If you’re considering a degree program as an entry point to a rewarding new career or greater earning potential, you have many choices. One path to higher earning potential may surprise you, however.
You may have heard from well-intentioned family members or advisors that English is a degree to avoid if future employability and earning potential are important to you. Yet data shows that English degree holders outperform tech professionals in earnings — even as the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) reports salaries for U.S.-based tech professionals averaging in the six figures.
Tech professionals may start out with robust salaries, but that premium can be short-lived. Professionals with English and humanities degrees often out-earn them over the course of their career. This may seem like a disconnect, but there’s solid reasoning behind it, according to The New York Times. Technological change is constant, and some skills can become obsolete very quickly. This obsolescence puts more experienced tech workers at a disadvantage compared to professionals entering the workforce with up-to-date skills, and it can cause industry veterans’ earnings to stagnate.
Skills That Last and Earnings that Surpass
Skill obsolescence isn’t an inevitable risk for all graduates. English majors sharpen written and verbal communication, critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration and other respected “soft” skills that are broadly applicable in professional life and beyond. This may be among the reasons the U.S. Department of Labor and Forbes cite soft skills among the most highly sought-after abilities by employers. The American Bar Association also cites these skills among the most important when applying to law school.
Translating employment to earnings, The New York Times states majors in liberal arts subjects like English more often pursue careers in business, management, law, and other generally high-earning fields than tech majors. This explains why, though tech professionals may earn more early in their career, English majors often end up surpassing those earnings in the long run. If English is your passion, you can leverage your mastery of the written word in a broad range of fields without sacrificing financial success.
Programs That Prepare You for Higher Earning Potential
The University of Texas Permian Basin offers online English degree programs to match your education and professional experience. Each is a valuable credential that can prepare you to thrive in a variety of rewarding careers.
Online Bachelor of Arts in English
This program explores the English language and culture in all its complexity through literature and other creative works from Shakespeare to Spielberg. Our BA in English enables you to:
- Build the essential critical thinking, problem-solving, and writing skills that employers value.
- Choose from a broad selection of general education courses that provide a foundation for a more fulfilling career and life.
- Aim for a law career with a curriculum that prepares you to take the LSAT.
- Develop a global perspective.
- Pursue English graduate studies in the future.
Online Master of Arts in English
This program takes a deeper dive into English language and culture and connects aesthetic, cultural, historical, psychological, and social themes in literature from yesterday and today to current cultural, psychological, and sociopolitical realities. If you’ve completed or are about to complete a bachelor’s degree, we invite you to apply to our MA in English, which allows you to:
- Expand your exploration of topics from our core BA in English courses.
- Choose one of four capstone course options.
- Finish in as little as a year and a half.
Earning Potential by the Numbers
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)—the go-to source for job statistics in the United States—a higher degree can translate directly to higher earnings. See for yourself:
Bachelor’s degree holders have median earnings:
~ 38% higher than those of associate degree holders.
~ 32% higher than those who’ve taken college classes but haven’t finished a degree.
Master’s degree holders have median earnings:
~18% higher than bachelor’s degree holders.
BLS data also shows that an individual’s likelihood of being employed increases with each successive level of education they complete. Let’s look at some of the jobs which an English degree may help you achieve and their pay, many of which approach or exceed six figures:
- Advertising, Promotions, and Marketing Managers: Median annual pay $133,380
- Lawyers: Median annual pay $127,990
- Human Resources Managers: Median annual pay $126,230
- Top Executives: Median annual pay $98,980
An Affordable, Convenient Way to Earn Career Credentials
As you’re working toward a degree that can help you secure a high-paying position, you’ll save with English programs that offer some of the most affordable tuition rates of any accredited university of our stature. We accept many forms of financial aid, and our financial aid office can help field your questions about the process. Once enrolled, you’ll experience unequalled flexibility, learning on your own schedule from anywhere in the world. There’s no better way to earn a degree that can help you get ahead while maintaining your current work and family responsibilities.
Give your earning potential a boost with an English degree from UTPB! Apply today.
“Painting is silent poetry, and poetry painting that speaks.” This phrase, first attributed to Simonides from Plutarch’s “Moralia” and later reiterated by the Roman poet Horace in “ut pictura poesis,” holds true even today. Writers have shaped—and simultaneously been influenced by—great works of art throughout history, and sociopolitical and cultural movements started by impactful literary works often develop in parallel with artistic movements.
Impressionism
The art movement known as impressionism initially developed in 19th-century France as a form of rebellion against the rigid rules of classicism.
Classical painters used historical elements and mythology containing literary overtones in their work. In contrast, impressionist painters strove for more personal and accurate depictions of reality and, unlike classical artists, painted outside to take advantage of natural lighting. French artist Claude Monet’s 1872 painting “Impression, soleil levant,” which translates to “Impression, Sunrise,” is credited as the movement’s namesake, arguably also giving rise to impressionist literature and impressionist music.
Modernist writers like Katherine Mansfield and Virginia Woolf were greatly influenced by impressionistic art. Virginia Woolf’s short stories and novels frequently used imagery and stream of consciousness to show an emotional world rather than a factual one. Similarly, composers of this time used impressionism as an antithesis to the rigid Romantic and Classical musical styles of the age, instead opting for more suggestive harmonies and timbres. Pianist Claude Debussy created a series of books with his opera “Broillards,” which is structured like a musical poem.
