B.A. English (Hons.) with Specialization in New Media

The BA English (Hons.) with New Media is a four-year honours programme that offers a comprehensive study of literature while integrating the evolving dynamics of digital media. Rooted in a strong foundation of traditional literary studies, the programme nurtures analytical thinking and interpretative skills. At the same time, it expands into areas like digital storytelling, AI-assisted writing, and multimedia content creation, allowing students to engage with literature in contemporary formats. The flexible curriculum, enriched by electives in film, digital marketing, and media studies, encourages interdisciplinary exploration, ensuring that graduates are well-equipped to navigate both literary traditions and modern communication landscapes.

Higher Studies: M.A. with specialisation in English/Mass Communication/Journalism/Women’s Studies/Library Science/all other programmes for which the eligibility is a graduate degree. Scope of Employment: Graduates have diverse career opportunities in traditional and modern fields. With a strong foundation in literary studies, they can pursue roles in teaching, editing, publishing, and academic research. Career Pathways include:
  • Content Engineer & Strategist
  • Digital Journalist & Media Professional
  • AI & Digital Copywriter
  • Film & Media Narrative Designer
  • Teacher, Editor, & Researcher
  • Civil Services & Government Roles

These are the DSCs/mandatory courses across semesters for an English major:

This course introduces students to the pleasures and possibilities of reading literature. Through poetry, fiction, drama, and non-fiction, learners explore how literary texts create meaning, evoke emotions, and reflect human experiences. The course develops close-reading skills, critical appreciation, and an awareness of literature’s aesthetic, cultural, and social significance.

This course examines the formation of literary canons and the debates surrounding them. Students engage with canonical texts alongside marginalized and alternative voices, exploring issues of inclusion, exclusion, representation, and literary value. The course encourages critical reflection on how literature is selected, preserved, and reimagined across cultures and periods.  

Covering the early phases of British literary history, this course situates major texts within their historical, social, and cultural contexts. Students explore literary developments from the medieval to the eighteenth century, examining how changing ideas, institutions, and worldviews shaped literary production and contributed to the evolution of British literature.

This course introduces students to key methods and approaches used in literary studies. It examines traditional, formalist, feminist, and postcolonial perspectives, helping learners understand how different critical frameworks shape interpretations of texts. The course develops analytical skills and provides a foundation for advanced literary research and critical inquiry.

Focusing on the nineteenth century to the contemporary period, this course explores major movements, authors, and texts in British literature. Students examine how literature responds to social change, industrialization, empire, modernity, and globalization. The course highlights the dynamic relationship between literary expression and historical transformation.

This course develops the skills necessary for understanding and appreciating poetry. Students learn to analyse imagery, symbolism, rhythm, form, sound patterns, and figurative language. Through close reading of diverse poetic traditions, the course fosters sensitivity to language and equips learners to interpret poetry with confidence and critical insight.

This course introduces influential theories and critical traditions that have shaped literary studies. Students engage with concepts from structuralism, poststructuralism, Marxism, feminism, psychoanalysis, postcolonialism, and related approaches. The course enhances analytical abilities and demonstrates how theoretical perspectives offer new ways of understanding literature and culture.

This course explores drama as both a literary and performative form. Students examine dramatic structure, characterization, dialogue, staging, and theatrical conventions. Through reading plays from different traditions and periods, learners develop an understanding of how drama reflects social realities while creating unique experiences through performance and interpretation.

This course provides an introduction to the scientific study of language. Students explore phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and sociolinguistics while examining how language functions in communication. The course develops awareness of linguistic structures, language variation, and the role of language in shaping human thought and society.

This course focuses on the analysis and appreciation of fiction in its various forms. Students study narrative techniques, plot construction, characterization, point of view, and thematic development. Through engagement with short stories and novels, the course cultivates critical reading skills and a deeper understanding of narrative representation.

This course examines the relationship between gender and literary representation. Students explore how literature reflects, challenges, and constructs ideas of gender, identity, and power. Through diverse texts and critical perspectives, the course encourages discussion of social norms, cultural expectations, and the intersections of gender with other identities.

