English (A.L.M.)

The study of literature is about more than fiction and poetry. It is about communication, culture, community, and the human condition.

In the English Master’s Degree Program, you’ll expand your critical thinking skills, enabling you to analyze complex ideas — not just in print but online, where stories thrive but often conflict. You’ll learn to contextualize competing narratives and interpret their meanings. Abilities like these are essential in professions such as law, journalism, publishing, marketing, politics, education, film, and even game design — essentially in any field where language, and the evaluation of language, is paramount.

Through the graduate program in English, you’ll:

• Refine your ability to identify topics and develop questions that lead to meaningful scholarly inquiry in the humanities.
• Develop an enhanced knowledge of the philosophical, historical, and cultural forces that shape literary works.
• Cultivate a deeper understanding of the work that literary scholars do.
• Hone the skills required for communicating your ideas effectively.
• Graduate with a Harvard University degree: Master of Liberal Arts (ALM) in Extension Studies in the field of English.

Entry Requirements Applicants must achieve an SAT score in the range of 1500–1600 to be considered for this program. English language requirements are assessed on a case-by-case basis.