English Subjects 2024: Semester Subjects, Electives, Books and Specializations

Akansha BishtSenior Executive
BA or Bachelor of Arts in English is a 3 year course for students to pursue undergraduate degree in English. The MA or Master of Arts is a 2 year postgraduate degree programme in English. The programmes in English basically focus on the features of the language, such as linguistics, semantics, and phonetics with the study of ancient and modern literature. The English courses include core subjects about popular and important literature and writing, as well as elective subjects that include literacy theory, literary criticism, world literature, philosophy, and history. Students with an active interest in the English language and writing take up these courses.
List of Subjects in English
Typical Core Subjects for English
The table below has the list of Core subjects that are provided in English Courses -
|
Subject Title |
Subject Details |
|---|---|
|
Indian Classical Literature |
The subject includes readings of the classical literature of prominent Indian writers, including Kalidasa and Vyasa |
|
European Classical Literature |
Students learn about classical European writings from famous literature writers |
|
Indian Writing in English |
This subject has short stories and novels about Indian stories written in English. Some of the authors included are R.K. Narayan, Anita Desai, and Kamala Das |
|
British Poetry and Drama: 14th to 17th Centuries |
Learning about drama and poems written by British writers from the 14th to 17th Century. The writers included are Geoffrey Chaucer, Edmund Spenser, and William Shakespeare |
|
American Literature |
Studying about American literature by Tennessee Williams, Toni Morrison, Edgar Allan Poe and other writers |
|
Popular Literature |
Readings of famous literature include Alice Through the Looking Glass, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd and Funny Boy |
|
British Poetry and Drama: 17th and 18th Centuries |
Poems and dramas written by acclaimed writers such as John Milton, John Webster, Aphra Behn during the 17th and 18th centuries |
|
British Literature: 18th Century |
Popular British literature such as The Way of the World, Gulliver's Travels, and London. |
|
British Romantic Literature |
Learning about British romance novels and stories, including The Lamb, The Tyger, and Tintern Abbey |
|
British Literature: 19th Century |
Famous British literature from acclaimed writers including Jane Austen: Pride and Prejudice, Charlotte Bronte: Jane Eyre, and Charles Dickens: Hard Times |
|
Women’s Writing |
Literary pieces from famous women writers and renowned stories such as Emily Dickinson's 'I cannot live with you', Sylvia Plath's Daddy', and Mahasweta Devi's 'Draupadi'. |
|
British Literature: The Early 20th Century |
Early 20th Century British literature, including Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, Virginia Woolf's Mrs Dalloway, 'No Second Troy', 'Sailing to Byzantium' |
Typical Elective Subjects for English
The table below has the list of Elective subjects that are provided in English Courses -
|
Subject Title |
Subject Details |
|---|---|
|
Modern Indian Writing in English Translation |
Premchand's The Shroud', Stories, ed. M. Assaduddin, Ismat Chugtai's 'The Quilt', Rabindranath Tagore's Light, Oh Where is the Light?' |
|
Literature of the Indian Diaspora |
M. G. Vassanji: The Book of Secrets, Rohinton Mistry: A Fine Balance, Meera Syal: Anita and Me, Jhumpa Lahiri: The Namesake |
|
British Literature: Post World War II |
This elective subject includes famous British literatures, including 'Church Going' and Ted Hughes' Hawk Roosting' |
|
Nineteenth-Century European Realism |
Ivan Turgenev's Fathers and Sons, Fyodor Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment, Honore de Balzac's Old Goriot, tr. MA Crawford, Gustave Flaubert's Madame Bovary |
Detailed Syllabus For English
Here is the detailed English syllabus with core and electives -
|
Semester |
Core/Elective |
Subject Title |
Subject Details |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Core
Core
Core
Elective |
Indian Classical Literature
European Classical Literature
Hindi/Sanskrit/MIL/Philosophy in Lieu
Comic Book and Graphic Novels |
Readings of Indian classical literature
Learning about renowned works of European literature through classics
Readings of prominent literature in other languages through their English translations
Learning about acclaimed comic writers and their famous comic books and novels. |
|
2 |
Core
Core
Core
Elective
|
Indian Writing in English
British Poetry and Drama: 14th to 17th Centuries
Environmental Studies
Women, Power and Politics |
The subject emphasises the great writers of India and their literary works of global significance.