The Pre-Raphaelites of Mid-19th-Century England
Pre-Raphaelitism was a countercultural movement formed in response to the restrictive rules of Victorian art and writing, impressionism, and the negative sociopolitical impacts of the industrial revolution. The Pre-Raphaelite style revived Medieval and Renaissance elements of religion, the supernatural, and fairy tales. Painters were deeply impacted by prominent writers of the time and sought to emphasize the interconnections between art and literature. For example, “Lady Lilith” (1866-1868) by painter-poet Dante Gabriel Rossetti explored sexual oppression. He was influenced by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s biblically themed play “Faust.” Elements of Pre-Raphaelitism are evident in the work of important authors like Alfred Lord Tennyson, William Morris, and Walter Pater. Composers of the mid-19th-century were similarly influenced by the Pre-Raphaelite love of medieval themes to challenge the rapidly changing times. Interestingly, the movement’s longevity seems to have endured far past initial expectations: Pre-Raphaelitism saw resurging popularity in the print and media as recently as the 1980s.
Modern Media
The movie industry that rose up around Hollywood in the early 20th century was a new form of visual art dependent on the literary material provided by scriptwriters and authors. Breakthrough novels of the time—such as Margaret Mitchell’s “Gone with the Wind” or Jules Verne’s “Around the World in Eighty Days”—have been adapted into timeless, defining, Oscar-winning films.
Likewise, many great modern operas have been repeatedly adapted from classical works of literature, like William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.” Other classics like “Carol,” “Room,” and “Dracula” are operas adapted from their literary counterparts that have become Oscar-nominated hits.
Explore Literature’s Influence on the Visual Arts Throughout the Ages
If you’re eager to explore this subject in more detail, consider our course “Literature and the Visual Arts” (ENGL 6332), part of The University of Texas Permian Basin’s MA in English program. Students taking this course will develop an in-depth understanding of British and American literature as it’s represented in art and music throughout history, focusing especially on impressionism, Pre-Raphaelitism, and major operas.
There are no formal prerequisites: only 24 English undergraduate credits or admission into our master’s degree program.
Your Degree at Your Pace
Our MA in English program is entirely online and can prepare you for a lucrative career in teaching, writing, communication, advertising, civil service, or education—and even lay the foundation for a doctorate degree. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, students graduating with master’s degrees make about 20% more than a working professional holding only a bachelor’s degree.
Our program is affordable, convenient, and flexible—and motivated students may accelerate their studies and finish in as little as one year! Join The University of Texas Permian Basin online and see why our program is unlike any other. Apply for our Master of Arts in English today.
Sources:
https://www.worldhistory.org/Greek_Tragedy/
https://www.jstor.org/stable/4348797
https://www.britannica.com/art/Impressionism-art
https://www.ipl.org/essay/Visual-Art-In-Literature-Analysis-FKLBGR7ESJF6
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impressionism_in_music
https://www.abc.net.au/classic/read-and-watch/music-reads/love-and-desire/10784514
https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780199799558/obo-9780199799558-0054.xml
https://artincontext.org/famous-baroque-paintings/
https://www.masterclass.com/articles/impressionism-music-explained
https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.7591/j.ctvn96f6d.8
“What do you want to be when you grow up?” This question is perhaps never more relevant than when college hopefuls are filling out applications and considering their intended major. Some students make the mistake of choosing a major and locking themselves into a career path they’re not sure about. Others may decide to switch majors but will have already sunk costly credit hours into a subject they’re no longer interested in.
All this time, they could have been working toward a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Humanities.
A BA in humanities is ideal for students who don’t want to be tied to a single career path. Students in humanities degree programs can keep their options open and, once they graduate, explore one or multiple career paths. We’ll be discussing the myriad benefits of a humanities degree, but first, let’s talk about why settling on a single career path might not work for everyone.
Getting the Most Out of Your Investment
There’s no question that college leads to greater opportunities. Bachelor’s degree holders earn higher salaries (over $30,000 more each year), have lower unemployment rates, and are more likely to have employer-provided healthcare. About half of all jobs require at least an associate degree, so if you’re interested in a secure, high-paying job, college attendance is a must.
Higher education is a wise, albeit costly, investment. To make the most of it, students tend to start on a career path as early as possible. (The hustle is real!) Affordable, accredited online programs can significantly reduce tuition costs, but the overall expense and pressure to declare a major can push students into career paths that may not be lucrative or fulfilling long-term options.
Settling on a Career Path
Interested in becoming a clinical psychologist? Better pursue an undergraduate degree in psychology. That way, you can move on to a master’s program and eventually a doctoral program. Ten years from now, you could graduate with a doctorate in psychology, having passed your exam, defended your dissertation, and completed a one-year internship. Hopefully, you’re still interested in psychology by then.
This approach works for many students, but not everyone stays on their chosen career path. Priorities change, and people change — not just in college but throughout life. So, where does this leave students who understand the benefits of a college education but aren’t sure of what to major in?
What Is a Humanities Degree?
A BA in humanities provides a deep understanding of human culture, focusing on shared values, beliefs, and attitudes. Humanities programs typically include courses related to:
- Art
- Communication
- English
- Foreign language
- History
- Music
What Skills Are Learned in a BA in Humanities Program?
Humanities programs are concerned more with developing well-rounded individuals than with training students in a single area. That means helping students develop their critical-thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills so that they may see the world and its people from differing perspectives. Students should expect a lot of speaking, reading, and writing in humanities courses.
