English Language and Culture

First year

The first year (propaedeuse) of the bachelor’s programme consists entirely of courses in the main subjects.

The propaedeuse comprises courses that provide a general overview to orient you to the study of English. The four main subjects of Philology, Literature, Linguistics and Language Acquisition are taught in both semesters in the form of lectures, seminars and language laboratories. The lectures provide the big picture, while the seminars address specific topics.

Alongside the lectures and seminars, mentoring is a compulsory part of the propaedeuse. Here you receive more information on matters such as how the programme works.

Extra teaching hours are scheduled for the entire propaedeuse: six hours for the introduction day and a one-hour introductory meeting/progress meeting with the study advisor. In addition, a question and answer session is held at the end of each semester for each course to prepare you for the exams.

As a bachelor’s student at Leiden University, you will be issued with binding study advice (BSA). This means you must obtain sufficient study credits in the first year of your bachelor’s programme to be permitted to continue studying. To be issued with positive study advice, you must obtain sufficient study credits in the first year of your Bachelor’s programme: 45 EC for full-time students and 30 EC for part-time students. The course Language Acquisiton 1: From Scratch to Print is an additional requirement to the BSA.

For enrollment for first-year courses the following applies:

• First semester: The education coordinator will divide the students in different tutorial groups. The education administration office will enroll you for the tutorials, lectures and exams/papers.

• Second semester: different from the first semester, you need to enroll for lectures and exams and papers yourself in MyStudyMap, so first-year students can get used to the university system. The education administration office will enroll you for the tutorial group.

• Please note: If you are a higher year student or pre-master student and need to take a first-year-course, please contact the education coordinator.

Second year

All four main subjects are covered in the second year (semesters three and four). In this year, you also follow two series of compulsory lectures and the core curriculum courses.

You have a number of options this year. In Literature you can specialise in American or British Literature. The options you choose in the first semester do not influence the options you have in the second semester. In the second semester you can also specialise within Philology in either the Middle English period or Early Modern English period.

Third year

The third year is as follows:

Compulsory courses:

• Language Acquisition 5

• Language Acquisition 6

In addition, you choose at least one 10 EC specialisation course from:

• Philology: one 10 EC course or

• Literature: one 10 EC course or

• Linguistics: one 10 EC course
  Please note: you do not have to follow a 10 EC specialization course each semester. You only have to follow one specialization course in total (so Philology, Literature or Linguistics).

In addition, you have 30 EC elective space, in which you either:

• choose a minor;

• can do an internship or study abroad;

• choose an individual course package of electives worth 30 EC. It is also possible to take more 10 EC specialization courses as an elective package.
  For more information, see the relevant course description: Minor or electives BA English.

You also write a bachelor’s thesis in the third year, in your last semester. For more information see the course description and the website of the BA thesis.

Electives

Instead of a minor, you can choose your own package of electives. This can comprise courses from your own or another programme.

If you are studying English Language and Culture and want to put together a package of optional courses, you can choose from the courses below (except for those courses that are part of the regular curriculum). You can register through MyStudyMap but must first have your chosen package approved by the Board of Examiners and if needed you consult your study advisor. For the latter, see the procedure on the website under electives.

If you are studying another programme, you must first contact the study advisor to discuss the possibilities and how to register.

The study advisor can also help you put together a package of electives.

Career Preparation

Career Preparation in English Language and Culture

The programme

The curriculum of English Language and Culture offers you a multi-faceted programme in which you will study the language in all its varieties, from Old English, through its intermediate stages, down to the many different forms of the language currently in use. You will also be studying British and American literature in their cultural-historical context.
How can you use this knowledge and the skills that you acquire? Which specialisation should you choose within your study programme and why? What skills do you already have, and what further skills do you still want to learn? How do you translate the courses that you choose into something that you’d like to do after graduation?
These questions and more will be discussed at various times during your study programme. You may already have spoken about them with your study advisor, the Humanities Career Service or other students, or made use of the Leiden University Career Zone. Many different activities are organised to help you reflect on your own wishes and options, and give you the chance to explore the job market. All these activities are focused on the questions: ‘What can I do?’, ‘What do I want to do?’ and ‘How do I achieve my goals?’.

