The Department of English fosters the study of British, American, and Anglophone literature and culture—old and new—in ways that are both intensive and open. We offer a wide array of courses in poetry, drama, fiction, creative nonfiction, film, digital media, and theory. All of our courses emphasize the development of student skills in writing, textual analysis, and argument. You will find considerable diversity in critical approaches and methods among the department’s faculty. We encourage students in our classes likewise to forge their own new ways of understanding literature and culture. English is among the most popular concentrations at Brown, and graduates of our highly ranked Ph.D. program are widely recognized for their scholarship and teaching.
Department of English
English at Brown
Fostering an open understanding of literatures and cultures in English
English at Brown
Fostering an open understanding of literatures and cultures in English
News
May 22, 2025
News from Brown
A spirited celebration: Sights, sounds and stories from Commencement and Reunion 2025
Brown’s big weekend offered graduation ceremonies, alumni reunions and a multitude of other opportunities for graduates, alumni, family and friends to honor accomplishments and reunite.
April 30, 2025
News from Brown
Ayoola Fadahunsi: Anchored by community at Brown, she leads with love, justice and joy
Informed by her Nigerian-American identity and guided by her spiritual compass, the Brown University senior is advancing migration-policy research, humanitarian law and public service.
The Brown Daily Herald
How Brown 2026 is shaping the University’s course offerings
Israel J. Kapstein Professor Philip Gould's courses “ENGL 1512A: Freaks of Nature: Emerson, Thoreau and the Transcendentalists” and "The American Revolution,” co-taught with Associate Professor of History Seth Rockman, included as part of the initiative.
Academic Programs
Undergraduate Studies
We study how literature works, how we understand it, and how we write about it. We examine closely matters of language, form, genre, and critical method.
Nonfiction Writing Program
The Nonfiction Writing Program, unique to Brown University in its scope, teaches the writing of nonfiction in its predominant modes: the academic essay, creative nonfiction, and journalism.
Graduate Studies
Brown's doctoral program in English offers professional training in literary criticism, critical theory, intellectual history, and all aspects of research and pedagogy in the humanities.