Advanced English degrees in the US that unlock great career opportunities

Almost one in five people speak English — the lingua franca of the world. From historic speeches with the power to influence to intricate lines of code that power our digital age, the language permeates every facet of our modern world. So mastering it is not just about mastering words; it’s about mastering connection.

However, it’s not as easy as it sounds. Even native speakers grapple with its nuances. Thankfully, universities across the US are offering advanced English programmes that nurture not only a deep understanding of language and literature but also critical thinking skills, cultural insights, and the ability to navigate complexities with finesse. Read on to explore how every word can become a stepping stone towards personal and professional growth.

K-State degrees are customisable in every sense of the word, ensuring students are able to specialise in topics that align well with their post-graduation goals. Source: Kansas State University

Kansas State University

At Kansas State (K-State) University’s Department of English, collaborative and inclusive learning occurs within small class sizes. At the postgraduate level, it has a two-year English master’s programme centring on literature with five concentrations: Literature, Children’s Literature, Cultural Studies, Creative Writing, and Composition and Rhetoric. All five tracks can be pursued on-site, though only the Children’s Literature and Creative Writing tracks are available online.

Students on the Children’s Literature and Literature paths work closely with K-State’s esteemed scholars and specialists, delving deep into various periods, regions, and genres to uncover literary treasures. Meanwhile, the Cultural Studies concentration explores the theoretical frameworks applied to cultural texts and contexts. Aspiring poets, novelists, essayists, short story writers, reviewers, editors, and teachers can opt for the Creative Writing concentration, where they’ll hone their writing skills under the guidance of published, award-winning faculty.

Worried about breaking the bank? While tuition fees, living expenses and essential study resources to attend K-State’s in-person programmes can come up to approximately US$43,000 per academic year, the university offers a range of opportunities to ease the financial burdens of both international and domestic students. Stipends and tuition waivers are available through Graduate Teaching Assistantships, as well as scholarships and financial aid.

But the value doesn’t end there. Equipped with an advanced qualification, K-State’s graduates soar into diverse and exciting career paths. From technical and professional writing to community and social services, university instruction, publishing, and beyond, the possibilities are endless. In the last five years, graduates have even matriculated to doctorate programmes at renowned institutions like the University of Cambridge and the University of Pennsylvania. Ready to join their ranks? Click here.

With multiple awards to their names, UB English’s distinguished faculty can elevate your learning experience. Source: University at Buffalo

University at Buffalo, The State University of New York

University at Buffalo (UB) English graduates go far. They have won Pulitzer Prizes, edited for National Geographic, written a New York Times bestseller, and served as chief speechwriter for the governor of New York State. It goes to show that an English degree – especially one from UB – opens doors that you’ve never even thought about.

UB’s English programmes include a combined bachelor’s and master’s (BA/MA), an MA, and a PhD. The five-year English BA/MA programme sees students taking graduate-level courses throughout their undergraduate studies. This allows them to seamlessly proceed into their final year as MA students who will complete the necessary courses and a thesis or an MA project. MA students take seminars across various topics, including American and British literature, modernism, contemporary literature, psychoanalysis, cultural studies, poetics and critical theory.

The English PhD programme combines historical research with theoretical inquiry in a stimulating, challenging and supportive environment, diving further into the topics explored by MA students. Through this sharpening of professional rigour and the individualised mentorship of expert faculty, graduates become scholars and teachers of literature, culture, and critical theory.

Graduate students at the University of Florida’s Department of English comprise a lively community of scholars, artists, and teachers-in-training. Source: University of Florida

University of Florida

Home to one of the US’s oldest writing programmes, the University of Florida’s (UF) Department of English has a lot more to boast about. Amongst its lineup of advanced English programmes are a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Writing and a PhD.

UF’s MFA programme is shaped around collaboration. The faculty’s diversity – four out of seven are born outside the US and are bilingual, if not trilingual – adds to the programme’s depth, offering international perspectives that shape how students see and approach the world. Recent data from Academic Analytics shows that the UF English faculty ranked first among all public Association of American Universities institutions in book publications and fifth among all college and university English Departments.

In the PhD programme, students can choose from specialisations like American, African-American, and British literature; American studies; critical theory and cultural studies; film and media studies; feminism, genders and sexualities; postcolonial studies; composition and rhetoric; comics and visual rhetoric; and children’s literature. Upon graduating, they take roles in academia and non-academic sectors, like research universities, state and community colleges, library studies, instructional design and technology, publishing, and more.

Johns Hopkins University only offers a PhD in English, though a Master’s degree can be obtained during the course of a PhD programme. Source: Johns Hopkins University

Johns Hopkins University

The advanced English programme offered at Johns Hopkins University’s Krieger School of Arts and Sciences requires students to be dedicated to the arts. The Department of English only accepts full-time students working toward a PhD in English degree, primarily due to its small class sizes allowing close and personalised interactions between faculty and students.

The five to six-year PhD programme focuses on English and American literature in the Renaissance, the 18th century, the Romantic period, the Victorian period, American literature, and 20th-century literature. While the department does not offer a separate master’s programme, students who successfully continue beyond the first three years are awarded a Master of Arts degree during their studies.

Intensive, rigorous, and immersive, a PhD in English from Johns Hopkins University prepares students for various professions. Between the curriculum, faculty support, and the department’s “talk culture” – Journal Club, where graduate students’ research is highlighted, specialised Tudor-Stuart lectures, student-run English Literary History lectures, and talks by returning faculty – Hopkins is a place to take your English skills to new heights.

*Some of the institutions featured in this article are commercial partners of Study International