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As an English major, you'll develop critical and creative thinking skills for analyzing literature and culture. Your academic journey will transport you across different eras, around the world, and into profound explorations of life's purpose and worth. Within UCSB's English Department, you can investigate how language, literature, and culture interact with diverse fields—from environmental issues and digital platforms to racial identity, indigenous studies, cognitive science, literary criticism, historical artifacts, and performance arts—spanning multiple cultures and time periods. Our curriculum prioritizes both scholarly inquiry and artistic expression, offering intimate classroom settings with distinguished professors. We nurture intellectual exploration while helping you refine media comprehension, textual interpretation, and polished communication abilities. The UCSB English Department cultivates a welcoming, cross-disciplinary environment that pushes you to excel while receiving mentorship from exceptional faculty.
Our English faculty consists of leading researchers shaping modern literary scholarship, dedicated to exposing students to cutting-edge academic developments. The department provides both conventional and innovative courses examining various historical epochs and global English-language literatures. Additionally, we host a vibrant honors program that motivates students to conduct sophisticated literary investigations and develop personalized research projects.
You are considered a freshman applicant if you have completed secondary school and have not enrolled at any college or university.
English Language Proficiency
The minimum accepted score for admission consideration for the TOEFL is 80 or better on the Internet-based test and 550 or better on the paper-based test.
The minimum accepted score for the IELTS is 6.5 or better band score (academic modules).