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Online bachelor's degree in english

Bachelor of Arts in English Degree

Start your online English degree

Be the creative difference. Immerse yourself in a world of literature, composition and rhetoric with an English degree. You’ll prepare for creative opportunities in professional settings, such as public relations or technical or freelance writing.

Transfer credits

Your eligible transfer credits could cover up to 75% of your bachelor's degree.

Scholarships

Explore over $1 million in scholarship opportunities for new or transfer students.

Apply free

No application fee
No SAT/ACT
No essay required

Ignite Your Passion

Start when you're ready

Courses

Browse courses for your online English degree

Education should hold practical value. That’s why our courses meet rigorous academic standards and provide you with skills and knowledge immediately applicable to your career.

Skills-aligned program icon

Look for this icon to see which skills you’ll learn in a course.

Requirements: 120 credits

You’ll need 120 credits to complete this Bachelor of Arts in English degree. An academic counselor will help you select the courses needed to complete your degree. Your course schedule may vary based on transferable credits or credits earned through the University’s Prior Learning Assessment.

17 Core Courses

Here’s where you’ll pick up the bulk of your program-specific knowledge. By the time you finish these courses, you should have the confidence and skills needed in a professional environment.

14 Gen Ed Courses

These courses lay the foundation for our degree programs, because communication, math and writing skills aren’t just universally applicable in the professional world — they’re useful in daily life.

Focus & Elective Courses

Your focus study includes classes in an area of your choosing outside of your required course of study. This focus study adds to the interdisciplinary nature of your degree by supplementing your core discipline in English.

Elective courses allow you to learn about topics you’re interested in, whether they’re related to your degree or not. That means you’ll have a degree that’s unique to you and your education goals.

Schedule

Your academic counselor will help you schedule classes for our online Bachelor of Arts in English program.

Skills-aligned program icon

Earn career-relevant skills in weeks – not years.

Learning shouldn’t take years to put into practice. That’s why we’re empowering you to build career-relevant skills with every five- to six-week course.

We’ve worked with labor market researchers like Lightcast to find in-demand skills for occupations and mapped those to our related associate, bachelor’s and master’s degree programs.

Tuition

Transfer credits

Your previous eligible college credits can save you time and money – helping you to graduate faster. That’s why we’ve accepted transcripts from 5,000+ institutions, so you can apply eligible transfer credits from an institutionally accredited university or college toward a degree of your choice.

75%

Of your bachelor's degree could be covered with eligible transfer credits.

Affordable, fixed tuition

Lock in the peace of mind that comes with fixed, affordable tuition. You’ll enjoy one flat rate from the moment you enroll until the day you graduate from your program. That’s your Tuition Guarantee.

Tuition Guarantee Emblem

University of Phoenix degree vs other universities

Phoenix Capella DeVry GCU Purdue Global SNHU Strayer
Cost per credit
Cost per credit
Cost per credit
$398
Cost per credit
$357/415[1]
Cost per credit
$514
Cost per credit
$485
Cost per credit
$371
Cost per credit
$320
Cost per credit
$328.89
Credits per course
Credits per course
Credits per course
3
Credits per course
3-6
Credits per course
2-4
Credits per course
4
Credits per course
5-6
Credits per course
3
Credits per course
4.5
Tuition per course
Tuition per course
Tuition per course
$1,194
Tuition per course
$1,071-
$2,490
Tuition per course
$1,028-
$2,056
Tuition per course
$1,940
Tuition per course
$1,855-
$2,226
Tuition per course
$960
Tuition per course
$1,480
Total program length in credits
Total program length in credits
Total program length in credits
120
Total program length in credits
180
Total program length in credits
124
Total program length in credits
120
Total program length in credits
180
Total program length in credits
120
Total program length in credits
180
Length of course in weeks
Length of course in weeks
Length of course in weeks
5
Length of course in weeks
10
Length of course in weeks
8
Length of course in weeks
7-8
Length of course in weeks
10
Length of course in weeks
8
Length of course in weeks
11
Fees
Fees
Fees
One fee per course
Fees
Multiple fees
Fees
Multiple fees
Fees
Multiple fees
Fees
Multiple fees
Fees
Multiple fees
Fees
Multiple fees
Tuition guarantee
Tuition guarantee
Tuition guarantee
YES
Tuition guarantee
NO
Tuition guarantee
NO
Tuition guarantee
NO
Tuition guarantee
NO
Tuition guarantee
NO
Tuition guarantee
NO

Data pulled on March 31, 2023

[1] $357 per 1000-2000 level credit; $415 per 3000-4000 level credit

Source of data: For each institution, the data are publicly available in multiple locations, including Academic Catalogs, Program pages, Tuition and fees pages, and syllabi. All data are publicly available on the websites. 

Certain licensure programs and coursework in other degree programs may have additional fees. Please check with your advisor or course catalog for additional info.

COA Components Bachelors Degree (non-CBE)
Tuition and Fees¹
Tuition and Fees¹
Tuition and Fees¹
$9,288
Books, course materials, supplies and equipment
Books, course materials, supplies and equipment
Books, course materials, supplies and equipment
$1,416
Transportation
Transportation
Transportation
$1,360
Miscellaneous personal expenses
Miscellaneous personal expenses
Miscellaneous personal expenses
$550
Living Expenses²
Living Expenses²
Living Expenses²
     Food
     Food
     Food
$2,650
     Housing³
     Housing³
     Housing³
$5,120
Federal student loan fees
Federal student loan fees
Federal student loan fees
$60
Dependent care expenses
Dependent care expenses
Dependent care expenses
$0
Disability related expenses
Disability related expenses
Disability related expenses
$0
Total COA
Total COA
Total COA
$20,444

1The tuition component is based on a per credit weighted average for the credential level across the entire University.

