Which Schools Offer English Majors and Degrees in Florida?

Are you seeking an education in English in Florida? Continue reading to discover bachelor's, master's and doctoral degree programs in the state.

What You Need to Know

In broad terms, English programs focus on the study of literature, composition and literary theory. You can cultivate creative abilities, aesthetic sensibilities, technical writing skills and a capacity for critical and analytical thinking. You can find bachelor's, master's and doctoral degree programs at several Florida universities, in areas such as Miami, Pensacola, Boca Raton and Gainesville. These programs can result in a Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts, Master or Fine Arts or Doctor of Philosophy. Areas of specialization can range from English or British literature, creative writing or women's literature at the undergraduate level to children's literature, film and media studies, cultural studies and science fiction and fantasy at the graduate level. Studies could include workshops and even opportunities to work for a school's newspaper or literary magazine. You could earn a master's in two years and a Ph.D. in 4-6 years.

Bachelor's Degree Programs in English in Florida

University of Miami

The Department of English at the University of Miami offers four undergraduate specializations. The English literature program is where you can survey watershed works of poetry and prose; this program allows for a good amount of flexibility in coursework. The British literature concentration includes courses on literary genres and stylistic developments and balances survey courses with those that focus on specific authors, such as Shakespeare. The creative writing program includes a fiction or poetry track and focuses on the stylistic elements of composition. The women's literature concentration focuses on the historical and contemporary contributions of female authors in classes that may also be cross-listed with women's and gender studies classes. Concentration areas require at least 30 major credits. If you pursue departmental honors, your studies will culminate with the composition of a six-credit writing project.

• Program: Bachelor of Arts in English
• Concentrations: English literature, British literary history, creative writing, women's literature
• Program Length: Four years
• Tuition and Fees: $50,226 per year (full-time; estimated tuition and fees for 2018-2019)
• School Type: 4-year, private not-for-profit; about 11,117 undergraduate and 6,214 graduate students

University of West Florida

The University of West Florida offers a bachelor's degree program in English with two concentration options. You must complete 60 credits in general studies requirements and lower division elective courses and at least 48 credits in upper-division elective courses. The liberal arts concentration is designed to give you a broad-based understanding of literature and literary theory. It is intended to prepare you for graduate-level study; entry into professional degree programs, such as law or medicine; or careers in business, government or communications. The writing concentration emphasizes the technical and creative skills needed to write poetry, plays, fiction and non-fiction and also offers hands-on learning opportunities through the department's literary magazines or the school newspaper. Students who are enrolled in either concentration area may take courses in a variety of topics, including American, Romantic, Victorian, Medieval and contemporary literature.

• Program: Bachelor of Arts in English
• Concentrations: Liberal arts, writing
• Program Length: Four years
• Tuition and Fees: $6,360 per year for in-state students; $19,241 per year for out-of-state students (full-time; estimated tuition and fees for 2018-2019)
• Prerequisites: High school diploma or GED
• School Type: 4-year, public; about 9,733 undergraduate and 3,114 graduate students

Master's Degree Programs in English in Florida

Florida Atlantic University

Florida Atlantic University's Master of Arts (M.A.) in English program focuses on literature and theory and offers six concentrations. The M.A. degree program requires you to complete at least nine credit-hours in your specialized topic and a handful of credits outside of your specialty area. The Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) program focuses on skills that pertain to teaching English, although additional steps may be needed in order to earn teaching certification. Coursework is distributed among topics in literature and pedagogy. You will also have to fulfill a foreign language requirement and compose a thesis. The school also offers graduate programs in creative writing and comparative literature.

