BA in English

Our four-year undergraduate programme offers a broad and balanced study of English from the perspective of literature, creative writing, and linguistics. In literature courses, students develop an understanding of the nuances of English across cultures and time periods, while exploring the values and ideas that connect the world’s literary cultures. Creative writing courses, ranging from beginner to advanced, give students a chance to hone the craft of creative expression. In linguistics courses, students learn the structure, history, and variations of English across cultures and media, while having an opportunity to apply linguistic concepts to their own experiences with language. In all of our courses, students are encouraged to become self-directed, open-minded thinkers who are able to communicate across cultures and see from both local and global perspectives.

In an international city like Hong Kong, skills such as fluency in English, intercultural communication, critical analysis, and independent thinking are highly sought after in a variety of professions. Graduates from our department apply these and other skills in careers such as teaching, publishing, the arts, media, advertising, and journalism, as well as government, business, law, and administration.

The broad range of career paths that an English degree opens up attracts many students to our department. To increase employment options, our students often choose to combine a major in English with a minor in, for example, Business Administration, Education, Law, or Journalism. We also offer a double major with the Department of History. Our department works in close collaboration with the CUHK Career Planning and Development Centre to ensure that students are prepared for a successful career in today’s job market.

The English major is a four-year program that covers all the basic aspects of English language and literature, as well as offering an opportunity to pursue a particular area of study in depth. The first year consists of three components: communicative skills, linguistics, and literature. The main target of the first year of study is to strengthen your understanding of spoken and written English. You will explore the dimensions of English language through a variety of topics, including sound, grammar, rhetoric, society and culture. By studying major English literary texts and their place in history, you will simultaneously develop a sense of how literary histories are connected across geographical borders. The first year provides the groundwork for more specialized studies in the remaining three years, during which you may choose between courses in linguistics and/or literature. You may expand your knowledge of the practical and theoretical aspects of proficient English usage, while at the same time studying the various developments of English literature from the Renaissance to the present. Finally, in your fourth year you will work on an independent research project of your own choice (you can find more details about courses under “study scheme” or by contacting us).

Both the university and our department foster an international perspective. Many distinguished international scholars visit CUHK every year, and our department regularly hosts international academics and creative writers, which gives our students direct access to some of the world’s leading thinkers through workshops, seminars, and specialised courses.

We actively encourage students in our department to explore opportunities for international exchanges with universities in other English-speaking countries. Many of our students have benefitted from CUHK’s scholarships and exchange programs and studied at prestigious universities around the world. Faculty and staff are available to provide guidance to ensure you will have a rewarding experience abroad.

Graduates from our department may further their studies in one of our postgraduate degree programmes. Postgraduate students contribute to our department’s intellectually dynamic atmosphere and are a vital part of our commitment to excellence in teaching and research. Further details about our taught and research postgraduate degree programmes are available on the department’s webpage or by contacting us.