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 English Language 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 for the exams.

Binding Study Advice

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.

Course enrollment

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. 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 will also follow 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 the 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 specialisation course each semester. You only have to follow one specialization course in total (so Philology, Literature or Linguistics) in the BA programme. Of course, it is possible to take more specialisation courses as part of your elective package.

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 of the BA English 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.

Career Preparation

Labour market preparation in the BA English Language and Culture

In addition to offering you a solid university education, Leiden University aims to prepare you for today’s labour market. Your studies will contribute to the development of your employability. After finishing the programme, it will become easier for you to make the transition to the labour market, to remain employable in a dynamic labour market in a (career) job that suits your own personal values, preferences and development.

'Employability' consists of the following aspects that you will develop within your study programme, among others:

1. Discipline-specific knowledge and skills
Knowledge and skills specific to your study programme.

2. Transferable skills
These are skills that are relevant to every student and that you can use in all kinds of jobs irrespective of your study programme, for example: research, conducting analyses, project-based working, generating solutions, acquiring and developing digital skills, collaborating, oral communication, written communication, presenting, raising societal awareness, independent learning, and resilience.

3. Self-reflection
This concerns self-reflection in the context of your (study) career, including reflecting on the choices you make as a student during your studies, esp. with respect to what you can do with your knowledge and skills on the labour market.
In addition, reflecting on your own profile and your personal and professional development. Who are you, what can you do well, what do you find interesting, what suits you, what do you find important, what do you want to do?

4. Practical experience
Gaining practical experience through internships, work placements, projects, practical (social) assignments, which are integrated into an elective, minor or graduation assignment.

5. Labour market orientation
Gaining insight into the labour market, fields of work, jobs and career paths through, for example, guest speakers and alumni experiences from the work field, career events within the study programme, the use of the alumni mentor network, interviewing people from the work field, and shadowing/visiting companies in the context of a particular subject.

Employability in the BA English Language and Culture

You will also find these employability elements in your study programme. Examples of subjects that pay attention to this are:

First year

• Introductory interview with study advisor

• Mentoring and Academic Skills

• Study career session with student mentors

Second year

• Study abroad information session

• Information about the different choices within your study program; (optional) specialisations, minors, honours education, study abroad, internships, career prospects

Third year

• Information session about the choice of a master's degree

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’ that you gained and practiced. 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, these are skills that all professionals need in order to perform well.

It is important that during your studies, you not only acquire as much knowledge and insights into your subject matter as possible, but also that you are aware of the general skills you have gained in the process and the additional skills you still want to develop. 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 and strengthen.

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 a course that specifically prepares for the labour market. Instead, you will encounter and develop the above-mentioned skills in the courses you will be taking. You need to be able to identify them, because all relevant skills are there. In addition, we offer the possibility for students to do internships (for credits): these will give you an idea of particular sectors on the job market you might be interested in. You do not have to do an internship, but it is a possibility. Find out more about this on the website of the Leiden University Career Zone (see link above).

Activities to prepare for the labour market alongside / outside the curriculum

Every year, various activities take place, within, alongside and outside of your study programme, which contribute to your preparation for the labour market, especially where it concerns orientation towards the work field/the labour market, (career) skills and self-reflection. These activities could be hosted by your study program to discuss the key decision stages within your program. Furthermore, you may want to attend career workshops and events organised by the Humanities Career service or your study association.

For example:

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

• Workshops and (faculty) career events, organised by Humanities Career Service

• Humanities Career Event

• Minor’s Information Market

• Internships

• Study abroad and exchange programmes, including the selective Harting programme

• Study abroad festival

• Master's Open Day

• Activities of study association Albion

• Leiden University Career Zone

Humanities Career Service, LU Career Zone and Career Workshops Calendar

Humanities Career Service
The Humanities Career Service offers information and advice on internships, study (re)orientation and master's choice, orientation on the labour market and careers.

Leiden University Career Zone
The Leiden University Career Zone is the website for students and alumni of Leiden University to support their (study) career. You can find advice, information, (career) tests and tools in the area of (study) career planning, career possibilities with your study, job market orientation, job applications, the Alumni Mentor network, job portal, workshops and events and career services.

Workshops and events
On the Workshops calendar you will find an overview of career and application workshops, organised by the Humanities Career Service.

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

• Guest students

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
For the Bachelor programme no additional requirements have been set.

The programme

The English Language and Culture programme has four specialisations: Philology, Literature, Linguistics and Language Acquisition (from 2025-2026: English Language).

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.

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. There is also time for social activities to help you get to know the other students better outside classes.

Second year
In both semesters of the second year, you follow compulsory courses in the four 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 take Introduction to Linguistics and Philosophy of Science 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 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).
During a bachelor’s programme, students may resit one examination that they passed. Please see article 4.1 of the Course and Examination Regulations for more information.

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 2023

Transitional provisions as of September 2024

Transitional provisions as of September 2025

Students who have not yet passed one of the courses below will have the one-time opportunity to follow and pass these courses in 2025-2026:

• Linguistics 2A: The Phonetics of English (5 EC)

• Linguistics 2B: The Syntax of English (5 EC)

• Linguistics 3A: The Syntax of English (5 EC)

• Linguistics 3B: The Phonology of English (5 EC)

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.

Inclusion

In this bachelor programme 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.