The USC Aiken English Department’s mission is to provide students with an understanding and appreciation of the written word, both as writers and as readers of significant literature. To that end, the department has three major purposes:

1. To provide students throughout the University with experience in thinking creatively and critically and in writing articulately about ideas in general,
2. To provide a variety of electives for students engaged in either a liberal arts education or a professional program of study, and
3. To provide English majors with background for graduate studies in English or preparation for careers that draw on communication skills and critical thinking abilities.