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Programmes Offered

Programs Offered

We are happy to put on record the fact that the courses we had designed and implemented in the past were adjudged to be among the best available within the University system in the Western region of India in the 1990s by the British Council.

Degree Programmes: 

MA State-aided (SA) 2 yrs 60 Seats
MA State-financed (SF) 2 yrs 40 Seats
MPhil State-aided & Self-financed 1 yr (min) 2 yrs (max) 6 SA + 9 SF Seats
PhD State-aided 2.5 yrs (min) for NET/NET-JRF/ 
GSET/MPhil holders; and 3 yrs (min) for others.		 Seats depend on vacancies 
with recognised Guides at any point in time

Certificate Courses: 

Advanced Certificate Course in Communication Skills in English Self-financed 03 Months per year 20 Seats
The CELT Initiative (Periodicity and funding pattern to be decided by the University) As decided by the University Six Weeks 40 Seats

Degree Programmes

Degree Programmes

Eligibility for Admission and Course Details 

MA (2 years, 4 Semesters) SA and SF      

A candidate who has passed a Bachelor’s Degree Examination in Arts with English as a Special subject (passing 22 special courses in English) will be eligible for admission to the Master’s Degree and will be permitted to offer the special subjects, which he/she had offered at the Bachelor’s Degree Examination.

Admissions will be granted only on basis of Merit keeping in mind the reservation policies of the Government of India and Government of Gujarat from time to time.

The percentage of marks obtained by the candidate in the Bachelor’s Degree would be calculated based on the Practices followed by the University/Institute from where the candidate has obtained the degree. In case the candidate is awarded Grades/CGPA instead of marks, the conversion of Grades/CGPA to percentage of marks would be based on the procedure certified by the University/Institution from where they have obtained the bachelor’s degree. In case the University/Institution does not have any scheme for converting CGPA into equivalent marks, the equivalence would be established by dividing the candidate’s obtained CGPA by the maximum possible CGPA and multiplying the result with 100.BA (English Special) with a minimum of 35 per cent marks in the aggregate in theory papers at the University Examination. Admissions to the programme are based on merit, with the merit list being prepared by the University and publicized on the University Website.

MA : CBCS Pattern                                    [For detailed Syllabus click here]

M.Phil

  • MPhil (Full time) (1 yr min. and 2 yrs max.)

MA (Entire English) with a minimum of 55 per cent marks in the aggregate at the University Examination. Admissions are based on MPhil Entrance Test conducted in the month of July every year, Interview during the Admission Counselling, and merit.  Applicants securing 50 per cent marks in the Entrance Test conducted by the Department are called for an Interview with the members of the MPhil Research Advisory Committee (RAC) of the Department. Each of them is asked to make a short oral presentation on a topic related to his/her research area/interest, giving a clear idea of ‘why’ and ‘how’ the research he/she would like to undertake is important and the amount of reading he/she might have already done on the topic thus far. They are required to bring six copies of the text of their presentation for the members of the MPhil RAC of the Department, and are required to take questions on it during the interview.

The MPhil RAC takes into account (1) the available vacancies as per UGC MPhil/PhD Guidelines 2016, and (2) the applicant’s research interest as evident in his/her presentation, to decide finally on (a) the wording and/focus of each of the accepted research topics, and (b) the allocation of a research supervisor to each one of the applicants selected for admission on merit, taking every care to adhere to the reservation policy of the Government, to the extent it may be possible. Once admitted, all scholars are required to complete one semester of obligatory coursework in Research Methodology.

  • MPhil (Full Time Course Detail)

Core Courses

Paper I: Research Methodology

Credits: 3; Weighting: 100 marks; Continuous Evaluation: 30; University Examination: 70

This course deals with both the theory of Research Methodology and considerable practical work covering various aspects of research such as gathering, sifting and organising research material/data, referencing, documentation and reporting of the research work in the form of a dissertation. It includes Library as well as empirical research work.

