Undergraduate Student Resources & Awards
The Department of English offers academic and financial support, internships, advising and more to make the student experience as smooth and enjoyable as possible.
How to Declare a Major or Minor
The process for declaring a major is as follows:
- Download and fill out a Declaration of Major/Minor Form from the Undergraduate Advising website.
- Contact the English Department's director of undergraduate advising.
- Establish an ePortfolio, which is required for the major only.
Study Abroad
Many English majors spend a semester or more abroad, usually as juniors, and many venture outside England. Australia, Edinburgh and Dublin are increasingly popular destinations, and some students have studied in Anglophone Africa. Because we count the literatures of other languages as major electives, English majors have also enjoyed study abroad in France, Italy and other countries.
Visit the GW Office for Study Abroad for more information.
Departmental Awards
Each year, the Department of English awards multiple departmental prizes and honors to graduating seniors who have demonstrated academic excellence in their pursuit of the English or Creative Writing major. Prizes are also awarded to undergraduate students with the best creative works in poetry, drama, playwriting and literature.
- The Academy of American Poets College Prize, awarded to talented student poets
- The Alice Douglas Goddard Prize, awarded for highest average GPA in English
- The Astere E. Claeyssens Prize in Playwriting, awarded for the best original work in playwriting
- The E. K. Cutter Prize for excellence in English
- The DeWitt Clinton Croissant Prize, awarded for the best essay on drama or the theatre
- The Julian Clement Chase Creative Writing in Washington Prize, awarded for outstanding prose that incorporates the District of Columbia
- The Vivian Nellis Memorial Prize, awarded to a graduating senior who has demonstrated excellence in creative writing
- The Sylvia Speck Prize, awarded for exemplary academic achievement in English Literature
- The Student Poetry Prize, awarded to GW undergraduate and graduate students for the best single poem
E-Major Listserv
The E-Major listserv is a source of important announcements and information relevant to the department.
- How to Subscribe
Send this message: subscribe [email protected] Your-First-Name Your-Last-Name
(example: "subscribe [email protected] John Doe")
To this address: [email protected]
Please note that your message cannot contain any other text, such as your signature file. Any other text is interpreted as a command, the LISTSERV server will return errors.
- How to Unsubscribe
If you are subscribed to this email distribution list and no longer wish to receive emails, send this message: unsubscribe [email protected]
To this address: listserv@ hermes.gwu.edu
GW Resources
- Undergraduate Anthropology Advisors
Find the faculty member assigned to your major or minor program. - Academic Commons
Book peer tutoring or review sessions, research and writing help, step-by-step study strategies, language support and more. - GW Libraries
Explore on-campus libraries and online research databases. Gelman Library also maintains a research guide specifically for political science. - Language Center
Sign up for English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses, practice with language meet-up groups, take a language exam or talk to someone about waiving language requirements. - Writing Center
Make a free appointment to work with a writing consultant on your next project, from the brainstorming phase through drafting and revising.
- Center for Career Services
Take advantage of career and job search coaching, self-assessment services, résumé development, networking and more. (Services offered to students and alumni.) - Center for Undergraduate Fellowships and Research
Search and apply for undergraduate fellowships and research awards. - Luther Rice Undergraduate Research Fellowship
Apply for a fellowship to support a research project carried out over several weeks or across multiple semesters. - Sigelman Undergraduate Research Enhancement (SURE) Awards
Apply for a $500 grant to fund research project supplies, conference travel, off-site archival visits, videography and more. - Student Accounts Office
View current tuition and aid information. - Student Financial Assistance
Look for scholarships, Federal Work-Study positions, military benefits and other funding assistance. - Student Research Commons
Find paid research jobs, fellowships, seminars and other research events available in the GW community. - Undergraduate Research Award
Apply for this $5,000 research award, open to first-years, sophomores and juniors.