Although not as versatile as a degree in, say, Business Administration, an English Degree still carries enough versatility to give you several options of career paths after you graduate. There are, of course, several different programmes that fit under the “English degree” category, but this article will treat them all as one for the sake of time-saving. This article aims to give you an idea about the many paths you could walk with an English degree, as well as lay out the many academic areas of interest that revolve around an English Degree.
What can I do with an English Degree?
Books can act as portals into other worlds. This is common knowledge. From a fictional story about a magical land with superpowered humans fighting epic wars to claim ultimate power; to real-life retellings of traumatic parts of someone’s life, a book has the power to make you see out of the eyes of the author. An English degree can help increase your ability to analyse a text and recognise specific writing styles that an author might use to change the entire tone and semantics of a particular part of a story.
Of course, this depends on the English degree you wish to follow. An English degree in Literature or Creative Writing will help you to increase your skills in content writing, editing, proofreading and copywriting. However, a degree focused more on the tuition of the English language opens up the pathway to Tutoring for both first and second-language English learners, from kindergarten to high-school-level students. To teach University students, however, most professors must first obtain a PhD degree in English.
English majors’ possible careers may include law, journalism, marketing, public relations, and business. English majors also develop a range of valuable skills, such as critical thinking, analysis, and clear communication, which can be applied to many different fields. Ultimately, the specific career path you choose will depend on your personal interests and strengths.
How Long Does an English Degree take to Obtain?
A BA in English usually takes a total of 4 years to complete if taken full-time and between 6 to 8 years if taken part-time, depending on the university. Students complete introductory classes before moving into advanced or specialised subjects. Some bachelor’s degrees offer specialisations in literature, technical writing, or English education. Many bachelor’s degrees in English, particularly those that emphasise creative writing, also teach writing workshops.
An MA in English usually takes 2 years or less to complete. As mentioned earlier, a master’s-level degree in English can also lead to college teaching opportunities. Many English master’s degrees have specialisations in areas such as creative writing, English education, and rhetoric.
A doctorate in English usually takes between 4 and 7 years of full-time committed study. Still, it may take even longer, depending on the research topic and the procured funding for the research project. After passing the qualifying exams, PhD candidates write a thesis on the topic of their choice and work on advanced research projects in the subjects. Most PhD candidates specialise in a specific area of English, such as English in a particular geographic area or time period, literary theory, or media and digital studies.
Doctoral graduates often teach at colleges and universities, but this degree can also lead to a career as a managing editor, public relations manager, or media executive.
Is the Degree worth the Salary?
The salary for anyone who follows an English career may vary between $38,000 and $74,500 per year, depending on the position, the only exception being Advertising, Promotions and Marketing Managers, who could make up to $141,500 per year. However, these positions are few and far between, and only available to those with a Master’s degree in English.
Financially speaking, the salary one could make with an English degree is nothing to write home about. Still, most people follow a career in this field because of their passion for the language, rather than for the financial benefits of a potential career. That being said, the annual salary potential is perfectly viable for someone looking to settle down and build their family or life for themselves.
Due to the ever-growing need for educators, the job security that an English degree provides is one of the major benefits of studying for one. There will always be a need for more teachers worldwide, and anyone with a Bachelor’s degree in their back pocket will always be preferred over someone who does not.
Final Thoughts
To conclude, the benefits that an English degree provides (whatever the speciality may be) are reason enough to pursue one. The job security alone is usually enough to convince an apprehensive student to follow their gut, but the added benefits of having as much career versatility as a Business degree is the icing on the cake.
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