Best Online Master’s in English

Published: Jun 22, 2021
Updated: Nov 22, 2023

Find top-ranked online master’s in english degree programs to prepare students to become English teachers, managing editors, and communications directors, and more.

Key Takeaways

The skills graduates learn in online English master’s programs apply to various career fields including education, law, journalism, and writing.
Learning skills such as critical thinking, communication, and analytical thinking are essential to online master’s programs in English.
Master’s in English programs can take two to three years, so you may find it helpful to understand the reasons for pursuing this degree.

Top 10 Online Master's in English Degree Programs

Texas Tech University
Arizona State University
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
University of Memphis
University of Central Florida
Northern Arizona University
Old Dominion University
Southern New Hampshire University
University of West Florida
Eastern Illinois University

Arizona State University
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Texas Tech University
University of Central Florida
University of Memphis
Old Dominion University
Texas Southern University
Northern Arizona University
Southern New Hampshire University
Murray State University

Delta State University 99%
Texas Southern University 97%
Southern New Hampshire University 96%
Old Dominion University 95%
University of Memphis 95%
University of Texas at Tyler 94%
West Texas A&M University 92%
Arizona State University 90%
Mercy College 86%
Murray State University 84%

University of Central Florida 29 to 1
Southern New Hampshire University 22 to 1
University of West Florida 22 to 1
Texas Tech University 21 to 1
Northern Arizona University 20 to 1
Jacksonville State University 19 to 1
Arizona State University 19 to 1
Texas Southern University 18 to 1
University of Memphis 17 to 1
West Texas A&M University 17 to 1

Gardner–Webb University $32,200
Mercy College $21,358
Southern New Hampshire University $15,380
National University $13,320
Arizona State University $10,978
Northern Arizona University $10,644
Jacksonville State University $9,990
Eastern Illinois University $9,417
Texas Tech University $8,935
Delta State University $8,605

Southern New Hampshire University $18,900
Mercy College $17,478
National University $15,912
Arizona State University $12,014
Northern Arizona University $11,103
Gardner–Webb University $11,000
Old Dominion University $10,519
Jacksonville State University $9,840
University of Memphis $9,378
Murray State University $9,144

University of Texas at Tyler
University of Houston–Victoria
West Texas A&M University
Gardner–Webb University
Jacksonville State University
National University
Delta State University
Mercy College
Texas Southern University
Murray State University

University of Houston–Victoria
Gardner–Webb University
West Texas A&M University
University of Texas at Tyler
Delta State University
Mercy College
Jacksonville State University
National University
Eastern Illinois University
University of West Florida

University of Central Florida 41%
University of West Florida 48%
Texas Tech University 67%
Eastern Illinois University 68%
Gardner–Webb University 75%
Jacksonville State University 78%
University of Nebraska–Lincoln 79%
Northern Arizona University 80%
University of Houston–Victoria 82%
Murray State University 84%

Delta State University 10 to 1
Gardner–Webb University 11 to 1
Eastern Illinois University 15 to 1
University of Texas at Tyler 15 to 1
Mercy College 15 to 1
University of Houston–Victoria 16 to 1
Old Dominion University 16 to 1
University of Nebraska–Lincoln 16 to 1
Murray State University 16 to 1
National University 16 to 1

University of West Florida $3,735
University of Central Florida $4,478
University of Houston–Victoria $5,111
West Texas A&M University $6,372
Texas Southern University $6,941
University of Texas at Tyler $7,020
Old Dominion University $7,239
University of Nebraska–Lincoln $7,770
Murray State University $8,196
University of Memphis $8,352

West Texas A&M University $5,088
University of Nebraska–Lincoln $6,138
University of Texas at Tyler $6,264
University of Houston–Victoria $6,618
Texas Southern University $6,858
University of Central Florida $6,916
Texas Tech University $6,956
University of West Florida $7,088
Eastern Illinois University $7,691
Delta State University $8,435

Table of Contents

Featured Programs

The value of an education in English is increasing as globalization rises. English is widely used in almost all settings, and international companies must produce copies in the universal international language.

An online master of English graduate obtains the foundation for various careers and not only for a single job or career path. Simply put, this master’s degree will open various professional opportunities for you.

In nearly every profession, graduate students with master’s degrees in English have highly developed oral and written communication skills. English-speaking graduates can be successful in marketing, education, and public relations because of their skills.

Graduates may work as interpreters, curriculum developers, recruiters, and advertising managers. After graduation, graduate students might have more employment options if they develop the necessary soft skills that most employers seek.

A online master’s degree in English may lead to employment as an editor, author, or technical writer, though English graduates work in many industries. Online English master’s programs provide various career options, including broadcasting and media, traditional publishing companies, digital publishers, news organizations, and media companies.

