The skills you learn in your English courses at Wheaton will help you prepare for the jobs listed here and so many more!
View a larger version of the chart, or scroll to see just some of the career options available to you.
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“I will never forget my first English class at Wheaton: Composition and Research with Dr. Tiffany Kriner. She said, ‘As Christians we are called to love our neighbors as ourselves. As Christians, we have the knowledge that the world most needs. In this class, you will love your neighbor as yourself by learning to communicate clearly.’ This continues with me. Every bit of communication can be an exercise in loving your audience or an exercise in academic arrogance. Writing clearly lets us share the Gospel, whether in a work memo or a blog post.​” - Luke Miller ‘13, Systems Analyst, InterVarsity Press
After graduating from Wheaton, Sumanth Prabhaker attended the University of North Carolina Wilmington MFA program, earning his masters in Creative Writing.
“Because I'd worked with the newspaper and the literary journal at Wheaton, I was given a half-time position in the university's press to help fund my tuition,” said Prabhaker, who worked as an Editorial Assistant at UNCW’s newspaper.
Prabhaker then accepted a job as Production Editor with Pearson Education, a textbook publisher and educational conglomerate. He has authored several short stories as well as the novella A Mere Pittance and started his own publishing house, Madras Press.
“In my role as project manager I work across all of our shows - The Voice, MasterChef, The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, The Biggest Loser and many more. I head up all research and competitive analysis, corporate brand and work on all external facing presentations for the C-Level Offices. I’m also holding a second role as a Producer on our newest primetime show - The Great Australian Spelling Bee - something that my English major played a huge part in making me qualified for.”
Hong Kong native Yeesum Lo graduated from Wheaton in 2009 with a Bachelor’s in English Literature and a minor in Biblical Studies and Theology.
“English majors are the best—they study everything, not just language and literature. They study history, sociology, psychology, theology. I am in a position to hire employees now, and even when they are not hires for my department, I'm always looking for a person who is able to make the sorts of connections between fields (interdisciplinarity) that we learn to make as English majors." - Suzanna Labadie ‘01 - Professor and Chair, Department of English, Oakland Community College
“I think being able to read carefully allows one to get to the heart of the matter in a difficult situation. Experienced readers tend to understand people better because of the depth of human experience one studies when carefully studying great literature. Writing well makes one a helpful person to have around when difficult messages must be conveyed.” - Jim Bolhuis ‘85 - English Teacher, H.L. Richards High School, Oak Lawn, IL
"I can't thank the professors at Wheaton enough for preparing me to be where I am now . . . My professors equipped me to write well, think well, and approach the world with a Christ-centered perspective. I'm so grateful to have been a part of a community that grows its students holistically." - Abbie Pettit '15, Marketing Specialist
"My undergraduate degree from Wheaton led to a Master’s in Teaching English as a Foreign Language, which carried me around the world, teaching English and training instructors in Kazakhstan, Egypt, and Syria. Those experiences then ushered me into my current career in international development.
I have served as the Executive Director of Hands Along the Nile Development Services in the Washington, DC area since 2005. My training from Wheaton’s English department continues to inform my work. Every speech, fundraising letter, and social media post I pen is influenced by the word-crafting skills honed while reading great literature and writing about it. I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to immerse myself in the likes of Shakespeare, Elliot, and Hopkins for those four formative years." - Jennifer Cate '93
"Especially in the financial services world, an English major has all the tools necessary to sell ideas, to be able to communicate an idea cogently, logically, effectively. English majors come with a panoply of transferrable skills, all the way from writing properly to proper grammar to good vocabulary, critical reading, and the ability to research and organize thought. All these are absolutely critical." - John Phillips '80, Owner & Operator, Griffin Philips LLC
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The English alumna will conduct research on non-native English teachers and their identity formation through her recent award from the Fulbright U.S. Student Study/Research Program.
After graduating from Wheaton, Sumanth Prabhaker attended the University of North Carolina Wilmington MFA program, earning his masters in Creative Writing.
“Because I'd worked with the newspaper and the literary journal at Wheaton, I was given a half-time position in the university's press to help fund my tuition,” said Prabhaker, who worked as an Editorial Assistant at UNCW’s newspaper.
Prabhaker then accepted a job as Production Editor with Pearson Education, a textbook publisher and educational conglomerate. He has authored several short stories as well as the novella A Mere Pittance and started his own publishing house, Madras Press. Read more >
Hong Kong native Yeesum Lo graduated from Wheaton in 2009 with a Bachelor’s in English Literature and a minor in Biblical Studies and Theology. Lo started in the entertainment business at NBC Universal in NYC as an intern during her final summer break at Wheaton. She is now Corporate Project Manager of Endemol Shine Australia and Word Producer of The Great Australian Spelling Bee, Endemol Shine Australia.
“In my role as project manager I work across all of our shows - The Voice, MasterChef, The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, The Biggest Loser and many more. I head up all research and competitive analysis, corporate brand and work on all external facing presentations for the C-Level Offices. I’m also holding a second role as a Producer on our newest primetime show - The Great Australian Spelling Bee - something that my English major played a huge part in making me qualified for.”
Interested in studying with the English Department at Wheaton? Request more information or start your application today.