The Department of English Studies offers postgraduate programmes at the master and doctoral levels, leading to an MA and PhD, respectively. All postgraduate programmes are watched over by a three-member committee, which is appointed every two years. The Committee is chaired by a Postgraduate Coordinator. The Department offers PhD degree schemes in subjects related to all research interest areas of its academic faculty. The application period for all postgraduate programmes is January 15 – April 15 of each academic year.

Admission Requirements

Postgraduate programmes at the master level (MA): All applicants for entrance in the MA programmes offered by the Department must hold a first class or upper second class degree (or equivalent) in a subject related to their proposed field of study. All candidates must be competent and fluent in English and, depending on the nature of the programme, in other relevant languages.

Postgraduate programmes at the doctoral level (PhD): Generally, applicants for admission at PhD level must hold a Master degree (or equivalent), awarded by a recognized University in a subject related to their proposed field of study; alternatively, they must show evidence of their ability to conduct research.

Although candidates need not have completed their degree at the time of application, they must have received it before they are allowed to commence the postgraduate programmes.

Number of Students to be Admitted

The total number of postgraduate students to be admitted in the postgraduate programmes of the Department is specified in the annual postgraduate announcement.

Application and Selection Procedures

For a list of items accompanying applications for MA Programmes, please refer to the respective Programme from the list below.

For a list of items accompanying applications for PhD degree schemes, please click here. For the PhD guidelines, please click here.  

Applications must be submitted to and examined by the Departmental Board. For more information on how to apply, please contact the Department’s administrative assistant, Ms Thekla Constandinou (email: constandinou.thekla@ucy.ac.cy or call +357 22 89 21 02). Candidates may be called for an interview. After internal selection, the Departmental Board submits a report to the Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, stating the Board’s decision regarding admissions. These decisions must be approved by the Faculty before they can be announced to the applicants by the Chair of the Department.

Postgraduate Programmes at MA Level

The programme is primarily designed for those interested in TEFL as an academic field and has the following main objectives:

• to offer students a solid background and deepen their knowledge in the main areas of TEFL both from a theoretical and a practical point of view;
• to enable students to become acquainted with new areas of the field (such as Computer Assisted Language Learning, alternative assessment, English as a Lingua Franca, etc.);
• to engage students in research in the field, and consequently get students interested in furthering their studies.

Course Structure

The duration of the programme is four semesters and the requirement for the MA degree is 120 ECTS points. The programme is divided into two components: three semesters of taught courses (three courses per semester, 10 ECTS units per course) and a fourth semester of research leading to an MA thesis (30 ECTS). The taught component covers the main areas of TEFL and familiarizes the student with research methodology. The thesis component provides the opportunity for the student to undertake research in a specialized area of his or her interest.

Admission Requirements and Application

Candidates must hold a degree in a subject related to their proposed field of study, such as a BA (or BEd) or a foreign language degree, and be competent in English. Competency in English can be demonstrated through a certificate from a recognized examining board. Candidates with a degree in English are exempt from this requirement. Candidates with no certificate from an established examining institution can take the Department’s English Language Proficiency Exam.

The list of items accompanying applications includes:

·         a filled-out formal application sheet (application sheets can be obtained from the Department),

·         a certified copy of the BA Degree (or an official document certifying that the student will have graduated before the start of the Programme), plus a certified copy of the BA Degree script,

·         a full CV in English,

·         the student’s initial statement of purpose (1-2 pages),

·         writing samples in English, and

·         min. 2 letters of recommendation

The candidates may also be required to participate in an interview in order to assess their suitability for the programme.

Projected number of students: at most 15

Assessment

Each taught course is usually evaluated through continuous assessment which may include a midterm exam, a final exam, a research paper and various others assignments. Students are also required to write a 15,000-word thesis on some aspect of TEFL.

Relationship to the MA in Theoretical and Applied Linguistics

Two courses (ENG 704 Trends in Applied Linguistics and ENG 702 Research Methodology) are shared with the students pursuing the MA in TEFL.

(B) MA in THEORETICAL AND APPLIED LINGUISTICS [top]

The programme is primarily designed for those interested in the scientific investigation of language and has the following main objectives:

• to offer students a solid background and deepen their knowledge in the main areas of English grammar and the structure of language;
• to enable students to become acquainted with different areas of the field (such as syntax, semantics, phonology, applied linguistics, etc.);
• to engage students in research in the field, and consequently get students interested in furthering their studies.

Course Structure

The duration of the programme is four semesters and the requirement for the MA degree is 120 ECTS points. The programme is divided into two components: three semesters of taught courses (three courses per semester, 10 ECTS units per course) and a fourth semester of research leading to an MA thesis (30 ECTS). The taught component covers the main areas of linguistics and familiarizes the student with research methodology. The thesis component provides the opportunity for the student to undertake research in a specialized area of his or her interest.

Admission Requirements and Application

Candidates must hold a degree in a subject related to their proposed field of study, such as a BA in Linguistics or a foreign language degree, and be competent in English. Competency in English can be demonstrated through a certificate from a recognized examining board. Candidates with a degree in English are exempt from this requirement. Candidates with no certificate from an established examining institution can take the Department’s English Language Proficiency Exam.

The list of items accompanying applications includes:

·         a filled-out formal application sheet (application sheets can be obtained from the Department),

·         a certified copy of the BA Degree (or an official document certifying that the student will have graduated before the start of the Programme), plus a certified copy of the BA Degree script,

·         a full CV in English,

·         the student’s initial statement of purpose (1-2 pages),

·         writing samples in English, and

·         min. 2 letters of recommendation

The candidates may also be required to participate in an interview in order to assess their suitability for the programme.

Projected number of students: at most 10

Assessment

Each taught course is usually evaluated through continuous assessment which may include a mid-term exam, a final exam, a research paper and various others assignments. Students are also required to write a 15,000-word thesis on some aspect of linguistics.

Relationship to the MA in TEFL

Two courses (ENG 704 Trends in Applied Linguistics and ENG 702 Research Methodology) are shared with the students pursuing the MA in TEFL.

 (C) MA in ENGLISH LITERATURE AND COMPARATIVE CULTURAL STUDIES [top]

List of Courses

ENG 700 Aesthetics and Literature: from Romanticism to Postmodernism

ENG 705 The Animal in Literature and Philosophy

ENG 709 Imagined Worlds: The Nineteenth Century

ENG 710 Comparative Studies in World Literature and Culture

Admission Requirements and Application

Candidates must hold a degree in a subject related to their proposed field of study and be competent in English. Competency in English can be demonstrated through a certificate from a recognized examining board. Candidates with a degree in English are exempt from this requirement. Candidates with no certificate from an established examining institution can take the Department’s English Language Proficiency Exam.

The list of items accompanying applications includes:

·         a filled-out formal application sheet (application sheets can be obtained from the Department),

·         a certified copy of the BA Degree (or an official document certifying that the student will have graduated before the start of the Programme), plus a certified copy of the BA Degree script,

·         a full CV in English,

·         the student’s initial statement of purpose (1-2 pages),

·         writing samples in English, and

·         min. 2 letters of recommendation

The candidates may also be required to participate in an interview in order to assess their suitability for the programme.

Projected number of students: at most 10

Assessment

Each taught course is usually evaluated through continuous assessment which may include a midterm exam, a final exam, a research paper and various others assignments. Students are also required to write a 15,000-word thesis on some aspect of English Literature and Comparative Cultural Studies.