This path of the Programme consists of a coursework and a thesis. Students must take 12 credits of required courses, 15 credits of electives, at least 3 of which must be from 700-level courses, and a thesis.

Plan B:

This path of the Programme consists of a coursework and an independent research paper. Students must take 18 credits of required courses, and 21 credits of electives.

Comprehensive Examination

Plan B

Students may register for a comprehensive examination after completing all 39 credits of coursework, including the independent research paper. They must obtain a minimum GPA of 3.00 and at least Grade B in each of the required courses.

Thesis Requirements (Plan A only)

Students must write their theses in English.

Students may register for a thesis after they have completed all compulsory courses (LT. 610, LT. 611, LT. 612, LT. 613) and at least one elective. They must also obtain a minimum GPA of 3.00 for all courses taken, and at least a B for each of the compulsory courses.

They must also have passed a foreign language test in English (TU GET) before the oral defense of their theses.

Assessment

Grades are divided into 9 bands as follows:

Curriculum

Total requirements 39 credits

Course Structure

Plan A

Required courses 12 credits
Elective courses 15 credits
Thesis 12 credits

Plan B

Required courses 18 credits
Elective courses 21 credits

List of courses

Required courses:

Plan A:

Four courses are required (12 credits): LT. 610, LT. 611, LT. 612, LT. 613.
Students must also complete LT. 800 (a thesis).

Plan B:

Six courses (18 credits) are required: LT. LT. 610, LT. 611, LT. 612, LT. 613, and LT. 700.
LT. 610 Language and Literature 3 credits
LT. 611 History of Literary Criticism 3 credits
LT. 612 Contemporary Literary Criticism 3 credits
LT. 613 Graduate Writing and Research Methodology 3 credits
LT. 700 Individual Research 6 credits

Elective Courses

LT. 624 Literature of Renaissance England 3 credits
LT. 625 Seventeenth-Century English Literature 3 credits
LT. 626 Eighteenth-Century English Literature 3 credits
LT. 627 English Romantic Literature 3 credits
LT. 628 Victorian Literature 3 credits
LT. 629 Contemporary Literature 3 credits
LT. 644 Realism in Literature 3 credits
LT. 645 The Gothic Novel 3 credits
LT. 646 Modern Poetry 3 credits
LT. 647 Modern Fiction 3 credits
LT. 648 Modern Drama 3 credits
LT. 734 Post-Colonial Literature 3 credits
LT. 735 Postmodern Literature 3 credits
LT. 744 Literary Genres 3 credits
LT. 754 William Shakespeare 3 credits
LT. 764 Seminar on American Writers 3 credits
LT. 765 Seminar on British Writers 3 credits
LT. 774 Special Topics in Literature 3 credits
LT. 775 Women in Literature 3 credits
LT. 784 Literature and Rhetoric 3 credits
LT. 785 Literature and Film 3 credits

Thesis

LT. 800 Thesis 12 credits

Course Descriptions

Core Courses

LT. 610 Language and Literature 3 credits

The course examines the relationship between the theory of language and the study of literature. Consideration will be given to the interpretation of literary texts through linguistic analysis.

LT. 611 History of Literary Criticism 3 credits

The course examines major concepts, theories and practices of literary criticism from Plato to the early twentieth century. Topics cover the status of literature and its values, literary interpretation and evaluation, etc.

LT. 612 Contemporary Literary Criticism 3 credits

The course focusses on literary theory and criticism in the twentieth century. Issues covered are textuality, authorship, readership, relationship between literature and gender, history, ideology, the institutionalisation of literary theory and criticism.

LT. 613 Graduate Writing and Research Methodology 3 credits

The course studies types of research methodology and techniques in writing research proposals and papers. Emphasis will be on methods of collecting and analysing data, practising writing papers, applying the methods and techniques learned in class.

LT. 700 Individual Research 6 credits

The course focusses on doing extensive research on topics or issues of interest under close supervision.

Electives

LT. 624 Literature of Renaissance England 3 credits

The course studies the prose and poetry of the late fifteenth and sixteenth centuries in historical and cultural contexts. Among issues to be considered are the emergence of a national literary consciousness, the influence of humanism on literature and literary criticism, literary personality, the ideas of form and style, devotional literature, gender, etc. Attention will be paid to the influence of European Renaissance texts.

LT. 625 Seventeenth-Century English Literature 3 credits

The course studies selected important texts in the light of political, intellectual, religious and cultural developments. Consideration will be paid to political and religious writings, love lyrics of the Metaphysical poets, including the ‘new’ styles of prose writing.

LT. 626 Eighteenth-Century English Literature 3 credits

The course examines the literature of England from the Restoration to the late eighteenth century in its cultural, political and social contexts. Among issues to be considered are the shift of sensibility from reason to sentiment, their interaction and the impact on the roles and forms of literature; cultural representation of gender; women’s writings; authority and transgression; the emergence of colonialism and the representation of the Other, etc.

