School of English: Majors and Minors

The School of English (SOE) provides a vast array of courses for students to choose from. Whether you are looking to delve into Shakespeare plays, Victorian literature, or fields related to linguistics, you will surely find an English Studies course perfectly suited to your interests.

Introductory courses

Introductory courses for English Studies are divided into two lists:

• List A “Historical and Theoretical Foundations”, which consists of courses with larger class sizes; and

• List B “Critical Reading, Analysis and Writing”, which consists of courses with smaller class sizes (usually within 25 students).

To be admitted into any of the introductory courses, you should have attained Level 5 or above in English Language (HKDSE). If you do not meet this requirement and would like to apply for special consideration, or are a non-JUPAS candidate, you may submit an equivalent score in other recognised qualifications (IELTS, TOEFL, A-Level, etc.) to the School Office.

Specialisation streams

Starting from the academic year 2021–22, SOE has combined English Studies (ENGL) and Language and Communication (LCOM) into English Studies. They now offer two specialisation streams for students to choose from—Literature (Lit) and Language and Communication (L&C). The declaration of specialisation streams is entirely optional, and students may choose to graduate with a major in English Studies with a specialisation in one, both, or neither stream(s). This new structure provides students with more flexibility in their studies.

To declare a specialisation, you would have to pass at least 7 courses (3 introductory courses & 4 advanced courses) affiliated to that particular stream. You may check the specialisation focus of each course through the website of SOE: https://english.hku.hk/Undergraduate/Course_Offerings_and_Time-table.

Majors and minors

If you wish to declare a major or minor in English Studies in your second year of study, you would have to pass at least one introductory course from List A in your first year of study, which is also known as the first-year prerequisite.

If you wish to declare a major or minor in English Studies in your second year of study, you would have to pass at least one introductory course from List A in your first year of study, which is also known as the first-year prerequisite.

To graduate with a major in English Studies, you would have to take 13 courses in total. This must include 5 introductory courses (with two from List A, two from List B, and the remaining one from either list) and 8 advanced courses (in which a capstone course must be taken, preferably in the final year).

As for a minor in English Studies, you would have to take 6 courses in total. This must include 3 introductory courses (with one from List A, another from List B, and the remaining one from either list) and 3 advanced courses.

Check out our publication for a detailed breakdown of the various requirements in the form of a table!