Best Online Master’s in English

Published: Jun 22, 2021
Updated: Sep 8, 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

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 100%
West Texas A&M University 97%
Old Dominion University 96%
University of Memphis 95%
University of Texas at Tyler 94%
Southern New Hampshire University 92%
Arizona State University 88%
Mercy College 86%
Murray State University 85%
University of Nebraska–Lincoln 81%

University of Central Florida 31 to 1
Northern Arizona University 22 to 1
Jacksonville State University 21 to 1
Southern New Hampshire University 21 to 1
University of Houston–Victoria 20 to 1
University of West Florida 20 to 1
Texas Tech University 19 to 1
University of Texas at Tyler 19 to 1
Old Dominion University 18 to 1
Arizona State University 18 to 1

Gardner–Webb University $32,200
Mercy College $20,734
Southern New Hampshire University $15,380
National University $13,320
Arizona State University $10,710
Northern Arizona University $10,381
Jacksonville State University $9,720
Eastern Illinois University $9,207
Texas Tech University $8,935
Delta State University $8,360

Southern New Hampshire University $18,900
Mercy College $16,974
National University $15,480
Arizona State University $11,720
Northern Arizona University $10,724
Old Dominion University $10,207
Gardner–Webb University $10,080
Jacksonville State University $9,600
University of Memphis $9,378
Murray State University $8,982

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

University of Central Florida 36%
University of West Florida 53%
University of Houston–Victoria 53%
National University 55%
Texas Southern University 63%
Texas Tech University 68%
Eastern Illinois University 72%
Jacksonville State University 76%
Northern Arizona University 78%
Gardner–Webb University 79%

Delta State University 11 to 1
Gardner–Webb University 13 to 1
Eastern Illinois University 14 to 1
Texas Southern University 14 to 1
West Texas A&M University 15 to 1
University of Memphis 16 to 1
University of Nebraska–Lincoln 16 to 1
National University 16 to 1
Mercy College 16 to 1
Murray State University 17 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 $6,211
Texas Southern University $6,941
University of Texas at Tyler $7,020
Old Dominion University $7,029
University of Nebraska–Lincoln $7,770
Murray State University $8,040
University of Memphis $8,352

West Texas A&M University $5,086
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 $8,190

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.

Best Online Master's in English Degree Programs

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.

Median Salaries of Similar Careers in the U.S.

The following graph depicts the average salaries of similar occupations to Editors in the U.S.

Source: U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS

Annual Salary

63230News Analysts, Reporters, and Journalists

73250Public Relations Specialists

76400Editors

81120Writers and Authors

81470Technical Writers

20 Best Online Master’s in English Degree Programs

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.

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?

Median Salaries of Similar Careers in the U.S.

20 Best Online Master’s in English Degree Programs

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What can I expect from an online college course?+

Is online college easier?+

Why does accreditation matter in online college?+

Will I be able to transfer my online college degree?+

Will employers respect my online degree?+

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Resources for Prospective Grad Students