The Bachelor and Master of Arts in English degree programs at the University of South Alabama prepare students for jobs in professional settings including teaching, writing, and business areas. English majors and minors are taught by talented faculty and field experts in creative writing, literature, and professional writing in the College of Arts and Sciences. English undergraduate student Kelsi Fails describes her passion for writing poetry and studying literature at USA.
The English undergraduate program allows students to explore the study of literature and interpretation of novels, stories, poems and essays through critical approaches and writing, build the skills to craft meaningful creative work, and develop skills in professional writing and editing. The English master's program offers students in the creative writing and literature concentrations advanced study and preparation for careers in English as well as further graduate study. Through classes, as well as research opportunities and internships, students build skills in critical reading and writing, research, and instruction that support a range of career fields in business and education.
Upcoming Events
Yuri Herrera - Wednesday, November 13, 2024 - 5:30pm
Born in Actopan, Mexico, Yuri Herrera is the author of three novels, including Signs Preceding the End of the World, which The New York Times called "Short, suspenseful . . . outlandish and heartbreaking," as well as the collection Ten Planets, which was a finalist for the Ursula K. Le Guin Prize. This fall Graywolf Press will publish Season of the Swamp, Herrera’s major new novel set in nineteenth-century New Orleans, where a young exile named Benito Juárez disembarks at a fetid port city at the edge of a swamp, and, years later, becomes the first indigenous head of state in the postcolonial Americas. Herrera teaches at Tulane University.
Please note: this free event will be held in the Student Center Terrace Room with
a book signing and reception to follow.
Director of Creative Writing
The University of South Alabama Department of English invites applications for a full-time (nine-month), tenure-track Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor of Creative Writing, starting August 15, 2025. The successful candidate will also direct the Stokes Center for Creative Writing and serve as Director of Creative Writing
Application and Search Process
Required: PhD in English or MFA in Creative Writing or a closely related field with expertise in poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, screen/playwriting, and/or some combination of the above; significant publication record; demonstrated leadership ability; demonstrated commitment to facilitating student readings and publications.
Preferable: Experience with departmental administration (such as service as the coordinator or director of a creative writing program or concentration); experience with marketing and recruitment as well as creative writing assessment; experience serving as the faculty advisor to a student literary magazine.
To apply: email vita, cover letter, and names of three references to Dr. Becky McLaughlin, Chair, Search Committee, c/o Ms. Mary Ricciardi.
Position
The successful candidate will teach primarily creative writing courses in poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and/or screen/playwriting with occasional courses in composition; actively publish in appropriate fields; direct the Stokes Center for Creative Writing; and serve as Director of Creative Writing.
Administrative responsibilities include arranging student readings and facilitating student publications; recruiting students for the English Department’s graduate and undergraduate creative writing concentrations; inviting and hosting visits by distinguished writers (under the auspices of the Stokes Center for Creative Writing); overseeing the assessment of creative writing (as part of the university’s annual assessment of learning outcomes); and exploring opportunities for community outreach. The Director of Creative Writing will work closely with the department chair, the graduate coordinator, and the chair of the undergraduate committee to improve and expand the department’s already successful creative writing concentrations. (For more information on these concentrations, see department website links for “Undergraduate Program” and “Graduate Program.”)
The Department, University, and Community
The English Department at the University of South Alabama has long been identified with outstanding creative writing faculty members and alumni. Past or present faculty members have received many honors, including an Academy of American Poets Laureate Fellowship, the National Book Award, the Harper Lee Award, and the Alabama Poet Laureateship. Numerous former students have published novels, poetry collections, and works of creative nonfiction. The department is exceptionally collegial, highly productive in research and creative work, and committed to quality undergraduate and graduate education.
The University of South Alabama is a public research university with more than 14,000 students. The historic Mobile Bay area is home to many successful creative writers and boasts a lively arts scene in which the USA creative writing faculty members have long figured prominently.
The Stokes Center for Creative Writing
The Stokes Center enhances the English Department’s offerings in creative writing by sponsoring readings, lectures, forums, workshops, community projects, and other events that are free and open to the public. It also supports creative writing students through scholarships and awards in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. The Stokes Center is committed to fostering a vibrant writers’ community in southern Alabama that showcases local and national authors and provides a meeting place for writers from around the world.
Visiting Writers Series
The University of South Alabama has hosted many distinguished authors and scholars over the years, including Margaret Atwood, Charles Bernstein, Percival Everett, Roxanne Gay, Yuri Herrera, Major Jackson, Elizabeth Kolbert, Hank Lazar, Marjorie Perloff, Marge Piercy, Danez Smith, W. D. Snodgrass, and Edward O. Wilson. Now part of the Stokes Center, the Visiting Writers Series brings emerging and established authors to campus for readings and craft talks throughout the year. All events are free and open to the public.
If you have any questions about the search or the process, please contact Search Chair, Dr. Becky McLaughlin. Review of applications will begin January 6, 2025, and continue until the position is filled.
Part-Time Teaching
The English Department reviews applications on a continuing basis for part-time instructors, mainly to teach composition. Literature surveys and technical writing sections are available occasionally for those who are qualified in those areas.
Minimum Requirement: M.A. in English.
Please send your vita, cover letter, and contact information for three professional references and transcripts via email to Dr. Patrick Shaw.
The University of South Alabama is an EO/AA employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression, religion, age, genetic information, disability, protected veteran status, or any other applicable legally protected basis in admission policies and practices, educational programs, activities, or employment practices.
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