BA English Literature Syllabus, Subjects, Semester Wise, Year Wise, Core Subjects, Elective, Books

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.

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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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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. 

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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. 

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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. 

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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 

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. 

Bachelor of Arts [BA] (English Literature) : 33 answered questions

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Ques. What is the scope of English Hons from DU?

● Top Answer By Shradhha Agarwal on 07 Oct 22

Ans. If you want to do English Hons at DU, you should have a good XII grade point average. If you have a talent for it, an interest in it, and have been successful at it, please go ahead and hone your knowledge of Literature. In terms of scope, after Hons with good division, you have a lot of options.  You could try your hand at publishing and work for companies like Oxford, Tata McGraw Hill Elsevier, Sage, and others. You could work in editing or marketing and have the opportunity to meet authors and develop marketing skills for book sales. After completing Hons, you may pursue a career in journalism or mass communication. You can also pursue a Masters in Public Relations, and a plethora of opportunities will open up to you once you complete the Hons course. You can earn a master's degree in a related field and sit for the civil service exam. You can also join MNCs if you develop other skills for the relevant assignment. Remember that it is a difficult course, but it is well worth it.Read more
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Ques. How easy is the entrance examination conducted by EFLU Hyderabad for getting into English Hons.?

● Top Answer By Prabhas Sengupta on 16 Jul 21

Ans. The entrance examination conducted by EFLU Hyderabad is not easy for English Honours because there are more than 20 centers where this test takes place. There are certain reservations as well which add up to 50% of all the seats. Even if we don’t consider these numbers, the level of competition will be a real challenge. Also, it is not called BA honors, it is just BA English. One great advantage that you have is that you get to learn a foreign language consecutively for two years. The language that you opt for depends on the merit scored by you in the entrance exam. Spanish and French are usually in good demand. The admission process for this year has been completed. This is not to discourage the students from taking admission but it is important to state the facts. Campuses at Lucknow and Shillong also offer such courses where competition is relatively less. You cannot transfer from one campus to another. If you prepare according to the previous years’ question papers and have a good command of English, then it is not that difficult to get into EFLU.Read more
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Ques. What is it like to do English Hons from Delhi University?

● Top Answer By Manav Batra on 25 Oct 21

Ans. If you are a reading enthusiast and loves to write with a great hold of Grammar, go for English Hons. You should not choose this as your 2nd option because the course is very hectic and requires a lot of concentration and interest.  English Hons is often misunderstood only with British Literature which is not true. You will be reading literature around the world including American, African, European, and Indian.  You must be regular to lectures as they are highly recommended. The faculty at Delhi University for this course is exceptional and their teachings should not be missed. You may find everything online but attending classes has its own advantages.  You will definitely enjoy your experience in the classes while interacting with teachers. It is important to note that your attendance will play a major role in internal assessment.Read more
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Ques. I am planning to enroll in a BA English course in IGNOU. What is the procedure of the whole course and important things that I should follow?

● Top Answer By Rahul Sinha on 19 Oct 22

Ans. Opt for this course only if you are into novels and literature. Otherwise, it will be a monotonous ride. If you are planning to pursue BA English at IGNOU, you can conveniently work full time alongside. Instead of attending full-time classes, just sitting for a few will do it. Get your study material and go through it regularly. Don’t forget to apply for term-end exams. Exam applications come around March for the July exams.  You must also submit your assignment at the study centre before the last date. The questions for the assignment can be found on the IGNOU website as well as the study centre. Before the 2nd and 3rd years consult your study centre and choose your desired course and register for it. Lastly, keep in constant touch with your study centre for regular updates.Read more
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Ques. How do I apply for a foreign language course in DU?

● Top Answer By Saloni on 10 Oct 22

Ans. Admission to foreign language courses at Delhi University is relatively simple. You must investigate which colleges offer such courses and which languages are available. You should make a list of colleges that you will be comfortable in based on your requirements and the faculty. Once you have a list, go to each college's website and look for all of the information there. The date of form distribution, the application deadline, the fee structure, time slots, and other pertinent information. You can fill out the form online and then keep checking the site for the list. Once the list is published, you must check your name to see if it is on it, and if it is, you must go to the respective college with all of your documents in hard copy. They'll check your documents, and if everything checks out, you'll be seated. After you've been admitted, you must pay the fees online within a certain number of days. Following payment, you will receive an email confirming your registration as a language student. The forms are usually available in June and July, and there is a minimum fee for the form.Read more
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Bachelor of Arts [BA] (English Literature) Colleges IN INDIA

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Presidency College
Chennai, Tamil Nadu
1.25 K first year fees
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41.25 K first year fees
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60 K first year fees
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Queen Mary's College
Chennai, Tamil Nadu
1.51 K first year fees
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Andhra Loyola College - [ALC]
Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh
1.52 K first year fees
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