Job Occupations for Master’s in English Graduates

Here are some job occupations that are fit for online Master’s in English graduates:

English Educator

Reading, writing, grammar, and English literature are topics that English teachers are responsible for teaching. The majority of these professionals work in middle and high schools.

In private schools, candidates with master’s degrees in English may be accepted without a teaching license. Like other educators and professors, English teachers must prepare lesson plans, develop teaching materials, and assign and grade homework and projects.

Copywriter

Copywriters create short-form content that sells and promotes products and services for companies across various industries. This type of content includes slogans, social media, and website copy. A copywriter’s effectiveness depends on considering the goals of a company, the brand voice, and the needs and desires of the target audience.

Book Or Playwright Author

An author is someone who writes a book or play. The topics for which authors write are as varied as their interests, and they can specialize in fiction or nonfiction writing.

Authors can either choose to self-publish their work or submit it to a publishing house that handles the publishing process.

Technical Writer

Another great job opportunity for master’s in English graduates is to become a technical writer. Those who write technical documents make complex information or procedures easy to understand for readers through instruction manuals, how-tos, and other documents. A technical writer has opportunities in various fields, including technology, finance, healthcare, business, and construction.

Tutor

With a master’s degree in English, you may find employment as a tutor in tutoring centers, post-secondary educational institutions, or school districts. They may also find work opportunities in virtual settings and online teaching websites.

Tutors may lead writing workshops, provide advice and guidance, review clients’ written work and provide feedback, and develop materials to support writing.

Social Media Manager

Through social media platforms, social media managers help companies attract new customers. Within an organization, they may oversee a team of marketers’ social media marketing efforts or collaborate with the advertising and marketing departments.

Public Relations Manager

Public relations managers develop and maintain a positive public image for their clients and employers. A PR professional may supervise a team of PR specialists and collaborate with a marketing, communications, or social media department.

In addition to establishing branding guidelines, their responsibilities may include developing advertising campaigns for print and online media, distributing press releases, and setting up interviews.

Skills Gained Upon Graduation with an Online Master in English

Creativity

There are many creative writing courses available to English majors. Many online courses help them develop their creativity. In the workplace, English majors can use creativity to solve problems creatively, connect with organizations, and regularly work on various projects and assignments.

Editing Skills

You may develop editing skills as an English major. In college, English majors often write academic papers. This is an opportunity to brush up on your editing skills even more. You may edit it multiple times to ensure your work is coherent and concise while supporting your argument.

The foundations of the English language can also be taught to you in an online master’s in English program so that you can learn how to simplify work while maintaining its original meaning.

Flexibility

The ability to adjust to change or compromise is what makes you flexible. When you work through coursework with others, you may develop flexibility as an English master’s program student. If your schedule is full and you feel stressed, you might also develop flexibility in meeting deadlines with professors.

Frequently Asked Questions About English Degrees

With a master’s degree in English, you’ll be ready to take your career, and communication skills, to the next level.

Consisting of about 30-45 credits, this degree can be completed in two to four years, either online or in person.

Many programs also offer specializations, like rhetoric, literature, English education, and technical communication, allowing students to tailor their learning to their career goals.

Courses cover topics like creative writing, writing instruction, and critical theory, though students will also have program-specific courses.

After earning their degree, graduates will be ready to become English teachers, managing editors, and communications directors, and more. Students will want to note, however, additional licensure may be required for certain professions such as full professorship.

Learn more about what you can do with a mater’s in english.

How do we determine the best online english master's degree programs?

Methodology

Pursuing your degree online doesn’t mean you need to settle for an inferior school. Today, most universities and colleges offer online degrees, and many respected schools are seeing significant growth in their numbers of online students.

The people affiliated with a school are ultimately what make it great. This is why influence — i.e., the academic impact of faculty and alumni associated with a school — gets at the heart of what is truly best in education. The combined influence score of a college or university’s top academic influencers is the best indicator of academic excellence. For our online degree rankings, we focus on the academic influence of faculty and alumni in the specific disciplines we’re ranking.

If you are serious about finding the best online colleges, you should be asking where the most influential professors are teaching, and whether their graduates themselves are advancing the school’s reputation for academic excellence. Most ranking sites rely on an opaque combination of reputation surveys and arbitrary performance metrics. Influence, as measured by our InfluenceRanking engine, provides a ranking that is free from bias, insulated from manipulation, and reflective of real-world educational outcomes.

