Student Opportunities

This page showcases the many exciting opportunities—clubs, activities, publications, research projects, scholarships, internships, awards, and more—available to English majors at WCU. These activities can help you expand your learning experience beyond the classroom, develop valuable career skills, express yourself in new ways, and collaborate with others who share your passions. Get involved!

For information about opportunities available to our M.A. graduate students, please visit our Graduate Studies page.

Activities and Clubs

Student Awards and Scholarships

The English Department is proud to offer several awards and scholarships in recognition of the outstanding achievements of our students. Honorees are announced at various times throughout the fall and spring semesters and are usually recognized at both the English Department's year-end student reception & awards ceremony and the College of Arts & Sciences annual Student Recognition Ceremony. Recipients are chosen by English Department faculty. View the complete list of English student awards, scholarships, and past winners.

Internships

The English Department encourages all of its B.A. majors to pursue internships. The advantages are numerous: internships enable you to apply your reading and writing skills to real workplace situations, make informed decisions about your career plans, and build valuable contacts. Our students have completed an exciting array of internships—in journalism, publishing, broadcasting, marketing, public relations, social media, and more—both on and off campus. Read More.

Study Abroad

As readers and thinkers with a strong affinity for the workings of language and culture, English majors are often naturally drawn to the experience of living and learning in another country. Our students have studied abroad in England, Ireland, Latin America, and many other places around the world. If you're interested in studying abroad, we urge you to start by consulting with your academic advisor and also making time to visit WCU's Center for International Programs.

Writing Zones 12.5

A partnership between WCU and local high school writing centers, Writing Zones 12.5 trains university students to serve as writing mentors for high school students with the aim of bridging the gap between high school and college writing. University "peers" guide high school students toward an awareness of their own writing processes as they work on individual writing projects together. More broadly, the program attempts to use high school writing centers as a gateway to higher education, providing mentoring and encouragement for students unsure of their college readiness. Working as a Writing Zones mentor is a great way for interested WCU students to gain hands-on professional experience and contribute to local communities. For more information, please contact Writing Zones Coordinator Dr. H. Bernard Hall.

Sustainability

The English Department supports efforts to live and learn sustainably. We offer several courses focused on sustainability and environmentalism, including WRH 310: Written Rhetoric: Power, Politics, & Environmental Writing and ENG 305: Environmental/Experiential Writing: Taking Action. Our ENG 400 Research Seminars and our WRT 220: Critical Writing courses also frequently emphasize environmental themes. English faculty active in sustainability efforts include Professors Buckelew, Burns, Comfort, Lalicker, Patriarca, Rademaekers, Ulmer, and Wanko. To learn more about sustainability initiatives taking place at WCU and beyond, please contact those faculty members or WCU's Sustainability Advisory Council.