Program Objectives

The course has been designed for addressing the demand for a research degree in English and language and literature. The contents of the course have been tailored to the needs and challenges of the academic market for teaching English at higher levels of education. On successful completion of the course, the candidates will be able to develop an argument on their own leading to MPhil in English. The core objectives of the course are:

• To equip students with research skills
• To build their confidence for critical thinking and analytical writing
• To internalize modern critical concepts such as archetypal criticism, feminism, and eco-criticism
• To link language and communication including the non-verbal dimension
• To write a well documented thesis on a self-chosen topic

Eligibility for Admission

16 years of education as MA (English Literature or Language) or MSc (Linguistics) with 45 % marks (conventional system) or 2.5 CGPA (Semester System) from an HEC recognized University, plus qualifying score in GAT.

Scheme of Courses

No. of Semester: 03
Core Courses: 12 Credit Hours
Specialization Courses: 12 Credit Hours
Thesis: 06 credit hors
Total number of credit hours 30 Credit Hours

Background:

Knowledge, research, and development combine to make a triangle for positive and productive changes in society. Research in English (literature or language) is a challenging job to pursue for personal growth and professional development, which needs mastery of many theoretical constructs and language conventions for developing one's point of view. Research in English has its impact on other sectors of education as well; because research in other disciplines is dominantly conducted in English. Teachers with a research degree in English and Communication to their credit will perform in class with confidence, polished skills, and intellectual integrity, motivating their students for innovative ways of looking at the world around them.

The objective of this course is to produce competent researchers for catering to the ever-growing needs of teaching English at schools, colleges, and universities of the country in general and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in particular. A unique feature of the program is to open avenues of research for integrating language and communication, literature and environment, literature and management, which will play a vital role in minimizing the gaps between imaginative constructs and lived experiences in real life, whether personal, official, or communal. On successful completion of the courses, five broad options are open to researchers for writing a dissertation:

1. English literature: poetry, novel, drama, short story, essay, folk and fairytales are the major genres for research from a
philosophical,p sychological ,or sociological perspective.

2. English Language (linguistics): the topic may relate to the following areas: applied linguistics, semiotics, pragmatics,
phonology, communication, pragmatics, stylistics, and discourse/content analysis.

3. Human Communication:language (verbal and n on-verbal) a satool of communication is taught at all business schools of the country, but no forum is available for research to explore the connections between language and communication and their importance in workplace. The course has been designed to offer an option to students for research in all major areas of human communication: official/professional, verbal/nonverbal, legal English, and Plain English as a new
genre.

4. Literature and Environment: The topic of environment brings to mind forests, rivers, birds, animals, weather conditions,
different types of pollution, studied under Ecology. However, scholars in the West have come up with theoretical constructs
as how to explore, analyze , and interpret literary texts from an ecological perspective called Eco-criticism. Through this course, students will be offered an opportunity to study literary texts for exploring theirs themes, settings, imagery,
and symbolism from an ecological point of view.

5. Literature and Management: At some
management schools in America, Shakespeare's plays are studied for theoretical insights to apply in management contexts, focusing on what we learn from Shakespeare's plays as leaders and managers.

Course Description: The MPhil program in English at IMSciences is divided into two semesters of 12 credit hours each for qualifying to write a dissertation (6 credit hours) on a self-chosen topic. Courses of semester-I are enclosed at Annexure-I, pp.8. Details regarding courses of
semester-II are attached at Annexure-II, pp. 11:

Semester Wise Breakup of Courses

Semester 1

Semester 2

Semester 3