Department of English

“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” ― William Butler Yeats

  • Be an English Minor! Learn more

  • Creative Nonfiction deemed a Program of Excellence by the College of Arts and Sciences Learn more

  • Frank Bramlett

    Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Frank Bramlett, Co-editor of The Routledge Companion to Comics Learn more

  • Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Lisabeth Buchelt edits a critical edition of Bram Stoker's A Snake's Pass Learn more

An education from the Department of English at UNO can be foundational, eclectic and easily tailored to a student’s interests. Students may choose to read the heroic sagas of medieval Britain and Ireland or immerse themselves in the theory and practice of Rhetoric or Technical Communication.  They may learn the craft of composing forceful and evocative prose through studying the art of Creative Non-Fiction, hear the resonant voices of the Beat Generation Poets, or discover the enormous variety that is Native American literature.

They may attain a nuanced understanding of the complexities of Shakespeare’s dramas and the rapier wit of Jonathan Swift or explore the structure and cultural function of language itself through the discipline of Linguistics. 

No matter where students’ interests take them on their journey through the English major, they can anticipate learning the art and craft of composing persuasive prose and enhancing their powers of advanced critical thinking in a nurturing yet challenging intellectual environment.