Program highlights
- Earn one or two graduate certificates. Customize your 30-credit master's degree by completing one or two graduate certificates in creative writing, literature and English teaching, professional and technical writing, or college writing: theory and practice.
- Fully online flexibility. Complete your degree entirely online either full-time or part-time.
- Explore the breadth of English studies. Explore graduate coursework spanning literature, writing, rhetoric, creative writing, professional and technical communication, and English teaching while building expertise in the areas that matter most to your goals.
- Portfolio capstone. Demonstrate your graduate-level achievement through a professional portfolio that showcases your writing, research and academic accomplishments. The capstone replaces a traditional thesis.
- Small, supportive learning environment. Learn alongside a close-knit community of graduate students while working with faculty whose expertise spans the breadth of English studies.
Public university in Ohio for career prep
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Career opportunities
The online Master of Arts (M.A.) in English prepares you for a wide range of professional and academic pathways by combining broad graduate study with specialized graduate certificates. You'll build advanced expertise while developing a portfolio of graduate-level work whether you’re interested in writing, editing, teaching, professional communication or doctoral study,
Graduates apply their knowledge across education, publishing, business, government, nonprofit organizations and other fields where strong writing, critical thinking and communication are essential.
Career paths
- Writer
- Editor
- Postsecondary English instructor (with appropriate credentials)
- Technical writer
- Communications specialist
- Public relations specialist
- Content strategist
- College or university administrator
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Curriculum
The online Master of Arts (M.A.) in English combines a strong foundation in English studies with the flexibility to pursue specialized graduate certificates that align with your interests and career goals. The 30-credit-hour curriculum begins with a foundational course in English studies and concludes with a portfolio capstone that showcases your graduate-level work.
Your studies will include:
- Introduction to English Studies
- A master's portfolio capstone
- One or two graduate certificates
- Elective coursework
Students can complete one certificate and fill their remaining hours with electives from across English studies. Or you may pursue two full certificates, earning both the M.A. and additional certificates simultaneously.
Choose from four graduate certificate options:
- College writing: theory and practice – Develop expertise in composition, graduate writing, writing pedagogy and grammar instruction.
- Creative writing – Refine your craft through advanced study in fiction or poetry and graduate writing workshops.
- Literature and English teaching – Explore literary theory, English teaching and seminar coursework in English studies.
- Professional and technical writing – Build skills in writing for the web, visual rhetoric, technical communication and professional editing.
Certificates can also be completed as a standalone credential without enrolling in the master's degree. If you decide to pursue the master's later, you can apply your certificate credits toward the degree.
Sample courses
- Introduction to English Studies
- Theory and Methods of Literary Criticism
- Visual Rhetoric and Practices of Writing
- Graduate Writers Workshop
- Teaching of Writing
- Seminar in English Studies (Special Topics Seminar)
BGSU is one of only a handful of universities in the nation – and the only one in Ohio – to earn the Quality Matters Online Learner Support certificate for all of our online programs. This recognition reflects our commitment to providing the critical support and academic services that online students need to succeed.
University in Ohio – big or small, public or private – students would choose again
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The online master’s in English is a program within the English Department of the College of Arts and Sciences.
Updated: 08/24/2026 09:33PM