English Studies was perfect because it had everything that I was looking for: creative writing and academic writing.
English Studies
Summary
The English Studies programme combines the academic study of literature and linguistics, ultimately leading to specialization in one of these disciplines. Through research and critical thinking about texts of many eras and genres, you will learn to develop, articulate and defend your ideas clearly and with confidence. Although all courses are conducted in English and require a level of proficiency comparable to that expected at a university in an English-speaking country, we consider the diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds of our students to be an enriching factor. Since its start in 2007 the programme has attracted students from all over the world, with as many as 40 different first languages in a single year-group. Malmö is itself a vibrantly cosmopolitan city with English one of many languages spoken here.Admission requirements
General entry requirements + English B.
For Swedish Upper Secondary Grades merit rating will be calculated according to Områdesbehörighet 6/A6
Selection:
final grades 66% national university aptitude test 34%
About
What is English Studies about?
English Studies reflects our faculty’s research and the breadth of current scholarship. As is standard in Swedish higher education, the Bachelor programme comprises linguistic and literary components, with faculty specialising in either discipline. This combination fosters a sophisticated consciousness of how language is structured and used in a range of social contexts.
Language is our main form of communication: mostly we use it effortlessly, unaware of its intricacy and uniqueness; but linguistics aims to understand how it works, through grammar, phonetics, and semantics, and using tools such as corpus linguistics and critical discourse analysis. You will learn to make detailed analyses of language data and examine socially relevant aspects of language use, to explain how it communicates ideas, exerts power, and builds solidarity.
Literature is written to entertain; but can it also shape society? Literary studies aims to familiarise you with poetry, drama and prose from the Renaissance to today, enhancing your understanding of how texts are constructed, how we respond to them, and how they relate to historical contexts and other arts. By using a range of critical frameworks, you will learn to relate textual details to issues such as identity, beauty, and politics.
Our teaching focuses on student participation and production. In lectures, writing labs, seminars, and supervisions you will learn to approach problems creatively and critically. You will read, discuss, analyse and write in a variety of discourses and genres. Academic Writing classes will instruct you in formal writing, and you may choose to develop your own work in elective Creative Writing courses. Other courses incorporate learning by doing, gaining insight into forms and techniques by trying them for yourself.
International setting
English at Malmö is set in an international context, drawing a culturally diverse student body to Sweden’s most cosmopolitan city. English is the lingua franca both in and out of the classroom, as well as for navigating and socializing in Malmö.
Malmö’s vision
Malmö University envisions a world where diversity, knowledge and creativity are put to use for a sustainable society. English Studies aids this by training students to be critically engaged citizens. As language is the medium of social organisation, we see the analytic skills honed in English Studies as essential to a democratic polity.
Career
Our students gain skills applicable to a range of careers, including media (journalism, publishing, TV, radio, film), teaching, business and administration. You will learn to analyse, evaluate, and create texts – transferable skills recognised by employers who value clear arguments, logical analysis, careful management of complex information, creative solutions and initiative in conducting research. The BA provides a strong foundation for graduate study in linguistics or literature, creative writing, teaching, and other fields.
Interviews
The gateway to a great career
Kadi Levo left Washington, D.C. having worked for two years as an au pair, completed an English Studies bachelor’s degree at Malmö University and then returned to a great career which can involve mingling with rock stars and her favourite artists.
Originally from Estonia, she had moved to America after high school but wanted to further her studies so she could write English “as well as a native”. She checked out English-language degrees in Scandinavia, but soon settled on Malmö.
Great choice of programmes
"English Studies was perfect because it sounded like it had everything that I was looking to study: creative writing, academic writing."
Having made that move, Kadi was happily surprised when she ventured into the unknown territory of being an international student.
"I had absolutely no idea what it was going to be like. I loved the fact that Washington, D.C. was so multicultural and when I got to Malmö it was such a pleasant surprise, it is so international. I started to tell people it was like a mini-D.C.!
"I had finished my high school three years before so coming back to university I was a bit intimidated and a bit scared. The first year felt relaxed; the professors were so helpful and the classes and workload were manageable. There were people who had come straight from high school and maybe their English was not quite as good, but there was a lot of help."
Study and travel
While she loved Malmö, her course also enabled her to study abroad.
"I did a whole year abroad as an exchange student – which was another great part of the programme. I went to Australia for one semester and England for another – it was awesome!"
After returning from her exchange studies, she started to consider life after graduation and moving back to America.
"I started to apply for internships in Washington, D.C.. Out of the many Smithsonian Museums in Washington, D.C., I applied to the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage.
