Course Outline BA- English

1.Specific requirements on the part of students who can be admitted (Qualifications; prior knowledge level; any others – please specify):Should have passed Class XII , with at least 65% marks in English. English must be included in the “best of four” subjects.

2.Entrance process (test, interview, cut-offs, etc.):Cut-off

3.No. of students to be admitted (with justification if lower than usual cohort size is proposed):As per SUS norms

4.Programme scheduling (semesters; years; whether includes inter-semester breaks or not; etc.): Semesters

5.What are the intended aims of the programme? :The BA Honours in English introduces students to all aspects of the study of literature. The study of literature will be considered as the entry point for students to critically examine the worlds they inhabit.There is a deliberate attempt to move away from a study of canonical and period-wise British literature. Along with literature written in English, the programme has a strong component of translations into English of Indian and some other significant literatures across the world. The programme challenges the conventional idea of a literary text and trains students to consider cinema, songs, oral stories and paintings also as texts, which can be read from a literary perspective.

6.How does the programme link with the vision of AUD? :Keeping in view AUD’s larger objectives of engaged scholarship and concern with margins, this Programme aims to deepen the interaction of the students with the larger issues of our times and society. Literature would be taken as the point of departure for an engagement with social concerns.

7.How is the proposed programme positioned vis-à- vis the programmatic scheme envisaged for the School at its inception? How does the programme link with other programme(s) of the School? The approach of the Programme is inter-disciplinary in the hope that students majoring in English will develop a holistic perspective not only of literature but also of other related disciplines such as history, psychology, sociology, and gender studies. Students from other disciplines who take English courses bring new perspectives to reading literature and this helps in an exchange of ideas and more meaningful discussions in class.

8.Does the programme connect to, build on or overlap with any other programmes offered in the University? Is it offered in collaboration with any School/Centre at AUD (if yes, please specify the nature of collaboration)? Many of the courses are linked to MA English and CLTS courses offered by the School of Letters. A bilingual course is on offer in collaboration with Hindi faculty. Other than this, faculty from History, Sociology and Psychology are invited for occasional lectures to give a multi-dimensional perspective to students

9.How is it positioned in relation to other similar programmes in the field? Similar programmes in the field still offer predominantly British literature courses. BA Honours in English in AUD has decided to dismantle this hierarchy and seeks to decolonize literary studies. Therefore, while there are courses on British literature, many more courses focus on world literature in English translation.

10Is there a sufficiently defined body of knowledge and literature to support the programme? Yes.

11.A. What are the program specific graduate attributes?

• Knowledge of the discipline
• Capacity to engage in self-reflection and life-long learning as students engage in the study of various literary texts on their own for class presentations and group projects
• Professional skills like writing, editing and comprehension
• Creative and critical professionals as there are enough opportunities in many discipline courses to do creative work
• Confident speakers and writers
• Able to translate the knowledge gathered into real life situations

b.What are the professional trajectories that the graduates of the programme may pursue?Many of the students opt to do a BEd or an MA after a BA in English. Since English as a discipline is interdisciplinary and the BA programme at AUD is broad-based students can also choose to go for Masters in other disciplines such as Psychology, History, Sociology, Gender Studies and so on. Students can also take up jobs in publishing, journalism, advertisement, public relations, technical writing, technical editing, etc.

12.Are there sufficient in-house faculty resources available for the programme? If not, please provide an estimate of additional faculty resources required.Yes. There is a sufficient in-house faculty resources available for the programme though the programme would benefit immensely if additional faculty expertise in the areas of Linguistics and English Language Education is provided. The programme would be strengthened further if there is more faculty to offer electives.

13.Rationale for the nomenclature of the programme As per the decision of the School, and as per the conventional nomenclature.

14.

Programme Details:

Concept (attach concept note, if needed): The BA Honours in English will introduce students to all aspects of the study of literature. Along with literature written in English, the course will have a strong component of translations into English of Indian and some other literatures across the world. The study of literature will be considered as the entry point for students to critically examine the worlds they inhabit. Keeping in view AUD’s larger objectives of engaged scholarship and concern with margins, this Programme aims to deepen the interaction of the students with the larger issues of our times and society.

The approach of the Programme is inter-disciplinary to facilitate a holistic perspective not only of literature but also of other related disciplines such as history, psychology, sociology and gender studies. Of the 96 credits required to get the degree a student has to acquire a minimum of 48 credits (12 courses) through discipline-based electives. Each of these courses will be worth 4 credits. Students will be required to choose a requisite number of courses from a range of English discipline courses offered in significant areas of study. The English courses are designed to familiarize the students with the major genres of literature such as epic, drama, poetry, novel, novella, short story, non-fiction, song, lyric and film. Along with giving the students a thorough grounding in the study of literature, students will be introduced to the study of literary and cultural forms, initiate them into the study of literary theory and applied criticism, and expose them to the diverse linguistic and literary expressions existing in our society. Some elective courses will also introduce students to the ways in which literature converses with other art forms and other areas of study within the domain of social science and humanities.

 B. Objectives:The programme will enable students to appreciate literature, and its relevance and interventional ability. It will help develop in students a critical mind that can question and analyse. Students will also be exposed to various genres and forms of literature across the world, written over centuries.

C. Program outcomes:The graduate students will be able to:

• appreciate the role of literature in society
• exhibit familiarity with major literary works, genres, periods, and critical approaches to British, American, and post-colonial literatures
• employ critical reading strategies, disciplinary writing expertise, and sophisticated analytical skills in their written and oral communication
• critically and analytically read works of literature produced in different cultures during different times
• write sophisticated and original argument on a specialized topic
• gather, understand, evaluate and synthesize information from a variety of written and electronic sources

D.Overall structure (programme template with course organisation, course titles, credits, etc.):

BA Honours in English follow an all elective structure. Students are expected to do 96 credits out of which a minimum of 48 credits should be of English discipline.

15. Teaching-learning:

• Instructional strategies:Classes are interactive based on lectures, film/documentary screenings and peer discussions.
• Special needsfor the programme (instructional space: studio, lab, clinic, workshop, etc.; equipment,software, any other – please specify):Since most of the courses use visual and aural material to enhance pedagogical means, projectors, sound systems and education e-resources are used in most of the courses housed in the BA English programme.
• Linkages with external agencies (e.g., with field-based organizations, hospital; any others): NA

Signature of Programme Coordinator(s)/Convenor(s)

Note:

• Modifications on the basis of deliberations in the Board of Studies (or Research Studies Committee in the case of research programmes) and the relevant Standing Committee (SCAP/SCPVCE/SCR) shall be incorporated and the revised proposal should be submitted to the Academic Council with due recommendations.
• Core courses which are meant to be part of more than one programme, and are to be shared across Schools, need to be taken through the Boards of Studies of the respective Schools. The electives shared between more than one programme should have been approved in the Board of Studies of and taken through the SCAP/SCPVCE/SCR of the primary School.

Recommendation of the School of Studies:

Suggestions:

Signature of the Dean of the School