Undergraduate students must complete four years, or otherwise, 8 semesters of study, and accumulate a total of 114 credits by taking 38 courses (3 academic credits per course). 30 of these courses are offered by the two Departments of our Faculty and 8 by other Departments of the School of Philosophy. Out of the 38 courses our students are required to take in order to get their degree, 20 are compulsory and 18 are electives.
Most compulsory courses are offered to students during the first two years of studies; in year 3 and 4, students take option courses across literary studies and linguistics.
During the basic programme of studies, courses aim at introducing students to all the disciplines covered by our Department. Specifically, students are acquainted with the most important movements in English and American thought, and with literary works of all genres which have formed the English and American literary tradition from its inception up to today. Moreover, they are exposed to all levels of language analysis and to the theory and practice of translation, subjects which will allow them to deal with academic as well as other discourses and various genres of English.
From the total number of 18 elective courses, students should choose 14 out of those offered by our Faculty in the last two years of specialised study, and 4 out of those offered by other Departments of the School of Philosophy during the first two years of study. Of the 14 courses chosen from those offered by the Faculty, at least 8 must be courses in the area they are majoring. The decision as to which courses each Department will offer every year is arrived upon on the basis of Department planning and in accordance with the specific goals of the programme of studies, but the curriculum plan must be approved by the General Assembly of the Faculty.
Elective courses offered to students majoring or minoring in linguistics aim at providing students with specialised knowledge in the various areas of linguistic study and research mentioned above, at preparing them for postgraduate studies in the field of Linguistics and at training them as language study and didactics professionals.
Elective courses offered to students majoring or minoring in literary and cultural studies aim at providing students with the specialised knowledge they need in order to deal critically with anglophone literature and culture, to develop intercultural awareness, their aesthetic appreciation of texts and other cultural products. Moreover, they aim at preparing students for postgraduate studies in the field and at training them as professionals in English language education.
During their last two years of study, students of both Departments are required to go through an initial teacher education programme which prepares them as teachers of English as a foreign language.
Classes take the form of lectures or seminars and are assessed by final exams and coursework. The academic year is divided into two terms or semesters. Winter semester usually begins in October and ends in mid-January, while Spring semester begins in February and ends in late May. Each semester is followed by an examination period of approximately twenty days (February and June). A re-sit examination period is scheduled in September.