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BA English Literature is a 3 year undergraduate program that provides in-depth knowledge of topics like English Language, English Literature, history, etc. It is one of the leading specializations in BA. .
The syllabus of BA English Literature covers a vast variety of topics including Indian Classical Literature, American Literature, European Classical Literature, History of English Literature, English Poetry and many more. This course is a combination of Drama, Literature, Prose and Poetry. This course has core subjects that students need to compulsorily study and elective subjects which the students can choose according to their interest.
Also Check: English Courses
The demand for BA English graduates is very high and also has a wide scope in a number of areas such as research, writing, journalism, and many more. Apart from that, candidates have a wide scope in the government sector such as in educational institutes, UPSC, IBPS etc. The average salary will also vary according to sector. In the private sector, the average salary ranges between INR 2 L - 4 LPA while in the public sector, the average salary is around INR 3 L- 5 LPA.
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Table of Contents
3.1 First Year
3.2 Second Year
3.3 Third Year
- BA English Literature Entrance Exam Syllabus (CUET)
- BA English Honors Syllabus (UGC)
- DU English Hons syllabus
- BA English Literature Syllabus in Presidency University
- IGNOU BA English Literature Syllabus
- BA English Literature Scope
- Top Colleges for BA English
- BA English Books
11.1 BA English Books 1st year
BA English Literature Course Details
Tabulated below in the following table is the relevant information that will be necessary for the candidates to get an overview of the subject,
| Degree | Undergraduate |
| Full form | Bachelor of Arts in English |
| Duration | 3 years |
| Age | Candidate must be minimum of 17 years or above |
| Minimum Eligibility | Candidate must have scored a minimum aggregate of 50% or above from a recognized board |
| Average Fees | INR 70,000 - 90,000 |
| Average Salary | INR 2.50 L - 5 LPA |
| Employment Roles | Teacher, Professor, Journalist, Anchor, Writer, Magazine editor, etc. |
| Employment Sectors | School, College, Media, Entertainment, etc. |
| Top Recruiters | Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Gargi College, News 18, Femina, Cosmopolitan, etc. |
BA English Literature Semester wise Syllabus
| Semester I | Semester II |
|---|---|
| Communicative English | Professional Communication |
| Language Paper I | Language Paper II |
| History of English Literature: The Pre-Chaucerian to the Augustan | History of English Literature: The Pre-Romantic to the Victorian |
| English Poetry: The Elizabethan to the Augustan | English Poetry: The Pre-Romantic to the Victorian |
| English Prose: The Elizabethan to the Victorian | English Prose: The Late-Victorian to the Modern |
| Introduction to Computing | Indian Writing in English: Fiction |
| Cultural Education I | Cultural Education II |
| Semester III | Semester IV |
| Communicative English (Advanced) | History of English Language and Phonetics |
| History of English Literature: Victorian to the Present | Indian Writing In English: Poetry |
| American Literature | Shakespeare: Comedies |
| Biography | Environmental Studies |
| English Fiction: Victorian | Elective A |
| Life Skills I | Open Elective A |
| Amrita Value Programme I | Life Skills II |
| Amrita Value Programme II | - |
| Semester V | Semester VI |
| Elements of Literary Criticism | Literary Criticism: Introduction |
| English Poetry: Modern | European Fiction |
| English Drama: Elizabethan to Victorian | English Fiction: Modern |
| Spiritual Literature | English Drama: Modern |
| Elective B | Shakespeare: Tragedies |
| Open Elective B/Live-in-Lab | Autobiography |
| Life Skills III | - |
| Canadian Literature | - |
BA English Literature Subjects
BA English Lierature subjects must be looked at before being chosen. Students will get a detailed description of the subjects below:
BA English Literature Subjects in First Year
- Communicative English- This subject focuses on teaching the candidates about how to deal with real-life interactions in the English language.
- English Poetry: The Elizabethan to the Augustan- This subject focuses on the poetry that was written from the Elizabethan age to the Augustan age. It comprises the classics of Shakespeare, Chaucer, Milton, Donne, etc.
- English Prose: The Elizabethan to the Victorian- This subject focuses on the poetry of the 15th-16th century that gained sudden attention and prominence.
See Also: English Courses After 12th
BA English Literature Subjects in Second Year
- American Literature- This subject teaches the various forms of literature like drama, prose, poetry, etc. that were a part of the American culture.
- Shakespeare: Comedies- This subject focuses on the comedies that were written by Shakespeare.
- English Fiction: Victorian- This subject deals with the fiction stories and dramas that were during the Victorian age and gained a lot of prominences.
See Also: Best English Grammar Course on Udemy
BA English Literature Subjects in Third Year
- Elements of Literary Criticism- This subject teaches about the in-depth study and analysis of the plot, setting, characters, point of view, etc.
- English Drama: Elizabethan to Victorian- This subject focuses on the dramas that were written during the Elizabethan age to the Victorian period.
- Autobiography- This subject teaches the students about the culture of autobiographies that developed and the style and purpose of autobiographies.