Students learn about the British poetry and drama written between the 14th and 17th century
Significant literary works about environmental occurrences, causes, and effects
Readings of famous literature written by women and about women, their relationship with power, and the politics involved in the process. |
|
3 |
Core
Core
Core
Elective |
American Literature
Popular Literature
British Poetry and Drama: 17th and 18th Century
Creative Writing
|
Knowledge of acclaimed literary works of American literature by famous novelists and writers
The most popular and well-known works of English literature are studied in this subject
Readings and analysis of British poetry and drama between the 17th and 18th century
Creative writing, media writing, and writing for publication. |
|
4 |
Core
Core
Core
|
British Literature: 18th Century
British Romantic Literature
British Literature: 19th Century |
Learning of the British literature of 18th century
Readings and analysis of famous British romantic novels and short stories
Knowing about the fine British literature and its areas of emphasis during the 19th century |
|
5 |
Core
Core
Core
Elective |
Women’s Writing
British Literature: The Early 20th Century
Literature of the Indian Diaspora
Science and Detective Fiction |
Popular works of literature by women writers
Learning about the early 20th-Century British literature
Knowledge of well-known literary works of famous Indian authors
A specific study about the Science and detective fiction related literature |
|
6 |
Core
Core
Core
Elective |
Modern European Drama
Postcolonial Literature
Partition Literature
Literature and Cinema |
Famous European literature of the 21st century and its analysis
Literary works about the after-effects of colonisation and the world after freedom
Popular works of literature about partition, the events involved, and its effects
Readings of the original literature that forms the basis of famous films and the process of filmmaking |
Specialisations Offered In English
The specialisations for English programmes are as follows -
|
Specialisation |
Specialisation Subjects |
Subject Details |
|---|---|---|
|
Linguistics |
Phonetics Phonology Morphology Introductory Transformational Generative Syntax Aspects of Linguistic Behaviour Applied Linguistics Semantics Historical Linguistics |
Linguistics course deals with the way of speaking the English language, verbal and non-verbal communication, language structure and language system speech and writing, syntagmatic and paradigmatic relation langue and parole, phonetics and phonology, syntax and semantics, simple and complex words, root, stem, word, free and bound morphemes, prefixes, suffixes and infixes. |
|
Literature |
English Literature From Chaucer To Milton Indian Women Novelists 17th, 18th, and 19th Century English Literature Indian Writing In English Modern English – Structure And Usage Literary Criticism Novels of Indian Diaspora Myth and Drama European Classics In Translation |
The course includes analysis and evaluation of literary texts, literature of the world and gaining insight into diverse cultures, writing and oration skills. |
|
Communication Studies |
Linguistics and Applied Linguistics Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship World Literature Film Studies: Perspectives Bhakti Poetry Indian Literature in English and Translation Literary Criticism and Theory |
The specialisation of Communication Studies includes features of language and linguistics, language communication ways, literary criticism, Indian and world literature, film and media studies, and social communication through the English language. |
|
Cultural Studies |
Technical Writing Mass Communication and Journalistic Writing Indian Literatures in English and Translation Audio Visual Studies Speech and Accent Postcolonial Literature Cultural Studies: Fields, Issues, and Methods Children’s Literature Gender Studies |
Cultural Studies with English course offers a blend of subjects regarding language and culture. The topics range across early and mediaeval literature, technical writing and translation, written and oral communication, impact of culture on literature, and age-specific literature. |
Books and Authors Related to English
As English is a language subject, the books for the subject include a range of textbooks, reference books, novels, literature from renowned authors, historic literature books, and even the Oxford dictionary. Here is a list of books that students can refer to during BA English programme:
|
Subject |
Book Title |
Author |
|---|---|---|
|
Indian Classical Literature |
Kalidasa |
Abhijnana Shakuntalam |
|
British Literature |
The Cambridge Companion to Old English Literature |
Gordden, Malcom, and Michael Lapidge |
|
Colonial Indian Writing |
Women’s Education and the Unity of India
|
Sarojini Naidu |
|
Introduction To Literature |
Jane Eyre
Beloved |
Charlotte Bronte
Toni Morrison |
|
Indian Writing in English |
A Horse and Two Goats
Inscrutable Americans |
R. K. Narayan
Anurag Amthur |
|
Contemporary Indian Literatures |
Gandhi and Nehru -The Uses of English |
Sunil Khilnani |
FAQs on English
Q. What is the full form of BA?
A. The full form of BA is Bachelor of Arts. It is an undergraduate degree programme in Humanities subjects such as English, History, and Economics.