20 Best Online Master’s in English Degree Programs

Career Outlook for Students with English Degree

Go to Degree Finder tool

English Language And Literature

Degree Level: Master's

Location: The U.S. (Private Schools)
Avg. Starting Salary*: $43,452
Avg. Salary after 4 Years*: $50,710
* denotes ‘annually’

Career Salaries

Career	Job Growth	Avg. Salary
English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary	1.14%	$69,035
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education	1.03%	$61,619
Proofreaders and Copy Markers	-4.17%	$45,885

Average Career Salaries

Bottom 10%	Median	Top 10%
$42,191	$61,170	$92,879

Promising Job Markets

State	Cost of Living	Avg. Salary
#2 New York	5% higher than average	$80,873
#3 Oregon	11% higher than average	$85,325
#4 Utah	4% higher than average	$69,470
#5 Connecticut	18% higher than average	$84,385
#6 Vermont	13% higher than average	$79,130
#7 Michigan	15% higher than average	$59,450
#8 New Mexico	7% higher than average	$64,490
#9 Texas	10% higher than average	$62,117
#10 Alabama	13% higher than average	$59,465
#11 Rhode Island	20% higher than average	$81,540
#12 California	26% higher than average	$85,653
#13 Idaho	7% higher than average	$62,005
#14 Ohio	14% higher than average	$57,510
#15 Pennsylvania	5% higher than average	$63,360
#16 South Carolina	8% higher than average	$60,685
#17 Delaware	2% higher than average	$67,540
#18 Tennessee	14% higher than average	$56,315
#19 New Jersey	13% higher than average	$74,100
#20 Minnesota	4% higher than average	$62,393
#21 Arizona	5% higher than average	$61,210
#22 Illinois	7% higher than average	$59,783
#23 Wyoming	2% higher than average	$62,480
#24 Maine	9% higher than average	$69,035
#25 Louisiana	9% higher than average	$56,825
#26 Washington	7% higher than average	$66,897
#27 Nevada	5% higher than average	$64,030
#28 West Virginia	11% higher than average	$54,195
#29 Mississippi	18% higher than average	$50,030
#30 Wisconsin	7% higher than average	$56,670
#31 Kentucky	14% higher than average	$51,990
#32 Georgia	13% higher than average	$52,533
#33 Virginia	5% higher than average	$57,183
#34 Indiana	11% higher than average	$53,137
#35 Alaska	23% higher than average	$72,955
#36 Missouri	16% higher than average	$49,097
#37 Iowa	9% higher than average	$52,927
#38 South Dakota	7% higher than average	$53,770
#39 North Carolina	11% higher than average	$50,993
#40 Nebraska	6% higher than average	$53,443
#41 Maryland	18% higher than average	$67,070
#42 Montana	3% higher than average	$54,495
#43 Kansas	9% higher than average	$51,193
#44 Arkansas	16% higher than average	$46,953
#45 Massachusetts	24% higher than average	$68,703
#46 Florida	6% higher than average	$52,020
#47 North Dakota	average	$54,870
#48 Colorado	3% higher than average	$55,557
#49 New Hampshire	13% higher than average	$57,757
#50 Oklahoma	13% higher than average	$44,457
#51 District of Columbia	49% higher than average	$74,220
#52 Hawaii	40% higher than average	$49,735

Top Industries

Industry	Avg. Salary
English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary	$69,035
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education	$61,619
Proofreaders and Copy Markers	$45,885

Data from The Bureau of Labor Statistics, The Department of Education College Scorecard, The Department of Education NCES, and The Council for Community and Economic Research.

Online Degree Frequently Asked Questions

If this is your first time taking an online course, the experience may require some adjustment. While you’ll generally learn the same content and take the same exams as your on-campus peers, the medium will likely require you to manage much of this experience independently. You’ll be accountable for your own time management, your ability to harness the technology at your fingertips, and your ability to focus on the lectures, lessons, and assignments at hand. This means you’ll need to create a suitable workspace for yourself, maintain a realistic schedule, and take it upon yourself to build relationships with your instructors and classmates. With online college, your goal is to find a balance between independence and engagement.

No. The only part of online education that’s easier is actually getting there. Taking the commute out of the equation means getting to class should be a lot more manageable. But that’s where it ends. In general, your online courses will incorporate the very same materials, concepts, and testing methods as would a traditional classroom.

And in many cases, you’ll even have the same instructors as your on-campus counterparts. In fact, if you are adjusting to the experience of independent learning or working with remote learning technology for the first time, online college may even be a little more challenging for you. For a few insights on how to manage this new experience, check out our 10 Tips for Adjusting to School Online.

