Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in English Literature is an Undergraduate program in English Language and Literature. It is a three year program and is available for students who have passed their Higher Secondary School Examination. This course is offered by most of the universities of India.

History of the Course

English language teaching started in India as early as the advent of missionary schools during the colonial era. University of Calcutta, established in 1857, was one of the foremost educational institutes to teach English Literature in India. Since then English literature education has formed a vital branch of the Arts and Humanities courses in India. Bachelor of Arts in English Language and Literature has remained an elite course and is a breeding ground for intellectuals since pre-independence era.

Objectives of the course

A degree in English Language and Literature helps an individual to develop thinking skills and makes them more sensitive towards the world and society. A typical graduation course in English Literature comprises of literature from various era and countries and spans novels, plays, poems and essays. In the language part a student is required to learn comprehension, acquire basic knowledge of Rhetoric and Prosody, and nuances of writing.

Duration of Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature

The ideal duration for completion of BA in English Literature is minimum 3 years. Nowadays a lot of universities have adopted the semester system. In the semester system of the program, students have to appear in six semesters, wherein, two semesters comprise one year.

Highlights for Bachelor of Arts in English

Top Colleges for B.A. in English Literature in India

Bachelor’s degree is offered by universities but is taught in respective colleges and hence it is important to select a college which has a good faculty and a remarkable history of teaching the subject. Below is a list of Top Colleges for BA English in India:

• Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Delhi University
• Loyola College, University of Madras
• St. Stephens College, University of Delhi
• St. Xavier’s College (Autonomous), Mumbai
• Miranda House, University of Delhi
• Madras Christian College, Madras University
• Hindu College, Delhi University
• Fergusson College, University of Pune

Academic Options after BA in English

For students who aspire to continue their studies after Bachelor of Arts degree in English can always go for Master of Arts in English or other Post Graduate courses in Humanities. Many Universities offer Integrated MA Courses which award an MA and PhD degree on completion after five years. Students after MA can also appear for UGC NET exam and get Junior Research Fellowship of up to 12,000 INR.  

The minimum eligibility criteria for admission to this course are 50%-60% aggregate marks in 10+2 examination with Mathematics as one of the subjects. Usually, the universities require only the best 4 subject marks to be included in the 50%-60% criteria, but mathematics must be one of those subjects.