Our graduating majors are able to develop and synthesize arguments about literature in relationship to a range of critical methodologies and successfully engage in close analyses of literary texts to develop their arguments. They are able to edit and improve their work through revision and display self-consciousness about the strengths and limitations of the writing they produce. At their best, they demonstrate the capacity to take intellectual and creative risks, developing original approaches in their creative and their critical endeavors. We believe the potential for growth and independence our students display, combined with their analytical skills, will serve them well in any profession they choose to enter after graduation.

1. Collaborate effectively with faculty, peers, and the larger intellectual community on and off campus, particularly through group projects and presentations.
2. Communicate  thoughtfully, persuasively, and with substance to a range of audiences and across different media.
3. Develop and refine analytical methods of critical inquiry that synthesize different approaches to, and arguments about, texts.  
4. Think and write critically, creatively, and independently about a variety of texts to develop extended, well-researched arguments that are effectively situated within the discipline.
5. Understand the link between the study of literature and contemporary social and political contexts, including power dynamics and privilege.