program in Writing & Rhetoric Office
434 Burrowes Building
814.863.3066
Visit the PWR web site »

 

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