Universities and Online Degrees Guide

University of the Witwatersrand

Bachelor of Arts in English Literature

The Bachelor of Arts in English Literature in Language and Culture Studies is offered by University of the Witwatersrand.

Program Length: 3 YEARS.

Bachelor of Arts in English Literature offered by the University of the Wirwatersrand

The study of English literature and its vast range of texts and contexts – novels, poems, plays and films from five continents and ten centuries – opens up a world of human experience, and offers opportunities to master the world’s most widely spoken and influential language.

A major in English can be combined with a wide range of other courses. 

Courses give students access to a collection of literatures written in English. They foster various approaches to textual analysis and criticism while exploring the relations between literary works and their social, historical or cultural contexts. Studying English Literature at Wits prepares one for a wide range of careers in communicative professions.

Reading, thinking and writing about literature challenges our understanding and stimulates our creativity in a wide variety of ways. English focuses on and develops important academic skills that you will be required to use in all your subjects at university. For this reason, English is considered by many people to be an integral component of a Humanities degree.

Aside from the obvious career in teaching English and literature in English and cognate courses both locally and internationally, English involves content and skills which are vital for careers in writing, research, journalism, editing, publishing, management, human resources, public relations and so on.

Wits English has a good reputation and our graduates are highly sought after by all manner of businesses ranging from small businesses to corporations and governments. 

The skills of communication, comprehension and critical thinking that you gain through your study of English will contribute to your performance in other subjects and are useful in almost any professional field.

English majors have entered the arts, journalism, law and advertising, where many have gained notable success. The corporate world is always looking for well-informed, articulate people with a creative approach to problems, and English graduates fit the bill. Some of our alumni are working in publishing and the diplomatic world; others are successful writers, while many are teachers in one context or another.