BA English Honours Syllabus and Subjects 2024

Duration: 3 Years
Avg Fees: ₹10K - 3 LPA
Sakshi Chaudhary
Sakshi Chaudhary

Updated on - Jan 19, 2024

The BA English Honours syllabus focuses on educating students in English language and literature by exploring a wide range of topics such as Popular Literature, British Literature, Post Colonial Literature, etc. The course is taught over a period of three years, divided into six semesters

BA English Hons syllabus covers core subjects like Indian Classical Literature, European Classical Literature, History Of Literature And Philology, etc., along with elective subjects like Contemporary India: Women and Empowerment, Modern European Drama, Anglo-American Writing from 1930, etc.

The BA English Honours course is taught following the course-specific curriculum and offers insights into a variety of skill-related courses needed in the field. This helps them land work in a variety of sectors, including media companies, the government, and MNCs.

Also, Check: BA Syllabus and Subjects

Semester Wise BA English Honours Syllabus

The BA English Honours syllabus includes lessons on areas like Indian literature, European literature, British literature, etc. that are significant. Candidates may choose from lists of electives offered by the English Honours Syllabus. Given below is BA English Honours syllabus outline, organized according to semester pattern.

BA English Honours First-Year Syllabus

BA English Honours 1st year syllabus covers fundamental topics like Introduction to literary theory, basic linguistic concepts, and concepts of English literature from various periods, including poetry, drama, and prose. Below is the 1st and 2nd semester English Honours syllabus:

BA English Honours Syllabus Semester 1 BA English Honours 2nd Semester Syllabus
Indian Classical Literature Indian Writing in English
European Classical Literature American Literature
History Of Literature British Poetry and Drama: 14th – 17th Centuries
Academic Writing and Composition (Elective) Environmental Studies (Elective)
English Communication (Elective) English Communication (Elective)
Scope of BA English Honours in India Courses and Career Options After BA English

BA English Hons Second-Year Syllabus

The BA English Honours second year syllabus delves into the study of literary theory, postcolonial literature, thematic studies, critical analysis and research skill.  The 3rd semester English Honours syllabus and 4th semester English Honours syllabus is given below:

BA English Honours 3rd Semester Syllabus BA English Honours 4th Semester Syllabus
Popular Literature 19th Century British Literature
British Literature: 18th Century British Literature: The Early 20th Century
British Romantic Literature Women‘s Writing
Language and Linguistics British Romantic Literature 
Business Communication (Elective) Contemporary India: Women and Empowerment (Elective)
English Language Teaching (Elective) Gender and Human Rights (Elective)

BA English Hons Third-Year Syllabus

BA English Hons 3rd year syllabus focuses on particular literary eras, genres, and themes; along with specialized areas like postcolonial literature, modern literary theory and other niche genres. The BA English honours syllabus for 5th semester and 6th semester is given below: 

BA English Honours 5th Semester Syllabus BA English Honours 6th Semester Syllabus
Modern European Drama Postcolonial Literature
Modern Indian Writing in English Translation (Elective) Partition Literature
Literature Theory and Literary Criticism (Elective) Research Methodology
British Literature: Post World War II (Elective) Dissertation

Also, Read on BA English Syllabus and Subjects

BA English Honours Subjects

The English Honours subjects are intended to encourage discussion on English writing idioms, styles, and writing patterns from a literary standpoint. The course is divided into core and elective subjects. Given below are the English honours subjects, in brief order:

BA English Honours Core Subjects

BA in English Hons core subjects focus on the study of British and American literature, literary criticism, linguistic studies, and research methodologies. Below is the list of BA English Honours syllabus core subjects:

  • Indian Classical Literature
  • European Classical Literature
  • History Of Literature And Philology
  • Indian Writing in English
  • Women's writing
  • American Literature
  • British Poetry and Drama: 14th – 17th Centuries
  • Popular Literature
  • British Literature: 18th Century
  • British Romantic Literature
  • 19th Century British Literature
  • British Literature: The Early 20th Century
  • Modern European Drama
  • Postcolonial Literature
  • Partition Literature
  • Research Methodology