See Also:
BA English Literature Entrance Exam Syllabus (CUET)
| Section 1A | Section 1B |
|---|---|
| Assamese | Kashmiri |
| Kannada | French |
| Bengali | Konkani |
| Malayalam | Spanish |
| English | Boda |
| Marathi | German |
| Gujarat | Dogri |
| Odia | Nepali |
| Hindi | Maithili |
| Tamil | Persian |
| Telugu | Mainpuri |
| Urdu | Italian |
| - | Santhali |
| - | Arabic |
| - | Tibetian |
| - | Sindhi |
| - | Japanese |
| - | Russian |
| - | Chinese |
| - | sanskrit |
| Section II - Domain Specific Subjects | Section III- General Aptitude |
| American Literature | General Knowledge & Current Affairs |
| British Literature | General Mental Ability |
| Indian Classical Literature | Numerical Ability |
| Postcolonial Literature | Quantitative Reasoning including simple application of basic mathematical concepts such as arithmetic , algebra, geometry, mensuration, statistics |
| Communication Skills in English | Logical and Analytical Reasoning |
| European Literature | - |
BA English Honors Literature syllabus (UGC)
Discussed below is the syllabus of BA English Honors by UGC for your reference,
| Semester I | Semester II |
|---|---|
| British Literature 14th - 17th Century | British Literature- 18th century |
| British Literature 17th - 18th Century | Indian Writing in English |
| Academic Writing & Composition | Modern Indian Literature |
| Communication Skills in English | Environmental Studies |
| Soft skills for career Building | Basic Sanskrit |
| Semester III | Semester IV |
| British Poetry and its Criticism: 19th century | British Literature: The Early 20th Century |
| British Prose writings:19th century | European Classical Literature |
| American Literature | Women’s Writing |
| Language, literature and Culture | Language and Linguistics |
| Translation Studies | - |
| Semester V | Semester VI |
| Modern European Drama | Postcolonial Literature |
| Indian Classical Literature | Popular Literature |
| Literary Theory | Partition Literature |
| Reading world Literature | Research Methodology |
DU English Hons Literature syllabus
Discussed below is the syllabus of Bachelor of Arts in English Honors by University of Delhi for your reference,
| Semester I | Semester II |
|---|---|
| Indian Classical Literature | Indian Writing in English |
| European Classical Literature | British Poetry and Drama: 14th to 17th centuries |
| Semester III | Semester IV |
| American Literature | British Literature: 18th century |
| Popular Literature | British Romantic Literature |
| British Poetry and Drama: 17th and 18th centuries | British Literature: 19th century |
| Semester V | Semester VI |
| Women’s Writing | Modern European drama |
| British Literature: Early 20th century | Postcolonial Literatures |
Discipline Centric Elective (DSE):
- Modern Indian Writing in English Translation
- Literature of the Indian Diaspora
- British Literature: Post World War II
- Nineteenth Century European Realism
- Literary Criticism
- Science Fiction and Detective Literature
- Literature and Cinema
- World Literatures
- Literary Theory
- Partition Literature
- Research Methodology
- Travel Writing
- Autobiography
Skill Enhancement Course (SEC):
- English Language Teaching
- Soft Skills
- Translation Studies
- Creative Writing
- Business Communication
- Technical Writing
BA English Syllabus in Literature: Presidency University
Discussed below is the syllabus of Bachelor of Arts in English by Presidency College for your reference,
| Year I | Year II |
|---|---|
| Indian Classical Literature | British Literature: The Early 20th Century |
| European Classical Literature | Postcolonial Literature |
| Indian Writing In English | British Literature: Post World War II |
| British Poetry and Drama: 14th to 17th Century | Literary Theory |
| British Poetry and Drama: 17th and 18th Centuries | Literary Criticism |
| British Literature: 18th Century | Literature and Cinema |
| British Romantic Literature | - |
| British Literature : 19th Century | - |
| Year III | |
| World Literature | - |
| Research Methodology | - |
| Autobiography | - |
| Science Fiction and Defective Literature | - |
| !9th Century European Realism | - |
| Literature of the Indian Diaspora | - |
IGNOU BA English Literature syllabus
Discussed below is the syllabus of Bachelor of Arts in English by IGNOU for your reference,
| Semester I | Semester II |
|---|---|
| Indian Classical literature | Indian Writing in English |
| European Classical Literature | British Poetry and Drama: 14th to 17th Century |
| Environmental Studies | English Communication Skills |
| Indian Society: Images and Realities | Gender studies |
| Semester III | Semester IV |
| American Literature | British Literature: 18th Literature |
| Popular Literature | British Romantic Literature |
| British Poetry and Drama: 17th and 18th Centuries | British Literature: 19th Century |
| Rethinking Development | Managing stress |
| Tourism Anthropology | Psychology and Media |
| Semester V | Semester VI |
| Women’s Writing | Modern European Drama |
| British Literature: The Early 20th Century | Postcolonial Literatures |
| Understanding Prose | Understanding Poetry |
| Understanding Drama | Understanding The Novel |
BA English Literature Scope
BA English Literature is a 3-year undergraduate course that focuses on the study of English Literature, Language, their history, phonetics, drama, prose, poetry, etc. There are plenty of career opportunities after BA in English Literature. One can pursue English Literature after completing a BA. It is a 2-year postgraduate course that mainly focuses on drama, prose, poetry and linguistics.