"I had a call from a person saying she had my CV and loved the fact that I was from Estonia but had studied and lived in Sweden. She loved the fact that I had gone to a school in another country and done exchange studies.
"We have videos and photos from fieldwork and our museum has archives. These archives include music from around the world, from different countries and tribes."
It is the Folkways Recordings and Folkways Archives which are a huge draw, attracting the likes of Dave Grohl from Foo Fighters and, Kadi’s favourite, R&B artist Aloe Blacc.
Kadi’s current project is working on an annual folk festival in Washington, this year the focus is on Peru.
Engaged in thought and action
Student Dorit Scharf is from Germany. After high school she was a trainee at an Internet radio station and then went abroad to combine her interest in journalism with language studies. Now she is studying second-year English Studies.
"I really like the programme, says Dorit. A bit unexpectedly, I find the theoretical parts especially interesting. I have realised how language and literature reflect and influence society.
In-depth and practical
The programme has a major emphasis on your own motivation and initiative.
"Of course, you should have an interest in going in-depth and analysing the form of language as well as its content and underlying thoughts. You also should have the self-discipline to study on your own."
Dorit describes her class as an exciting mixture of Swedes and students from other countries, including native speakers of English.
Publishing or journalism
Elective terms offer the option of taking courses of your own choice or of studying abroad through exchange programmes. Dorit has been accepted for courses in England. After finishing her degree, she sees opportunities all around the globe. However, she has not yet decided on her future job.
"Maybe journalism or publishing, since I want to work with current affairs. Content and engagement are important to me. I am also thinking about further studies at a postgraduate level."
Stephen now works as copywriter at IKEA
"I thought the quality of the education and educators was of a very high standard, and I was often inspired by the passion and enthusiasm of the teachers. Being an international faculty, it gave me the opportunity to network with a diverse range of people from all around the world and be exposed to viewpoints very different from my own."
Stephen’s job connects him with many creative and passionate people, and the daily work is often unpredictable and surprising.
"As the Copywriter in a project team, my responsibility is - together with an Art Director - to come up with the idea that best communicates a message and decide whether that aim is best served with text, imagery or both. These projects may be aimed at the web, for print or television."
Stephen definitely thinks that his education at Malmö University has prepared him for what he does today.
"The fundamental principles of how to write an effective and logically sound text have been invaluable. My education has also armed me with a degree of confidence that comes from knowing the rules, a willingness to break them and knowing I’m part of an ever-evolving and developing language."
What advice do you have for current students who are interested in a career in communications?
"Stay informed with what is happening in the world of communication - it is constantly evolving. Identify the kind of communication role you feel you would enjoy and/or be good at. You can seek out specialised educations to refine your skills or, like me, find a job that has the potential to increase your skill level and help you develop in your chosen career. If you choose the latter, start looking at what kinds of companies employ communicators. Advertising agencies, PR firms, global retailers, news organisations, publishing houses, to name a few. Research these companies thoroughly before you even consider drafting a CV."
Syllabus
Syllabus for students admitted autumn 2017
- Programme Code:
- HGENS revision 12
- Language:
- English
- Date of establishment:
- 02 March 2007
- Date of ratification:
- 11 March 2016
- Decision-making body:
- Faculty of Culture and Society
- Enforcement date:
- 29 August 2016
- Replaces Syllabus ratified:
- 25 October 2013
Entry requirements
General entry requirements + English B.
Organisation
Structure
The Bachelor in English Studies is a program that aims to reflect the diversity of contemporary English scholarship at the same time as it reflects the research interests of its faculty. The program is therefore designed around current understandings of the theory and practice of language and literature in its various social forms.
In linguistics, we emphasize such fields as phonetics, sociolinguistics, semantics, pragmatics, and discourse analysis, and also how the English language has developed into a global language of communication. In literary studies, the focus is the study of language-centered cultural production in general, including a special focus on narrative, relations between text and image, and literary and cultural theory. Particular attention is placed on examining the operations of power in the use of language with a special emphasis on gender, class, and ethnicity/race, but also on how technology and aesthetics are contributing to contemporary understandings of the world. This mix of subjects and perspectives enables the student to develop a sophisticated critical consciousness and an awareness of the ways in which language is structured and used for different purposes in a range of contexts. These contexts include, besides literature, visual communication, art, music, advertising, and span the emerging global-technological cultures of the English speaking world.
