BA English Literature

Legendary writers like Shakespeare, Leo Tolstoy, Emily Bronte, and many others have inspired students to traverse in the field of Literature for ages. Apart from imparting knowledge on literary history, these English Literature courses provide you with a platform to delve deep into different cultures, assess difficult questions in life, improve your writing, and help you develop career skills that can be beneficial for your growth. If you are excited to know the intriguing stories about Literature, like how Kafka wrote a book in a single night, or what motivated Fernando Pessoa to attribute his writings to fictional characters with different heteronyms, then a BA in English Literature is the right degree for you! In this blog, we will discuss the scope, universities, and the importance of pursuing a BA in English Literature.

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Course Name	BA English Literature
Education Level	Bachelor’s Level
Duration	3 years
Eligibility Criteria	Passed 10+2 with English [Core Subject]
BA English Literature Jobs	Educator, Content/Script Writer, Technical Writer, Copywriter, Editor, Journalist, etc.

About BA English Literature

BA English Literature is a rigorous and intensive degree that encapsulates a variety of literary genres. The 3-year degree provides a platform to study Poetry, Drama, Novel, Prose, and History. The course gives you a broader perspective of the subject with an emphasis on each category that enables you to analyze Literature coming from different countries. The critical analysis, summarizing the work of a writer and interpreting the geniuses of poets, forms the core structure of the degree. The program educates you about the shifts in the writing pattern with time and how writers established a separate writing genre through popular movements like Realism, Post Colonialism, and Existentialism. 

Also Read: History of English Literature

Is BA English Literature a Good Course?

BA English Literature imparts basic knowledge of the English language and literature of different eras and ages. The academic course will train you to understand the key aspects of the subject, will develop an independent and creative thinking process, and will also enhance your communication skills. The teaching methods can be different, but the study curriculum of a wide range of universities remains the same. A study of English Literature allows students to explore the different eras of English composition and prominent writers in those times.

Difference Between BA English and BA English Literature

BA English is often confused with BA English literature degree program, however, there are some points that make them different. As the name suggests, BA in English Literature sheds light on the history, origin, and how the language has developed overages. Along with this, it also focuses on poems, plays, dramas, etc. On the contrary, BA English builds a strong understanding of how the English language functions so that you can use it effectively for business or technical communications. This includes basic grammar, phonetics, critical reasoning, and other facets of the language.

Also Read: BA English

BA English Literature Syllabus and Subjects

The course curriculum and syllabus of BA English Literature vary as per the institution as well as the country you are pursuing the degree from. Every country imperatively includes its history of English Literature along with covering the global literature in detail. Generally, there is a balanced combination of core and elective modules offered every semester with focus laid on central literary texts while giving you the choice to select those literary works that you are interested to study. Famous literary works of John Milton, Chaucer, Shakespeare, Charles Dickens, amongst others form an integral part of the BA English syllabus. Take a look at the key subjects covered during BA in English Literature syllabus:

• Victorian Literature
• American Literature
• Readings in Gender and Sexuality
• History of English Literature
• African-American Literature
• Women’s Writings
• Creative Writing
• English Poetry
• Contemporary Fiction
• European Literature
• Canadian Literature
• Renaissance Texts
• Research & Criticism
• Literature, Language and Media

Popular Universities Abroad

A large number of universities worldwide offer exciting courses in English Literature. Below-listed are some of the prominent ones providing BA in English Literature:

University or College	Location	Program	Duration
University of Reading	UK	Art and English Literature BA (Hons)	4 years
University of Queensland	Australia	BA (Hons) English Literature	1 year
Trent University	Canada	B.A. in English Literature	3 years
University of Wollongong	Australia	Bachelor of Arts (English Literature)	3 years
University of Liverpool	UK	English Literature BA (Hons)	3 years
University College Dublin	Ireland	BA (Hons) in English Literature	4 years
Trinity College Dublin	Ireland	B.A. in English Literature	4 years
Victoria University of Wellington	New Zealand	Bachelor of Arts (BA) in English Literature	3 years
University of Pittsburgh	USA	BA in English Literature	3 years
University of Southern California	USA	Bachelor of Arts in English	4 years
Queen’s University	Canada	Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in English Language and Literature	3 years

