??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????Department of English

The Department of English Studies at Stellenbosch 肆客足球 offers a dynamic and interdisciplinary programme in literary, film, and cultural studies alongside creative writing. Drawing on the Cape's rich history as a crossroads of diverse cultures, the department critically examines how texts, representation, and identity are shaped across different histories, geographies, and communities. Its curriculum embraces transformative encounters through works by authors such as Akwaeke Emezi, Abdulrazak Gurnah, and Caribbean poets, challenging conventional perspectives on race, culture, and gender. This approach not only deepens students' understanding of literature as a vehicle for thought, expression, and action but also equips them with critical thinking skills applicable to careers in media, education, NGOs, public service, and law, all while engaging with pressing social issues like economic and racial disparities.

The department also prides itself on a collegial and inclusive research community that unites staff, students, and visiting scholars in innovative scholarship. Undergraduate core courses guide students across periods, genres, and geographies with an emphasis on postcolonial and cultural studies, enriched by small-group seminars and hybrid learning initiatives that foster global dialogue, including collaborations with peers in India and the UK. Advanced programmes at the Honours and postgraduate levels build on these foundations through intensive coursework in twentieth-century theory, research methodologies, and specialized topics such as East African literature, ecocriticism, and narrative theory.?

The one-year, residential BAHons programme consists of (i) eight taught elective seminars spread over the first three terms (75% of the final mark) and (ii) one long research essay spread across the year and completed in the class-free fourth term (25% of the final mark). Each taught component meets for a weekly two-hour seminar over six weeks. These courses cover a wide range of texts and topics related to the Department's research foci.?

Course Codes

• 53880: Elective seminars course work) 773 (90 credits)
• 12880: Research assignment 774 (30 credits)

The entrance requirement is 65% in English 3 (or a suitable cognate discipline). 

At present, Master's study in the English Department is available in two forms:

• a research thesis of approximately 50 000 words on an academic topic ;
• a thesis comprising an original creative work, plus a reflective scholarly component. (Together, these must comprise 50 000 words.)
  

While there is no coursework on offer, MA students are part of an integrated postgraduate cohort, involved in weekly seminars, reading and writing groups, and training in research methods.?

The Doctorate involves the completion, to the satisfaction of internal and external examiners, of a dissertation of 80 000 words on a topic selected by the student in consultation with the Department. The dissertation is written under the supervision of members of the Department. Students structure their programmes individually, in consultation with supervisors, and according to the demands of the research topic. Note that the PhD may also take the form of an original creative work, plus a reflective scholarly component.

The Department has identified a number of strategic Research Focus Areas, and all graduate students are encouraged to situate their research within these foci. However, they are also enabled by our wide staff expertise to undertake research within the broad field of literary and cultural studies in English. Prospective students should consult the departmental ?research page for the full range of staff research and supervision areas.

In addition to full time staff, Professors Emeritus and Extraordinaire may also be available to co-supervise theses. Entrance requirements and contact details are available on the departmental homepage.??

POSTGRADUATE QUALIFICATIONS?

• BAHons (English Studies)