新罕布什尔南方大学

Online Master's in English Program Overview

Some people are born to play with code and go on to earn advanced IT degrees. Others love playing with words and feeding their endless appetite for learning. If you fall into the second category and see a master’s in your future, SNHU’s online MA in English may be your degree.

Aside from the personal goals a master’s in English might fulfill, its focus on enduring skills will appeal to potential employers. The degree expands analytical, creative thinking and communication skills, all highly valued and highly versatile in the workplace. The same skill set, for example, can be applied to complicated administrative or operational challenges.

It comes down to those analytical and communication skills, as they immediately translate in an employer's mind to transferable, applicable skills, according to author and Forbes contributor Martin John Yate.

A groundbreaking 2019 study by the Strada Institute for the Future of Work backs this up.2 The study notes that “human skills are in high demand across many industries.” What are human skills and which matter most? The Strada report lists the top skills, in this order:

• Leadership
• Collaboration
• Creativity and critical thinking
• Communication
• Emotional intelligence
• Judgment
• Ethics
• Cognitive flexibility

Human skills are “the very capabilities that define us as human beings,” the Strada report goes on to explain. They’re also those least likely to become automated by robots – vital human skills that this master’s in English only enhances.

A master’s in English builds on the very skills a bachelor’s introduces. “A master's provides the same transferable core skills of critical thinking, research, analysis, reading comprehension, empathy and others,” said SNHU Associate Dean of Liberal Arts Dr. Christopher Lee.

Graduate students learn those skills at a “higher level of qualification for higher-level positions," said Lee.

Whether you work, or aspire to work, in education, marketing, human resources, public policy or any number of other fields where problem-solving skills are in high demand, an MA in English goes well beyond reading the works of famous authors and analyzing layers of meaning. It can help you master critical thinking, enrich your subject matter expertise and multiply your earning potential.

Learn how to:

• Use theoretical arguments in original interpretation of literary texts
• Demonstrate expertise in a literary subject
• Draw connections between literature and social/cultural history
• Compose essays of depth that contribute to the field of study
• Produce scholarship that promotes an appreciation for literature

Career Outlook

The online master’s in English expands your career possibilities in a number of writing-related fields, including:

• Advertising, marketing and promotions
• Public relations
• Fundraising
• Nonprofit administration
• Technical writing

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects stable job growth for writers and authors working in these and other fields through 2028. Median annual wages for writers and authors remain higher than the median wage for all occupations at $63,200 as of May 2019.

Furthermore, by earning a master’s degree, you’ll be setting yourself apart from other job seekers. Just 11% of the labor force had a master’s degree in 2016, according to research by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.4 You’ll also increase your odds of attaining your career objectives: The BLS projects that occupations typically requiring a master’s degree for entry will grow the fastest, 18.4%, through 2022.