Online Bachelors Degrees in English

Four years of bachelor-level study online generally leads to a bachelor degree in English. During the first year of study, most English majors take required literature courses, and participate in writing seminars. During the second year, students begin to concentrate in one area. Some students want to study English literature. Others want to learn persuasive and professional writing. Some want... to teach English. Some are interested in creative writing.

The online literary studies major takes liberal-arts courses focused on literature, critical thinking, and writing. Classes typically include humanities courses (language, literature, art, music, philosophy, and religion), and core courses in English literature, narrative, and language and culture through the ages to study the foundations of literary traditions.

Someone who wants a career in business, communication, education, government, law, and the like will need excellent writing and reading skills. Classes for the aspiring professional writer typically include humanities courses, core courses in English, rhetoric, language and culture through the ages, the theory and practice of technical and professional writing, and electives from the English department, including creative writing.

Someone who wants to teach English would typically take humanities courses, core courses in English literature, and a teaching concentration including grammar, young adult literature, rhetoric and composition, and approaches to teaching, as well as a combination of literature and humanities electives.

The creative-writing student usually wants to write, edit, or work in the publishing world. A sample curriculum for a creative-writing concentration would typically include basic English courses, poetry writing, fiction and non-fiction writing, advanced workshops in prose, poetry, and literature, multimedia authoring, magazine editing, and technical writing. The creative writing student often takes on an internship (usually unpaid) for college credit in publishing or editing, or develops an independent study of their own choosing.

Besides completing the required bachelor-level courses in English, students are usually required to submit writing samples and/or creative writing samples to their advisor or an advisory committee before a bachelor-level degree in English is awarded.

Careers for the English major are diverse. People who are English majors could pursue such careers as teacher, lawyer, business executive, editor, journalist, and librarian.

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10 Degrees in This Area