• Programs: Master of Arts in English, Master of Arts in Teaching
• Concentrations : British literature, American literature, rhetoric and composition, science fiction and fantasy, multicultural and world literatures, creative writing
• Program Length: Two years
• Tuition and Fees: $6,657 per year for in-state students plus $1,190 in fees; $117,885 per year for out-of-state students plus $1,190 in fees (full-time; estimates for 2018-2019)
• Prerequisites: Bachelor's degree
• Admission Requirements: GRE scores, letters of recommendation, personal essay, writing sample
• School Type: 4-year, public; about 24,376 undergraduate and 5,396 graduate students

University of Florida

The University of Florida offers two English programs at the master's degree level. The Master of Arts (M.A.) program allows you to choose among 17 different areas of concentration or an individualized track. You may take this program with a thesis or non-thesis option; while both options share many of the same requirements, non-thesis students must take extra courses. Both plans require an oral examination and the ability to translate texts from an approved foreign language. The department also features a Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) in Creative Writing; this program is designed to be completed in three years. The first two years involve coursework such as English classes and fiction or poetry workshops, and the final year will be spent working on a thesis. All students admitted into the M.F.A. program receive a tuition waiver.

• Programs: Master of Arts in English, Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing
• M.A. Concentrations: African-American/Africana literature; American literature; American studies; children's literature; comics and visual rhetoric; composition and rhetoric; cultural studies; Early Modern/Renaissance; film and media studies; literature and psychology; Medieval/Early Modern; postcolonial studies; Romantics; theory studies; 20th-Century studies; Victorian studies; feminisms, genders and sexualities
• Program Length: Four semesters and one Summer term for M.A. program, three years for M.F.A. program
• Tuition and Fees: $10,770 per year for in-state students plus $1,967 in fees; $27,335 per year for out-of-state students plus $1,967 in fees (full-time; estimates for 2018-2019)
• Prerequisites: Bachelor's degree, GRE scores
• Admission Requirements: Scholarly writing sample, faculty letters of recommendation, personal statement
• School Type: 4-year, public; about 35,491 undergraduate and 16,727 graduate students

Doctoral Degree Programs in Florida

University of Florida

In this Ph.D. program, you can specialize in one of many different concentration areas or choose an individualized course of study. To earn your Ph.D., you will have to take 21 credits beyond the 30-credit master's degree level; specific course requirements vary by concentration area. You will also have to demonstrate competency in a foreign language, pass an area examination and prepare and defend a dissertation. The department will offer funding for up to six years to students who are in good academic standing (including master's degree study).

• Program: Doctor of Philosophy in English
• Concentrations: African-American/Africana literature; American literature; American studies; children's literature; comics and visual rhetoric; composition and rhetoric; cultural studies; Early Modern/Renaissance; film and media studies; literature and psychology; Medieval/Early Modern; postcolonial studies; Romantics; theory studies; 20th-Century studies; Victorian studies; feminisms, genders and sexualities
• Program Length: 6-8 semesters
• Tuition and Fees: $10,770 per year for in-state students plus $1,967 in fees; $27,335 per year for out-of-state students plus $1,967 in fees (full-time; estimates for 2018-2019)
• Prerequisites: Master's degree, GRE scores
• Admission Requirements: Scholarly writing sample, personal statement, faculty letters of recommendation
• School Type: 4-year, public; about 35,491 undergraduate and 16,727 graduate students

University of Miami

In this doctoral degree program, you can study Anglophone literature associated with various historical periods and stylistic genres. Examples include Renaissance literature, early modern works, the British modernists, feminist theory and ethnic literatures. If you are admitted into this program with a bachelor's degree, you will have to complete 54 course credits in English, and the program will take about six years to complete, conferring an M.A. and your Ph.D. If you hold a master's degree prior to being admitted, you will be required to take 36 course credits, and the program will take about five years to complete. Other requirements include the ability to read in two foreign languages, a qualifying examination and a dissertation.

• Program: Doctor of Philosophy in English
• Program Length: 5-6 years
• Tuition and Fees: $36,540 per year plus $1,084 in fees (full-time; estimates for 2018-2019)
• Prerequisites: at least a bachelor's degree with a literature major, GRE scores, writing sample
• School Type: 4-year, private not-for-profit; about 11,117 undergraduate and 6,214 graduate students

To recap the above information, bachelor's degree programs in English are offered by the University of Miami and the University of West Florida; master's degree programs are provided by Florida Atlantic University and the University of Florida, while the latter institution and the University of Miami also have doctoral degree programs.