Developing Soft Skills
At first glance, a humanities curriculum may seem to be composed of unrelated courses. However, courses are carefully selected to provide students with essential “soft skills.” Soft skills are a mix of personal habits and personality traits employers are looking for, many of whom value soft skills over technical skills. Examples include:
- Adaptability
- Critical thinking
- Versatility
The focus of a humanities program is not to provide a single skill set but to develop capable, well-rounded individuals able to acquire any number of skills. Graduates are equipped with a more worldly, contextualized outlook and a stronger understanding of what motivates those around them, giving them a distinctive edge in the workplace. Humanities degree holders tend to be easy to work with and communicate in a clear, cordial manner whether speaking with someone face-to-face or communicating through email, phone, or social media.
What Are Employers Looking For?
Soft skills are valued in virtually every profession. Don’t believe us? Think about it: Would you rather work with someone who doesn’t take part in meetings, tells inappropriate jokes in the workplace, or can’t write a business email to save their life?
LinkedIn’s 2018 Workplace Learning Report found that 92% of executives say that soft skills are as or more important than technical skills. Leadership, communication, and collaboration were cited as the most important skills for employees to learn from learning and development. Soft skills never go out of style and are only growing in importance with the rise of AI (artificial intelligence). “[T]hey are precisely the type of skills robots can’t automate,” reported LinkedIn.
Get In Touch With Humanity
Regardless of the degree you pursue, you’ll be given opportunities to develop soft skills. You may already be a team player capable of communicating, problem-solving, and empathizing with others. However, few courses of study are as focused on reading, writing, and speaking as the humanities. By pursuing a BA in humanities, you’ll gain a sought-after skillset that can open doors in a variety of career fields.
Don’t let the pressure of picking a career path stop you from earning a bachelor’s degree. The University of Texas Permian Basin offers an online BA in humanities program that can instill you with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate and stand out in modern workplaces. Taking an intense, multidisciplinary approach to understanding human cultures, this program looks at the fields of art, music, and history, among others that give life meaning. And our program is 100% online, meaning that you’ll be able to complete coursework on your schedule. Now that’s a flexible program!
Worried about your career path? Don’t be. Apply to UT Permian Basin’s online BA in humanities program and keep your options open.
Sources:
https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20190401-why-worthless-humanities-degrees-may-set-you-up-for-life
https://www.forbes.com/advisor/student-loans/is-college-worth-it/
https://www.linkedin.com/business/learning/blog/top-skills-and-courses/the-skills-companies-need-most-in-2019-and-how-to-learn-them
Many master’s degree programs have a thesis requirement, though some make this element optional. Writing a thesis can be an important step for students who have specific ambitions beyond earning a master’s degree. Below we’ll examine those as we discuss:
- What a thesis is.
- How to decide whether writing a thesis aligns with your goals.
- Types of programs that offer thesis and non-thesis options.
What Is a Thesis?
A thesis is an original document a student creates in the final semesters of their program from research they’ve conducted on a topic related to their major. Often, it’s a subject connected to their current professional interests and/or future ambitions. In writing a thesis, students demonstrate what they’ve learned during the entirety of their program. Before a thesis is accepted, the student must verbally defend it before select faculty from their college—essentially providing a persuasive summary of their work’s main points and findings. Thesis length varies but is generally 60 pages or more.
What if I Choose a Thesis Option?
The research experience you’ll gain while writing a master’s-level thesis can be an advantage if you want to work as a researcher or in any professional role with a large research component. A thesis is also recommended for anyone planning to continue on to doctoral studies after completing their master’s degree. Many master’s degree graduates publish their theses in academic or other periodicals, which can help them establish them as authorities in a specialized academic area.
What if I Choose a Non-Thesis Option?
Writing a thesis takes up a portion of the credit hours of a master’s degree program. Since a non-thesis option doesn’t devote those hours to a thesis, it typically allows you to complete more classes and build expertise in a wider variety of topics. It also enables you to focus on building skills outside of research, e.g., communication, critical thinking, and analysis. Students who choose a non-thesis option must pass an exam toward the end of their program.
Is There a Program That Offers Both Options?
The University of Texas Permian Basin’s online Master of Arts in History program enables you to gear your studies toward your own academic and professional goals by offering thesis and non-thesis options:
Thesis Option: If approved, you will complete 24 credit hours (8 courses) from our core history courses and 6 hours of thesis work, for a total of 30 credit hours. You must successfully complete and defend your thesis during the semester of your graduation.
Non-Thesis Option: With this option, you are required to pass written and oral exams during the semester in which you’ll graduate.
Whichever path you choose in our program, you’ll embark on an enlightening exploration of history dating from the American Revolution to the most consequential events of the 20th century. Each course is dedicated to a single topic or era, enabling you to develop a deep understanding of the subject matter. Equipped with graduate-level credentials and expertise, you’ll be ready to achieve even greater success in your career.
Higher Earnings, Stable Employment, and Other Professional Benefits
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, professionals with a master’s degree earn about 18% more than those with a bachelor’s degree alone. The same report shows that master’s degree holders also enjoy higher rates of employment than those with an undergraduate degree. What’s more, the U.S. Department of Labor and Forbes agree that the skills you’ll develop in our MA in history program—including spoken and written communication, critical thinking, and analysis—are among the very skills today’s employers are seeking in job candidates. Our master’s degree offers real professional benefits that start while you’re completing your degree and continue well after graduation.
