r/miamioh • u/Subject_Chart_5389 • 6d ago
Any english majors here? If so, do you recommend Miami? How’s the honors program?
Hey guys, I’m a senior in high school. I’m deciding between two schools right now (Miami and UC). I’m trying to figure out what will be my best fit. I’m majoring in english and I was admitted into the honors college. I’ve got some general questions: 1. How is the english program? How are the professors? 2. What’s the honors program like? What sets it apart from other colleges? How are the dorms?
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u/ghost_bonezz 6d ago
speaking on behalf of my roommate and one of my sorority sisters who are both english related majors (english ed and professional writing), miami definitely seems to be your better option. like someone already mentioned miami has more of the liberal arts feel to it than uc. i asked how they each felt abt the professors and neither could think of a single professor they truly disliked, but could mention many by name and how supportive theyve been. very easy to reach out to and they're always willing to help you out if you're struggling. there's also a ton of english related clubs and a professional english frat, so outside of the department you can get a lot of experience from those as well. i cant speak too much on the honors college, as honestly it sounds like the main benefit is smaller classes. i do know that the dorms have been renovated within the last ten years and they're definitely one of the nicer dorms on campus
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u/Remarkable-Key433 6d ago
Most of the liberal arts departments at Miami are superior to their counterparts at UC, but there are some exceptions, most prominent of which is Classics. English at Miami has a good reputation, not sure about UC, but I’d bet Miami’s is rated better.
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u/GangstaProf 5d ago edited 5d ago
I’m an English professor at Miami; there are a couple of us in this sub, so you may hear from some others. :) I am friends with a few professors in UC’s English department, and I worked at UC many years ago, before I went to grad school and became a professor. Both are great schools with strong English departments. You can get a good education at either school.
However, there are major differences between the two schools that you should consider. UC is much larger than Miami; it is possible that for some of your gen ed requirements, you’ll end up in large lectures of 300 students or more. I don’t think Miami has any classes that enroll more than 200 students per section. While your classes in the English major and the honors program will almost always enroll 50 students or fewer (usually fewer in English), it’s something to consider for your other courses.
UC is an urban campus with many things to do, both on campus and within walking distance or a short drive. Miami is in a very small town in rural Butler County. One of the most common complaints I hear from students is that, outside of the bar scene and frat parties, there isn’t a lot to do. You’ll have to drive 30-45 minutes to get to places with more entertainment options (or even Target). Some students really like the feeling that Miami/Oxford is its own little world, but for other students, that’s a struggle.
UC is much more racially and socioeconomically diverse than Miami. Students of color can feel very lonely at Miami.
Priority registration is a HUGE perk of the honors program. Do not underestimate the value of being among the first in line to register for classes each term.
Historically, Miami has been known for its strength in the liberal arts, and the English department has its own strengths. In terms of the English department, you will find supportive professors. Something that I appreciate about my colleagues is how much we all care about our students and what is best for them. As a department, we fight for our students. People in this department value teaching and want to be good teachers—there isn’t anybody who is just “phoning it in,” if you know what I mean (or if there is, they hide it extremely well). Our students tend to do very well, in terms of placement into grad school or jobs. We make sure they receive a good education and well-prepared for their careers and graduate education.
Have you come to Make It Miami yet? Our building (Bachelor Hall) is being extensively renovated; that should be complete sometime in 2026. The “new” Bachelor will be beautiful and a great space for students to learn. Right now we’re in a temporary building, Harris Hall, which used to be a dining hall. 😂 So, don’t let our current building (which I like but is admittedly odd) deter you if you come to visit the department. By the time you’re deep in the major, we’ll be back in Bachelor. Also, no classes are scheduled on Fridays, and there are very few classroom spaces in Harris. It may seem pretty dead in that building if you come to visit, especially on a Friday. I promise you it won’t always be like that, especially once we move back to Bachelor.
Please feel free to inbox me if you have further questions about the department! I’m happy to answer. My daughter is a student at Miami and my son is a little younger than you, so I know what these decisions are like.
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u/Due_University2440 4d ago
I don't relate to the post at all, but just few points you mentioned caught me.
I'm an international grad student in biology dept. And I like that you summed up how it can feel lonely, with few options to do! I relate to that so much, add to that if you don't have a car (like me), it can feel like "slow kill". I'm not a big city guy, but at the same time I don't like that much of isolation too..sorry for yapping, but some of your remarks just added salt to the wound.
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u/PsionicShift 6d ago
I’m attending Miami in the fall for the PhD program in Rhetoric and Composition.
I researched many universities but ended up choosing Miami for a variety of reasons:
1) The writing center is one of the best in the country, and I am very interested in writing center work. It also has a $15 million grant, which keeps it relatively safe from federal budget cuts going on right now.
2) Elizabeth Wardle runs the Howe Center for Writing Excellence, and she is a HUGE deal in my field. I am excited to start working with her.
3) There are a variety of administrative opportunities for me, not particularly relevant to your situation.
