Being an English major is about much more than going to lecture, reading books, and writing papers. It’s about finding new ideas, new people, new places, and new ways to experience the world. And, every semester, our students do just that: they travel to distant countries to study and intern; they give their time to on- and off-campus organizations; they learn new skills at businesses and organizations around the globe.
Below are some campus resources that may be of interest to English majors. Whether you are looking to study or intern abroad, interested in joining an editorial board, wanting to publish your work, or network with a likeminded community, these organizations will help get you started.
- Illumination – Illumination is a space for students to share their work beyond the classroom and into the hands and minds of readers, both on campus and throughout the city of Madison. Every semester, we print high-quality journals and distribute them in university buildings, libraries, coffee shops, and community centers.
- Madison Journal of Literary Criticism (MJLC) – a space for undergraduate students of literature to publish their scholarly work and engage in contemporary literary debates.
- Madison Review – a student-run, independent literary arts journal published through the University of Wisconsin-Madison Creative Writing track. The Madison Review contains previously unpublished fiction, poetry, and art as well as interviews with well-known writers.
- M.U.S.E. – Madison Undergraduate Society for English is a forum for students of any major who are interested in all things English-related at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Aside from organizing an annual literary conference, holding roundtable discussions and participating in community service activities, the society supplies students with a space to engage in intellectual conversations about language and literature with their peers.
- Peer Mentor Program – All new English majors have the opportunity to be matched with a Peer Mentor upon declaring the English major. A peer mentor is an upper-class English major who is able to connect with you as you join the department. If you are interested to become a mentor, please fill out this form. If you are interested to be matched with a mentor, please fill out this form.
- Study Abroad or Intern Abroad – International Academic Programs and the International Internships office assist students with studying and interning around the world.
- Writing Fellows Program – This program brings talented undergraduates and committed faculty together in a cooperative effort to improve student writing. The program prepares selected students from a wide range of majors to serve as peer writing tutors, called Writing Fellows.
- WUD Publications Committee: the Publications Committee of the Wisconsin Union Directorate celebrates creativity on campus by providing hands-on experience in publishing, editing, writing and art-making. Through the publishing of our 5 student run journals and magazines, we provide a creative outlet for UW-Madison students interested in creating poetry and prose, reporting on music and fashion, or delving into research in science and public policy.