Earn Your Master’s Degree on Your Schedule
Do you have time-consuming professional and personal commitments? Many of our students do. Fortunately, our MA in history program has a 100% online, asynchronous format that allows you to set your own coursework schedule around any other obligations. You can complete coursework from practically any location that’s convenient for you. No GRE is required for admission, and you may be able to complete your degree in as little as two years.
We invite all career-minded individuals who’ve completed a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university or college to apply to our online MA in history program.
Sources:
https://www.gograd.org/resources/thesis-or-non-thesis-masters-degree/
How do you envision an English degree program? A series of vocabulary and grammar lessons with an emphasis on pronunciation?
In reality, an undergraduate English degree is not designed to teach you the English language but rather to complement your understanding of the language with an exploration of the rich culture of English-speaking people. In addition to providing a grasp of and appreciation for English literature from its foundations through to modern literary cinema, an English degree helps you develop important skills that will continue to benefit you throughout your life and career.
If you choose a Bachelor of Arts in English, you’ll develop crucial skills including communication, critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork—all vital to your relationships with friends, family members, and coworkers. These so-called “soft skills” are among the key skills today’s employers seek in job candidates, according to the U.S. Department of Labor and Forbes, which means a BA in English can help you and your resume stand out.
Once you’ve secured a position, your English degree can help improve your salary prospects as well. Bachelor’s degree holders generally earn more than those with an associate degree or no degree, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that bachelor’s degree holders’ median earnings are about 38% higher than associate degree holders and 48% higher than those who have not finished a college degree.
So, what can you do with an English degree? Build highly marketable skills that will enable you to choose from a broader range of careers with greater earning potential and better job security. Sound appealing?
Let’s look at some of the industries, job titles, and prospective educational paths for English degree holders.
Potential Career Paths for English Degree Holders
These are just a few of the diverse professional directions you can take with an English degree:
Field: Communication
Job title: Writer/author
Median annual pay: $69,510
Expected job growth 2020-2030: 9%
Field: Human Resources
Job title: Human resources specialist
Median annual pay: $62,290
Expected job growth 2020-2030: 10%
Field: Education
Job title: High school teacher
Median annual pay: $61,820
Expected job growth 2020-2030: 8%
Advanced Education Paths for English Degree Holders
An English degree program with a carefully constructed curriculum can help prepare you to take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), which can lead to careers in the legal field. Completing a bachelor’s degree in English will also position you to pursue graduate and post-graduate degrees, which can result in even more job choices, including management and executive roles, in addition to higher income potential. BLS data shows that the higher the degree you earn, the more money you can earn, and the more likely you are to be employed.
Enrich Your Perspective and More Online
The University of Texas Permian Basin’s 100% online Bachelor of Arts in English provides everything you need to prepare for a rewarding future: vital, in-demand career and life skills, an LSAT curriculum, and a stepping-stone to a graduate program, post-graduate program, or whatever your ultimate academic goal may be.
Our program begins with a firm foundation of general education courses spanning topics such as college algebra, music, geology, and biology. Once you complete the program’s general education requirements, you’ll shift your focus to specialized English courses, where you’ll consider the works of pioneering writers such as Samuel Johnson and William Shakespeare, the oeuvre of influential film director Steven Spielberg, as well as related areas of study including rhetoric, composition, and semantics.
Program Benefits That Start on Day One
Having a bachelor’s degree on your resume can provide significant professional advantages. At The University of Texas Permian Basin, however, our online BA in English program starts benefiting students from their very first day of classes:
Convenience
The flexible asynchronous format of our program enables you to complete coursework on your own schedule from practically any location in the world. No campus visits are required. That’s a tremendous benefit if you’re trying to manage work and/or personal schedules while earning your degree.
Support
As an online UT Permian Basin student, you have access to extensive student services, including academic advising, technical assistance, and wellness services.
Quality
Our online BA in English program is led by the same acclaimed faculty who teach the campus-based classes and is built on an identical curriculum.
Value
Our English bachelor’s degree program is an exceptional value. We offer competitive tuition rates that are more affordable than most regionally accredited universities of our stature.
See where an English degree can take you and how UTPB’s online learning option helps clear the path toward achieving your goals. Apply now!
Sources:
https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/jobs-for-english-majors
When the 1920s began, a devastating world war was still raging. As the decade concluded, a stock market crash in the United States catalyzed a decade-long depression that reverberated worldwide. In the years between, many other significant changes and events took place that would lay the groundwork for the state of the world as we know it today. Let’s look at the decade now and see how our modern world took shape during the 1920s.
Women Make Political and Social Advances
In August 1920, Congress ratified the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, allowing women to vote in public elections for the first time. The amendment was spearheaded by suffragists, activists who fought for women’s right to vote. World War I saw many women take jobs outside the home for the first time. These jobs traditionally belonged to men, but the war caused an employment shortage, and women stepped in to fill those roles. The ability to earn money gave many women their first taste of freedom, which many increasingly embraced and extended into modes of dress and public behavior previously considered taboo.
Black Americans Make Progress and Suffer Setbacks
The Harlem Renaissance, begun late in the prior decade, hit its stride in the 1920s, lasted into the ‘30s, and saw Black Americans express themselves and project their own image through music, literature, film, and other art forms. Prior to this era, Black figures were almost universally depicted by white artists, and these depictions were often stereotyped at best or openly racist at worst.
