BA English
BA English is an Undergraduate degree course, with various core subjects such as Indian Classical Literature, Popular Literature, American Literature and various other electives such as Text and Performance, Language Literature & Culture, Media and Communication Skills etc. BA English is not just restricted to regular courses but students can also pursue it through Distance mode as well.
BA English is an advanced degree course that is offered by several universities and colleges that focuses on English Literature, Cultural Studies, Rhetoric and Literary History. It is a 3 years undergraduate degree course, offered by several universities and colleges across the country. After the completion of BA English courses, students can choose to study further like MA in English or PhD in English.
BA English Course Details
BA English Full Form |
Bachelor of Arts in English |
Course Level |
Undergraduate |
BA English Course Duration |
3 years |
BA English Course Eligibility Criteria |
Students should clear class 12th board exams with 50% aggregate marks or equivalent CGPA |
BA English Course Admission Process |
Merit Based / Entrance Exams |
Areas of Employment |
Teaching, Journalism, Publishing Houses, Translators etc. |
Why pursue BA English?
Studying BA English does not require any particular reason, as it is one of the most commonly pursued courses in India. However below mentioned are a few of the top reasons that justify the choice of pursuing a BA in English,
- Improve your Language Skills: In today’s world English is one of the most commonly spoken languages globally. So a degree in English will eventually help you in getting a strong grip on the language and can also help you in landing some of the most prestigious jobs in the country.
- Lots of Flexibility and Choice with the degree: There is no hard and fast rule that after completing a Bachelor’s degree in English one has to pursue a Master’s. English stands amongst the very few subjects which after pursuing students can choose to select some other career options as well.
- Open up a Host of Career Opportunities: A degree in English will help you get a lot of interesting and exciting job opportunities in various fields such as Teaching, Translating, Language Experts, Journalism, Publishing Houses etc.
- Opportunity to Study Abroad: English is a very international area and offers a variety of modules that can be studied abroad. It is becoming increasingly common for Universities to offer a year abroad program as part of their course structure so you can tailor a degree in your traveling aspirations as well.
BA English Eligibility
Like any other Undergraduate course, BA English has a list of eligibility criteria that needs to be followed in order to enroll oneself in a good college. Below mentioned are a few of the top eligibility criteria for pursuing BA English courses,
- Students should clear class 12th board exams from a recognized board
- They should have minimum 50% aggregate marks or equivalent CGPA during their class 12th board exams
BA English Syllabus/ Subjects
BA English covers a wide range of subjects, starting from Indian Classical Literature to American Literature, European Classical Literature etc. The below mentioned table will discuss in detail the subjects that are taught in a BA English 3 years course duration
Below mentioned tables will discuss in detail the subjects taught at each semester during the entirety of the 3 years duration of BA English colleges
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 |
- |
Types of BA English Courses
BA in English courses can be pursued in various other ways apart from the regular online classes. For students who can not afford to study regular BA in English courses due to financial or any other constraints can choose from Full Time courses, Part Time Courses and Distance Education mode.
Below we will further discuss each of the types of courses for your reference
BA English Full Time
This is a full fledged on campus degree course that provides the student with all the required knowledge and skills about BA English courses.
BA English Distance Education
Distance Education is almost similar to part time courses, whereby students do not have to attend classes regularly. Apart from this, distance courses are also cost effective and have less eligibility requirements compared to a full time course. Some of the colleges / universities offering distance education for BA English Courses are IGNOU, Annamalai University, Osmania University, Karnataka State Open University etc.
BA English IGNOU
Indira Gandhi National Open University or IGNOU is amongst the top tier Universities when it comes to pursuing BA English Distance Education. The eligibility criteria and other details for pursuing BA English from IGNOU are mentioned below,
- Aspiring students should complete their class 12th board exams from a recognised board
- The BA English Distance education duration is for 3 years
- The course fee for pursuing BA English distance education from IGNOU ranges around INR 6,000
Courses to Pursue After BA English
After successfully completing BA English students can choose to pursue further studies, such as MA in English or PhD in English. The eligibility criteria for both MA in English and PhD in English are different. Below mentioned table will discuss them in detail.
1) MA in English
MA in English is a 2 years postgraduate degree course, which can be pursued by students after completing BA English. Some of the prerequisites for pursuing MA in English are,
* Students should clear their graduation in relevant field with minimum 50% aggregate marks or equivalent CGPA from a recognized university
* The average fees for studying MA in English ranges between INR 40,000 - 50,000
* Some of the top universities offering MA in English courses are University of Calcutta, Delhi University, JNU, Jamia Millia Islamia etc
* MA in English can be pursued through distance education mode as well, from colleges such as IGNOU, Osmania University, Rabindrabharati University etc.
* Some of the top scopes after completing an MA in English are working as Journalists, Teachers, Professors, Language Translators etc.
2) PhD in English
After completing an MA in English, the most attempted choice that students opt for is PhD in English. There are several colleges and universities who offer PhD in English across India, such as JNU, Calcutta University, Mumbai University etc.
The eligibility criteria for pursuing PhD in English are,
-Students should complete their Post Graduation or Masters degree in relevant subject from a recognized university with minimum 50% aggregate marks or equal CGPA
-Students from SC / ST category will get a relaxation of 5% from the total aggregate marks
BA English Admission Process
Admissions to BA English courses are done on the basis of both Entrance Exams and on the basis of Merit as well. The entrance exam questions are generally MCQ based but there might be subjective questions as well depending on the syllabus as well as on the college entrance exam pattern.
BA English Jobs
Post completing BA in English students can either choose to study further as already discussed or can choose to kick start their professional career. There are a range of career options one can choose from starting from teaching to working as a language translator. Below mentioned table will discuss them in detail.
BA English Top Recruiters
Some of the top recruiters who hire students completing BA English courses are tabulated below for your reference
Edelman |
Deloitte |
Capgemini |
Adfactors Ltd. |
TCS |
Wipro |
The Times of India |
The Telegraph |
Pearson |
BA English Job Profiles
Some of the top job profiles offered post completing BA English courses are as follows:
Job Profiles |
Job Description |
Teacher |
Teachers in schools and colleges are responsible for teaching the future generation of children; prefer to hire BA English Literature graduates. |
Content Writer |
Content writers are responsible for doing write-ups on blogs, company websites, advertisements, product descriptions and more. |
Journalist |
Journalists are hired to chase the latest news and produce quality articles for newspapers. |
Script Writer |
Scriptwriters, hired by media companies to write up scripts for television shows, movies and other forms of production. |
Proofreader |
Proofreaders are hired at publishing houses to read and correct grammar and language of write-ups produced by other writers. |
Editor |
Editors are hired to revise and review all material to be published in magazines, newspapers and also websites. |
BA English Job
The salary received post completing a BA English course are tabulated below for your reference
Job Profiles |
Teacher |
Content Writer |
Journalist |
Script Writer |
Proofreader |
Editor |
Conclusion
In conclusion, pursuing BA English after courses can significantly enhance career prospects for individuals. Language studies graduates have a wide range of career options, from teaching and editing to translation and research.