English, Linguistics, and Writing Studies

Welcome to the Department of English, Linguistics, & Writing Studies (ELWS). Our English faculty have strengths in fiction and poetry, drama, creative writing, film studies, and the entire range of literature written in English, from Beowulf to Harry Potter. Our linguists specialize in the structure and use of language, from Asia to the Caribbean to the Iron Range of Minnesota, and they explore the science of language in both theoretical and computational approaches. Our rhetoricians have strengths in the history, theory, and pedagogy of rhetoric, and our writing program serves almost every student that comes to UMD. ELWS programs have long histories at the university and strong ties to our former students and the surrounding community. As you pursue your education, we invite you to consider the Department of English, Linguistics, & Writing Studies.