MA in English

Masters  2 years

English is the major international language of every discipline, its value is increasing day by day. English majors are regarded as superior thinkers and team players all over the world, who tend to achieve well-paying careers and kudos.

The M.A. English courses offer students insight into literature, language, culture, and history. Besides studying required core courses that reflect the nature of the discipline, students will have the flexibility of selecting courses from different areas such as language, literature, rhetoric and humanities. While retaining the fundamental philosophy of humanities education—cultivation of humanistic values and critical thinking—this syllabus aims at developing students‘ creative, critical, and communicative skills that they need in their academic and professional life. Focus on writing, intensive study of literary genres, emphasis on interpretive and cultural theories, and the incorporation of interdisciplinary and comparative study are some of the underlying features of the courses. The syllabus requires a participatory and inquiry-based pedagogy for effective teaching and learning.

The course seeks to:

  • develop linkage between the B. A. English syllabus and the M. Phil. syllabus,
  • apply traditional and modern literary theories while reading and teaching literary texts, train students to use English for effective communication,
  • help students produce creative and critical writing, sharpen students creative and critical thinking,
  • cater to students‘ need of gaining knowledge of literature and ideas, provide flexibility to the teachers in developing courses of their interests,
  • develop courses that emphasize close reading and relationship among form, content and context, ensure application of critical theories in the interpretation of texts, and
  • adopt interdisciplinary methods and approaches, and
  • enable students to comprehend and respond to issues and problems.

Objectives:

The syllabus reflects the current trends in English Studies that have radically expanded the scope of the discipline. Taking into account the curriculum models adopted in many universities across the world, it recognizes and draws upon multiple traditions, communities, and literature. The syllabus, therefore, comprises of a productive mix of canonical and non-canonical texts, traditionally-recognized literary and semi-literary genres, and expressive artifacts from multiple cultural traditions. The goal is to enable students to read, interpret and critique texts in a wide range of modes, genres and media. The syllabus, hence, envisions the following general objectives:

  • to realign the canons and methods,
  • to stress interrelationship among literary criticism, theory and cultural studies, to foster critical and creative thinking,
  • to promote research in the humanities,
  • to give exposure to a wide range of global literary texts, and to introduce area studies.

Salient Features

Program Policies

Attendance: Six hours of absences in a course constitute grounds for failure in the course.

Plagiarism: Plagiarism refers to the appropriation of another‘s work and the unacknowledged submission or incorporation of that work as one‘s own offered for credit. Appropriation includes quoting or paraphrasing of another‘s work without giving credit thereof. In case of plagiarism, students will be penalized. Depending on the severity of the case, punishment may range from failing the assignment to expulsion from the program.

Research and Thesis

In the fourth semester, students will have an opportunity to opt for a thesis, worth 3 credits. In order to meet the thesis requirement, students will have to submit 1) Review of Literature relevant to the research topic (10-15 pages in length) and 2) a well-researched paper (20-25 pages in length) that engages with the existing scholarship and presents a persuasive argument on issues related to language, literature, culture, and/ or theory. Candidates also will have to go through an oral examination (viva voce) and defend their positions. The oral examination will consist of 25% of the total thesis grade.

Evaluation Scheme and Examinations

Course outcomes will be evaluated through a continuous internal evaluation system and end-of-semester final examinations.

Internal (continuous) Evaluation: Except for the writing-intensive courses, the internal continuous evaluation for each course comprises of 40% of the total grade, distributed as follows:

One research essay of 5-7 pages (double-spaced)

50% of Internal Grade

Mid-term examination

30% of Internal Grade

Presentation, attendance, participation, reading quizzes, etc.

20% of Internal Grade

Final Examinations: There will be final examinations for each course at the end of the semester, and they carry 60% of the total grade.

Grading System

Each course carries 3 credits with 48 teaching hours, spread over 16 weeks. The final grade for each course will be reported in a letter grade, indicated by the letters A, A-, B+, B, B-, and F. To pass a course, students must receive a B grade. The Cumulative Grade Point will be calculated on the scale of 4 as indicated below.

Letter Grades

Grade Points

Equivalent Nume rical Grade Points

Performance Remarks

A

4.0

90 and above

Distinction

A –

3.7

80-89.9

Very good

B+

3.3

70-79.9

First Division

B

3.0

60-69.9

Second Division

B –

2.7

50-59.9

Pass in individual subject

F

0

below 50

Fail

Eligibility

Individuals who have completed their bachelor’s degree in any subject from Tribhuvan University or any recognized university, with a minimum of 100 marks or equivalent, are eligible for postgraduate studies in English. Moreover, graduates from any university in a country where English is the mother tongue, with equivalent graduation level recognition from a tertiary institution, are also welcome to pursue postgraduate studies in English.

Course Structure and Teaching Program

In order for students to be awarded MA degree in English, they will have to successfully complete 20 courses, each carrying 3 credits. The courses will be offered over 4 semesters. The syllabus consists of courses, grouped under ―required‖ and ―electives.‖ While courses grouped under ―required‖ are compulsory, students will have the flexibility of selecting courses from the ―elective‖ groups. Each semester, students will have to complete 5 courses, worth 15 credits.