Activities

You will be notified via the Humanities website, your study programme website and email about further activities in the area of job market preparation. The following activities will help you to thoroughly explore your options, so we advise you to take careful note of them:

First year

• Introductory interview with study advisor

• Mentoring and Academic Skills

• Study career session with student mentors and teaching staff mentor

• Introduction to the the Humanities Career Service

Second year

• Information about internships

• Study abroad information session

• Humanities Career Service Workshops, for example 'Competences in Humanities'

• Minor Market (Leiden University)

• Master’s Open Day (Leiden University)

• Humanities Career Event

• Activities of study association Albion

• Leiden University Career Zone.

Third year

• Master’s Open Day (Leiden University)

• Humanities Career Event

• Humanities Career Service Workshops, for example 'How to find a job?' and 'CV and letter'

• Activities of study association Albion

• Leiden University Career Zone.

Study abroad

Studying abroad is a great way to broaden your horizons. It’s beneficial for both your academic and personal development. Not only will you gain new experiences, but you’ll also learn to get by in a different environment. A period of study abroad is an asset on your CV. With the increasing internationalisation of job markets, many employers regard international experience as a real advantage.

Exchange programmes

Exchange programmes offer an easy way to study abroad. You’ll study at a university that has an agreement with Leiden University and, in return, a student from that university will come to study here.

You can apply for a spot through two different programmes:

1. Erasmus+ with partner universities within Europe
2. University-wide exchange programme with partner universities outside Europe

More information? Please check this website on studying abroad.

Harting

Harting is a selective programme that offers ambitious students of English language and culture with good grades an opportunity to study a full academic year in Britain or Ireland. Participating universities include Newcastle University, University College London, University of Southampton, University of York, University College Dublin and the National University of Ireland Galway. For more information about the programme or the selection procedure, please contact: Daný van Dam. More information can also be found on this website.

Summer and winter schools

Summer and winter schools are short programmes that you can follow during the holidays, which means your studies won’t be effected. Some summer and winter schools award credits, others don’t. In general, you will have to pay a fee.
More information? Please check this website on studying abroad.

Other options

Going abroad independently

Instead of going on exchange, you could choose to go abroad independently. This is an option if you want to go to a destination that doesn’t have an exchange agreement with Leiden University, or if you missed out on an exchange place.

Internship

An internship or research project abroad is not only a fun and educational experience, it's also a great asset to your CV. As job markets are becoming increasingly international, employers tend to view international experience as a big advantage. Read more about how to arrange an internship or project abroad.

More information? Please check this website on studying abroad.

Studying in the UK

Are you a Leiden University student (thinking of) studying in the UK? On this webpage you can find out more about the impact of Brexit for current and prospective EU students of Leiden University studying abroad in the UK.

Transferable skills

Future employers are interested not only in the subject-related knowledge that you acquired during your study programme, but also in the ‘transferable skills’. These include cognitive skills, such as critical thinking, reasoning and argumentation and innovation; intrapersonal skills, such as flexibility, initiative, appreciating diversity and metacognition; and interpersonal skills, such as communication, accountability and conflict resolution. In short, they are skills that all professionals need in order to perform well.
It is therefore important that during your studies you not only acquire as much knowledge as possible about your subject, but that you are also aware of any general skills you have gained in the process and the further skills you still want to acquire. The course descriptions in the e-Prospectus of English Language and Culture include, in addition to the courses’ learning objectives, a list of the skills that they aim to develop.
The skills you may encounter in the various courses are:

• Collaboration

• Persuasion

• Doing research

• Self-directed learning

• Creative thinking

The BA English programme does not include any courses that specifically prepare for the job market. For all that, you will encounter all the above-mentioned skills in the courses you will be taking. You just need to identify them, but they are all there. In addition, there is the possibility for students to do internships (for credits): these will give you a good idea about particular sectors on the job market you might be interested in – or not, as the case maybe. Find out more about this on the website of the Leiden University Career Zone (see link above).