By the 1920s, Black Americans in the Tulsa, Oklahoma, area had made progress toward financial independence and were in fact prospering in an area sometimes called “Black Wall Street.” The Greenwood District, as it was formally known, was an area of businesses and homes owned by Black residents. In 1921, a still-disputed incident between a Black man and a white woman led to armed mobs in the streets, hundreds dead, the Greenwood District burned to the ground, and thousands of Black residents rounded up and placed in internment. For many years a historical footnote, the Tulsa Massacre has become more widely known in recent times.
The Powers Behind the Next World War Begin Their Rise
In Italy, Benito Mussolini became the country’s youngest prime minister to date. Hirohito became emperor of Japan and would remain so until the late 1980s. In Germany, Adolf Hitler became chairman of the National Socialist German Workers’ Party and later staged a failed coup. During his ensuing imprisonment, he began work on “Mein Kampf,” a manifesto in which he made his antisemitic ideas and ambitions for Germany known. As leaders of their respective countries, the three would later unite into what was known as the Axis powers during World War II.
Crime Remediation Backfires
A less popular and ultimately unsuccessful addition to the U.S. Constitution also took place in 1920. The 18th Amendment forbade the production, sale, and distribution of alcoholic beverages. During the 13 years of Prohibition, many people made their own liquor, and some opened secret clubs called speakeasies where liquor was served behind closed doors. Though the amendment was enacted with the intention of reducing crime rates, organized crime rose to prominence in the U.S. during Prohibition.
Mass Communication Goes Wider
The first commercial radio station hit the airwaves in 1920, enabling families to tune in on user-friendly radio equipment. Prior to this, such equipment was more complex, and only a limited audience was able to listen. The first television set was introduced in 1927, but it would be another two decades or more before most people owned one.
The ‘20s Roar
Music, dance, risqué fashion, illicit alcohol, licentious behavior, and economic prosperity were all hallmarks of the 1920s for some Americans. Yet, with the Great Depression closing the decade, and the Dust Bowl drought following in multiple states in 1930, it seems the good times weren’t meant to last.
A Course Focused on the 1920s
We’ve just summarized some of the monumental events and changes that took place in the 1920s. A selection of these and other events are explored more deeply in a UT Permian Basin course fittingly called The 1920s (HIST 6347). Part of our Master of Arts in History program, this course examines historical literature related to the 1920s with a focus on gender, race, politics, and cultural shifts. See what else our degree program has to offer now!
A Deep Dive Into History
Our online Master of Arts in History helps you understand the state of the world today through the lens of history. Each course is devoted to a specific epoch or event, such as the Industrial Revolution, the American Revolution, or World War I, providing in-depth perspectives across 16-week sessions. If you’ve already earned a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, we invite you to expand your expertise with this graduate-level program. Consider the benefits:
- Complete all coursework online, from any location, around your professional and personal commitments.
- Earn your master’s degree in as little as two years.
- Choose from thesis and non-thesis track options.
A Brighter Professional Future
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), those who’ve completed a master’s degree earn about 20% more than those whose highest education level is a bachelor’s degree. In addition, an MA in history will help you develop career-enhancing communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. The U.S. Department of Labor and Forbes report that employers are seeking these skills among potential hires or in current employees competing for advancement into new positions.
Expand your knowledge of history and your professional potential with an MA in history. Apply now!
Sources:
https://www.britannica.com/place/United-States/The-United-States-from-1920-to-1945#ref613048
The Age of Johnson was an eighteenth-century period of English literature named for Samuel Johnson (1709-1784), an acclaimed poet, essayist, literary critic, lexicographer, and biographer. Also referred to as the Age of Sensibility, the Age of Johnson was nestled between the Augustan Age—distinguished by writers such as Jonathan Swift and Alexander Pope—and the Romantic period, when Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Mary Shelly, and William Wordsworth wrote their most celebrated works.
Why is an entire age of literature named after one man? We’ll find out through an examination of Johnson’s major accomplishments and distinguishing features as a writer.
The Life and Work of Samuel Johnson
For one who came to define an era, Johnson had a lot going against him. A man of imposing stature, he suffered from involuntary gesticulations that garnered him unwanted attention. He battled health issues for most of his years, beginning with a childhood bout of tuberculosis. Still, he managed to live to 75—a ripe old age even by modern standards. For what he accomplished during those 75 years, Johnson came to be considered one of the most consequential English writers of his or any age. Let’s look at a few highlights:
- 1731: Johnson’s first publication was a translation of an Alexander Pope poem into Latin.
- 1744: “An Account of the Life of Mr. Richard Savage, Son of the Earl Rivers,” a biography, is released.
- 1749: The first performance of Johnson’s repertoire-expanding stage play “Irene,” which he began writing in the 1720s.
- 1749: Publication of the highly praised poem “The Vanity of Human Wishes,” Johnson’s first work published under his own name.
- 1750s: Johnson becomes a prodigious essayist for a periodical called The Rambler, penning all but a handful of the publication’s 200+ essays over the course of two years. These revealed Johnson’s viewpoints on a wide variety of topics, often commenting on harsh realities of life through a sometimes humorous lens.
- 1755: Johnson publishes A Dictionary of the English Language. Though not the first English dictionary, it was widely acknowledged as one of the most detailed, with word definitions and origins, usage examples, and other beneficial information included. Johnson is frequently called “the father of the modern dictionary.”
- 1765: An eight-volume collection of the works of William Shakespeare is published, including notes and a preface penned by Johnson. His contribution to the collection is still considered one of the finest examples of literary criticism ever offered. This Shakespeare collection, Johnson’s dictionary, and a few other central works helped shape English literature as we know it today.
