General Information
The mission of the Department of English Studies is to provide an internationally oriented, thematically diverse and expansive program of education in the language, literature, thought and other cultural dimensions of the Anglophone world, within an interdisciplinary framework, grounded in the Humanities and taking into account the interaction between contemporary Cypriot realities and the state of the world at large. At the same time, the Department of English Studies undertakes international research in the areas of literary and cultural studies, theoretical and applied linguistics, as well as translation studies and interpreting. It also trains in a scientifically rigorous and comprehensive fashion future researchers and professionals in the areas of language, creative writing, foreign language education and culture.
The Department of English Studies offers one undergraduate degree programme, from which successful students graduate with a BA in English Language and Literature, and a number of postgraduate degree options. These currently include MA courses in Linguistics (while more MA courses are currently designed) and, at the doctoral level, PhD research degrees in any field of a supervising faculty member's specialisation.
The Bachelor of Arts degree programme in English Language and Literature (BA in English) is designed on the basis of three different areas of specialization (tracks), which, in general, aim to help students develop the reflective awareness, characteristic of the Humanities, that problems of knowledge and truth cannot be divorced from the textual and historical conditions of their emergence.
To achieve this objective, the programme offers a wide range of courses in each of the three tracks. They include theoretical and applied linguistics, language development, research and teaching methodology, literature, history and culture, literary theory, translation theory, translation methodology, and interpreting. In addition to compulsory courses (incl. foreign-language courses and university-wide electives), students choose from a variety of departmental elective courses — small-class seminars in linguistics and literature — which change from semester to semester.
The employability prospects of the graduates include, among others, the following:
- Appointment in Secondary Education
- Employment in State training programs
- Employment in private education (private schools, language institutes)
- Appointment in the public and wider public sector of the Republic of Cyprus
- Employment in the bank sector
- Appointment in the Diplomatic Service of the Republic of Cyprus
- Employment in private companies of all kinds
- Employment in the media (print and electronic journalism, TV stations, radio stations)
- Employment in translation and interpreting professions
- Employment in publishing professions (e.g. editing, publishing)
- Professions related to theater and film (direction, management, production)
- Creative writing (writing, poetry)
- Cultural management (cultural institutions, museums, etc.)
- Further studies at graduate level (Masters and PhD).
The Department of English Studies adheres to a strong ethical code regarding the prevention and avoidance of academic misconduct. Therefore, it has produced a Policy on Academic Integrity and Misconduct. This policy is regularly disseminated to all students of the Department, both at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
English is the language of instruction in all courses, though English and Greek may be used in Translation Studies courses, due to their particular nature. Therefore, a high level of proficiency in English is required for admission to the Programme. All courses are credited in European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) points.
The infrastructure of the Department includes a modern and fully equipped Phonetics Laboratory for research and teaching purposes, an Interpreting Lab for courses in conference interpreting, a Language Teaching and Assessment Lab and a Translation Technology Lab. There is also a room with computing facilities for our students.
Below you can see some more information on the internationalisation of the Department, on some landmark events in its history, as well as a summary of its Strategic Plan. You are welcome to contact us for any queries, and stay in touch with us on Facebook!