Course Content

  1. Library Research
  1. Definition of Literary Research
  2. Nature and Scope of Literary Research
  3. Characteristics of a Good Research Work
  4. Types of Research on Literary Topics
  5. History, Biography and Textual Criticism
  1. Empirical Research
  1. Definition and Meaning of Empirical Research and Variability
  2. The Research Design: Pre-experimental, True experimental, Quasi-experimental, Ex Post Factorial Design
  3. Sorting out and Displaying the Data after collection
  4. Analysing and Describing the Data
  5. Probability and Hypotheses Testing
  1. Different Stages in Literary Research
  1. The Research Report
  1. The Format of the Research Report
  2. Bibliography and Foot/End Notes
  3. The Mechanics of writing: Abbreviations, Punctuations, Numbers, Dates, Pagination etc.

Recommended Books:

  1. Richard D Altick. The Art of Literary Research, 3rd edition 1963, New York: W. W. Norton.
  2. F W Bateson 1972, Scholar Critic: An Introduction to Literary Research. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul.
  3. George Watson 1972. Literary Thesis. London: Oxford University Press.
  4. D S Mishra 1989. A Grammar of Literary Research. New Delhi: Harman Publications.
  5. Ralph Berry, 1996 How to write a Research Paper, London: Pergamon Press.
  6. Modern Language Association of America 1966. MLA Sheet. Revised edition. Compiled by William Riley Parker, Menasha, Wisconsin.

Paper II: Contemporary Literary Criticism and Theories

Credits: 3; Weighting: 100 marks; Continuous Evaluation: 30; University Examination: 70

  1. Critical Essays
  1. Myth, Fiction and Displacement : Northrop Frye
  2. Against Interpretation : Susan Sontag
  3. Poetry, Language and Thought : Paul Valery
  4. Archetypes of the Collective  Unconscious : C G Jung
  5. The Science of the Concrete : Claude Levi-Strauss
  6. Literature and Society : F R Leavis
  1. Current Literary Theories
  1. Marxism
  2. Structuralism
  3. Deconstruction
  4. Feminism

Recommended Reading

  1. Frank Lentrichia. After the New Criticism.
  2. Terry Eagleton, 1983. Literary Theory: An Introduction, Oxford: Basil Blackwell. 1985 rprt.
  3. Ann Jefferson and David Robey, 1982. Modern Literary Theory: A Comparative Introduction. London: Macmillan.

Paper – III: Elective Course

Credits: 3; Weighting: 100 marks; Continuous Evaluation: 30; Semester Examination: 70

IIIA: Drama

  1. Oedipus Rex :  Sophocles
  2. Hamlet :  William Shakespeare
  3. The White Devil :  John Webster
  4. Le Misanthrope :  Moliere
  5. The Tinker’s Wedding :  J M Synge
  6. Uncle Vanya :  Anton Chekov
  7. Man and Superman :  G B Shaw
  8. The Family Reunion :  T S Eliot
  9. Six Characters in Search of an Author :  J B Pirandello
  10. Waiting for Godot :  Samuel Beckett
  11. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead :  William Stoppard
  12. One-Act Plays  :  Sean O’Casey

               OR

IIIB: Applied Linguistics

Credits: 3; Weighting: 100 marks; Continuous Evaluation: 30; University Examination: 70

Course Content

  1. Relevance of Applied Linguistics
  2. Language and the Human Mind
  3. Language and Society
  4. Language and Education
  5. Language and Literature
  6. Application of the Theories

Notes

  1. Scholars registering for MPhil degree will need to choose any one of the above electives However, the faculty in the Department of English will decide the number of electives to be operated from time to time depending upon their current research interests.
  2. All these electives will have an obligatory component related to critic, analysis and practical application.
  3. The texts to be prescribed on Electives 4, 5, and 6 will be decided by the faculty of the Department of English as and when they find the need to do so.
  4. Each of the two courses and the elective course offered by a scholar will carry the weighting of 100 marks, thus taking the total to 300. A 70:30 division will continue to operate on each of these courses for University and Internal Examinations as per the decision of the university.
  1. Dissertation

Credits: 3; Weighting: 100 marks; Dissertation: 70; Viva Voce: 30

Each of the research scholars will be required to write a dissertation on a topic to be selected by him/her in consultation with the faculty.