BA English Honours Elective Subjects

Listed below are the elective subjects offered in the English Honours syllabus:

  • Modern Drama
  • Academic Writing and Composition
  • English Communication
  • Text and Performance 
  • Language and Linguistics
  • Business Communication
  • Social Entrepreneurship
  • Literary Theory and Literary Criticism
  • Creative Writing
  • IT Skills
  • Gender and Human Rights
  • English Language Teaching
  • Contemporary India: Women and Empowerment
Top BA English Honours Colleges in Delhi NCR Top BA English Honours Colleges in West Bengal

BA English Honours Subjects in Detail

BA English Honours syllabus includes a wide range of subjects such as Poetry, Essay Writing, Drama, Novels, Non-Fiction, Prose, History, and Plays. Some of the BA English Honours subjects are discussed below:

BA English Honours Subjects Topics Covered
Introduction to Classical Literature Indian Epic Tradition, Classical Indian Drama, Alankar/Rasa/Dharma and the Heroic, Introduction to Kalidasa.
European Classical Literature Selections from Metamorphosis, 'Bacchus' (Book III), Homer, The Iliad (Books I and II) translated by E.V. Rieu Sophocles.
American Literature Robert Frost, 'After Apple Picking', Walt Whitman, 'O Captain, My Captain', Sylvia Plath, 'Daddy', Edgar Allan Poe, 'The Purloined Letter'.
British Poetry and Drama The Stage, Court and City, Religious and Political Thought, Ideas of Love and Marriage, Poetry and Drama of 14th -17th Centuries.
Indian Writing in English Indian English, Indian English Literature and its Readership, Themes and Contexts of the Indian English Novel.
Popular Literature Coming of Age, The Canonical and the Popular, Caste, Gender and Identity, Ethics and Education in Children‘s Literature, Sense and Nonsense.

College-Wise BA English Honours Syllabus

Depending on each institution's unique programme structure and objectives, the BA English Hons syllabus 2024 varies. The BA English Hons syllabus pdf 2024 is available for download on the university website, giving students a better idea of the course that different universities provide. Below listed are the top colleges' syllabus for BA English Hons course:

Delhi University BA English Honours Syllabus

DU BA English Hons syllabus focuses on different periods of literature, such as medieval, Renaissance, Romantic, Victorian, Modern, and Contemporary literature along with imparting creative writing skills. Below listed is the semester wise BA English Hons syllabus at Delhi University:

Semester Ⅰ

Semester Ⅱ

Basics of English Literature-I English Literature-II
Indian Writing-20th Century-I Indian Writing-20th Century-II
Qualifying Language (Concurrent ) Credit Language (Concurrent)

Semester Ⅲ

Semester Ⅳ

English Literature-III English Literature-V
English Literature-IV English Literature-VI
Nineteenth-Century European Realism-I (Elective) Nineteenth-Century European Realism-II (Elective)
Classical Literature-I (Elective) Classical Literature-II (Elective)
Interdisciplinary Language-I (Concurrent) Forms of Popular Fiction-II (Elective)
Forms of Popular Fiction-I (Elective) Interdisciplinary Language-II (Concurrent)

Semester V

Semester VI

English Literature-III English Literature-V
English Literature-IV English Literature-VI
Contemporary Literature-I Contemporary Literature-II
Anglo-American Writing from 1930-I (Elective) Anglo-American Writing from 1930-II (Elective)
Literary Theory-I (Elective) Literary Theory-II (Elective)
Modern European Drama- I (Elective) Modern European Drama- II (Elective)
- Project Work

Jamia Milia Islamia University BA English Honours Syllabus

Jamia Milia Islamia BA English Hons syllabus is divided into core and CBC papers along with the Ability Enhancement Compulsory Course (AECC) and Skill Enhancement course (SEC). Below listed is the semester wise BA English Hons syllabus at Jamia Milia Islamia University:

Semester Ⅰ

Semester Ⅱ

English Literature Overview English Fiction-I
English Poetry-I  English Drama-I
Literature and Culture (CBC Paper) Understanding Women's Writing in India (CBC Paper)