And then there are a number of job related minors, such as the educational minor (if you want to be a teacher), or the translation minor (if translation is something you are interested in), but there are various others as well. You will find a full list here. So, plenty of opportunities for you to prepare for a career after you finish you studies!

Two more tips: read the report on the 2016 employment survey our Faculty’s career service produced, and join the university’s mentor network. There are a lot of people in the network very eager to help you find your way onto the job market. They specifically joined the network to help people like you!

Contact

If you have any questions about career choices, whether in your studies or on the job market, you are welcome to make an appointment with the career adviser of the the Humanities Career Service 071-5272235, or with your study advisor.

More info

• Learning outcomes of the programme

• Binding Study Advice

• The programme

• Transitional provisions

• Elective credits

• Full-time and part-time

• BA thesis and graduation requirements

• Subsequent degree programmes

Learning outcomes of the programme

For information about the learning outcomes of the programme, see the Course and Examination Regulations.

At the end of the three-year degree programme, bachelor’s students also possess skills and knowledge that are further tailored to their field of specialisation. For more details see: student.universiteitleiden.nl/reglementen.

Binding Study Advice (BSA)

For further information on the BSA Regulation and the associated study guidance plan, see: www.studenten.universiteitleiden.nl/BSA
Please note: the course Language Acquisition 1: From Scratch to Print is an additional requirement to the BSA.

The programme

The English Language and Culture programme has four specialisations: Philology, Literature, Linguistics and Language Acquisition.

First year: propaedeuse
The first year of the bachelor’s programme consists of mentoring and courses in the main subjects, i.e. the above disciplines. All full-time students also take part in the compulsory mentoring.

The mentor group is identical to the seminar group and the meetings are scheduled in the timetable. In the different mentor meetings, you can ask informal questions about various topics associated with studying. You also learn about important matters such as how to avoid plagiarism. The student-mentors can help you by sharing their own experiences, and can also show you around the University and city. There is also time for social activities to help you get to know the other students better outside classes.

Second year
Most departments expect you to meet certain conditions before you can take their second-year courses. If you have not met all the requirements for the propaedeuse, take good note of the entry requirements for the second-year courses. In the second year, you also look at how to develop your study plan, which is compulsory from the second year.

In both semesters of the second year, you follow compulsory courses in the four main subjects. You also follow two culture courses that span the main subjects. Within Literature you can choose American or British literature in the first and second semester. In the second semester of Philology, you can choose one of two specialisations. You have to decide which options you will choose before the start of the semester. You do so in your study plan and register through MyStudyMap.

In the second year, you also follow the Introduction to Linguistics and Philosophy of Science courses together with students from other Humanities programmes.

Third year
In the third year, you can specialise in one of the courses (10 EC total) offered by the different departments. In addition, you follow the compulsory Language Acquisition course in both semesters. You write your bachelor’s thesis in the second semester and attend a compulsory thesis seminar.

You also need to earn 30 EC of elective credits in your third year.

Mandatory attendance
Seminar attendance is compulsory. You may miss a maximum of two of the 13 meetings per subject (if you have a valid reason and provided you notify the lecturer before the seminar that you will miss). If you have not prepared, do not participate and/or fail to bring the course material for a particular week, this may also count as absence.

If you miss more than two seminars, you must contact the study advisor. If the study advisor believes there are special circumstances, they may decide that the maximum two absences do not apply. The study advisor will consult your lecturer(s) and inform you and your lecturer(s) of their decision.

Exemptions
You may request an exemption from apply to the Board of Examiners for exemption from a course on the basis of a previously completed equivalent course, with one exception. For the procedure, please contact the teaching administration and/or study advisor.

