Bachelor in English Philology

The Bachelor in English Philology programme offers students the solid written and spoken communication skills required for workplace success in English (C1–C2), as well as the fundamentals of English linguistics, literature and the culture of English-speaking countries.

The curriculum includes a diverse range of course units that are designed to help students develop their language skills, including the advanced writing, speaking and research skills needed to become successful. Our students acquire a range of soft skills by cultivating their analytical and critical thinking, problem-solving and rhetorical abilities, while also gaining a knowledge of culture and history, which will allow them to understand the complex modern world of today.

Why choose this programme?

• The distinctive feature of the English Philology programme is its flexibility, as it offers the opportunity for students to individualise their studies in a way that best suits their interests and abilities.
• The programme allows students: 1) to specialise in different aspects of English linguistics, literature and culture; 2) to choose a minor study programme in a different field/ subject offered at Vilnius University; or 3) to combine the different courses of their main field with the general university courses offered at Vilnius University.

Graduates of the English Philology programme can:

• Analyse, synthesise, summarise and discuss the main principles underlying the structure and use of language
• Show an awareness of the different frameworks of literary and cultural theory and apply them in the analysis of a literary text
• Interpret the historical and cultural background of English-speaking countries
• Communicate in English at an advanced level (C1–C2), as well as use ESP (English for Specific Purposes) and EAP (Academic English) skills (writing reports, reviews, research papers and other genres), and apply their skills in translations
• Carry out linguistic/ literary research

A degree in English Philology can lead to a successful career in a wide variety of fields:

• Our graduates work in translation, public relations, journalism, teaching, research, literary and film criticism, content editing, marketing, law and economics while working for foreign embassies, government and European Union institutions, etc.
• An English major can also work as a private tutor or a secondary school teacher, provided he/she holds a professional teacher’s qualification, which can be acquired after completing a Minor or a post-Diploma study programme in the subject of Pedagogy (ESL).

Scope of studies: 240 ECTS credits

Length: 4 years

1st Semester

Compulsory courses

• Modern English I
• English Phonetics
• English Grammar I
• Introduction to Linguistics
• Academic Presentations in English
• Society and Culture of Great Britain

2nd Semester

Compulsory courses

• Modern English II
• English Lexicology and Lexicography
• English Grammar II
• American Society and Culture
• English Phonology
• Individual Study courses*

3rd Semester

Compulsory courses

• Modern English III
• Contemporary Linguistics Theories and Research Methods
• English Grammar III
• Ancient Literature

Optional courses

• American Short Story
• Theory of Metaphor
• Introduction to Sociolinguistics
• Novel of Ideas Utopia and Dystopia
• History of English
• Individual Study courses*

4th Semester

Compulsory courses

• Modern English IV
• Introduction to the Theory of Literature

Optional courses

• American Short Story
• Theory of Metaphor
• Introduction to Sociolinguistics
• Novel of Ideas Utopia and Dystopia
• History of English
• Individual Study courses*

5th Semester

Compulsory courses

• Literary Theory and Practice
• Introduction to Semantics

Optional courses

• Business English
• Insights into Academic Discourse
• Gothic and Horror Literature and Film
• Introduction to Psycholinguistics
• Individual Study courses*

6th Semester

Compulsory courses

• Literature of English-speaking Countries 18th-19th Centuries

Optional courses

• Seminar in English Linguistics/Literature
• Author Stance and Modality in a Cross-Linguistic Perspective
• Fictional Texts, Theoretical Models, Figurative Language
• Introduction to Pragmatics
• Media Discourse
• World Englishes
• Individual Study courses*

7th Semester

Compulsory courses

• Literature of English-speaking Countries 20th and 21st Centuries
• Writing a BA Research Paper

Optional courses

• 20th Century Drama
• Accents and Dialects of English in Great Britain
• Dimensions of Evaluation in Discourse
• Shakespeare Seminar
• Texts, Bodies, and Things in Literature
• Individual Study courses*

8th Semester

Compulsory courses

• Final Bachelor Thesis
• Professional Internship Translation/English as a foreign language teaching/Corpus Linguistics/Intercultural Communication

*Individual study courses include a list of courses students can choose from, in particular:

• 20+ languages: English, French, Lithuanian, Latvian, Estonian, Russian, Polish, Spanish, Italian, Latin, Ancient Greek, Modern Greek, Danish, Swedish, Icelandic, Finnish, Hungarian, Slovenian, Croatian, Romanian, Turkish and Georgian;
• Optional courses from the same and/or other study fields;
• General University Studies (GUS) modules covering a wide range of study fields throughout the University (for the complete list see here);
• Minor Studies in another study field.