Semester Ⅲ

Semester Ⅳ

English Poetry-II English Drama-II
English Fiction-II English Indian Writings
Fundamentals of Literary Criticism Post-Colonial Literature in English Basics 
Review Writing (AECC Paper) Fundamentals of Post-Colonial Criticism (CBC Paper)

Semester V

Semester VI

Indian Literatures American Literature Introduction
Literary Theory Introduction Non-Fiction Prose 
Understanding European Modernism Western Classical Literature (SEC Paper)
Northeast Literature (CBC Paper) Project Work

BA English Honours Course Structure

Incorporating extensive research and group projects that are completed throughout the year, the BA English Honours syllabus course structure is nearly the same at all universities. The list shown below comprises the BA English Honours course structure:

  • Core Subjects
  • Elective Subjects
  • Literary Theory 
  • Writing/ Translation/ Language
  • Research Project/ Thesis Submission
Top BA English Honours Colleges in Bihar Top BA English Honours Colleges in Haryana

BA English Honours Teaching Methodology and Techniques

The English Honours syllabus teaching strategies are created to provide students with learning opportunities for teamwork and communication coordination, both of which are advantageous to the students. The following given below is a list of common teaching methods:

  • Projects to enhance the hands-on experience
  • Assignments
  • Case studies Guidance
  • Learning Based on Concepts
  • Guest Lectures and Seminars
  • Semester Abroad Opportunities

BA English Honours Projects

The BA English Honours Projects provide students with the possibility to integrate what they have learned in class and apply it to their future professional careers. Several of the most common project topics are listed below:

  • To prepare a presentation on the Narratology and the Apocalypse in Dark Souls
  • To express The Materiality of the Fall in Paradise Lost in an essay
  • To make a presentation on “The President Told Us All to Go Shopping:” Late Capitalist Rupture and Immigrant Recovery in Ling Ma’s Severance
  • To explain “This is my letter to the World”: Emily Dickinson in Dramatic Performance
  • To make a review on Men on Fire: Reading Trauma and Immortality through Time in Anne Carson’s Autobiography of Red: A Novel in Verse
Top BA English Honours Colleges in Punjab Top BA English Honours Colleges in Uttar Pradesh

BA Hons English Reference Books

BA English Hons syllabus books help in understanding topics like literary periods, literary analysis and criticism, novels and prose, language and linguistics, dramatic techniques, etc.

BA Hons English books are available to students in the form of paperbacks and PDFs from many authors and publications. Some of the best BA English Honours books are:

Books Topics Covered Authors
Maple Press English Literature Romanticism, Victorian Literature, Modernism, etc. William Long
A History Of English Literature Middle English Literature, Renaissance, Romantic Poetry, etc. Lakshmi Narain Agrawal
Readings in Classical Literature Greek Tragedy, Roman Epic, Classical Philosophy, Mythology, etc. Harriet Raghunathan
A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning Metaphysical Poetry, Renaissance Literature, Poetic Devices, etc. John Donne

Also ReadBest English Grammar Books

BA English Honours Fee Structure

FAQs

Is BA English Honours a good course?

Yes, BA English Honours opens avenues to many careers ranging from civil servant to creative director to writer to name a few.

Is BA English Honours easy?

Yes, the course is quiet easy for candidates who are interested in English Language and literature.

How many subjects are there in BA English Honours?

In general, there are about 14 to 15 subjects taught in BA English Honours, but the choice of electives varies based on the university structure.

What are English Honours subjects?

The English Honours subject includes topics such as language, its history, phonetics through novels, drama, epics, poetry written by great English authors of both past and present.

What literary theories are included in the semester 1 English Honours syllabus?

Literary theories like Structuralism, Feminist Literary Theory, Poststructuralism, Psychoanalytic Literary Theory, etc., are included in BA English Honours syllabus semester 1.

Can we specialize in a particular genre or period in BA English Honours?

Yes, students can specialize in genres or periods like Shakespearean studies, postcolonial literature, modernist literature, etc.

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