Why Our Programs?

Through the support of our intimate learning community, Cal Poly Humboldt English students dare to change the world through the power of language.

Real-world Opportunities

From your first semester on campus, you’ll have the chance to dive in and learn by doing. Ways to get involved range from enrolling in the department’s English Club and honor society to joining the editorial staff of Toyon, Humboldt’s celebrated multilingual literary journal.

Interested in learning more about scholarly research, librarianship, or teaching English? A variety of internship opportunities give students a taste for diverse career tracks. Additionally, many English majors serve as writing consultants and peer mentors or tutor at local schools—a great way to serve the community while testing out your own career interests and ambitions. Master’s students teach first-year composition, work in the campus Writing Studio, and serve as managing editors of ideaFest journal.

Tailored to You

Humboldt's Department of English offers the largest variety of special topics courses of any English program in the 23-campus CSU system. Course topics are designed each semester to be tailored to students’ passions, academic interests, and career ambitions. Whether you’re a BA or MA student, you can build your degree around courses and specialties that matter to you most.

Explore our bachelor of arts in English  Explore our master of arts in English 

We are also committed to meeting our students where they are by offering flexible course schedules, customized degree pathways, and personalized one-on-one support. No matter where you are in your student journey, our programs are designed to support your success to graduation and beyond.

A Thriving Community

In the English department, you’ll be part of an intimate and supportive learning community where professors know every student by name. Outside of class, students and faculty work together in a variety of ways to enhance English scholarship, literature, and learning at Humboldt. From joining the editorial staff at Toyon and ideaFest to Library internships and tutoring in local schools, Humboldt students are part of a lively and engaged learning community.

A Place to Reflect

Cal Poly Humboldt is nestled between redwood forests and the sea, creating an incredible environment for students to live and learn. Touching on the traditions of Camille Dungy and Robin Wall Kimmerer, our department empowers students to write about their relationship to culture, activism, and ecology through language. Class offerings include Creative Writing for Environmental Justice in addition to special topics courses and assignments that ask students to reflect on their purpose and relationship to place. 

Oregon Shakespeare Festival logo

Oregon Shakespeare Festival

Every spring semester the Shakespeare course takes a field trip to Ashland for the Shakespeare Festival.

To get involved students simply need to take ENGL342. 

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