Q. What is the duration of a BA programme?
A. The duration for a regular BA programme is three years, and for a distance BA programme, students can complete the course and obtain their degrees in three to six years.
Q. What is BA Pass course and BA Honours course?
A. The BA pass course and BA Honours courses are undergraduate courses in Humanities. However, the BA Honours course has additional subjects and a choice of better electives for students to choose from. The cutoff for BA Honours is higher than that of a regular BA Pass course.
Q. What is the admission process for BA in English?
A. The admission to most colleges offering BA in English is through the marks obtained in classes 10 and 12. There is a cutoff percentage for most colleges, including those under the Delhi University. Some colleges also conduct entrance examinations for students, including JNU and Christ University.
Q. What are the core subjects under BA English programme?
A. The core subjects of BA English include History Of Literature And Philology, European Classical Literature, Indian Writing In English, British Poetry And Drama (14th – 17th Century), American Literature, Popular Literature, British Poetry And Drama (17th – 18th Century), British Literature (18th Century), British Romantic Literature, 19th Century British Literature, Women's Writing, Early 20th Century British Literature, Modern European Drama and Postcolonial Literature.
Q. What are the elective subjects under BA English programme?
A. The elective subjects for BA English varies with each college and university. Some of these electives are Modern Indian Writing In English Translation, Literary Theory, Partition Literature, Literary Criticism, Contemporary India: Women And Empowerment, Autobiography, Environment Study, And Communicative English.
Q. What are different entrance exams for admission into BA English?
A. The entrance exams for BA English includes Delhi University Entrance Test (DUET), Jawaharlal Nehru University Entrance Examination (JNUEE), and Christ University Entrance Test (CUET).
Q. Which books from foreign authors are studied in BA English?
A. The BA in English programme includes several chapters from American and British authors in the curriculum. These authors are William Shakespeare, John Donne, Christopher Marlowe, Ernest Hemingway, Lewis Carroll, Agatha Christie, Robert Frost, Sylvia Plath, and Felicity Hughes.
Q. Which programme can I pursue after BA in English?
A. After completing the BA programme, students can opt for postgraduate courses. These include Master of Arts or MA, Master of Business Administration or MBA, Master of Mass Communication or MMC, and Master of Journalism.
Q. Who can study BA English?
A. To study the BA English programme, students must have completed their 12th standard with English as a compulsory subject. In addition, many colleges require a minimum of 55 to 60% marks in the 12th standard for admission to the programme.
Q. Is BA in English a good course?
A. BA in English is an undergraduate course focussing on English literature, writing, and communication. It is an interesting course for those who are fascinated by the English language and those who wish to widen their understanding of the subject. The scope of the course has also increased with several new-age opportunities such as content writer, social media creator, and communications expert.
Which Indian authors find a place in the curriculum of BA in English?
A. Several Indian authors are discussed in the curriculum of BA in English. These authors include R.K. Narayan, Jhumpa Lahiri, Amitav Ghosh, Rabindranath Tagore, Mulk Raj Anand, Salman Rushdie, Nayantara Sehgal, and Vikram Seth.
Q. What are the specialisations under the MA English course?
A. The specialisations available for MA in English are:
-
Linguistics
-
Literature
-
Communication Studies
-
Cultural Studies
Q. Can I study BA in English with a Science background?
A. Yes. Students with a Science background are eligible for the BA in English programme if they meet the minimum eligibility criteria. Students must have studied English in 12th standard to be eligible to apply for the programme.
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Student Forum
Answered 2 months ago
Yes you can.For most of the courses youare elligible as 50/55/60 in the minimum requirement.
Most of the courses admission is direct and some may required score like CUET, CMAT, University entrance.
Also you can explore about -
- CUET
- CLAT
- Teaching as a career
- B.ed after graduation
Answered 2 months ago
Yes you can you have a great opportunity in this field
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Yes, almost every programme at the institute is taught in English. Besides, every programme has electives in addition to its core curriculum. To learn more, check the courses and fees panel of Eindhoven University of Technology at Shiksha.
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I scored 72 percent in CBSE 12th in 2024 ,Can I apply for BA hons In english In Kurukshetra University