Exam resits
Each course provides an explanation of the form of examination and any resits.
You must always resit any exams for which your final mark is a fail (i.e. lower than 5.5). There is a maximum of three resits for courses you passed during your entire bachelor’s degree programme. You must take the resit in the same academic year in which you passed the exam or partial exam that you are resitting.
You must submit a request to the Board of Examiners in good time if you wish to resit a passed exam or partial exam.

Transitional provisions

Due to changes in the BA English Language and Culture programme, transitional provisions will apply. Courses listed in the left column which are no longer offered are replaced by courses listed in the right column.

Transitional provisions as of September 2022

Transitional provisions as of September 2023

Transitional provisions as of September 2024

Students who have not yet passed ‘English Language and Linguistics: Tools and Methods’ have to follow the non-curricular and online course ‘English Language and Linguistics: Tools and Methods’ in 2024-2025. For a description of the course in 2022-2023, please see the prospectus description.

Electives

In the third year of the bachelor’s programme, you have a 30 EC (15 EC per semester) of discretionary/elective space. For more information see: student.universiteitleiden.nl/fgw/keuzeruimte.

Full-time and part-time

The Bachelor’s degree programme in English Language and Culture is a full-time or part-time programme. The description of the part-time programme can be found in this e-Prospectus.

Bachelor’s thesis and graduation requirements

To graduate, you must have passed the programme of 180 EC, met the requirements for the elective credits and successfully completed your bachelor’s thesis.

The bachelor’s thesis is a paper worth 10 EC and must be between approx. 7,500 and a maximum of 10,000 words in length, excluding footnotes, bibliography, and appendices. Appendices should be submitted as a separate file.

You develop two possible topics and submit these to the Board of Examiners before the start of the semester in which you will write the thesis. The Board of Examiners appoints a supervisor for one of the two topics. The supervisor then helps you write a thesis proposal, which you submit to the Board of Examiners. The Board of Examiners uses the thesis application form to evaluate your proposal and appoints a second reader. Then you attend a compulsory thesis seminar. For more information, see the course description for the third year.

The regulations and important deadlines for the BA thesis can be found at: student.universiteitleiden.nl/reglementen.

Subsequent degree programmes

A Bachelor’s degree in English Language and Culture grants you direct access to the one-year Master’s programme in Linguistics, Modern Languages track, or the one-year Master’s programme in Literary Studies, English Literature and Culture track. If you hold a Bachelor’s degree in English Language and Culture and have completed the minor in Translation, you have direct access to the one-year Master’s programme in Linguistics, Translation track, but you will have to register.

Depending on your results, you may also be granted access to a two-year research master’s programme, for instance Literary Studies or Linguistics. You can also apply for admission to another related master’s programme such as the Master’s programme in Media Studies, Book and Digital Media Studies track, or the Master’s programme in Linguistics, Language and Communication track, or the Master’s programme in North American Studies.

After graduating from the one-year Master’s programme in English Literature and Culture or Modern Languages, you may wish to train as a secondary-school teacher. You can choose to follow the Master’s degree in Education at ICLON (one year full-time, two years part-time), which qualifies you to teach in all types of secondary education. If you have followed the Minor in Education during your bachelor’s degree (only possible if you pass the first and second year) and have already earned a master’s degree, you can follow the shorter teaching training programme (30 EC instead of 60 EC).

For more information on the various master’s programmes and the application procedure, see: mastersinleiden.nl.

Guest students

Some courses of the BA English Language and Culture are open for guest students, for example exchange, a-la-carte, contract or InClusion students. Please check the course description to see whether a course is open for guest students.

In the BA English Language and Culture InClusion students are only allowed to follow the lecture; they do not follow the tutorial group and do not take exams. InClusion students will not earn study credits. Instead, upon successful completion, they will be awarded a certificate of participation.