Johnson published countless essays, critiques, biographies, and works of fiction throughout his career. Through these, he demonstrated his willingness to challenge the political workings and foreign policies of his home country of England and others. He expressed dissenting views on war, colonialism, and slavery, and pleaded for compassionate treatment of criminals, the disadvantaged, native peoples, and even enemies of his own country.
It’s perhaps fitting that Johnson capped off a 50-year career by contributing prefaces and biographies for the multi-volume “The Lives of the Poets,” arguably his final work of note. A biography of Johnson, written after Johnson’s death by longtime friend James Boswell and drawn from many conversations the two had over the years, further illuminated Johnson’s personality, unique viewpoint, and work and brought greater attention to him in the 19th century and beyond.
Due in part to Boswell’s biography, Johnson became known for his aphorisms, some of which are still familiar today. For example:
“Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel.”
Still other lesser-known examples illustrate his distinctive wit:
“No man but a blockhead ever wrote except for money.”
“Marriage has many pains, but celibacy has no pleasures.”
Johnson’s writing style and contributions earned him the honor of being forever associated with the consequential era in which he lived. He’s also the namesake of a course featured as part of UT Permian Basin’s Bachelor of Arts in English program. ENGL 4335: The Age of Johnson explores the author’s works as well as those by some of his noted contemporaries, including Edmund Burke, Oliver Goldsmith, and David Hume. Let’s discuss our online BA in English program in greater detail so you can understand the breadth of its value.
Explore English Literature and More Online
Discover the intricacy of the English language through an exploration of fiction, drama, and poetry, including works from Age of Johnson writers. Our 100% online Bachelor of Arts in English offers an intensely rewarding, in-depth examination of the language and culture that helps you develop crucial life and career skills. Forbes reports that today’s employers are increasingly seeking these “soft” skills in their potential hires, including:
- Communication
- Critical thinking
- Problem-solving
- Collaboration
Beyond helping you develop key skills, our BA in English offers a strong foundation for a variety of careers and graduate studies in English. Our program is also an outstanding value in education, offering competitive tuition rates that most regionally accredited universities of our standing can’t match.
The Quality You Expect, With Convenience You Don’t
Our online BA in English program is based around the same robust curriculum we use on campus and led by the same renowned faculty who teach there, so it’s easy to see why it’s synonymous with high quality education. Further, our program’s asynchronous online format enables you to complete classwork at your own pace from just about anywhere in the world. There’s no better way to maintain your personal and professional duties while earning a respected university degree.
Revisit the Age of Johnson through our online BA in English program!
Sources:
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Samuel-Johnson
https://www.infobloom.com/what-is-the-age-of-johnson.htm
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/learn/glossary-terms/augustan-age
https://literariness.org/2017/12/05/literary-criticism-of-samuel-johnson/
https://www.thoughtco.com/british-literary-periods-739034
https://www.theweek.co.uk/88442/samuel-johnson-eight-best-quotes-from-the-father-of-the-dictionary
Literature wouldn’t be the same without the influential writers who used their voices to make permanent changes in culture and society. Feminist literature, fictional or otherwise, seeks to help define, establish, and support equal rights for women in traditionally patriarchal societies.
Historic female poets of the sixth century, outspoken feminist philosophers of the 18th century, and modern women writers and activists have all continually broken boundaries, enriched literature, and changed history through the power of their pens. Let’s explore five of these fearless women who dared to transform and inspire the world they lived in.
Sappho was a poet and songwriter born in Greece in the sixth century B.C. She was considered the greatest lyric poet of her time in a world dominated by men, and Plato dubbed her “the tenth muse.” Her works celebrated the sensuality of people of all genders and her fearless identification as a lesbian. Sappho’s life and work were considered scandalous until recent times. In the 11th century, the Church burned most of her poems and songs. Thankfully, some of her poetry survived, and its rediscovery opened the doors to many more generations of feminist literature.
Mary Wollstonecraft was an 18th-century English writer, advocate, and feminist philosopher who produced critical works such as “A Vindication of the Rights of Woman,” which asserted that women deserved the same educational, economic, and political rights as men. This revolutionary sentiment earned her a prominent place in feminist literature. She even influenced her own family to think ahead of their time: Her daughter Mary Shelley was the author of “Frankenstein,” a novel that would also change history.
“Sense and Sensibility” and “Pride and Prejudice” are literary classics still beloved by modern readers, and so is their novelist, Jane Austen. Her many books explored female characters that were independent and able to accomplish much on their own. While their depiction may seem tame by modern standards, it was extraordinary in 19th-century England, which was governed by a patriarchal society with strict status quos. Her voice led the way for newer generations to address inequalities. Austen herself remained unmarried and chose to write books instead, also challenging 19th-century norms.
Virginia Woolf was an English novelist and modernist who explored stream of consciousness as a narrative device and pioneered the idea of women as emancipated individuals. One of her most striking works is “Orlando,” which explored the idea of gender fluidity. “A Room of One’s Own” argued for female writers to have equal opportunities to express themselves artistically, including the private physical space that creative thought often requires. While suffering from mental illness and the trauma caused by her sexual abuse, Woolf still managed to produce work that deeply explored the human condition and continues to inspire many readers today.
