About English

Message from the Department Chair

Maricel G. Santos
Chair and Professor

Welcome to the Department of English Language and Literature. 

Are you a prospective student exploring what we do, an alum reconnecting with academic home, or a community member sharing in our love of language and story? You found your way here, and we are so glad you did. 

The English Department at San Francisco State is a place where language, identity, and creativity intersect. We offer four B.A. programs (English Education, Linguistics, Literature, Professional Writing and Rhetoric) and two M.A. programs: M.A. Literatures and M.A. English (with three concentration options: Composition, Linguistics and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). Through our certificate offerings, you’re able to level up your professional expertise with skills in communication, teaching, computational linguistics and community partnerships.

In our classrooms, students don’t just read texts — they remix ideas, experiment with genres and use new technologies to explore, in the words of Paolo Freire, the word and the world. We focus on critical reading and bold writing; you get to connect what you learn to what’s happening in the world right now.

Our graduates leave with empathy, confidence, and the kind of focus that inspires change. They go on to become teachers, writers, entrepreneurs, publishers, designers, lawyers, activists — you name it. 

I am so honored to be serving as Chair of this vibrant, multi-disciplinary department. I’ll close by sharing a new tradition in our department: at our spring graduation celebration, our faculty chose one word to celebrate the students in each degree program. The sampler of words include: 

voice, maxxing, legacy, luminous, tenacious, locked in, passionate, action, grounded, Illuminate, care, rizz, irrepressible, powerful, authentic

Those words capture so much of who we are as a community: curious, inspired and committed to learning together. 

To our alumni, take pride in the ways you already have demonstrated those qualities. We hope you stay in touch as you move on to new opportunities, and let us know the new meanings you discover in those words.

To future students, join us and add your own word to that list. We look forward to learning how you’ll use your voice to shape what comes next. 

Welcome to SFSU.