  1. The weighting of 100 marks is earmarked for a dissertation prepared by the researcher concerned under the guidance of his/her supervisor.
  2. A 70:30 division will continue to operate on Paper IV with 70 marks set aside for the Dissertation and 30 marks for Viva-Voce Examination conducted by the university.

PhD (Full-time: 2 yrs; Part-time: 2.5 yrs after MPhil; 3 yrs without MPhil)   

MA (Entire English) and/or MPhil (English) with a minimum of 55% marks in the aggregate at the External Examination conducted by the University. Admissions are based on Entrance Test, Interview and merit. Applicants with NET-JRF/NET-L/GSET/GATE, MPhil etc are exempted from the Entrance Test. Applicants securing 50 per cent marks in the PhD Entrance Test conducted by the Department once a year in July called for an interview with the members of the PhD Research Advisory Committee (RAC) in the Department. Each of them is required to make a short oral presentation on a topic related to his/her research area/interest, giving a clear idea of ‘why’ and ‘how’ the research proposed to be undertaken is important and the amount of work they might have already put into it thus far. They are required to bring with them Six copies of the text of their presentation for the members of the PhD RAC in the Department, and take questions on it during the interview.

 The PhD RAC takes into account (1) the available vacancies, (2) the available specialisation/s, and (3) the applicant’s research interest as evident in his/her presentation and the research supervisors’ current research interest, to decide finally on (a) the wording and/focus of each of the accepted research topics, and (b) the allocation of a research supervisor to each one of the applicants selected for admission, taking care to adhere to the reservation policy of the Government of Gujarat, to the extent it may be possible. Once admitted, all scholars other than those with an MPhil degree are required to complete one semester of obligatory coursework in Research Methodology.

Coursework
Courses
Paper-I: Research and ICT Skills

Credits: 3; Weighting: 100 marks; Internal Evaluation: 30; University Examination: 70

Unit-1: Basics of Research

  1. Meaning of research, purpose of research, and types of research
  2. Definition of a research task, using information seeking strategies, locating and accessing information, analysing and synthesising it systematically, and evaluating the product
  3. The centrality of the research proposal to research, the organisation and management of research, the function of a good, and a coherent synopsis
  4. Domains of research ethics: integrity, collegiality, protection of subjects (in case of experimental research), institutional integrity, and social responsibility

Unit-2: ICT Skills in Research

  1. Computer as a generic tool (e.g. Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
  2. The World Wide Web and relevant search engines/sites for accessing relevant sites, and use of hotlinks/cross-references to other texts/sources
  3. Learning to distinguish between relevant/dependable and irrelevant/questionable information and data
  4. Creating notes by printing selected pieces of text and highlighting/annotating them; and synthesizing and summarising information under sub-headings

Unit-3: Library and Compositional Skills

  1. Using research skills for locating primary and secondary sources on the topic, and developing an understanding of the forms and features of different text types; Using contents and the index pages to identify relevant pieces of information and selection of relevant material from books, journals etc for identification and cross-referencing
  2. Using key language to screen out unnecessary information; and distinguishing between fact and opinion, bias and objectivity; Extracting relevant information quickly and efficiently through skimming and scanning, note-taking and note-making; and learning to quote appropriately; awareness of copyright issues
  3. Underlining and marginal glossing, summarising specific information in print on specific points, and taking and making good notes; Determining the purpose of a written presentation keeping the occasion and the audience in mind, selecting and narrowing the subject matter, anticipating and answering all possible questions
  4. Preparing a working annotated bibliography for self-use and use by others, offering comments on the relative importance of books and reference material; Writing the research report following the MLA Stylesheet conventions, with appropriate endnotes and works cited sections

