In this paper, we analyze the MHD (magnetohydrodynamic) flow and heat transfer of a second grade non-Newtonian fluid in a channel with porous wall. HAM (Homotopy analysis method) is used to obtain analytical solutions of the governing system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations. The analytical solutions are obtained in the form of infinite series and the convergence of the series solution is discussed explicitly. The obtained results are presented through graphs for several sets of values of the parameters, and the salient features of the solutions are analyzed. A comparison of our HAM results with the available numerical results in the literature (obtained by Runge-Kutta and shooting methods) shows that our results are accurate for a wide range of values of the parameters. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.