Maya Angelou was a 20th-century poet, screenwriter, and activist. She lived in a time when African American women were deeply oppressed and she spoke out bravely through her work. Her famous autobiographies, such as “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” garnered national attention by addressing women’s issues during segregation, racial discrimination, and sexism. Angelou went on to become the first African American female director in Hollywood, writing award-winning screenplays that addressed the oppression of women—especially women of color. She won the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2010, four years before her death, and her 1975 poem “Alone Together” rode a recent wave of popularity as a viral rallying cry during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Get Inspired by History’s Greatest Feminist Writers in Our Online BA in English Program
Our online BA in English offers a deep and profound exploration of English language and culture. In this convenient online program, you’ll examine topics ranging from British and American poetry to fiction and drama to feminist literature, and you’ll gain an introduction to great creative minds from Shakespeare to Spielberg. Our course 18th Century Women Poets focuses on revolutionary female poets and emerging feminism in literature between 1660 to 1800, which greatly influenced contemporary, 20th-century feminism and feminist literature.
Convenient, High-Quality Online Classes
The University of Texas Permian Basin’s 100% online classes provide students with high-quality, cost-effective, and convenient education on par with our in-person classes. Enrich your knowledge of English language and culture from anywhere in the world! UT Permian Basin can provide you with a critical literary foundation that will allow you to successfully pursue an English master’s or doctoral degree.
Careers that students will be poised to pursue with our BA in English include:
- Digital copywriter
- Editorial assistant
- Teacher
- Journalist
- Publishing copyeditor/proofreader
- Research analyst
- Grant writer
- Librarian
Explore the timeless literature of historical greats and gain valuable knowledge and skills through our online classes. Join UT Permian Basin’s online BA in English program and start your journey today.
Sources:
https://americanliterature.com/feminist-literature-study-guide
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_feminist_literature
https://www.worldhistory.org/Sappho_of_Lesbos/
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1078268.pdf
https://www.toledolibrary.org/blog/jane-austens-hidden-feminism
https://squaderno.altervista.org/2018/01/15/virginia-woolf-the-pioneer-of-feminism/
https://www.bl.uk/people/virginia-woolf
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/maya-angelou
For students in highly specialized academic fields, the professional path that begins after graduation is often clear-cut. Individuals who earn an accounting degree, for example, generally go on to become accountants. Other students, however, prefer a broader academic focus that spans several disciplines, making them a natural fit for studying humanities. Since the term humanities refers not to a profession but rather a broad range of social and cultural studies, the value of a degree in this subject may not be immediately clear. Let’s look now at what we mean by humanities, the essential skills a degree in humanities helps you develop, and the professions for which a humanities degree is most valuable.
The Meaning of Humanities
Humanities encompass a range of disciplines including language, philosophy, history, literature, music, and other arts. One purpose of a humanities degree is to equip students with a well-rounded knowledge of human culture that will enable them to better understand the world around them. A humanities degree also enables students to enjoy greater personal enrichment and build the skills needed to experience a more rewarding career.
The Degree Helps You Build Broadly Applicable Skills
Let’s discuss those skills for a moment. A humanities degree instills students with what are commonly called “soft skills,” which major companies and the U.S. Department of Labor agree are among the skills nearly all employers are seeking in job candidates—not just for entry-level jobs, but for leadership positions as well. These skills include:
- Communication: The ability to fully understand information conveyed by others as well as express yourself in a clear and intelligent manner, whether spoken or written.
- Critical thinking: The ability to analyze a problem or situation and devise a new, creative way to solve it, either on your own or in collaboration with others.
- Cooperation: The ability to work with others toward the achievement of a shared goal. Cooperation requires you to welcome, understand, and incorporate diverse perspectives. In the workplace, this is what’s meant by “teamwork.”
- Empirical and quantitative reasoning: The ability to understand and apply numerical data to devise and produce informed decisions.
- Personal responsibility: The ability to understand and take accountability for the effects that your choices have on others, as well as to adequately explain your rationale for making such choices.
- Social responsibility: The ability to see how your choices affect society as a whole and to use that knowledge as the basis of ethical decisions.
Clearly, these skills—soft or not—can benefit nearly everyone, both personally and professionally. Through a carefully designed curriculum, a humanities degree can help students develop a broad set of these irreplaceable abilities.
The Degree Prepares You for Many Rewarding Careers
By developing a skillset so broadly applicable and marketable, humanities degree-holders are primed to pursue a variety of careers, including:
- Advertising sales agent
- Artist
- Attorney
- Clergy member
- Counselor
- Educator
- Event coordinator
- Military service member
- Public relations professional
- Travel agent
- Writer
The Value of an Online Humanities Degree From UTPB
When you choose The University of Texas Permian Basin for your online Bachelor of Arts in Humanities, you’ll explore and consider some of the world’s most significant cultural works as you build the key skills that modern employers are seeking.
Our innovative online humanities degree program enables you to gear your studies toward the academic areas that most closely align with your passions. Rather than follow a fixed curriculum, you’ll work together with one of our faculty advisors to design an individualized study plan centered around a multidisciplinary theme, era, set of problems, specialization, or viewpoint. This is a unique configuration that you can’t experience by simply pursuing a major and a minor simultaneously. You’ll pick two to four areas of concentration from a list that includes art, English, Spanish, music, history, and communication, among others, for a total of 24 credit hours of specialized coursework.
