The English Department plays an integral role in most San José City College programs and curriculum. The English Department offers basic writing skills courses, transfer-level composition courses, literature courses, advanced writing courses, workshops, special programs, and tutors in the Reading and Writing Center. San Jose City College students in the English program demonstrate rhetorical competence at the appropriate level, critical and analytical reasoning skills, knowledge of research documentation styles, the appreciation of diverse forms of literature, and the ability to use technology.

It is a blend of academic, professional and creative writing disciplines. This degree is ideally suited for students wanting to pursue careers in, but not limited to, law, teaching, writing, journalism, grant writing and development. The courses offer a strong foundation for concentrating in literary analysis, critical thinking, and writing production across multiple disciplines, such as, law, teaching, journalism, and communications, including any other fields in which writing is a predominant skill.