Which Program is Right for You?
Thinking about getting a master's degree in English? Find out more about the program options at Salem State.
If you want to:
- pursue a career in writing, editing, or publishing
- advance your training in close reading, analytic writing, critical thinking, and communication
- move from initial to professional licensure or beyond in your middle or high school teaching career
- prepare for Doctoral study in English or Composition and Rhetoric
- teach English part time at the community college or college level
Program Details
- 30-33 credits (average: 1.5-2 years; can be completed slowly in as long as 6 years)
- Optional Master’s Thesis or Portfolio
- All courses start at 4:30pm or later
- Combination of in-person and online course offerings
- Can incorporate a Graduate Certificate in Digital Studies, Writing and Rhetoric Studies, or Holocaust and Genocide Studies
If you want to:
- Complete a manuscript in creative or professional writing
- pursue a career in writing, editing, or publishing
- prepare for an MFA in Creative Writing
- teach writing part-time at the community college or college level
Program Details
- 30 credits (average: 1.5-2 years; can be completed slowly in as long as 6 years)
- Capstone Manuscript
- All courses start at 4:30pm or later
- Combination of in-person and online course offerings
- Can incorporate a Graduate Certificate in Digital Studies, Writing and Rhetoric Studies, or Holocaust and Genocide Studies
If you want to:
- Obtain an initial license to teach English at the middle and high school level
- If you already have an initial license to teach English and want to move toward a professional license, see the MA English above
Program Details
- 31-37 credits (1.5-2 years for full-time students; 2-6 years for part-time students)
- All courses start at 4:30pm or later
- Combination of in-person and online course offerings
- Combination of Education and English courses
- Extensive supported fieldwork and student teaching
If you want to enter and succeed in such fields as:
- Digital archiving and stewardship
- Online teaching
- Museum and library curation
- Cultural heritage preservation
- Public history
- Digital writing and publishing
Program Details
- 12 credits (1 year, part-time)
- All courses start at 4:30pm or later
- Can be completed fully online
- Can be incorporate into an MA or MA/MAT English
Learn more about the graduate certificate in digital studies.
If you want to:
- Advance your training in writing across modalities and fields
- Prepare for Doctoral study in Composition and Rhetoric
- Work in writing centers
- Supplement your training in teaching English Language Arts
Program Details
- 12 credits (1 year, part-time)
- Most courses start at 4:30pm or later
- Can be completed fully online
- Can be incorporate into an MA or MA/MAT English
Learn more about the graduate certificate in writing and rhetoric studies.
If you:
- Are a current undergraduate student and want to obtain a BA and MA in English in five years
- Are in your sophomore or junior year of undergraduate
If you:
- Are a current or prospective undergraduate student and want to teach English at the middle or high school levels
- Are entering or in your first or second undergraduate year