Curricular Structure

For SEMESTER SYSTEM

Download Curriculum of MA English Tribhuvan University.pdf

Courses Offered

The following is the list of courses offered during the entire MA program, spread over 4 semesters.

First Semester

(Required Courses)

  • ENGL 551 Introduction to Literature and Literary Analysis
  • ENGL 552 Academic Writing (I)
  • ENGL 553 Literary Criticism
  • ENGL 554 Ideas and Themes in Poetry
  • ENGL 555 Themes and Trends in Fiction

Second Semester

(Required Courses)

  • ENGL 556 History of British and American Literature
  • ENGL 557 Critical Stylistics
  • ENGL 558 Modern and Contemporary Literary Theory

(Any two courses)

  • ENGL 559 Postcolonial Studies
  • ENGL 560 Travel Writing
  • ENGL 561 Non-fiction (from the Margin)
  • ENGL 562 Literature of War, Conflict and Trauma
  • ENGL 563 Media Studies
  • ENGL 564 Environmental Literature and Criticism
  • ENGL 565 Children‘s Literature

Third Semester

(Required Courses)

  • ENGL 566 British and American Drama
  • ENGL 567 Ideas and Themes in Contemporary Poetry
  • ENGL 568 Academic Writing (II)

(Any two courses)

  • ENGL 569 Nepal Studies
  • ENGL 570 South Asian Studies
  • ENGL 571 19th century studies
  • ENGL 572 Modernist Studies
  • ENGL 573 Gender and Masculinity Studies
  • ENGL 574 Life Writing and Autobiography
  • ENGL 575 Literature and History
  • ENGL 576 Translation Studies

Fourth Semester

(Required courses)

  • ENGL 577 Experimental Fiction
  • ENGL 578 Cultural Studies
  • ENGL 579 Language and Communication

Any two courses)

  • ENGL 580 Postmodernist Studies
  • ENGL 581 Performance and Theatre Studies
  • ENGL 582 Single Author
  • ENGL 583 Economics and Literature
  • ENGL 584 Interpersonal Communications
  • ENGL 585 English Language Teaching (ELT)
  • ENGL 586 Thesis Writing

 

FOR ANNUAL SYSTEM

 

Course Structure:Master of Arts (M.A.) Programme for ENGLISH

The syllabus comprises 10 groups and the students will take one paper from each group in the two-year cycle. Campuses running M.A. programmes in English outside the Central Departmental of English can introduce only the first paper of each group from one to nine and the first three papers of group X-Tragedy. American literature and Teaching of Language and Literature. To teach other papers of any of the ten groups, prior approval should be taken from the Central Department of English. Private candidates can take only the first course of each group from one to nine and the first three papers of group X-Tragedy, American Literature and Teaching of Language and Literature. As for the thesis, Private candidates should take a prior approval from the central Department of English.

Course Structure : First Year

History of Literature ( Any One)

IEng 501-1Survey of English and American Literature100 Marks
Eng 501-2Movement / Genre Studies 
Eng 501-3Period Studies 

Critical Foundation ( Any One)

IIEng 502-1Critical Theories from Plato to the Post-modern100 Marks
Eng 502-2Critical Approaches to the study of Literature 
Eng 502-3Theories of Literature 
Eng 502-4Post-modern and Post colonial Studies 

Linguistics ( Any One)

IIIEng 503-1Stylistics100 Marks
Eng 503-2Pragmatics 
Eng 503-3Semiotics 

Writing ( Including Research Methodology (Any One)

IVEng 504-1Creative Writing100 Marks
Eng 504-2Rhetoric / Composition 
Eng 504-3Composition Studies 

Fiction (Any One)

VEng 505-1A General Survey of British and American Fiction100 Marks
Eng 505-2Fictional Genres & Themes 
Eng 505-3Short Fiction 
Eng 505-4Special Authors

Course Structure : Second Year

Poetry ( Any One)

VIEng 506-1British and American Poetry: A Survey100 Marks
Eng 506-2Poetry’s Public 
Eng 506-3Special Author(S) 
Eng 506-4Special Topics 

Drama ( Any One)

VIIEng 507-1British and American Drama: Canons and Contexts100 Marks
Eng 507-2Theatre Studies 
Eng 507-3Global Perspectives on Drama 
Eng 507-4Special Authors(S) 

Area Studies ( Any One)

VIIIEng 508-1South Asian Studies100 Marks
Eng 508-2Non-Western Studies 
Eng 508-3Comparative Studies 

Special Topics (Any One)

IXEng 509-1Intellectual History100 Marks
Eng 509-2Modernism 
Eng 509-3Colonialism and Postcolonialism

Additional Topics (Any One)

XEng 510-1Tragedy100 Marks
Eng 510-2Teaching of Language and Literature 
Eng 510-3American Literature 
Eng 510-4Children’s Literature 
Eng 510-5Environmental Literature 
Eng 510-6Gender Literature 
Eng 510-7Literature In Translation 
Eng 510-8Interdisciplinary American Studies 
Eng 510-9Media studies 
Eng 510-10Inter-Art Studies 
Eng 510-11Nepalese Studies 
Eng 510-12Cultural Studies 
Eng 510-13Thesis