Online English degree programs combine the best of both worlds. You’ll have the convenience of attending virtual classes, studying, and writing essays on your own time, but you’ll still be able to participate in dynamic, intellectually stimulating discussions about literature with the help of online tools, which bring everything about a traditional classroom—a credentialed professor and a dedicated learning community—directly to your computer. If you love reading and writing, and you can meet deadlines while working independently, then an online English degree may be just the thing for you.
Online English degree programs have a variety of academic requirements. For example, Indiana University’s online English degree program offers an emphasis in Technical and Professional Writing. For this program, you are required to take 60 credit hours. Required introductory courses include Introduction to the English Language, Grammar and Usage, History of the English Language, Professional Writing Skills, and Argumentative Writing, among others. These introductory courses are designed for the English major to gain thorough practice in standard written English, so that once students advance to classes that require more critical thinking, they’ll be able to write about complex topics effectively. Some online English degree programs also have foreign language or general liberal arts requirements.
Additional requirements typical of online English degrees include taking a specific amount of classes that cover particular time periods in literature. For example, some English degree programs require you to study literature written in the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. Likewise, some English programs require a certain amount of classes that specialize in literature from America, the United Kingdom, and other countries. For instance, the American Military University’s online English degree program requires English Literature: Beowulf to 18th Century, as well as English Literature: 18th Century to Present. AMU also offers courses in Latin-American Literature, Russian Literature, and African-American Literature, among other culture-specific literature courses.
In order to successfully complete an online English degree, you must be self-motivated. Since there usually is no specific day or time when English classes meet online, you won’t be regularly reminded of deadlines for papers. In addition to long term assignments, like essays, you will most likely have to post short responses on message boards online. Online message boards are a great way to simulate a traditional university’s classroom environment, something that is central to the study of literature, which demands group interaction and analysis.