The undergraduate program in English at Catholic University centers on the study of literature as the focal point of a liberal education. To encounter some of the best writing in English is to engage some of the most significant operations of the language itself as well as to trace the development of traditions in thought and expression that link us to the past and guide us into the future. The undergraduate major emphasizes a broad knowledge of literary history and the practice of clear, thoughtful writing.

The Department of English grants the M.A. and Ph.D. in English and American Literature, offering training in all major historical periods. Advantages of the graduate program include: An excellent record of employment for our Ph.D. graduates, small class sizes and individualized attention from a distinguished faculty, funding for up to seven years of graduate study, strong pedagogical training, and access to some of the nation's finest libraries and research collections, and to the rich cultural life of Washington, D.C.