Bachelor's Degree Studies (Bc.) – Matriculation 2015 and later
by Tomáš Kačer (2015)
English Language and Literature – single subject.
Curriculum:
Bachelor’s degree studies at the Department of English and American Studies are offered as single subject and double subject programs. Both programs usually last for 6 semesters, while the maximum length of studies is limited to 8 semesters.
The First Year is composed of compulsory courses introducing students into the fields of study dealt with in the following years. This year ends with a qualifying examination in English that consists of written and oral parts.
In the second stage of the Bachelor’s degree studies (2nd and 3rd years), one course is compulsory and the rest are elective. At the end of their studies, students write a Bachelor’s thesis (diploma or non-diploma) and pass the final bachelor’s state exam which consists of four written exams in literature, linguistics, cultural studies and English language (which also has an oral part).
Students are obliged to gain 4 credits in Philosophy and 2 credits in Physical Training (common courses compulsory for all students of the Faculty of Arts offered by the Department of Philosophy and the Faculty of Sports, respectively) and to meet the Faculty's criteria concerning other foreign languages (min. 4 credits).
In order to be allowed to sit for the Bachelor's exam (AJ19999) at the end of the Bachelor's degree studies, a minimum of 170 credits must be gained.
1. First Year.
a. The First Year Program of the studies of English Language and Literature is composed of compulsory courses with the following codes (34 credits total):
Fall semester
- AJ01001 Practical Language I
- AJ02001 Introduction to Linguistics
- AJ02003 English Grammar I
- AJ04000 Introduction to Literature I - lecture
- AJ04001 Introduction to Literature I
- AJ06001 Introduction to British Studies I
- AJ07001 Introduction to American Studies I
Spring semester
- AJ01002 Practical Language II
- AJ02002 Introduction to Phonetics and Phonology
- AJ02004 English Grammar II
- AJ04002 Introduction to Literature II - lecture
- AJ04003 Introduction to Literature II
- AJ06002 Introduction to British Studies II
- AJ07002 Introduction to American Studies II
b. Students who began their studies in previous years and gained less than 34 credits in the first year of studies must make up for the difference in the number of credits in the following years (see ii.e).
c. Student must pass the qualifying exam (AJ09999).
2. In 2nd and 3rd Years, students choose their own program each semester. Nevertheless, they must fulfill the following requirements:
a. Pass the compulsory courses Academic Writing (AJ13001) and Spoken Fluency (AJ11501) and finish them with exams.
b. Pass Introduction to Translation (AJ19000) and finish it with an exam.
Students without Czech or Slovak as their first language must pass course AJ12070 Introduction to Sociolinguistics (instead of the course Introduction to Translation) and finish it with an exam. However, in this case, the course will not be counted as one of the programme's three compulsory linguistic courses (see following item c).
c. Pass three linguistic courses and finish them with exams. The codes for these courses begin AJ12xxx.
d. Pass three basic literary courses and finish them with exams; two of them dealing with the history of British literature (codes AJ14000 to AJ14007) and one with the history of American literature (codes AJ15000 to AJ15002).
e. Pass three cultural studies courses and finish them with exams. The codes of these courses begin with AJ16xxx, AJ17xxx and AJ18xxx.
f. Pass the exam in English language (AJ11010), normally at the end of the 4th semester.
g. Pass the English Language Oral Proficiency Exam (AJ11020)
h. Gain at least 60 additional credits for courses offered at the Department of English and American Studies.
(The exact number of credits needed required for permission to sit for the Bachelor's exam depends on the year in which the student began their studies. Students who were enrolled in 2004 and earlier follow the Study Regulations from 2005/06.)
i. Gain at least 18 additional credits for any courses offered at Masaryk University.
The Department recommends that students acquire these 18 credits, along with the 10 credits required by University and Faculty regulations (physical education, a second foreign language and philosophy) during their first year of study.
j. Pass the Bachelor's Thesis Seminar (AJ19800, 10 credits) and write and defend a Bachelor's major (diploma) thesis (AJ19850).
The process of writing a B.A. major thesis usually lasts at least two semesters: in the first semester, the student prepares for writing and submits assignments in the electronic Thesis Seminar, and in the second semester, the student writes, finishes and hands in the thesis.
Programme Description:
The studies are divided into two main parts:
1. First year
2. Second and Third years
First Year
In the first year, the Department offers only compulsory courses. These courses are general introductions to the disciplines and topics to be studied in the later years in more detail and specificity.
Students must pass the AJ09999 Qualifying Exam at the end of the Spring semester.
Second and Third years
The choice of individual courses is to a large degree up to each student's personal decision. The offer is wide. There are dozens of courses covering various topics from which to choosethe (typically, there are 40 courses in the Fall and 30 courses in the Spring).
Below are the compulsory courses and exams:
1. AJ19000 Introduction to Translation (offered each semester)
2. AJ11010 English Language Exam (offered every semester; it is recommended that students pass the exam at the end of their second year)
3. Courses associated with the Bachelor's Diploma Thesis writing process:
- AJ19800: Bachelor's Thesis Seminar (recommended in the fifth semester)
- AJ19850: Bachelor's Thesis (recommended in the sixth semester)
4. AJ19999 Final State Exam
Optional courses offered at the Department for the second and third years (students choose from the offerings to meet the requirements regarding the compulsory courses as well as to obtain the additional credits needed as compulsory options or even options):
1. Practical English courses (PE)
2. Linguistic courses (Lg)
a) compulsory options as listed above
b) options - the offerings vary
3. Literary courses (Lt)
a) compulsory options as listed above
b) options - the offerings vary
4. Cultural Studies courses (CS)
5. Translation Studies courses (TS)
a) AJ19000 Introduction to Translation – compulsory course
b) options
6. Intensive courses – usually offered by a visiting professor in the last week of the preceding exam period, in which credit is given for 100% attendance and preparation.
7. other courses