Online English Degree Bachelor of Arts (BA) Programs

Absolutely! In many ways, earning an English degree online resembles the traditional campus experience very closely. Compare curricula at any given school, and you’ll likely find both the on campus and online versions involve plenty of reading and writing along with lively discussions and peer reviews.

But there are clear advantages to pursuing your English degree online — affordability and accessibility primary among them. Tuition rates for Southern New Hampshire University’s online programs, for example, are among the lowest in the nation.

Your 100% online English degree also gives you the flexibility to create your own schedule. Instead of specific class times, you’ll participate through weekly online assignments and discussion boards. This enables you to fit in each week’s assignments around work, family and other obligations as needed.

For Ashleigh Coker '21, the flexibility of earning her degree online is exactly what drew her to the program in the first place.

"I needed a school that would work with me in terms of understanding I had a full-time teaching job and I needed to have flexible hours to complete my coursework," Coker said.

Finally, you’ll be part of a vibrant literary community that features a monthly online student journal, an annual fiction contest and regular livestream reading events.

Lots of things! There are a wide array of roles available to professionals who hold a bachelor's degree in English.

According to a recent study by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, prospective hires with strong oral and written communication skills are in high demand across all sorts of industries. The same study notes that employers are only seeing about 41.6% of their employees demonstrating these skills proficiently.¹ Earning your degree in English could help you develop the skills employers are looking for and set you apart from other job candidates.

Today, most English majors go into advertising, marketing and public relations, fields where demonstrated proficiency in organization, communication and writing are critical. Those also happen to be the skills employers request most often.

But many graduates with English degrees find their skills translate equally well to educational product design, human resources, nonprofit administration or sales.² Solid writing skills are particularly prized in sales, where closing deals depends on strong proposals and compelling pitches. Students interested in writing careers may benefit from our concentration in Professional Writing.

Generally, you can expect a third of your coursework to fall into the general education category, which includes foundation courses in English composition as well as requirements in math, science and the humanities. Arts and sciences courses, major courses and free electives make up the balance.

Major courses in SNHU’s online English degree feature coursework in theory and practice, including:

• World Mythology
• Nature Writers
• Multi-Ethnic Literature
• Gender and Text
• The Black Literary Tradition

Your English program also gives you a choice of creative writing workshops:

• Playwriting
• Poetry writing
• Fiction writing
• Nonfiction writing

The program also offers up to 6 credits in experiential learning or internship and 33 free electives in subjects like digital advertising or public relations, which let you focus your studies on highly marketable areas. You can also specialize your degree with one of our two concentrations: Professional Writing or Literature.

Generally speaking, it takes 4 years to complete an undergraduate English degree. But the answer to this question often comes down to the individual, plus 3 common factors in everyone's life – time, cost and work/family obligations.

At SNHU, many students complete the 120-credit online English degree in 4 years, although it’s not unusual for students to finish faster. Many of those students have credits from previous coursework, and have taken full advantage of Southern New Hampshire University's generous transfer policy. We accept up to 90 transfer credits, or the equivalent of 30 courses. And with 33 free electives, our online English degree offers significant flexibility to apply credits earned elsewhere.

Just taking that first step toward your bachelor’s degree? You’re not alone, and it’s never too late to start. Mary Wroten ’18 had just turned 40 when she enrolled in SNHU’s online creative writing degree program. A year later, she won our 4th Annual Fall Fiction Contest. And Amy Craton ’16 holds the record for being our eldest graduate. She earned her online English degree at the age of 94 with a perfect 4.0 GPA.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, demand is steady and wages are higher than average for media and communication professionals, a category in which many graduates with a bachelor's degree in English find employment.³ Typical entry-level roles include:

• Advertising and promotions specialists
• Content writers and editors
• Fundraisers
• Interpreters and translators
• Public relations specialists
• Technical writers

The BLS projects 3% overall job growth through 2032.³ At $66,320, median annual wages for media and communication occupations remain higher than the median wage for all occupations as of May 2023.³ Public relations specialists and technical writers command the highest pay, with median annual wages of $66,750 and $80,505, respectively.³

Studying English at the college level can be demanding, but it offers a significant upside. BA in English majors gain one of the professional world’s most valuable skill sets: critical thinking and strong written and oral communication skills. They also gain vital life skills.

Michelle Shreeve ’15G ’16G, who earned an MA in Creative Writing and a master's in English at SNHU and published her first book in 2018, testifies to the rigors of the writing life.

“I will admit, getting rejected a lot can take a negative toll on you,” she said. “It took me a while to grow a thick skin, but now I welcome rejection as a way to try and turn my writing up a notch.”