Department of English and Modern Languages 
College of Liberal Arts

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

Who We Are

The department of English and Modern Languages at Jackson State University is a unified, multidisciplinary marketplace of ideas committed to creating a more equitable global society that supports diverse cultural experiences, fosters professionalism, and honest academic integrity and responsibility. It is our goal to foster independent, innovative, and ethical leaders who take initiative to make decisions and solve problems in their communities.

Our Mission

We provide the students within our department and across the larger campus with opportunities to build effective communication skills, develop intellectual curiosity, and train in multiple literacies. Weendeavor to assist the students we serve in embracing informed citizenship and excelling in careers across a variety of disciplines with our course offerings and programming rooted in the study of literature, language, and speech communication.

• • Build Your Intellectual Toolkit

    • Effective written & oral communication

      • Develop ability to articulate ideas clearly in verbal and written forms; demonstrate proficiency in editing and refining written and verbal expressions. 

    • Critical thinking

      • Expand competency in identifying, clarifying and evaluating important ideas and arguments; strengthen aptitude for challenging standard assumptions.

    • Cultural & Digital Literacy

      • Demonstrate cross-cultural sensitivity and familiarity with global cultural perspectives and develop the ability to recognize the different cultural, social, political, contexts in which meaning is made and through which it is disseminated; improve knowledge and understanding of varying modes of digital information & technology. 

    • Research acumen 

      • Increase competence in knowledge of theoretical concepts; strengthen ability to apply theory to particular situations, identify reliable sources, and weigh multiple arguments; center engagement with the process of knowledge acquisition and advance ability to question in a scholarly context. 

  • CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

    • English and Modern Language majors have a plethora of career options.  Choose one of our majors or minors and become a:

      • lawyer, judge, activist, professor, author, teacher, copywriter, social media manager, filmmaker, producer, editor, journalist, actor, director, songwriter, speechwriter, foreign service officer, fashion industry professional, public relations expert, and more!

LEARN BY DOING

The area of English at Jackson State University has established the following major objectives:
• To help students develop the ability to read, think, and write clearly and critically.
• To help students understand and appreciate good writing and literature.
• To help students become aware of the truth, beauty, and wisdom of our culture to the
extent that they are able to make value judgments about the society in which they live.
• To prepare students for teaching English and for other careers that require critical
thinking, cultural awareness, and clear writing.
• To provide the necessary courses for all students to fulfill state and university
requirements.
• To encourage students to engage in creative and scholarly writing.

“Challenging Minds, Changing Lives.”

APPLY YOUR KNOWLEDGE

• Students will be able to draw on relevant cultural and historical information to analyze
and interpret a literary text.
• Students will be able to demonstrate familiarity with literary traditions pre- and post1800, including identifying authors, genres, literary movements, and styles.
• Students will be able to analyze underrepresented experiences and cultural diversity,
including issues of race, gender, class, sexuality, and ethnicity through the study of
ethnic minority or non-Western texts.
• Students will be able to research and write focused, convincing analytical essays in clear,
grammatical prose.
• Students will be able to read, write, and speak effectively in at least one foreign
language.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

English, Foreign Languages, and Speech majors have a plethora of career options:

RESOURCES

READY TO JOIN?

For more information, please contact us at (601) 979- 2249.  We look forward to meeting with you and seeing how our program can help you achieve your goals.

Dr. Ebony Lumumba, Chair