Essential Reading

  1. Richard D Altick and John J Fenstermaker. 1993. The Art of Literary Research. 4th edition. New York: W. W. Norton.
  2. FW Bateson. 1972. Scholar Critic: An Introduction to Literary Research. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul.
  3. George Watson. 1972. Literary Thesis. London: Oxford University Press.
  4. Ralph Berry. 1996. How to Write a Research Paper. London: Pergamon Press.
  5. MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. 2009. Seventh edition. New Delhi: Affiliated East-West Press with Permission from Modern Language Association of America.

Paper II: Literary Theories and Criticism

Credits: 3; Weighting: 100 marks; Internal Evaluation: 30; University Examination: 70

1 Anglo-American New Criticism and Russian Formalism

  1. Tradition and the Individual Talent: T S Eliot
  2. Literary Criticism: Poet, Poem and Reader: Cleanth Brooks
  3. Art as Technique: Victor Shklovsky
  4. Linguistics and Poetics: Roman Jakobson

2 Modern Psychoanalytic and Feminist Criticism

  1. The Insistence of the Letter in the Unconscious: Jacques Laçan
  2. Poetic Origins and Final Phases: Harold Bloom
  3. Feminist Criticism in the Wilderness: Elain Showalter
  4. Femininity, Narrative and Psychoanalysis: Juliet Mitchell

3 Reader Response and Other recent Theories

  1. Structure, Sign and Play in the Discourse of Human Sciences: Jacques Derrida
  2. The Resistance to Theory: Paul De Man
  3. The Frankfurt School and After: Adorno & Benjamin
  4. Structuralist Marxism: Goldmann, Althusser and Macherey; and New Left Marxism: Williams, Eagleton and Jameson

References

  1. Modern Criticism and Theory: A Reader. Edited by David Lodge. Pearson
  2. A Reader’s Guide to Contemporary Literary Theory: Raman Selden, Peter Widdowson, and Peter Brooks. Pearson
  3. Modern Literary Theory. Edited by Ann Jefferson and David Robey. Barnes & Noble Books, Totowa, New Jersey
  4. Reception Theory: Robert C Holub. Methuen, London and New York

Paper-III: Research-Oriented Practical Work

Credits: 3; Weighting: 100 marks; Internal Evaluation: 30; University Examination: 70

  1. Preparation and submission of a reasonably good research proposal
  2. Review of literature available on the research topic during the semester
  3. Submission of a coherent plan for the research including strategies during the semester
  4. An individual seminar on the research plan and undertaking necessary corrective measures to overhaul the strategies planned initially
  5. Two assignments or short projects on relevant topics set by the PhD RDC
  6. Three unannounced quizzes based on the course content
  7. Submission of two Mini Projects based on the research topic
  8. Preparation of the outline of the chapters

Evaluation

The coursework done by the research scholar registered for the doctoral degree shall be evaluated by the PhD RAC. It shall be treated as pre-PhD preparation. The university shall issue appropriate certification on the recommendation of the PhD RAC. A decision on the continuance or otherwise of the research student shall depend on passing the coursework with 55% marks.

Certificate Courses

Certificate Courses

Advanced Certificate Course in Communication Skills in English (3 months)

An applicant seeking admission to the Advanced Certificate Course in Communication Skills in English should have successfully completed +2 under any stream with at least 40% marks and be enrolled for an undergraduate course/graduate from any faculty discipline from any statutorily established university/institute in the Union of India to be eligible for admission. The Centre for Training and Research in Language and Communication may conduct a test and/or an interview to ascertain his/her level of proficiency at the point of entry. 

