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IN DECEMBER 1972, shortly after our department had the occasion to read Professor Linwood E. Orange's English: The Pre-Professional Major , our department head, Professor John F. Sullivan, appointed a Committee on Opportunities for the English Major (composed of Professors Sullivan and Henry D. Janzen, Miss Lorraine McMurdie, and the author as chairman) to pursue the following objectives:
Items (1) and (3) were to have priority. Under (3) it-was suggested that a leaflet summarizing information from (1) might be prepared for distribution.
With the permission of Professor Orange, and of Walter S. Achtert on behalf of the MLA, to utilize any data and ideas in the pamphlet that would help us, we proceeded with our survey in early 1973. Our poll was relatively simple in the questions we asked; and although our sampling was modest, it was adequate, particularly in respect to the universities with law and medical faculties, since these were not many in number.
A letter and questionnaire were sent to Canada's sixteen law schools, sixteen medical schools, and to fifty representative businesses. In the letter we defined the English major as:
A university graduate possessing a General or Honours Arts degree with a major in English language and literature. He will have a good knowledge of literature and the ability to do research, to write correctly, logically, concisely, and creatively. Normally, he will have taken from five to eight English courses in the three-year General program; from ten to twelve English courses in the four-year General program; and from ten to twelve English courses in the four-year Honours program, with a number of options from other subjects in the Arts and Sciences.
Deans of admissions were asked the following:
Are university graduates with an English major eligible for admission to your school?
If they are, what aspect of their training is considered desirable in their qualifying for admission?
If English majors are not eligible for admission, what options or additional courses would make them eligible?
Personnel managers were asked:
Do you hire university graduates with an English major even though they lack special training in your area?
What kinds of positions are open to such graduates?
What aspects of their training do you consider desirable?
If English majors are not desirable for commercial employment, what options or additional courses would make them desirable?
The response to our questionnaire was gratifying, both in the proportionate number of respondents and in the usefulness of the information given. Twelve law schools, fifteen medical schools, and thirty businesses replied to the questionnaire. The information substantiated on the Canadian scene what Professor Orange had found in the American academic and employment situation.
Virtually all the deans of admissions regard the English major as qualifying for studies in law and medicine, if, for medicine, he has the science prerequisites, and, for the French-language universities, he has proficiency in French. Many of the commercial enterprises will accept the English major for a white-collar job, with or without in-training. Practically all personnel officers consider the English major's training a valuable asset in a business career.
Many of the law school deans said that a major in English is the very best preparation for law. They give the highest rating to analytical ability and to the ability to communicate clearly and convincingly. The deans of admissions made the following observations:
In our experience English majors [with] strong performance in English subjects [and] with minors in history or political science are most suitable candidates for law. (University of Alberta)
A law student, in addition to using analytical reasoning ability, must be able to express analysis clearly, cogently, and completely. (Queen's University)
Good writing ability [is desirable]. (University of Windsor)
Pour le droit et le secteur des lettres , il ne fait aucun doute que le candidat qui possède un grade avec un sujet majeur en anglais répondrait aux exigences d'admission à la condition qu'il ait un connaisance suffisante de la langue française, car tous les cours son donnés en français. (Université de Montreal)
A good many of our first year students have to develop good work habits and, study patterns after they get here and often suffer seriously in the interim. Accordingly, a program which has been a challenge to a student both intellectually and physically cannot fail to be useful preparation for law school, and a program which demands a great deal of reading is good preparation as well …. There is no question that the ability to do research, to write correctly, logically, concisely, and creatively, etc., are valuable assets for the law student. (University of Western Ontario)
We look with interest on applicants for admission who have a major in English. The reasons for that are … [their] general knowledge of literature; research ability; facility in use of language. (University of Saskatchewan)
English courses where critical analysis is emphasized [are desirable]. (University of Ottawa)
Facility in the use of the English language, oral and written [is desirable]. (University of Toronto)
A good background in written and verbal communication [is desirable]. (University of Manitoba)
While all the medical schools have science requirements, ranging from three to six full-year courses, they esteem the versatile student who has majored in English and completed the science prerequisites:
I personally feel a good background in English is vital to the prospective medical doctor, and we are continually concerned at the deficiency we find in many of our students in this respect. (University of Saskatchewan)
No doubt their background in English would make them more articulate than the majority of applicants. (University of Western Ontario)
Une connaisance de l'anglais comme langue seconde est un apport très recommendable. (Université Laval)
In September 1972 several “English majors” were admitted to the first year at this faculty …. Scholarship; ability to communicate [are desirable]. (McGill University)
In terms of academic qualities, we are most interested in the applicant's creative abilities, [the] ability to solve problems, and [the] ability to think logically. (University of Calgary)
[A] good cultural background [and] improved ability to express themselves orally or in writing [are desirable]. (University of Manitoba)
In our survey of a cross-section of Canadian firms, twenty commercial enterprises indicated that they would consider an English major for a position, with or without special training. Ten others replied that their operations require the skills of business and technological experts; nevertheless, several of these submitted that they would welcome the English major who also had a minor in business courses, such as accounting, economics, marketing, and computer science.
