The MA Program in English Literature aims to graduate highly qualified specialists in the field of English literature to meet the needs of the Saudi society in this field. To achieve this purpose, the program offers courses aiming to provide education at a level higher than that of the BA Program. In addition, the program seeks to enrich knowledge through new researches in both English and comparative literature helping to facilitate and improve the process of   teaching the English language and literature in a way to serve the purposes of growth and education. It is worth mentioning that the study of English literature is in fact one of the most appropriate means that enriches the cultural aspects at the level of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as well as that of the whole Arab world. The program’s mission is actually consistent with those of the Department, the College and the University.

The program aims to:

• Provide graduates with academic knowledge of English literature

• Supply them with cultural background that can help them to communicate with members of other cultural groups all over the world.

• Enable them to establish mutual understanding with people belonging to the western world

• Help them to read, appreciate and analyze literary texts written in English.

• Enable them to write research papers on English literature.

• Help them to meet the requirements for various jobs like teaching at the university level, translating literary texts, analyzing English literary texts, and writing about literature in journals.

By the end of the program, students will be able to:

(First: Knowledge)

• Define English literature and its various genres in a wider context than that of the BA program.

• Recognize a selected author and a major literary topic leading them on to further researches in the field.

• Identify literary theories and their application to the interpretation and evaluation of individual texts.

• Understand Translation theories, methodologies and the different kinds of this art.

• Describe the different research methods used in the area of literature.

(Second: Skills)

• Apply relevant methods of historical and literary research and creative thinking to develop ideas in an independent manner.

• Formulate research questions and carry out an independent research about English literature in the form of a master´s thesis and related presentation with the support of academic supervision and in accordance with the norms of research ethics.

• Hold comparisons between different themes, literary styles, and literary works.

• Translate literary texts from English into Arabic and vice versa.

• Apply the various research methods in conducting a research on various topics.

(Third: Competence)

• Appraise literary texts on a basis of definite criteria.
• Argue against and for a certain literary topic.
• Appreciate others' points of views in an academic way.
• Practise communicating with other cultures and find meeting grounds with them through literary translation.

• Teaching English at all academic levels.

• Mass Media Fields.

• Journalism.

• Publication Companies.

• English Language Consultations.

• All administrative jobs that need English language and literature in both public and private sectors.

Postgraduate Student's Guide