Major in English
Write creatively • Analyze literature • Become a critical thinker
John Brown University
2000 W. University St.,
Siloam Springs, AR 72761
479-524-9500
jbuinfo@jbu.edu
What are you looking for?
Write creatively • Analyze literature • Become a critical thinker
As an English major, you will hone both your reading and writing skills with individual attention from the faculty. English majors learn and practice critical thinking and effective communication, preparing them for a variety of careers.
Start your applicationSmall classes at JBU facilitate unique accountability to your own writing style and voice when reading, writing and analyzing literature.
As an English major, you help facilitate events, mingle with professional artists and help cultivate a love for the written word. Read your creative work at poetry slams. If you’re motivated, complete senior projects in the form of short novels, plays, or poems.
Tailor your degree toward an emphasis in creative writing or literature to equip you with the knowledge to polish your craft. Take classes such as C.S. Lewis and the Inklings, Detective Fiction or Jane Austen and the Bronte Sisters.
This program has been one of the biggest blessings in my life. The professors challenge me to learn more about something I love, and they're also just great people that I've made lasting connections with. They've made me feel more than equipped for the future, providing me with a huge list of jobs I never would have expected English majors could get right out of college, as well as strong career choices to work towards further down the road.
Elijah Patterson '25
English Major
All of JBU’s creative writing courses are capped at 12 students so that you can present your creative fiction, nonfiction, play and poetry for constructive feedback from peers and professors.
If you are a member of JBU’s Honors Scholars Program, English majors may apply to Oxford, England, for a semester at Oxford University. Work with an expert in your field of study, research in their renowned library and attend weekly lectures by the most brilliant minds all for JBU credit.
"Shards of Light" is JBU's literature and creative art journal published every spring semester. The journal showcases work from alumni, faculty, staff and current students and is run by a team of undergraduate students under the direction of a faculty member.
Shards of Light"Shards of Light" is JBU’s creative writing and visual art journal. Run by a team of students, our journal showcases writing and art from alumni, faculty, staff, and current students under the direction of Dr. Jacob Stratman. Working with "Shards of Light" gives students space to explore possible careers in editing, marketing, and events all related to creativity.
Sigma Tau Delta is an avenue for English majors and minors to develop leadership abilities and build community while honing their own professional skills. Over the years, the English Honors Society, Sigma Tau Delta, has sponsored numerous on-campus opportunities to foster a culture of arts and intellectual inquiry.
With much of the world being online these days, professional writing for blogs, digital magazines, businesses and other organizations is in great demand.
Companies and businesses with print or digital material often need editors to stylize, analyze, and reword brochures, magazine ads, write-ups and other print material.
You may choose to advance your career in creative writing, literature, teaching English as a second language, or library science. These advanced degrees qualify you for professional positions in your area of interest.
Many international colleges and universities pay for English majors to come and teach English, literature and other classes. This is also a great ministry opportunity. Learn about the TESOL minor.
Dr. Brad Gambill, co-editor of The Word in the English Classroom: Best Practices of Faith Integration, grew up in Oklahoma and, in fact, much of his scholarly research and creative work is grounded in the culture of his home state.
During his more than ten years at JBU, Dr. Gambill has taught courses in Cherokee literature, 20th Century Native American Literature and a one-hour course in which students retrace the Northern Route of the Trail of Tears from Georgia, through Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, and into Oklahoma. Every fall, first-year students in his Gateway Seminar in Christian Scholarship attend the Cherokee National Holiday in Tahlequah, OK and hear the principal chief deliver his/her “State of the Nation Address.” He has given scholarly presentations on Cherokee writers John Milton Oskison and Diane Glancy.
Much of Dr. Gambill’s creative writing takes place in Oklahoma, including his full-length play The 5 & Dime Girls and several of his one-act plays. Additionally, he has written two Oklahoma-based novels, Baby’s Blues and No Joy for Matisse. At JBU, he teaches Intro to Creative Writing and Playwriting. However, he does not require his creative writing students to write about Oklahoma.
As head of the English Department, Dr. Gambill helps coordinate courses and also serves as the faculty sponsor of Sigma Tau Delta, a national honors society for high-achieving students passionate about literature, literacy, and creative writing. The organization has organized poetry slams, hosted creative writing workshops, tutored at-risk students in area schools, and completed book drives for local non-for-profit organizations, such as prisons and shelters.