This course introduces students to significant works of modern Indian literature written in English. It explores themes such as identity, nation, migration, caste, gender, and modernity. By studying diverse literary voices, learners gain insight into India’s social realities and the evolving landscape of Indian writing in English.

This course investigates the close relationship between literary texts and cultural practices. Students examine how literature reflects, shapes, and critiques cultural values, identities, and institutions. Drawing from various genres and contexts, the course encourages interdisciplinary thinking and a deeper understanding of literature as a cultural phenomenon.

This course explores literary responses to colonialism and its enduring legacies. Students engage with texts from formerly colonized societies that address issues of identity, resistance, displacement, hybridity, and cultural memory. The course highlights the diversity of postcolonial experiences while developing critical perspectives on power and representation.

This course examines literary and personal narratives shaped by displacement, migration, and exile. Students explore the experiences of refugees through fiction, memoirs, and testimonies, analysing themes of identity, belonging, trauma, resilience, and human rights. The course fosters empathy and critical engagement with contemporary global realities.

This course explores autobiographies, memoirs, diaries, letters, and other forms of self-representation. Students examine how individuals narrate their lives and construct identities through writing. The course addresses questions of memory, truth, subjectivity, and history while highlighting the significance of personal narratives in literary studies.

This course studies literary representations of war, violence, political unrest, and social conflict. Through diverse texts, students analyse how narratives document, interpret, and respond to experiences of struggle and resistance. The course explores themes of memory, trauma, identity, and reconciliation in contexts of conflict.

This course explores the intersections of literature, health, illness, and trauma. Students examine narratives that represent physical and mental suffering, caregiving, recovery, and resilience. Combining literary analysis with insights from the health humanities, the course fosters empathetic understanding of human experiences of vulnerability and healing.

This course examines travel writing as a literary genre that records encounters with places, cultures, and peoples. Students analyse travel narratives from different periods and perspectives, exploring issues of representation, identity, exploration, and cultural exchange. The course encourages critical reflection on movement, perception, and storytelling.

These are the optional courses the students get to choose from:

This course introduces students to the language of cinema and the critical tools required for film analysis. Exploring films from diverse traditions, learners examine narrative, visual style, sound, editing, and cultural contexts. The course develops media literacy and an appreciation of cinema as both an artistic and social practice.

This course explores the cultural, social, and political meanings of food in literature and media. Students examine how food shapes identities, memories, traditions, and power relations. Through diverse texts, the course highlights the connections between food, community, migration, class, gender, and cultural representation.

This course introduces students to Kochi as a unique cultural, historical, and literary space. Examining its multicultural heritage, urban transformations, artistic traditions, and social dynamics, learners explore how the city has been represented in texts and cultural narratives. The course fosters local awareness through interdisciplinary perspectives.

This course examines the body as a site of meaning, identity, and cultural expression. Students explore literary and theoretical perspectives on embodiment, gender, disability, beauty, health, and power. The course encourages critical engagement with how bodies are represented, regulated, and interpreted across different social contexts.

This course focuses on literary representations of marginalized communities and silenced histories. Students engage with texts that foreground voices excluded from dominant narratives, examining issues of caste, class, gender, ethnicity, and power. The course develops sensitivity to questions of representation, resistance, and social justice.

This course explores the relationship between major art movements and literary expression. Students examine how developments in visual arts influenced literary forms, themes, and aesthetics. Covering movements from Romanticism to Postmodernism, the course encourages interdisciplinary understanding of artistic innovation and cultural change across historical periods.

This course introduces the principles and practices of documentary filmmaking. Students learn about research, scripting, interviewing, filming, editing, and storytelling techniques. Combining theory with practical engagement, the course explores how documentaries represent reality, address social issues, and communicate meaningful narratives through visual media.

This course examines advertising as a cultural and communicative practice. Students analyse how advertisements construct meanings, shape consumer behaviour, and reflect social values. The course explores branding, persuasion, representation, ethics, and media strategies, enabling learners to critically evaluate advertising’s influence on contemporary society.

