“What can I do with an English degree?” Many students ask this question, as do parents and skeptics. In fact, English degrees lead to many different careers.
McGill alumni who have studied English have gone on to careers as casting agents, novelists, advertising executives, government policy advisers, teachers, pension fund managers, psychiatrists, documentary film-makers, playwrights and directors, management consultants, communications officers, and many other jobs.
Some profiles of alumni appear on this page. If you are a McGill English alum and would like to contribute a profile of 150-200 words and a high-resolution picture, please send these to Prof. Allan Hepburn allan [dot] hepburn [at] mcgill [dot] ca. Profiles may be edited for content and length.
Featured Alumni
Trevor Ellis (BA 2012 English and Political Science)
2012 will serve as a sort of gap year for me. In the next few years, I hope to work in a field related to my degree—perhaps at a newspaper or a polling firm... read more >>
Molly McCullough (BA Honours 2004)
Like many people, I started my undergraduate degree with no idea of what I would do afterwards. I studied English because I loved the material and hoped that my career—whatever it ended up being—would sort itself out. In the end, my Honours degree in Cultural Studies, obtained from the McGill English Department in 2004, gave me the best imaginable foundation for my work in museums... read more >>
Josh Tavlin (BA 1983)
In 1983, I left McGill with a BA in English literature, and pretty much no plan for the future. Now that I look back, I’m astonished that I wasn’t a complete basket case. Generally speaking, a degree in English literature does not portend a life of wealth and fame. Which is good, because I wasn’t looking for that. All I wanted to do was find a job that could use my writing skills. Which I did... read more >>