- Masters in Journalism & Mass Communication- Journalism and Mass Communication is one of the most popular options that BA English graduates pursue after graduation. The graduates can then go ahead to work in the media, entertainment, journalism, magazine-editing, news, film-making, etc.
- MA in English- MA in English is also one of the popular options after BA English. Aspirants who wish to enter into the teaching field or aspire to become a writer often pursue this course.
- PG Diploma in Advertising and PR- This course has also interested many BA English candidates who wish to enter the PR field. Since this field has gained a lot of prominence in recent years, many candidates are showing a lot of interest in this field.
- Ph.D. in English- Candidates who aspire to become a professor in a college/university pursue this degree after completing their Master. This degree makes them eligible to teach their specialization subject in a college/university.
Top Colleges for BA English Literature
| Name of the college | Average Annual Fees (INR) |
|---|---|
| Christ University | 50,000 |
| Jai Hind College | 6000 |
| Jadavpur University | 3000 |
| Patna University | 7260 |
| Osmania University College for Women | 5900 |
| Banaras Hindu University | 5100 |
| Aligarh Muslim University | 4750 |
| University of Delhi | 6600 |
| Mumbai University | 45,000 |
| Amity University, Noida | 74,000 |
BA English Literature Books
There are many books by different authors and publishers that can be used for reference in the BA English course. These books provide great insight into the course. Some of these books have been listed below for your reference.
BA English Literature First Year Books
| Oration on the Dignity of Man, in The Portable Renaissance Reader | Pico Della Mirandola |
| The Prince | Niccolo Machiavelli |
| The Rambler, in Selected Writings: Samuel Johnson | Samuel Johnson |
| Poetics | Aristotle |
| The Republic | Plato |
BA English Literature Second Year Books
| A Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass | Frederick Douglass |
| Selected Writings of Ralph Waldo | Ralph Waldo |
| Playing in the Dark: Whiteness and Literary Imagination | Toni Morrison |
| Beyond Appearances?: Visual Practices and Ideologies in Modern India | Sumathi Ramaswamy |
| Super Culture: American Popular Culture and Europe | Leslie Fiedler |
BA English Literature Third Year Books
| An Actor Prepares | Constantin Stanislavski |
| Brecht on Theater: The Development of an Aesthetic | Bertolt Brecht |
| The Death of Tragedy | George Steiner |
| Yuganta: The End of an Epoch | Iravati Karve |
| Black Skin, White Masks | Franz Fanon |
BA English Literature Syllabus: FAQs
Ques. What are the subjects that one studies in the first year of BA English?
Ans. The subjects that one will study in the first year of BA English are:
- Indian Classical Literature
- European Classical Literature
- Indian Writing in English
- British Poetry and Drama: 14th to 17th centuries
Ques. What are the career options after pursuing BA English?
Ans. The career options after pursuing BA English are plenty.
- One can choose to study further into Masters and then Ph.D. and enter the field of lecturership.
- A candidate can also become a writer after studying BA English.
- An aspirant can also enter the field of media and journalism and pursue Masters in Journalism.
- One person can also become an editor.
Ques. What are the top colleges of BA English ?
Ans. The top college for BA English are:
- Lady Shri Ram College for Women
- Gargi College
- Miranda College
- St. Stephens College
Ques. Can I pursue UPSC after completing BA English?
Ans. Yes, one can pursue UPSC after completing BA English. The eligibility criteria for taking the UPSC exam is that the candidate must be a graduate. Anyone who has completed their graduation irrespective of the stream can pursue UPSC.
Ques. What is the eligibility criteria to pursue BA English?
Ans. The eligibility criteria to pursue BA English is:
- The candidate must have completed 10+2 from a recognized board.
- The candidate must have scored at least 50% marks in 12.
- The candidate must have cleared the necessary entrance exams.
Ques. What is the starting salary after BA English?
Ans. The starting salary after completing BA English is around INR 3-4 LPA. But the salary also depends on various factors like experience, qualification, skills, job profile, locations, etc.
Ques. What is the scope of BA English?
Ans. There is a lot of scope after BA English:
- MA in English
- MA in Journalism
- MA in English Literature
- Ph.D. in English
- M.Phil. in English
Ques. What is the minimum age at which one can pursue BA English?
Ans. Candidates aged 17 years and above are eligible for pursuing BA English provided they have completed their 10+2 from a recognized board with an aggregate of 50%.
Ques. Is it possible to go abroad after completing BA English?
Ans. Yes, one can go abroad to pursue Masters after BA English. One can also go abroad to pursue a job or internship.
Ques. Is BA English a Professional degree?
Ans. No, BA English is not a professional course but the nature of the course makes one available for a wide range of courses.
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