Representative of the position for which the English major would qualify and typical of the qualifications deemed most desirable in the English major are the following:
Employer comments:
[They] should be able to type… to write well, to be interested in written communication—to have an organized mind. (MacLean-Hunter Ltd.).
[An English major is a] good cultural base on which to build a specialization. (Aluminum Co. of Canada Ltd.)
Administrative … positions would be …. suitable to most General Arts graduates. Our company does not recruit graduates on campus, etc., nor do we have a graduate training program. We do, however, consider graduates along with other candidates when openings occur. Often we select a graduate not because the immediate opening requires such qualifications but because we anticipate the graduate has the potential to advance …. [We consider desirable] most aspects mentioned in your letter, i.e., ability to communicate effectively and to do research, graduates usually display maturity, etc. (American Motors [Canada] Ltd.).
A good knowledge of literature is useful as a cultural background. The ability to do research is obviously very helpful, but one must have an understanding of the area being researched. Thus, to do research in business and finance would require an understanding of that area. (Power Corp. of Canada Ltd.)
I think their training would be a good introduction to an MBA course. A variety of business administration subjects should be included as part of an English course. [The] development of ability to analyze published material of [a] non-technical kind and to prepare reports in a good English [would be desirable]. (Manager of Engineering, Bristol Co. of Canada)
[The] ability to handle research assignments and to write well would be advantageous. (John Labatt Ltd.)
It is clear from our survey, as it is from Professor Orange's, that the English major may pursue a Satisfying career in a surprising number of fields. Canadian law and medical schools regard the English major not only as eligible for admission to their programs but also as a desirable candidate. Many businesses, from the language- and literature-oriented media to the technological industries, not only hire the English major who will adapt to the requirements of the position but also place a premium on his cultural background and his ability to express himself effectively.
At the same time, it is clear that to increase his options the English major should elect his minor with an eye to the formal subject requirements of the various professions. Thus, for admission to law school, the English major will find that his acquisition of courses in history or political science is advantageous. For admission to medical school, the English major should plan judiciously the science subjects that can be accommodated within a General or Honours Arts program. For a career in commerce, the English major who has anticipated job trends and requirements will find his undergraduate academic enterprise rewarding. And for any career, it goes without saying, the student who excels in his studies will be the most successful in being placed.
The information condensed here was published in August 1973 in a brochure of twelve pages. The brochure refers the interested student to the more complete information—surveys and job lists—available from MLA. Our brochure will be distributed to secondary school guidance counselors and to registrants at the University of Windsor. * Our counselors are advising prospective English majors regarding their career opportunitites.
The Committee on Opportunities for the English Major has completed its assignment as proposed in Professor Sullivan's guidelines (1) and (3). The implementation of item (3)—the “development of specific courses or programs” to expand the utilitarian value of the English major—will, we expect, be our next departmental effort.
We hope our brochure will be as helpful to the Canadian student who needs moral and vocational support for his literary commitment, at our own university and elsewhere, as Professor Orange's master study must be to potential and current English majors everywhere.
* A limited number of single copies of our brochure are available to the ADE Bulletin 's readers from the Department of English, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario N9B 3P4.
University of Windsor
© 1973 by the Association of Departments of English. All Rights Reserved.
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