BA Arts English - Questions

cafe.laka

I only found out yesterday while applying to the CAO that WIT now includes English as part of the Arts degree. I dropped out of WIT Arts in 2010 after first year, had been majoring in Sociology and minoring in Biblical Studies and Psychology. However, I am looking to begin a level 8 course in September and want to study English. (Would maybe like to minor in Sociology, not sure yet).

I am mostly wondering if the fact that I previously dropped out of this course would prevent me from returning. I can't even remember what my first year results were in the end, although I'm sure I failed a couple of subjects. Just didn't have the right mentality for college at the time, plus wanted to study English but didn't have the Leaving Cert points for Cork.

I would be very interested in hearing from students who have done or are doing English in WIT, as to what the course is like, subjects, lecturers etc. There seems to be very little info online. Is there someone from this course or the Humanities Dept. I could contact to seek advice?

Also, would the career opportunities be the same as if I studied, say, English and History in a University?

Thanks in advance for any and all help!

KillMona

cafe.laka wrote: »

I only found out yesterday while applying to the CAO that WIT now includes English as part of the Arts degree. I dropped out of WIT Arts in 2010 after first year, had been majoring in Sociology and minoring in Biblical Studies and Psychology. However, I am looking to begin a level 8 course in September and want to study English. (Would maybe like to minor in Sociology, not sure yet).

I am mostly wondering if the fact that I previously dropped out of this course would prevent me from returning. I can't even remember what my first year results were in the end, although I'm sure I failed a couple of subjects. Just didn't have the right mentality for college at the time, plus wanted to study English but didn't have the Leaving Cert points for Cork.

I would be very interested in hearing from students who have done or are doing English in WIT, as to what the course is like, subjects, lecturers etc. There seems to be very little info online. Is there someone from this course or the Humanities Dept. I could contact to seek advice?

Also, would the career opportunities be the same as if I studied, say, English and History in a University?

Thanks in advance for any and all help!

I doubt that dropping out of the Arts course previously would prevent you from applying again. You obviously would have to pay full tuition fees if you stayed the full year though. Or maybe not, depending on your circumstances.

I can't list off all the modules but here are some: Introduction to Anglo Irish Literature, Intro to Fiction, Intro to Literary Criticism and Composition, Intro to Drama, Shakespeare: Drama and Film, Poetic Forms of Language, Nineteenth Century Fiction, Creative Writing, Romanticism.

I don't know what you want to get out of your degree, for example do you want to become a teacher? If so, I would be wary about undertaking English as a major in WIT (if teaching is what you intend to do). It states on the WIT website:

"The BA (Hons) with Religious Studies has been accepted by the Healthcare Chaplaincy Board as an approved degree course for those wishing to apply for certification as a Catholic Healthcare Chaplain. French (Major), Irish (Major and Minor), Religious Studies (Major and Minor), Sociology (Major and Minor) and Spanish (Major) have been approved by the Teaching Council of Ireland for Post-Primary Teaching."

^ No mention of the major or minor in English being approved by the Teaching Council of Ireland. There's a good few people majoring in English who intend to become teachers, I don't think they realise this tbh.... Now having said that it could be approved in the future or you might be able to do some kind of add-on course or whatnot. I don't know the full facts. Just be careful.

The lecturers and assignments are fine, classes are smaller than university arts courses (but you probably know that yourself), very few hours in class and the timetable is sporadic to say the least. This seems to state the obvious but having a passion for all things English really does help. :P I'm only saying this because I've heard a few complain about the reading material assigned, purely because they "don't like reading" - said by those undertaking the major in English. :rolleyes:

I don't know if back in 2010 the Arts course was held in College Street campus or not but now it's stationed near the Cork Rd. campus, just across from College Fields - near the AIB bank. Really strange area to have an Arts course in tbh.

You could contact appliedarts@wit.ie for more info. Attending the open evening which should be held sometime in April would be a good idea just to ask questions directly to the English lecturer.

Anyway, hope that helped.

cafe.laka

Thanks, so much, very helpful information

I would like to go into teaching (or even lecturing) eventually, so would be a little worried about that, however that's kind of looking at things long term and my immediate priority is just to be able to study something I love! So hopefully over the next few years the English will be approved but I'll still seriously consider doing it regardless.

Can't actually believe that "I don't like reading" is a complaint hahahaha, although a friend of mine is doing a course towards primary teaching, where she has classmates who "don't like children", so you never know! Fortunately I do like reading so should be fine!

I was in the College Street campus at the time, that's a shame actually I quite liked it there! Still though, means I'll get to college on time in the mornings as the bus stops on the Cork Road so I won't be rushing around like the last time.

Thanks again anyway, also for the link, I have much more to go on now