Expand your voice, sharpen your mind, and launch a global career with a fully online master’s in English built for the modern world.
Deepen your understanding of literature, language, and the world around you while building skills that translate across a wide range of careers. NSU’s 100% online M.A. in English strengthens critical thinking, writing, reading, and research skills through flexible coursework designed to fit your schedule. Prepare for opportunities in education, publishing, professional writing, communications, and more.
Why Choose the Master of Arts in English at NSU
Career Readiness
Turn advanced skills in writing, research, critical thinking, and communication into opportunities for what’s next. NSU’s fully online M.A. in English prepares graduates for careers in education, professional and creative writing, publishing, communications, law, libraries, public service, and more.
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Master of Arts in English
The M.A. in English requires 30 credit hours across 10 courses and offers six concentrations:
- Literature
- Composition & Rhetoric
- Folklife & Southern Culture
- Creative Writing
- Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)
- Generalist
All graduate English courses are fully online and asynchronous, offering flexible study for working professionals. Most students take one to two courses per semester, with the option to complete the degree more quickly.
Students can also earn a 15-credit-hour Graduate Certificate in TESOL, with coursework that can count toward the M.A. in English.
MA in English students who can be physically present on NSU’s Natchitoches campus are eligible for a graduate assistantship.
These assistantships provide professional development opportunities for qualified students. Graduate assistants work with a department faculty mentor and contribute to the department’s educational mission in a variety of ways. While completing a MA in English, graduate assistants also teach, with faculty supervision, a semester-long composition class and therefore leave the program with teaching experience higher-education.
I was drawn to NSULA’s program because it offered a wide range of composition courses, and I wanted a holistic experience. I absolutely received that, but what truly sold the experience for me were my instructors. Each of my instructors was engaging, supportive, and an expert in their discipline who created some of the most rewarding online courses I have ever taken.
The MA English program at NSULA transformed my pedagogical thinking, focus, and teaching approaches in my high school classroom. I gained immensely valuable knowledge and perspectives, and I sharpened my writing and literature analysis skills. While my own state of Virginia boasted many MA English programs, I know I made the right choice.
Application & Admissions Information
Successful applicants to the MA program in English generally have an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher. Applicants submit official transcripts, a letter of intent, a writing sample of 10-15 pages, and two letters of recommendation.
For program questions, admission information, and funding opportunities contact Dr. J. Ereck Jarvis, Coordinator of English Graduate Programs & Associate Professor of English jarvisj@nsula.edu or 318.357.5586.
Admission FAQs
The writing sample should demonstrate facility in analysis, argument, research, citation, and coherence. We recommend a researched scholarly essay completed as part of past course, which need not have been an English class. Creative writers are welcome to submit both academic writing and creative work, multiple documents that fit within the 10- to 15-page requirement.
We encourage a statement describing career goals or rationales for pursuing a graduate degree in English. Compelling letters also demonstrate a substantial commitment to graduate study, including specific research interests.
Program Highlights
NSU’s fully online M.A. in English combines flexible graduate study with focused coursework, personalized faculty support, and six concentrations to help you build expertise aligned with your goals. Explore the opportunities and resources available to English graduate students at NSU.
Applied Learning
Engage in real-world writing, research, and teaching projects that reflect today’s communication landscape.
Expert Faculty
Learn from award-winning professors and published authors who are passionate about mentoring and your success.
Career Preparation
Gain marketable, real-world skills in writing, analysis, teaching, and cultural literacy—on your own schedule.