The program emphasizes the student’s own written and oral production, and offers the student a choice to include the performing arts and creative writing into the curriculum, thus merging critical and creative thinking. English Studies students gain skills that are applicable to a broad range of career opportunities, including teaching, media (editing, publishing, journalism, advertising, TV, radio, film, etc.), as well as business and administration. Students learn to analyze, evaluate, and create a wide range of texts. These transferable skills are recognized by employers who put a high value on: the construction of clearly expressed arguments; the logical presentation and analysis of ideas; the production of creative solutions; the competent management of large amounts of complex information; and the taking of initiative in conducting independent research.
The program provides a suitable foundation for graduate studies in English, creative writing, teaching, and other fields, both in Europe and worldwide.
Content
Courses
For programme with start Autumn 2017:Autumn 2017 - Semester 1
-
Academic Writing and Rhetoric I, 1-7.5 credits (EN208L) compulsory
Main field: Language and Cultural Studies -
Phonetics, 7.5 credits (EN220L) compulsory
Main field: English -
Introduction to English Grammar, 7.5 credits (EN221L) compulsory
Main field: English -
Reading and Responding, 7.5 credits (EN218A) compulsory
Main field: English
Spring 2018 - Semester 2
-
Semantics, 7.5 credits (EN236L) compulsory
Main field: English -
Academic Writing and Rhetoric II, 7.5-15 credits (EN209L) compulsory
Main field: English -
Culture, Narrative and Representation, 7.5 credits (EN237A) compulsory
Main field: English -
Introduction to the Theory of Literature, 7.5 credits (EN241B) compulsory
Main field: English
Autumn 2018 - Semester 3
- The History of the English Language, 7.5 credits (EN237L) compulsory
- Researching Literature, 7.5 credits (EN238B) compulsory
- Sociolinguistics - Theories and Methods, 7.5 credits (EN238L) compulsory
- Specialisation in Literature, 7.5 credits (EN242A) compulsory
Spring 2019 - Semester 4
- See comment below
Autumn 2019 - Semester 5
- See comment below
Spring 2020 - Semester 6
-
English III, Linguistics option, 30 credits (EN113L) elective
Main field: English -
English III, Literary option, 30 credits (EN113A) elective
Main field: English
During semester 4 and 5 students take elective courses, with the possibility of these being at universities abroad.
Terms 1, 2 and 6 are part of the main field of study.
Learning outcomes
First-cycle courses and study programmes shall develop:
- the ability of students to make independent and critical assessments
- the ability of students to identify, formulate and solve problems autonomously, and
- the preparedness of students to deal with changes in working life.
- gather and interpret information at a scholarly level
- stay abreast of the development of knowledge, and
- communicate their knowledge to others, including those who lack specialist knowledge in English
Knowledge and understanding
For a Degree of Bachelor of Arts/Science the student shall
- demonstrate knowledge and understanding in the main field of study, including knowledge of the disciplinary foundation of the field, understanding of applicable methodologies in the field, specialised study in some aspect of the field as well as awareness of current research issues.
For a Degree of Bachelor of Arts/Science the student shall
- demonstrate the ability to search for, gather, evaluate and critically interpret the relevant information for a formulated problem and also discuss phenomena, issues and situations critically
- demonstrate the ability to identify, formulate and solve problems autonomously and to complete tasks within predetermined time frames
- demonstrate the ability to present and discuss information, problems and solutions in speech and writing and in dialogue with different audiences, and
- demonstrate the skills required to work autonomously in the main field of study.
For a Degree of Bachelor of Arts/Science the student shall
- demonstrate the ability to make assessments in the main field of study informed by relevant disciplinary, social and ethical issues
- demonstrate insight into the role of knowledge in society and the responsibility of the individual for how it is used, and
- demonstrate the ability to identify the need for further knowledge and ongoing learning.
Degree
Bachelor's Degree.
Other Information
The language of instruction is English.
Progression requirements within the programme:
To continue studies from term 1 to term 2: 15 credits from term 1.
To continue studies from term 2 to term 3: 30 credits from term 1.
To start the final term of the programme:
150 credits (exceptions may be granted for students who have 90 credits from term 1-3.)
Contact
The education is provided by the Faculty of Culture and Society at the department School of Arts and Communication.
Further information
Enquiries about the English Studies programme should be directed to K3student@mah.se.
If you have questions about admissions, requirements or documentation, please contact the Admissions Office at Malmö University, admissions@mah.se / +46 40 665 75 00.
If you need study or career guidence related to the programme, please contact Student and Carreer Advisor Viktoria Brännström (viktoria.brannstrom@mah.se).