The study of English Literature at SLASS differs from the course offerings of other national institutions in one crucial way: the rigorous creative and critical approaches our diverse and vibrant faculty provide to the study of canonical and contemporary texts. At both the undergraduate and graduate levels, the Department of Liberal Arts insists on close readings of primary and secondary texts, fostering analytical thinking, critique and creative expression together in a dynamic programme that is both the study of the art and the art itself.

The Masters degree in English Literature consists of rigorous two-year specialized and interdisciplinary courses of academic study, which focuses on enabling students to think, analyze and theorize critically—and to translate this into progressively advanced creative and critical text of their own. We encourage our graduate students to cultivate an appreciation for text on its own merit, but also to appreciate, critique and generate original text in light of a broad grounding in various perspectives. Our graduate students are expected, therefore, to draw upon a wide range of theoretical and creative frames of reading and writing, creating and critiquing art. The program culminates in a supervised thesis project which passes through internal-external faculty critiques.

Course of Study

Year 1, Semester I

Year 1, Semester II

Year 2, Semester III

Year 2, Semester IV

Please Note: The course of study for the MA programme above and BA programme below offer general guidelines. All courses may not be on offer every year or in the sequence listed. New courses are also added every year as the programme continues to evolve.

Masters Thesis: The MA Literature degree is capped with the submission of a 12,000 to 15,000 word original research project due end-September. Only students who secure an overall B grade (CGPA of 3) during the Masters programme are allowed to proceed to the dissertation stage. Students whose overall grade is below B may be advised by the HOD to take an exam worth 10 credits in June. All dissertations are overseen and examined by an internal and external supervisor—chosen in consultation with the HOD.

Admission Requirements

1. BA /BSc from a recognized Pakistani or foreign institution, or equivalent.
2. Securing 2nd division or better from a recognized national institution.
3. On-site written test and interview for short-listed candidates.

Degree Requirements

72 credits of course work
Cumulative GPA of at least 2.5
Masters thesis of 12,000 to 15,000 words