Top Universities and Colleges in India

Here are the top universities and colleges offering BA English Literature in India:

• University of Delhi
• Banaras Hindu University
• St Stephens College, Delhi University
• St Xavier’s College, Mumbai
• Presidency University, Kolkata
• Loyola College, Chennai
• Jadhavpur University
• Jamia Millia Islamia
• Miranda House, Delhi University
• Savitribai Phule Pune University
• Aligarh Muslim University

Eligibility Criteria

Generally offered as a 3-4 year undergraduate degree, there are certain eligibility requirements that must be met by you to qualify for this bachelor’s program. Here are the major prerequisites you must keep in mind while applying for BA English Literature:

• You must have completed 10+2 education from a recognized board with the minimum percentage specified by the academic institution.
• Many universities and colleges also take your marks obtained in English into consideration.
• For those planning to study a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature abroad, you will have to provide English proficiency scores such as IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, etc.
  • If you want to study in the USA/Canada, then submitting SAT exam scores will also be a necessity.
  • You will also have to submit a lucrative SOP and LORs while applying for the program.

Note: The aforementioned eligibility requirements are only for indicative purposes. Candidates are advised to go through the official website of the university to know the specified eligibility criteria for their chosen course.

BA English Literature Books

Here are the major BA English Literature books:

• The Iliad by Homer
• Poetics by Aristotle
• The Republic by Plato
• Swami and Friends by R.K. Narayan
• Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe
• Macbeth by William Shakespeare
• The Wife of Bath’s Prologue by Geoffrey Chaucer
• Predestination and Free Will’ by John Calvin
• Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll
• The Rover by Aphra Behn
• The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli
• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Also Read: Best Novels for Students

BA English Literature Jobs

A degree in literature can open up an array of job roles for you and can fetch you a position in the majority of sectors. Though you can choose to pursue a degree in MA English, followed by a PhD in English but you can also find employment opportunities across academic institutes, media houses, advertising agencies, etc. Some of the popular BA English Literature job profiles and employment areas have been given a rundown below:

Employment Areas

• Publishing Houses
• Advertising & Digital Marketing
• Embassies
• Teaching
• Research
• Film Production Houses
• Print & Broadcast Media
• Language/Translation Departments

Job Opportunities and Salary

• Teacher: With a love for academics and the required skill set for the teaching position, graduates with a BA in English Literature can build an exciting career in the education sector. If you plan to pursue a master’s degree in English, you can look forward to becoming professors in colleges and universities. The average salary of an English teacher in India is 3.3 Lakh.
  
• Writer: If you have an innate ability to express yourself creatively in words, then you can kickstart your career as a writer after completing your bachelor’s degree in English literature. Various organizations take your bachelor’s degree as a prerequisite to apply for the role of a content writer, copywriter, blogger, reporter, etc. The average salary of a writer is 3.0 Lakh.

• Journalist: To become a journalist you don’t need a degree as such, but with a degree in English Literature, your English learning and writing skills are furnished that is essential to growing in the field. The average salary of an English journalist is 3.0 Lakh.

• Editor: After completing BA English Literature, you can also explore various editor jobs in top publishing houses, digital content, newspapers or magazines where you will be working on a wide range of written content, proofreading and editing it to make it comprehensive and grammatically accurate. The average salary of an English editor is 4.0 Lakh.

FAQs

Related Read

Synonyms	Adjectives
Synonyms of Waste	Adjectives that start with A
Synonyms of Jovial	Adjectives that start with B
Synonyms of Huge	Adjectives that start with C
Synonyms of Capture	Adjectives that start with D
Synonyms of Welcome	Adjectives that start with E

Whether you’re captivated by poetry, obsessed with the subtext in the novels, or take a keen linguistic interest in rap music of famous singers, a degree in BA English Literature is the ideal career choice for you. You can reach out to our counsellors at Leverage Edu, who can guide in finding the right university to start a career in English. Call us immediately at 1800 57 2000 for a free 30-minute counselling session.