The three-month Advanced Certificate Course in Communication Skills in English consists of three courses in all carrying a weighting of 100 marks each in the ratio of 50:50 for internal assessment and university examination respectively. The programme aims at providing course participants training in language and communication in English in order to help them develop fluency and accuracy in both language and communication. 

  • CSE-1: Communication Skills in English
  • CSE-2: Communication-related Skills; and
  • CSE-3: Individual Mini-Research Project

Course participants shall undertake an individual guided project in consultation with the faculty and complete it under the supervision and guidance of one of their instructors. Alternatively, they may choose to submit their entire term work consisting of marked quizzes, tutorials, assignments etc turned in as a part of the course requirements, and make a seminar presentation. A Viva-Voce Examination based on the individual project report or the entire term work will be held on the completion of the programme.

The CELT Project 

A Course in English for Research Scholars (Focus: Writing and Presentation)

Course Description and Goals

The course prepares MPhil and PhD scholars using English as a secondary language to write theses and dissertations that meet international standards for publication.

Objectives

  • Participants will learn to situate their original ideas within the context of the published ideas of others.
  • Participants will develop skills necessary to avoid accidental plagiarism by presenting their own ideas as related to, but clearly distinguished from, the ideas of others: Participants will correctly reference, quote, paraphrase, and cite material from outside sources in the styles accepted by the academic communities in their fields of study.
  • Participants will write clear summaries, syntheses, analyses, and evaluations of outside sources using academic structures for these genres.
  • Participants will analyze structures and techniques from published texts to use as models for improving the clarity and organization of their own writing.
  • Participants will strengthen skills in grammar, mechanics, and proofreading to produce writing that maintains the conventions of published English.

Methodology

We have designed this course as a team-taught, six-week pilot course (proposal for 4 additional credits for this awaits formal approval). This interdisciplinary course uses a combination of explicit instruction and collaborative exercises to help participants using English as a secondary language to write clear, organized, critical academic discourse. The focus of the course is preparation for writing the literature review, one of the most difficult aspects of the thesis, therefore students will first clarify their topics in relation to the literature of their fields and then practice the writing skills needed to distinguish their ideas from the published ideas of others in academic prose.

Participants should attend regular face-to-face sessions.

Recommended Reference Texts

They Say/I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing by Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein

Style manual most appropriate for the participant’s chosen field of study, such as Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association or MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers.

General topic schedule

  1. Identification of vocabulary needs using frequency-based vocabulary diagnostics. In-class individual writing: brief summary of research topic.
  2. Overview of academic research writing as academic discourse and argument (audio presentation): the relationship between research and writing and the four basic academic genres that go into argument writing. Group and class discussion of participants’ research topics in this context. Individual refinement of topics.
  3. Discussion of academic writing as a relationship between the writer and sources: the need to distinguish “what’s mine from what’s theirs” and “what’s known from what’s new” Practice exercises with in-class collaborative neutral summary. Discussion topics include the need for signal phrase referencing, identification of writer’s main idea, and proper paraphrasing and quoting.
  4. Exploration and practice of the distinction between neutral and focused summary writing. Collaborative practice writing focused summary.
  5. Discussion and practice with the genre of synthesis, the main genre used in literature reviews: Difference between summary and synthesis. Analysis of textual models of syntheses and methods of incorporating sources. Collaborative writing of synthesized definitions. Individual writing of definition synthesis relevant to participant’s field of study using citation.
  6. Analysis of textual model of synthesis and discussion of common “templates” used in academic discourse. Practice finding and using templates while avoiding plagiarism.
  7. Discussion of citation principles and requirements and revision of syntheses for adherence to the appropriate citation style for the field of study. Peer review of individual syntheses; and Discussion of class level errors and questions.
  8. Discussion of analysis and evaluation and the structures associated with them in research writing. Analysis of textual examples; Analysis and discussion of relevant structures in dissertation writing; Support in completing an outline for individual participants’ dissertations.