2The University allows the same living expense amounts for students in all living arrangements and dependency statuses.

3The living expense component for students receiving Military Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) only includes an allowance for food.

Scholarships

Starting with your first course, every new, qualifying student will be awarded up to $1,000 to up to $3,000. Because scholarships shouldn’t just be for the chose few – they should be accessible to all working adults, like you.

$1 Million

In scholarship opportunities

Financial aid

You have options when it comes to paying for college tuition and expenses, such as federal grants and loans. Our finance advisors can answer your questions about financial aid and can help guide you through the process.

Federal Student Loan Basics

Careers & Outcomes

What can you do with a Bachelor of Arts in English?

Learning can lead to earning. Discover where your degree might take you and make informed choices about your future.

A communication program can prepare you to be a:

  • Creative writer
  • Technical writer

Topics covered in this degree include how to:

  • Develop knowledge related to foundations in literature, writing, research, and rhetoric.
  • Apply relevant theory and research to the analysis and critique of written works.
  • Create original written work that responds to a specific purpose and audience.
  • Integrate feedback to revise and enhance written works.

Ready to get started?

Start your application for free or request additional information.

What you’ll learn

When you earn your English Degree, you’ll be equipped with a concrete set of skills you can apply on the job. You’ll learn how to:

  • Understand written texts and apply rhetorical concepts in a variety of diverse communication situations

  • Analyze literature and critically read written communication

  • Author expository, persuasive, narrative, and descriptive pieces of writing

  • Apply collaborative skills in analysis and composition in order to collectively create a well-written product

  • Research authors, historical contexts and theoretical frameworks to deepen comprehension of written works

  • Evaluate literary and rhetorical works for quality and purpose

  • Contextualize major literary genres, authors, and forms

  • Think critically, analyze, collaborate, and communicate effectively

6% Growth

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, job growth for media and communications occupations is projected to be as fast as average between 2021 and 2031..

The BLS Projected Growth for 2021-2031 is published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This data reflects the BLS’ projections of national (not local) conditions. These data points are not specific to University of Phoenix students or graduates.

Admissions

Apply for free – no application fee, no obligation.

Starting your degree is a big decision — and we want you to feel great about it. That’s why we remove obstacles from your application.

  • No cost to request transcripts 
  • No SAT/ACT required 
  • No essay required 
  • No cost, risk-free trial for eligible students

Receive highly rated 1-on-1 support

You’ll have a support team of real people you can lean on to encourage your success as a student. Start a conversation about your future with one of our enrollment representatives today.

Gabriel G., Enrollment Representative

Call or chat with us 7 days a week.

G. Galindo - Enrollment Representative

Gabriel G., Enrollment Rep

Receive highly rated 1-on-1 support

You’ll have a support team of real people you can lean on to encourage your success as a student. Start a conversation about your future with one of our enrollment representatives today.

Call us at 844-937-8679 or chat with us 7 days a week.

An education that fits your busy life

Balancing family, work and school

Work toward your degree without giving up what matters most. Start your degree year-round and take one class at a time.

Online learning

Enroll in online classes and attend class whenever it fits your life, day or night.

Around-the-clock support and resources

You have a support team available up to 20 hours a day, 5 days a week. And our academic counselors, who are with you every step of the way, have earned a 5-star rating from 90% of our surveyed students.[1]

[1] Transactional Survey, August 2021-22 (18,645 respondents)

Phoenix provides support and resources for busy students

Faculty Spotlight

Professionals dedicated to you

Your success is a top priority for our deans and faculty members. They bring an average of 26 years of experience and hands-on perspective to the classroom, and help bridge the gap between academics and industry knowledge.

Doris Savron

As a faculty member, I'm on your team. I'm your coach and your cheerleader.

Doris Savron
Vice Provost of Colleges, University of Phoenix

Accreditation

Count on the quality of your education

University of Phoenix has been continually accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), hlcommission.org, since 1978.

Frequently asked questions about the Bachelor of Arts in English degree

An English degree focuses on writing and literature while building skills that promote critical thinking, information use, collaboration, communication and analysis — all of which are essential to effective and efficient work.

Because graduates have versatile skills, they can apply to a variety of industries such as marketing, media (public relations, advertising, copywriting, website development), technical writing, public service (politics and government), human resources, healthcare and others.

Teaching at the primary or secondary level typically requires certification that is dependent on state requirements. Teaching English at the college level mainly requires a master’s degree or above, and a bachelor’s degree in English can prepare you for graduate work in this and other disciplines.

An English degree at the University of Phoenix allows students to choose a balance of courses in both literature and writing. You’ll complete a set of required core courses. And you’ll have the flexibility to choose elective courses within the degree to either focus or broaden your English knowledge.

Yes, you can earn your Bachelor of Arts in English degree from University of Phoenix with 100% online classes that you can access 24/7/365.

Our online English degree is designed specifically so that working professionals like you can earn it without leaving your current role. This degree gives students a well-rounded background by offering a solid foundation for three major fields within English studies: writing, rhetoric and literature. The program blends a multifaceted understanding of major literary genres, authors, and forms, along with proficiency in the English language.

Additionally, the program is structured to allow you to personalize your program through a Focus Study cluster of courses in areas outside of English, such as business, psychology, environmental science or cybersecurity, which could help you prepare for a writing career in that field.

While widely available, not all programs are available to residents of all states. Please check with a University Enrollment Representative.