Schools Offering the Best Master’s Degree Programs in English
Higher Education Articles August 19, 2015This article talks about schools that offer the best master’s degree programs in English and information about those schools.
Top Schools with Master’s Programs in English
Highly-ranked national universities in the United States include Northwestern University and New York City’s Columbia University, both with highly-ranked English master’s degree programs. Columbia University, however, is ranked slightly higher than Northwestern and prospective graduate English students at the university have part-time options.
Columbia University – New York City, New York
In 2014, the U.S. News & World Report accorded Columbia University 4th rank on its list of national universities and in 2013, the U.S. News ranked its graduate English program 4th best in the United States. A free-standing Master of Arts (M.A.) is available at this university through its English & Comparative Literature Department. Students can complete the degree on a full-time or part-time basis, including classes in medieval writing and literary analysis. A scholarly essay that is 25-pages long must be developed by students during the program. Proficiency in a foreign language must be demonstrated by students before they graduate.
Northwestern University – Evanston, Illinois
In 2014, the U.S. News & World Report ranked Northwestern University 12th on its list of best national universities. In 2013, the organization ranked the graduate English program at the university, the 20th best in the U.S. A terminal, full-time Master of Arts (M.A.) in English is available at Northwestern’s Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences. Incoming students are allowed a choice of numerous subjects, such as creative writing, Charles Dickens’ works, English’s history, and poetry.
Schools Offering Master’s Programs in English
| Name of School | Distinction | Campus Location |
| Cornell University | Before graduating, students enrolled in the Master of Fine Arts program at Cornell University is required to complete a book-length manuscript. | Ithaca, NY |
| Johns Hopkins University | The English Department at Johns Hopkins University runs the distinguished lecture series’ Tudor and Stewart Club. | Baltimore, MD |
| New York University | The Bancroft Prize and Pulitzer Prize are among the award-winning faculty. | New York, NY |
| Princeton University | In 2013, the U.S. News and World Report ranked this school’s graduate program in English fourth among other schools throughout the U.S. | Princeton, NJ |
| Stanford University | The English Department at Stanford University operates the Center for the Study of the Novel. | Stanford, CA |
| University of California – Los Angeles | Master Degrees are awarded in progress to the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) only. | Los Angeles, CA |
| University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill | In 2013, the U.S. News and World Report ranked UNC – Chapel Hill’s Graduate English Department fifteenth in the nation. | Chapel Hill, NC |
| University of Pennsylvania | The summer abroad program at University of Pennsylvania allow students to study British literature in London. | Philadelphia, PA |
| University of Texas – Austin | Faculty members at University of Texas – Austin includes several published authors. | Austin, TX |
| Yale University | The English Department at Yale University maintains a library of former students and current students books, essays, and articles. | New Haven, CT |
