American Literature Degree Online

What is American Literature?

An American Literature degree program provides an overview of the body of literature that has been produced in the United States and by United States citizens elsewhere. This includes: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, plays, films, oral works, multi-media work, and the avante-garde. American Literature students read, annotate, critique, think about, analyze, write about, and discuss literary works.

Is American Literature a Good Major / Degree for Me?

Do you love to read (as in hundreds of pages every week)? Are you a strong communicator? Are you one of those people who never tires of writing? Do you enjoy critical thinking? Do you enjoy discussion? Do you like poetry? Are you good at working alone? Do you love books? Do you love language? Do you like to spend time at the library? Do you enjoy doing research? If you answer yes to most of these questions, then a degree in American Literature might be for you!

High School Classes Needed for an American Literature Degree in College:

• At least 4 English Credits
• At least 3 Math Credits
• At least 3 Lab Science Credits
• At least 3 Social Studies Credits
• At least 2 Foreign Language Credits (preferably more)
• If possible, take the following courses:
• AP English Literature
• AP English Language
• AP U.S. History

Common American Literature Courses in College:

• African-American Literature
• American Jewish Literature
• College Writing
• Contemporary American Literature
• The American Novel
• American Poetry
• Literary Theory and Criticism
• Modernism
• Native American Literature
• Women’s Literature
• (It is also common to take a class that focuses on the works of a single writer, such as Fitzgerald, Faulkner, Morrison, Erdrich, etc.)

Similar Degree Programs You Might Want to Explore:

• African American Studies: the study of the history, culture, and economics of African Americans
• British Literature: the study of literature from the British Isles, from the beginning of the English language through the present
• Comparative Literature: the study of literature from several different countries, cultures, and languages
• Creative Writing: the study of how to craft poems, fiction, nonfiction, scripts, mixed-media art, and the avante-garde
• English: the study of English language and literature
• Liberal Arts & Sciences: an introductory study of literature, languages, philosophy, history, mathematics, and sciences
• Peace Studies: the study of war, conflict, peace, and nonviolent conflict resolution
• Secondary Education for Language Arts: a course of study that prepares individuals to teach language arts at the high school level
• Women’s Studies: the study of the history, culture, and politics of women and feminism

American Literature Careers:

Individuals who earn a degree in American Literature often go on to careers in:

• Creative Writing
• Copywriting
• Editing
• Journalism
• Publishing
• Reporting
• Teaching
• Technical Writing