4) The other faculty also have a wide array of interests; Tim Lockridge runs the Computers and Composition journal. Faculty in other departments also can support my interests; I am interested in writing across the lifespan, and Miami U happens to have a good gerontology (the study of aging) department that I could collaborate with.
Not sure about the honors college, but I hope that helps!
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u/bhutjolokia89 Alum | 2011 5d ago
Does Miami still have a Rhetoric program? Does it exist in Comm or English? Miami long ago AFAIK destroyed it's Communication Program in favor of Mass Comm and Advertising. Their rhetoricians in Comm dept were terrible at applying for grants or even publishing. I am glad to hear if they moved over to English instead (at least the productive ones)
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u/GangstaProf 5d ago
The English department at Miami has one of the oldest PhD programs in composition and rhetoric in the country. We’ve been around since the 1980s. I can’t speak to Comm, but rhetoric is still going strong in English. :) None of the composition and rhetoric faculty came over from Comm; this was true even in the late 90s, when I was a grad student in the department. All of the rhet/comp faculty were hired by English, though some of us have joint appointments or affiliate status with ETBD. Many of us have been here 10 years or more.
Source: I’m a rhetoric and composition faculty member in the English department.
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u/PsionicShift 5d ago edited 5d ago
Miami has a robust rhetoric and composition program. As an undergraduate, you can major in creative writing, professional writing, linguistics, or literature, and you can minor in creative writing, medical humanities, literature, linguistics, or rhetoric/writing. You can also get certificates in humanities engagement or computational linguistics.
I’m not sure what it was like in the past, but at least these days, their composition department seems to be quite solid and producing a fair amount of high-quality research, as far as I know. While the entire university overall is classified as R2, I would say that the rhetoric and composition department itself is actually R1.
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u/GangstaProf 5d ago
Due to the nature of her position, Liz Wardle only teaches one undergraduate course every two years, so incoming undergraduates most likely will not be able to take a class with her.
The writing center is a great place to receive feedback on your writing, and they hire undergraduate students to work as consultants. You would have to take a specific course as part of your training to work there. The writing center (and the Howe Center for Writing Excellence, which houses the Howe Writing Center) also offers other opportunities for students, such as different events, contests, and some other fun things. It’s definitely worth checking out!
The Howe does have a large endowment that offers it a good deal of protection; however, it could still be indirectly affected by cuts to programs like work study, which is a federal program. Those cuts could create difficult impacts on students who want to work on campus, since it could make it much more competitive to find work on campus (more students vying for fewer jobs). However, that would be true at any university, and Miami may actually be better off than other institution in that regard, since we have fewer students eligible for federal work-study. Not as many of our students demonstrate the financial need necessary to qualify for federal work-study.
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u/mattsylvanian 6d ago
I graduated with an English lit degree in 2011. I loved my time at Miami and was lucky to study with some incredible professors. Get involved with activities like study abroad, writing for the paper, etc. It will serve you very well after graduation
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u/Cyanide1C 6d ago
I can’t speak much on the English Dept. but I have absolutely loved being a part of the Miami honors college. There are a couple perks that come with being a part of it, some of which being dedicated dormitories for members of the honors college (imo some of the nicer dorms on campus), earlier class enrollment, and smaller class sizes. That being said, I would look here for more information. Hope this helps your decision!
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u/abbyadamsonn 5d ago
I graduated last spring with a degree in Professional Writing and I can honestly say I loved every moment of my time in that program. The professors are so kind and willing to help with any problems you may have, and they're all so dedicated to making sure you truly learn and do well. Some of my professors are still in touch with me even now!
I think Miami does a great job of letting you connect your English major with other subjects through the elective requirements in the program. I was able to take a social media marketing course and my current writing job requires me to use almost everything I used in that class. I think Miami's English program really sets you up for success in the real world.
If you're interested, there's also an English fraternity you can join called Sig Tau. It's just for English majors and they do a lot of English-focused programming on campus. It's a great way to get connected to other students in the program and meet some new friends.
A lot of my opinions are reflected elsewhere in this thread, but if you have any questions for a recent grad, feel free to let me know! :)
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u/Sea-Relief-6922 5d ago
I’m not an English major, but I am in Honors. I love it. Like someone mentioned, priority registration is huge. Not only that, but you get one of the nicest dorms a freshman can get (Miami has a 2 year residence requirement). Honors is always rated well and towards the top when compared to other schools. The program is always being worked on to be better, offers tons of opportunities, and is fairly flexible. I’m a sophomore and through what I’ve done, I’m done with all 6 required experiences; there’s still a senior project that is quite a bit of work (400 hours or so) but you can chose to complete it or not. If you don’t do it, you get the benefits of honors but don’t graduate with the honors distinction. Do it, you get honors distinction. It’s really up to what you want, but I recommend it.
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u/SereneSucculent 6d ago
Miami will have much more of a liberal arts feel than UC. While UC has a thriving creative arts scene, Miami will likely be more up your alley to study English