Degree Programmes

YOU ARE VIEWING INFORMATION FROM THE PREVIOUS ADMISSIONS PROCESS. We are currently working on updating the range of study programmes and admission requirements and will be finished by 15 November, when we will also open the e-application form for you.


English Philology

Degree programme
English Philology
Faculty
Faculty of Arts
Type of study
Master's (post Bachelor's) study
Form of study
full-time
Standard length of study
2 years
Academic degree
Mgr.
Language of study
English
Application from-to
15. 11. 2023 - 15. 05. 2024
Start of studies
September 2024
Tuition fee
65 000 CZK (approx. EUR 2,600) per year

Degree programme in a nutshell

Our Master in English Philology is a perfect fit for a proficient English speaker interested in language and how it works in communication who would like to get an insight into literary and cultural studies while being part of an international group and enhancing their intercultural awareness and skills.

Philology means the study of language and texts. The English philology programme helps students increase their language competence to the highly proficient level (C2 according to the European Framework/CEFR) and deepen their expertise in all key areas of English studies: linguistics, literature, and studies in British and American culture. This research-informed master programme also provides students with opportunities to develop their academic and research skills, guiding them through their Master’s thesis project. Linguistic courses will take you beyond the everyday experience of language use to explore the principles that shape the ways language functions in informal as well as professional situations, reflects and builds relations between their participants, and characterizes the speakers and the society they belong to. Although the focus is on contemporary English, you will also delve into the essentials of historical grammar and language change. In literary courses you will investigate the topics and trends in modern British and American literatures and cultures, acquiring the necessary tools for an analysis and interpretation of literary texts in the classes of literary criticism. Besides hands-on academic experiences offered by the Master thesis seminar, the programme also caters for those who want to enrich their studies with a professional experience of a practical placement, facilitating internships in an English-speaking professional environment. The development of intercultural awareness and skills is supported by international mobility opportunities offered by Erasmus+ programme within the EU and VIA – Ostrava University mobility programme funding student study stays outside the EU.

What do we expect from you?

The Master in English Philology is open to B.A. degree holders only but not necessarily to the graduates of a B.A. programme in English specifically. You are expected to be an advanced English language user achieving a high-level competence both in speaking and in writing (C1 in CEFR/6.5 in IELTS academic/90 in ToEFL iBT/110 in Duolingo English Test); the knowledge of the Czech language is not required. It is important to have acquired basic academic skills and to be motivated for studies, developing your own plans and expectations. The English language competence, academic skills, and motivation are checked as part of the admission requirements.

What will you learn?

You will acquire knowledge and competences necessary for professional work with language, text analysis and text production, and for working in an international environment:

  • you will increase your English language competence to the level of proficiency (C2 in CEFR) developing your communication skills in a variety of domains;
  • you will get acquainted with an array of approaches to text analysis and learn how to employ them to be able to reveal the text structure, function, and the layers of meaning for its critical reading and interpretation; the development of the text reception skills will enhance your text production skills;
  • you will build a specialized linguistic knowledge of the language system and its development in time as well as the ability to recognize, read, and understand basic Old English and Middle English texts;
  • you will learn specialized linguistic and literary terminology enhancing your capacity to study professional texts and to use an appropriate academic language in your own writing;
  • you will be able to characterize the prominent topics and trends in contemporary Anglophone literatures and cultures as well as to analyse and interpret literary texts from various points of view;
  • you will be well versed in contemporary lines of linguistic and literary research and relevant research and study resources;
  • last but not least you will improve your communication skills, including the ability to present and defend arguments, and your intercultural awareness.

How will the degree equip you for the job market?

The comprehensive philological expertise is an appreciated equipment for a wide range of professions in research, education, language industry, cultural institutions, business, international conference services, tourism, or international relations and development cooperation. With the proficient level of English as today's global lingua franca, the graduates find job positions in corporate, public, as well as non-profit institutions and organisations in the Czech environment as well as across the globe.

Specific position

  • researcher/research assistant
  • book editor, copy editor, literary agent
  • copy writer
  • international officer
  • public relations specialist
  • communication manager
  • tourism manager
  • embassy officers
  • EU institution assistant
  • education manager
  • conference manager
  • language teacher/proofreader

Admissions procedure

10
Expected number of candidates admitted this year




Conditions for admission
+

  1. Submit the application to study and pay the administrative fee for the admissions procedure.
  2. Get the language proficiency certificate: The applicant must send a scan of the certificate to englishphilology@osu.cz by 15 May 2024, if they have already taken the examination. Otherwise, the certificate of the IELTS test (Test Report Form – TRF) or Duolingo English test (DET) or the ToEFL score report must be sent by the testing centre directly to the e-mail address englishphilology@osu.cz by 15 May 2024. The issue date of the language certificate must not be before 1 May 2022.
  3. Submit a portfolio which will include:
    1. a structured letter of motivation, in English (2 500 characters including spaces); in the letter, applicants must describe their relevant interests and experience beyond their Bachelor studies;
    2. a structured summary of the applicant's Bachelor thesis, in English (2 500 characters including spaces). If the elaboration and defence of a Bachelor thesis was not a requirement for the completion of the applicant's previous studies, the applicant must submit a paper (an essay of 2 500 characters) on a specialist topic from the applicant's previous studies.
  4. Obtain an official document proving your previous education as stipulated by the Conditions for admission, art. 3, 5. If you completed the higher education in a foreign country (outside the Czech Republic), we recommend that you submit the Application for The Recognition of Foreign Education to the University of Ostrava – see Foreign Transcripts.

Please note that it is recommended to apply well ahead of the deadline on 15 May 2024 at 24:00 (UTC+1) as it will give you more time to:

  • react should your documents have deficiencies and, for example, submit insufficient documents anew.
  • get answers to your questions by our admission advisers.

We strongly recommend that applicants submit the required documents as soon as possible due to the complexity of the visa application process.

The deadline for application and submission of all required documents is 15 May 2024.

Department coordinating your studies


Admissions Inquiry Form


Contacts

  • General questions on studies and the admissions procedure will be answered at Student Office.
  • Questions from applicants with specific needs (e.g. a disability) will be answered by our Centrum Pyramida.
  • Do you need advice on what else you could study or which studies are most suitable for you? Contact our Counseling and Career Centre.