Associate Professor of English
Dr. Amanda Himes' research and teaching interests include Jane Austen, 18th-19th century British literature, Gothic fiction, and detective fiction. Dr. Himes received her B.A. with distinction in English, then went on to receive a Master's degree in literature from Baylor University. While there, she tutored in the Writing Center and taught composition courses.
Dr. Himes then taught freshman English at and earned her doctorate from Texas A&M University, which awarded her a Regents' Fellowship in 2000, a Women's Studies Fellowship in 2004, and a Dissertation Fellowship in 2005. She joined the JBU faculty in 2006, and with her husband Jonathan has three children: Logan, Audrey, and Elinor. The family also has a Labrador Retriever named Queenie, a cat named Ginger Pumpkin Patches, and numerous tropical fish.
Associate Professor of English
With his philological interests, Dr. Jonathan Himes has taught Intro to Linguistics, Advanced Grammar, Anglo-Saxon (language lab for a Beowulf course), and Latin (independent studies) at JBU. In his Composition course, he takes freshmen on field trips to the Buffalo River for research on the Ozarks culture. His courses for English majors include Medieval Literature, World Literature 1 (Antiquity to Renaissance), and a C. S. Lewis & Inklings course. Dr. Himes also enjoys supervising the tutoring practicum for English majors. In his spare time, he plays racquetball, goes hunting, and enjoys family hikes with his wife Amanda (the other Dr. Himes) and their children Logan, Audrey, and Elinor.
English Program Coordinator; Director of the Writing Center
Dr. Jacob Stratman's research and teaching interests include Christianity and literature, young adult literature, disability studies, pedagogy and hospitality, and American literature.
Dr. Stratman received his B.A. in English and Secondary Education from William Jewell College. After graduation, he taught English and coached soccer in the Springfield Public School system in Springfield, Missouri, for six years. During that time, he completed his M.A. in English with an emphasis in Creative Writing at Missouri State University. He earned his Ph.D. in English from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Dr. Stratman and his wife, Julia, have two sons, Benjamin Curtis and Jude Hadley.
Professor of English; Dean, College of Bible, Humanities, and Arts
Dr. Chip Pollard has been the president of John Brown University since July 2004. He received his undergraduate degree in English from Wheaton College in 1985, a law degree from Harvard Law School in 1988, a master's degree in English from Oxford University in 1990, and a Ph.D. in English from the University of Virginia in 1999.
Dr. Pollard came to JBU from Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he was an Associate Professor of English teaching primarily world and 20th-century literature. Dr. Pollard has published frequently, including New World Modernisms (2005) and May It Always Be True: Educating Students in Faith (2011). In addition to his teaching and scholarship, Dr. Pollard has also practiced law as a corporate and tax associate for Latham & Watkins in Chicago, Illinois from 1990-1993.
Under Dr. Pollard’s leadership, the university has completed the Keeping Faith Capital Campaign (2005-2011), receiving over $118 million in gifts. Through the blessings of God and his people, the campaign finished a year earlier than expected and $18 million over its original goal. The gifts to the campaign funded annual operating support, new endowed scholarships and programs, and the construction of new facilities, including a new wing to North Residence Hall, the Berry Performing Arts Center, the Bill George Arena, and the Balzer Technology Center, and the renovation of existing facilities, including the historic Cathedral Group, the Kresge Dining Hall, and expanded space for the Visual Arts program. Dr. Pollard also teaches in the undergraduate program on a regular basis and is a frequent speaker in chapel and other venues. Dr. Pollard was elected to the board of the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities in 2009 and also serves on the community board for Arvest Bank in Siloam Springs.
He and his wife, Carey, have four children, Chad, Benjamin (deceased), Emma, and James. They are actively involved in First Presbyterian Church of Siloam Springs.
President; Associate Professor of English
Equip yourself for a successful career and a life of purpose.
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John Brown University is a leading private Christian university, training students to honor God and serve others since 1919. Arkansas’ top-ranked university (The Wall Street Journal) and top-ranked regional university (U.S. News), JBU enrolls more than 2,200 students from 37 states and 42 countries in its traditional undergraduate, graduate, online and concurrent education programs. JBU offers more than 50 undergraduate majors, with top programs including nursing, psychology, construction management, graphic design, family and human services, and engineering. Eighteen graduate degrees are available in business, counseling, cybersecurity, and education.