Accreditation is especially important when it comes to online college. This is because the online education landscape is a mix of highly-reputable institutions and less-than-reputable for-profit schools. Accreditation gives you the power to differentiate between the two. Accreditation is a stamp of approval from an independent accrediting agency which indicates that a college or university is meeting standards of quality, credibility, and currency. School-wide accreditation falls into two major categories: regional and national accreditation. Regional accreditors generally hold jurisdiction only over schools in the states comprising their region, whereas national accreditors hold jurisdiction over schools in all states. Regional accreditation is widely regarded as a more rigorous standard of quality and credibility than national accreditation.

Attending a college or university which is not regionally accredited could limit your opportunities. When seeking an online education, we strongly recommend that students opt for regionally accredited schools. Regional accreditation ensures eligibility for federal loans and grants, ensures your college credits can be transferred between schools, and ensures that your degree credits can be accepted if you wish to earn an advanced degree.

As long as your online college degree is regionally accredited, you should have little difficulty transferring most of your credits or credentials to another regionally accredited undergraduate school. Every school carries its own standards and procedures for granting a transfer. In many cases, you will be required to navigate a bureaucracy in which some of your credits will be transferred and others will be jettisoned. However, provided that you have attended an online school with the proper regional accreditation, you should have plenty of options for transfer.

In most cases, as long you graduate from a well-regarded, regionally-accredited online college, prospective employers won’t look sideways at your degree. In fact, unless you attend an exclusively online college or university, there will likely be no specific indicator on your degree, transcript or resume differentiating your school from its brick-and-mortar counterpart. This means that your employer will likely only differentiate between an online and in-person degree if you mention this distinction.

While some employers may express concern about making the adjustment from online education to in-person workplace collaboration, many other employers will view your online degree as evidence of valuable 21st Century professional skills such as independence, self-motivation, time management, and tech savvy.

If you are a student who thrives on the dynamic energy of in-person discussion, who requires the physical surroundings of a classroom to feel engaged, or who considers the social aspects of education to be of equal importance to the actual content of your courses, online education will require some adjustment.

While there is much that can be supplanted or simulated through the online medium, some students may find that there is nothing which can replace the conversation, collaboration, and motivation that occur in an actual classroom setting. As you make the adjustment to online education, one of the biggest challenges you will likely face is overcoming this difference in order to the get the most out of your classes. Fortunately, we’ve got some great Tips for Online Education Beginners.

The advantages of online classes are many. First and foremost, online courses give you the freedom and flexibility to attend class from anywhere that works for you, whether you’re at home, in a coffee shop, or in a quiet conference room at work. In many cases, you’ll also enjoy the convenience of asynchronous learning opportunities-educational experiences that you can complete on your own schedule. This may include pre-taped lectures, ongoing chat-board discussions, and 24/7 access to digital materials. And of course, just as there are some learners who prefer the energy of a live classroom, there are those who learn best when working in their own personal space, free from distractions. If this sounds like you, you might find the solitude of online learning to be a major advantage.

Whether you’re just getting started on your college search, you’re looking for survival tips on your way to a bachelor’s degree, or you’re preparing for the transition into grad school, we’ve got guides, how to’s and tons of other valuable resources to keep you moving forward in your educational journey.

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Best Online Master’s in English

Key Takeaways

Top 10 Online Master's in English Degree Programs

Featured Programs

Job Occupations for Master’s in English Graduates

English Educator

Copywriter

Book Or Playwright Author

Technical Writer

Tutor

Social Media Manager

Public Relations Manager

Skills Gained Upon Graduation with an Online Master in English

Creativity

Editing Skills

Flexibility

Frequently Asked Questions About English Degrees

Why get a master’s in English?

How long does it take to get a master’s in English?

Are there specialized programs?

What kind of courses will I be taking while getting a master’s in English?

What can I do with a master’s in English?

20 Best Online Master’s in English Degree Programs

Career Outlook for English degree at Texas Tech University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for English degree at Arizona State University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for English degree at University of Nebraska–Lincoln

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for English degree at University of Memphis

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for English degree at University of Central Florida

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for English degree at Northern Arizona University

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for English degree at Old Dominion University

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for English degree at Southern New Hampshire University

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for English degree at University of West Florida

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for English degree at Eastern Illinois University

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for English degree at Murray State University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for English degree at Texas Southern University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for English degree at Mercy College

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for English degree at Delta State University

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for English degree at National University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for English degree at Jacksonville State University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for English degree at Gardner–Webb University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for English degree at West Texas A&M University

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for English degree at University of Houston–Victoria

Online Degrees

Concentrations

Career Outlook for English degree at University of Texas at Tyler

Online Degrees

Career Outlook for Students with English Degree

English Language And Literature

Degree Level: Master's

Career Salaries

Average Career Salaries

Promising Job Markets

Top Industries

Online Degree Frequently Asked Questions