Bachelor of Arts in English (General) External

The External General Degree Programme in English conducted by the Department of English under the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences consists of three core subjects, namely English Literature, English Language, and English Language Teaching Methodology. The programme is introduced with the intention of meeting the demand in the field, particularly in the absence of qualified teachers to teach English in the country.

This programme also hopes to overcome some of the problems encountered by the students who are following the current external degree programme where access to quality and up to date information and knowledge is limited which has adversely affected the overall performance of these students. Therefore, it is hoped that by regularizing the conduct of the new external degree programme, we will be able to produce a graduate capable of meeting the challenges in an academic and/or a professional setting thereby making him/her more productive and competitive in different domains where English is used or sought.

The Degree program also consists of 9 Foundational Courses which aim at supporting the core subjects, developing the personality and soft skills of the student/s as well as increasing the professionalism, competence, and employability (if unemployed).

While there is a great demand for the current external degree programme, there have been some concerns regarding the quality of the graduates that are produced through this programme. Therefore, the Department is of the view that in the event that there is more active involvement of the Department in the teaching and learning process, the quality of the graduates would increase. It is hoped that this would in return enhance the quality of the English teachers in the country.

This is a three-year undergraduate program that consists of year-based courses with annual (year-end) examinations. The selected students are first registered for the First Examination in Arts in English and will be permitted to reach the succeeding year depending on their progress. This program includes a credit system which correlates with the number of hours the students engage in active learning . The degrees are awarded after the successful completion of the entire three-year program subject to all the laws and by-laws prescribed by the University.

This degree programme aims to cater to;

• Teachers of English in government schools, pirivenas and private schools
• Those who hope to pursue a career in teaching
• Those who hope to study English Literature and Language in a local or foreign university

Entry Requirement

• Selection Test conducted by the Department of English

Eligibility to apply for selection test - One of the following requirements

• Three passes in G.C.E. A/L
• Four passes in G.C.E. A/L (if offered before 2000)
• Government trained teacher with a minimum of 2 years of teaching experience
• International school English teacher with a minimum of 2 years of teaching experience (letter of principal of school should be submitted with the application)
• English teacher in a private school with a minimum of 2 years of teaching experience (letter of principal of school should be submitted with the application)
• HNDE offered by the Sri Lanka Institute of Advanced Technological Education.

(Note: exemption from the selection test will not be permitted under any circumstances)

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