Literatures in English

The doctoral degree programme in literatures in English provides advanced instruction in traditional areas of literary studies and in contextual, interdisciplinary, and transnational approaches to literature and culture. Students can specialize in one of the four major Anglophone areas – British and Irish literature, North American literature, Australian and New Zealand literature, or other literatures in English – or they can do a comparative study in two or more of these areas. The selected approaches may include national/transnational, ethnicity, gender, queer, postcolonial, regional, and other aspects shaping literary studies. The programme is designed to encourage students to expand their literary-critical focus while developing their teaching, networking, and professional skills.

The main objectives of the programme are: 1) to expand rigorous research and methodological skills in literary-critical and critical-theoretical work; 2) to obtain detailed knowledge of the critical scholarship in the selected area of Anglophone literatures in Czech and international contexts; and 3) to acquire personal experience with and professional growth within Czech and international academic environments.

The program is offered with the specialization Intermedia and Intercultural Communication, which provides students with methodological tools for studying literary works in intercultural and interdisciplinary contexts.

After successfully completing his/her studies the graduate is able to:

• demonstrate a complex overview and detailed knowledge of the field of literary studies (literary history, criticism, literary genres)
• apply established literary approaches to the subject of their own research
• have expertise in one of the four Anglophone literary areas (British and Irish literatures, North American literatures, Australian and New Zealand literatures, other literatures in English)
• use one of the selected approaches (i.e. focus on ethnicity, gender, postcolonialism, regionalism, etc.) in their own literary analysis
• contribute to the progress of the discipline by means of original academic publications
• review academic production in the field
• work in professions requiring competent textual processing and production in English and critical thinking

The program endeavours to reflect the latest developments in the field of Anglophone literary studies. This allows doctoral degree students to enter the job market not only in academia but also in journalism, media, diplomacy, various national and transnational NGOs, public service, and the commercial sector.

The program does not require practical training in addition to the practice the students receive when participating in the activities of the department.

The dissertation should demonstrate the student's ability to carry out independent research and must make an original contribution to the discipline of Anglophone literary scholarship. The text of the dissertation is submitted in two hardcover copies and its minimum length is 180,000 characters.