LT. 627 English Romantic Literature 3 credits

The course studies the prose and poetry of the Romantic period in its political, social and cultural contexts. Among issues to be considered are: the definition of Romanticism, the politics of language and place, gender and authority, biography, the status and representation of the romantic writer, death and dream, nationality and identity, traveling and the foreign, Romantic Hellenism and the Gothic, etc. The course also examines the relationship between literary works and other forms of art and the influence of European Romanticism.

LT. 628 Victorian Literature 3 credits

The course examines Victorian literature in relation to the historical, scientific, intellectual and religious developments. It explores a wide range of topics such as popular culture, class and society, the Gothic and Classical Revival, gender, imperialism, aestheticism, Social Darwinism, literature of doubt and principles of literary criticism.

LT. 629 Contemporary Literature 3 credits

A study of major themes and forms in English and American Literature, including the novel, poetry and drama, from after the second World War to the present.

LT. 644 Realism in Literature 3 credits

The course examines the concept and forms of ‘Realism’ in English and American fiction, focussing on the second half of the nineteenth century to the 1920’s. It will study the writers’ engagement with the social and political changes of the time.

LT. 645 The Gothic Novel 3 credits

A study of an important literary sub-genre of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. The concepts of the Fantastic and the Supernatural will be examined, together with the importance of the genre as popular literature. The Gothic elements in romance, scientific fiction, film and children’s literature will also be considered.

LT. 646 Modern Poetry 3 credits

The course examines British and American poetry of the twentieth century, focussing on major developments of concepts and forms. Among issues to be discussed are tradition and innovation, the avant-garde, modernism and modernity, modernist lyric and epic, exile and memory, language, representation of place and subjectivity, gender, etc.

LT. 647 Modern Fiction 3 credits

The course focusses on British and American fiction written in the first half of the twentieth century. The works will be examined in relation to the historical and cultural contexts, including changes in the literary context. The search for new fictional forms and techniques will also be considered.

LT. 648 Modern Drama 3 credits

The course studies the development of modern drama from the late nineteenth century to the present. Selected plays will be examined in relation to the tradition of Western drama and to important contemporary issues. The play as mode of expression and theatrical performance will also be considered.

LT. 734 Post-Colonial Literature 3 credits

The course examines the literature written in English by writers of post-colonial countries. Attention will be paid to how they engage the tensions between the legacy of imperialism and the cultural, historical and literary traditions of their own contexts. Issues to be considered are the debate on post-colonialism, nationhood, the politics of representation in matters of language, gender, subjectivity, etc.

LT. 735 Postmodern Literature 3 credits

The course examines such ‘postmodern’ features such as pastiche, parody, eclecticism and aleatory writing in a variety of contemporary texts. Discussion will focus on the changing ideas about literary subject matter, important literary genres such as magic realism, new experiments in Drama and poetry, and other topics (e.g. consumer culture, ‘otherness’, etc.)

LT. 744 Literary Genres 3 credits

The course studies a particular genre focussing on its formation and development, its style and characteristics, as well as its modification and variation.

LT. 754 William Shakespeare 3 credits

The course studies Shakespeare’s major dramatic works through close textual reading. It examines the works in relation to the ideology and history of the period, to his contemporary dramatists, and to the development of the theatre as a cultural form. Among issues to be considered are authority and dissidence, nationhood, gender, race and class, the relevance of Shakespeare to the present, Shakespeare as performance, etc.

LT. 764 Seminar on American Writers 3 credits

The seminar focusses on the major works of one or a group of American authors. The works will be examined in relation to the social, political and religious influence. Attention will be paid to the trends of criticism on the authors.

LT. 765 Seminar on British Writers 3 credits

The seminar focusses on the major works of one or a group of British authors. The works will be examined in relation to the social, political and religious influence. Attention will be paid to the trends of criticism on the authors.

LT. 774 Special Topics in Literature 3 credits

(Pre-requisite: with instructor’s permission)

The course studies and analyses topics of interest in literature.

LT. 775 Women in Literature 3 credits

The course studies the representation of women, their roles and functions in literature of various types in relation to economic, social, political and cultural contexts.

LT. 784 Literature and Rhetoric 3 credits

The course examines presentation styles and devices used in literary texts. Attention will be given to literary rhetorical devices such as figures of speech, tropes and foregrounding. Parallels will be drawn between literary texts of different periods. Comparison will be drawn between literary texts of different periods, and between literary and non-literary texts in terms of features and intended effects.

LT. 785 Literature and Film 3 credits

The course studies the relationship between film and literature as narrative art form. It focusses on how literature undergoes transformation in the medium of film. Some basic knowledge of film studies will be introduced.

LT. 800 Thesis 12 credits

Degree Requirements

Students who have fulfilled the coursework requirements of Plan A or Plan B and achieved a minimum GPA of 3.00 and an acceptable thesis written in English (for Plan A only ) within a period of study of no more than 8 regular semesters, and who pass the University Graduate Test in English (TU GET) will be awarded the Degree of Master of Arts (English Language and Literature).