This course introduces contemporary creative writing practices alongside digital publishing tools and platforms. Students develop skills in writing fiction, poetry, and creative non-fiction while exploring online publishing, content creation, editing, and audience engagement. The course prepares learners for creative expression in evolving digital environments.

This course surveys significant works and movements in American literature. Students explore themes such as identity, race, democracy, individualism, migration, and social change through diverse literary voices. The course provides insight into the historical and cultural forces that have shaped American literary traditions and contemporary expressions.

This course explores literary responses to nature, environment, and ecological concerns. Students examine texts that address sustainability, environmental justice, climate change, and human–nature relationships. Drawing on ecocritical perspectives, the course encourages reflection on ecological challenges and the role of literature in fostering environmental awareness.

This course introduces students to science fiction as a literary genre that imagines alternative worlds and futures. Through novels, short stories, and films, learners explore themes such as technology, space exploration, artificial intelligence, dystopia, and humanity. The course develops critical engagement with speculative thought and innovation.

This course provides an introduction to the principles and practices of teaching English. Students explore language learning theories, teaching methodologies, lesson planning, classroom management, and assessment strategies. The course equips learners with foundational pedagogical skills and prepares them for further study or careers in language education.

This course examines drama as a performative and collaborative art form. Students explore acting, staging, performance theory, and theatrical traditions while analysing dramatic texts. Through practical and critical engagement, the course develops communication, creativity, teamwork, and an understanding of performance as cultural expression.

Students who wish to specialize in New Media study these optional elective courses (offered from semesters three to six)

This course introduces students to writing for contemporary digital platforms. Learners develop skills in creating content for websites, blogs, social media, podcasts, and multimedia environments. The course emphasizes audience engagement, digital storytelling, content strategy, and ethical communication while preparing students for diverse careers in digital media.

This course explores the creation, organization, distribution, and management of digital content across platforms. Students learn content planning, metadata management, workflow processes, and audience analytics. The course develops practical skills for managing digital resources effectively while addressing issues of accessibility, copyright, branding, and online communication.

This course introduces the application of linguistic knowledge to legal and investigative contexts. Students examine language evidence in criminal investigations, courtroom discourse, authorship attribution, and forensic analysis. The course develops analytical skills for understanding how language functions in legal settings and contributes to justice and communication.

This course explores the intersection of creative writing and artificial intelligence. Students learn to use generative AI tools as collaborators in producing fiction, poetry, scripts, and digital narratives. The course critically examines creativity, authorship, ethics, originality, and the transformative role of AI in contemporary literary production.

This course introduces the principles of visual communication through graphic design and illustration. Students explore typography, layout, colour theory, image creation, and digital design tools. Combining creativity with practical application, the course develops skills for producing effective visual content across print, digital, and multimedia platforms.

This course examines the processes involved in publishing and translating content in digital environments. Students learn editing, formatting, localization, translation strategies, and publishing workflows. The course develops practical skills for creating accessible content while addressing the linguistic, cultural, and technological dimensions of contemporary digital communication.

This course provides a beginner-friendly introduction to programming concepts and computational thinking. Students learn fundamental principles such as algorithms, variables, control structures, and problem-solving through practical exercises. The course equips learners with essential digital skills and prepares them to engage confidently with technology-driven environments.

This course explores communication practices within corporate and professional settings. Students examine media relations, public communication, corporate messaging, crisis communication, and professional writing. The course develops skills in strategic communication, audience engagement, and language use, preparing learners for careers in corporate communication and public relations.

Multidisciplinary Courses (MDC)
Mirrors of Life: Arts and Humanities
Literature in the Age of Social Media
Ability Enhancement Courses (AEC)
Fundamentals of English - Part I
Fundamentals of English - Part II
Skill Enhancement Courses (SEC)
Communication Skills for Employability
Other Voices: Translation in Practice
Research Methodology
Value Addition Courses (VAC)
Reading the Nation: Nationalism, Human Rights, Gender, and Sustainability
Literature and/as Philosophy
Indian Aesthetics in Context