In addition to this custom curriculum, our BA in humanities also offers a flexible learning experience through an asynchronous, fully online format that empowers you to complete coursework on your own schedule from virtually any location in the world. It’s the ideal way to earn a bachelor’s degree while fulfilling your professional and personal responsibilities. Need additional flexibility? You can begin your program at any of six annual start times. Once you begin, you’ll learn from the same renowned faculty who teach at the UT Permian Basin campus. When you graduate, you’ll receive the same respected degree as any campus-based student, with no indication that the program was completed online.
Can you see the value that our online Bachelor of Arts in Humanities program offers? Apply here or get more details about the program now.
Sources:
https://www.britannica.com/topic/humanities
For writers, narratives are often a synthesis of their real-life experiences and observations. While many writers have had struggles, be their personal tragedies, health issues, lack of acceptance, or economic disadvantages, African American writers have had a much steeper slope to climb. Slavery, racism, discrimination, segregation, and other forms of injustice have often created barriers that have kept Black works from reaching or being widely accepted by a public audience.
Fortunately, many notable African American writers have broken through and had their distinctive voices heard in ways that continue to reverberate to this day. Most have distinguished themselves in multiple ways. Let’s look at a few of these history-changing writers now.
As a girl in the mid-18th century, Phillis Wheatley was enslaved. Her “owners,” John and Susanna Wheatley, permitted her to learn to read and write alongside their daughters. At the age of 13, Phillis made history when her poem “On Messrs. Hussey and Coffin” was published in The Newport Mercury. The poem impressed many, though many more refused to believe a slave had written it. Recognizing an immense talent, the Wheatley family sought to have a book of Phillis’ work published. When they couldn’t find a willing publisher in the Colonies, they were able to secure a publisher in England. Her book “Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral” was published in 1773.
Born into slavery in Maryland, Frederick Douglass, pioneering author, orator, and abolitionist, escaped to New York around the age of 20 and began life as a free man. During his time as a slave, he essentially taught himself to read and write, with some help from other children. He would go on to use those skills to write three acclaimed autobiographies (the first published in 1845, some 18 years before the Emancipation Proclamation) and found the abolitionist publication The North Star. Known for many historical “firsts,” Douglass was also the first African American to become a U.S. marshal.
Also an escaped slave, Brown published an autobiography recounting his experience two years after Douglass’ first autobiography. Six years later, with the publication of “Clotel,” Brown made history by becoming the first African American to publish a novel.
Hughes, a poet, playwright, and novelist, made history pioneering the use of jazz rhythms in poetry beginning in the 1920s. He was a key figure in the Harlem Renaissance, during which African Americans sought to recreate and define their own image through literature, music, and the performing arts.
Born in Harlem amidst the Harlem Renaissance, essayist, novelist, poet, and playwright James Baldwin first made a name for himself with the 1953 novel “Go Tell It on the Mountain,” which explored controversial themes of race, sexuality, and religion. Successive works would venture more deeply into taboo topics including homosexuality and interracial relationships. Baldwin is perhaps best known for his essay collections, including “The Fire Next Time” and “Nobody Knows My Name,” through which he became known as a major voice on civil rights. His work on issues of race inspired Time magazine to do a feature story on Baldwin, in which the publication stated of him: “There is not another writer … who expresses with such poignancy and abrasiveness the dark realities of the racial ferment in North and South.” Baldwin famously stood alongside Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. during his “I Have a Dream” speech.
Maya Angelou was an acclaimed poet, civil rights activist, actress, and autobiographer. Perhaps the best-known and most influential of her autobiographies was “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” which has both been praised and banned for its realistic depiction of Angelou’s traumatic experiences growing up in a racist, male-dominated society. In 1993, Angelou made history by becoming the first African American woman to recite poetry at a presidential inauguration—that of Bill Clinton.
Morrison was a renowned author and editor. During the late 1960s, she became the first African American female editor at Random House, the noted publishing company. Author of the celebrated novel “Beloved,” Morrison again made history in 1993 as the first Black woman from any country to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Alice Walker is a civil rights activist and author known for the novel “The Color Purple,” which was also turned into an Academy Award-nominated film. She made history with the novel when she became the first African American woman to receive a Pulitzer Prize for Fiction (1982). She also led the first university course dedicated exclusively to female African American writers while teaching at Brandeis University.
Meet History’s Writing Pioneers Through Our 100% Online Program
Our 100% online Bachelor of Arts in English offers an exploration of the form and intricacy of the English language via fiction, drama, and poetry, including the works of pioneering African American writers. In addition to offering a profoundly enriching connection with the English language and the individuals who exemplify English literature and culture, our program helps you hone your ability to:
- Think critically.
- Write clearly and commandingly.
- Solve problems.
- Understand and appreciate differing viewpoints.
According to The Wall Street Journal, these soft skills are in high demand in the professional world, with about 90% of surveyed executives stating that such skills are of equal or greater importance than technical skills, yet are scarce among job candidates. Our BA in English program prepares you for careers in fields including, but not limited to:
- Communication
- Law (Our program curriculum prepares you for the LSAT.)
- Teaching at the high school or junior college level
In addition, our program provides the groundwork for master’s and doctoral studies in English, should you wish to advance your education after completing your bachelor’s degree in English.
Quality, Affordability, and Convenience
Our online BA in English program offers exceptional quality and value, with competitive tuition rates and an asynchronous online format that gives you the freedom to learn on your own schedule, around your professional and personal commitments. What’s more, you can choose your own classroom, as our program is accessible from any location in the world with sufficient internet access.
Explore the works of the English language’s literary greats and gain valuable skills through our online BA in English!