MPhil English Language
The Master of Philosophy in English Language is a regular-mode graduate programme of the Department of English, Faculty of Arts. It trains prospective faculty for the University and for other tertiary institutions, and produces researchers able to publish in English Studies.
Aim of the programme
To produce graduates who can teach the English Language in higher education institutions and conduct publishable research in English Studies to contribute to knowledge and communicative practices.
Objectives
- Critically analyse English language use in various contexts using appropriate tools in the language sciences.
- Teach the English language effectively in both secondary and tertiary level institutions.
- Conduct socially responsible research in English Studies to add to knowledge and improve communicative practices across various sectors.
- Use their knowledge and skills in the language sciences to solve problems and make crucial decisions relating to language and communicative practices.
The programme runs over two years. The first year is taught: each semester combines three core courses with at least two electives, for fifteen (15) credits a semester. The first-semester core is Phonology, Grammar and Research Methods; the second-semester core is Semantics, Data Analysis, and Teaching English as a Second Language. The electives span genre studies, literary stylistics, English for specific purposes, corpus linguistics, English in forensic contexts, language and literacies, sociolinguistics, studies in the New Englishes, discourse studies, language, identity and ideology, English grammar and discourse, diachronic studies of English, and artificial intelligence in English studies.
The second year is the research year, made up of Seminar I and Seminar II and a twelve-credit Thesis carried in both semesters. A student who successfully completes the first year with at least a CGPA of 2.0 may apply to step down for an MA.
Although the programme is in the regular mode, lecturers have since COVID-19 been allowed to deliver in a blended mode comprising both online and face-to-face sessions. This revision of the programme introduces Diachronic Studies of English and Artificial Intelligence in English Studies as new courses.
Background
The Department of English evolved from the Department of Arts, which was one of the three departments of the then University College of Cape Coast. Following the transition of the university college into an autonomous degree awarding institution, the department introduced an MPhil (English) programme to train prospective faculty both for the department and for other educational institutions in Ghana. The MPhil (English) programme comprised two streams, namely English Language and Literature-in-English. Since 2012, however, each stream has been developed into a separate programme.
In July 2021 the MPhil in English Language was re-accredited by G-TEC. A notable innovation following suggestions from the G-TEC assessment panel was the addition of courses related to English Language pedagogy, since many of the target applicants to the programme were essentially English Language teachers. The revised programme also added courses related to English for Specific Purposes to expand the professional reach of the programme and increase the employability of graduates in sectors other than education.
The programme has produced many graduates for different sectors of the economy, both locally and internationally, including education, law and governance, security and the business professions. This revised programme incorporates perspectives in diachronic linguistics and the new demands of Artificial Intelligence in language studies.
Career opportunities
Graduates of the programme have been employed in the following sectors:
1. Secondary and higher education institutions. 2. The media industry. 3. Corporate institutions such as telecommunications and insurance companies.
Course structure
The courses mounted for this programme, by year and semester.
Level 800
First Semester
| Code | Course | Type | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENG801 | Phonology | Core | 3 |
| ENG802 | Grammar | Core | 3 |
| ENG808 | Genre Studies | Elective | 3 |
| ENG812 | Literary Stylistics | Elective | 3 |
| ENG814 | English for Specific Purposes | Elective | 3 |
| ENG817 | Corpus Linguistics | Elective | 3 |
| ENG818 | Research Methods | Core | 3 |
| ENG819 | English in Forensic Contexts | Elective | 3 |
| ENG828 | Language and Literacies | Elective | 3 |
| ENG829S | Seminar in English Studies | Core | 3 |
| ENG848S | Advanced Research Methods | Core | 3 |
| ENG899S | Thesis | Research Component | 6 |
| SGS801S | Academic Writing for Graduate Students | Core | 3 |
Second Semester
| Code | Course | Type | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENG803 | Semantics | Core | 3 |
| ENG804 | Sociolinguistics | Elective | 3 |
| ENG805 | Studies in the New Englishes | Elective | 3 |
| ENG806 | Discourse Analysis | Elective | 3 |
| ENG809 | Literary Perspective on Autobiography | Elective | 3 |
| ENG815 | Teaching English as a Second Language | Core | 3 |
| ENG816 | English Grammar and Discourse | Elective | 3 |
| ENG822 | Diachronic Studies in English | Elective | 3 |
| ENG823 | Artificial Intelligence in English Studies | Elective | 3 |
| ENG869 | Data Analysis | Core | 3 |
| ENG899S | Thesis | Research Component | 12 |
Level 900
First Semester
| Code | Course | Type | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENG811 | Studies in Literature and Society | Research Component | 3 |
| ENG899 | Thesis | Research Component | 12 |
Second Semester
| Code | Course | Type | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENG820 | Graduate Research Seminar II | Research Component | 3 |
| ENG899 | Thesis | Research Component | 12 |
