Arts & Humanities

Master of Arts in English

The Master of Arts in English at Chuka University is a postgraduate programme that provides advanced study of English language, literature, and linguistics. The programme prepares graduates for careers in education, research, publishing, communication, and related fields requiring advanced English language expertise.

The curriculum covers English literature, literary criticism, linguistics, applied linguistics, sociolinguistics, discourse analysis, research methods, and English language teaching. Students examine literary texts across periods and genres, develop critical analytical skills, and explore the structure and use of the English language in diverse contexts.

Admission requires a bachelor's degree with at least an Upper Second Class Honours in English, literature, linguistics, or a related field from a recognised university. Applicants with a Lower Second Class Honours and at least two years of relevant work experience may also be considered. The programme is offered full-time over two years.

The programme is accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE) and delivered through the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Chuka University, a public university in Tharaka Nithi County. Chuka University serves the eastern region of Kenya with a growing range of postgraduate programmes.

Career prospects include roles in teaching, academic research, publishing, journalism, communications, public relations, and creative writing. Graduates work in secondary schools, universities, publishing houses, media organisations, corporate communications, and civil society organisations requiring advanced English language and literary analysis skills.

The programme addresses the continuing importance of English language expertise in Kenya, where English serves as the official language and the medium of instruction in education. With growing demand for qualified English teachers, communication professionals, and literary scholars, the programme contributes to strengthening English language education and scholarship in the region.

Skills Required

Literary analysis and criticism
Linguistic analysis and description
Academic research and writing
Discourse analysis
English language teaching methodology
Sociolinguistic analysis
Critical thinking and argumentation
Textual interpretation and exegesis
Research methods in humanities
Communication and presentation skills

Key Subjects

English Literature
Literary Criticism and Theory
Linguistics
Applied Linguistics
Sociolinguistics
Discourse Analysis
Research Methods in Humanities
English Language Teaching
African Literature in English
Postcolonial Literature

Certifications

Modern Language Association (MLA) Membership
Linguistic Society of America (LSA) Membership
TESOL International Association Certification
African Literature Association (ALA) Membership

Specializations

Literary Studies

Focuses on the study of English literature across periods, genres, and regions, including literary criticism and theory.

Linguistics

Examines the structure and function of the English language, including phonology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics.

Applied Linguistics

Applies linguistic theory to practical contexts including language teaching, translation, and language policy.

Sociolinguistics

Studies the relationship between language and society, including language variation, multilingualism, and language contact.

English Language Teaching

Focuses on pedagogy and methodology for teaching English as a second or foreign language in educational settings.

Discourse Analysis

Analyses spoken and written discourse, including conversation analysis, critical discourse analysis, and text linguistics.

Duration: 2 years
Public, up to: Ksh 216,000
Private, up to: Ksh 249,800
Job market: Moderate

The programme

What you study, how long it takes, and how it is delivered.

Practicalities

Study mode: Full-time, Part-time
Attachment: 0 months
Average class: 15 students
Award: Masters

What you study

10 subjects

English Literature
Literary Criticism and Theory
Linguistics
Applied Linguistics
Sociolinguistics
Discourse Analysis
Research Methods in Humanities
English Language Teaching
African Literature in English
Postcolonial Literature

Modules

11 in the programme

English Literature Survey
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Survey of English literature from early periods to the modern era, examining major authors, movements, and literary forms.
Literary Criticism and Theory
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Major approaches to literary criticism including formalism, structuralism, poststructuralism, postcolonialism, and feminist criticism.
Linguistic Theory
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Foundations of linguistic theory including phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics.
Research Methods in Humanities
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Research methodology for literary and linguistic research, including qualitative methods, textual analysis, and academic writing.
African Literature in English
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Study of African literature written in English, including major authors, themes, and the relationship between literature and society in Africa.
Sociolinguistics
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Relationship between language and society, including language variation, multilingualism, language contact, and language policy.
Applied Linguistics
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Application of linguistic theory to practical contexts including language teaching, translation, and language planning.
Postcolonial Literature
Year 1Semester 23 creditsElective
Study of postcolonial literary traditions, including themes of identity, displacement, resistance, and cultural hybridity in postcolonial texts.
Discourse Analysis
Year 2Semester 33 creditsElective
Analysis of spoken and written discourse, including conversation analysis, critical discourse analysis, and text linguistics.
English Language Teaching
Year 2Semester 33 creditsElective
Methodology and pedagogy for teaching English as a second or foreign language, including curriculum design and assessment.
Thesis / Research Project
Year 2Semester 412 creditsCore
Independent research thesis on a literary or linguistic topic, conducted under faculty supervision and assessed through written submission and oral defence.

Specialisations

Literary Studies
Focuses on the study of English literature across periods, genres, and regions, including literary criticism and theory.
Linguistics
Examines the structure and function of the English language, including phonology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics.
Applied Linguistics
Applies linguistic theory to practical contexts including language teaching, translation, and language policy.
Sociolinguistics
Studies the relationship between language and society, including language variation, multilingualism, and language contact.
English Language Teaching
Focuses on pedagogy and methodology for teaching English as a second or foreign language in educational settings.
Discourse Analysis
Analyses spoken and written discourse, including conversation analysis, critical discourse analysis, and text linguistics.

A day as a student

A typical day combines literary study with linguistic analysis and research. Mornings involve lectures on English literature, literary criticism, or linguistic theory, followed by seminar discussions on literary texts or language analysis. Afternoons include research methodology sessions, discourse analysis workshops, or teaching practice for those specialising in English language teaching. Students engage with literary texts from African, British, American, and postcolonial traditions. Independent reading, literary analysis essays, and thesis research occupy significant time, with access to the university library's literary and linguistic collections.

The trade offs

In its favour

Comprehensive programme covering both literature and linguistics, providing broad English studies expertise.
Affordable tuition at KES 130,000/year at a public university.
Full-time and part-time study options accommodate working professionals.
English language skills remain in demand across education, media, and corporate sectors in Kenya.

Against it

Only offered at one institution, limiting choice for prospective students.
Career prospects, while diverse, may not be as lucrative as in business or technology fields.
Limited research infrastructure and library resources compared to larger, more established universities.
Programme may have limited specialisation options compared to larger English departments.

What it costs

Tuition at both ends of the market, and how to pay for it.

What it costs, and where

Against 188 arts & humanities courses

Public119k to 216k

119k at Chuka University216k at Kenyatta University

Private138k to 250k

138k at KCA University250k at Daystar University

Annual tuition in Kenyan shillings, rounded. The upright tick is the median for this field, so a bar sitting entirely to its right is an expensive programme by the standards of its own subject.

The fine print

KU 216K, Chuka 119K Y1 verified. Daystar 249.8K verified. KCA unverified.

HELB offers postgraduate loans for Kenyan students at public universities. Chuka University may offer institutional graduate scholarships based on academic merit. International academic associations may provide research grants and conference attendance support.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
Chuka University Graduate Scholarships

Scholarships

3 recorded

HELB Postgraduate Loan
LoanKsh 200,000Kenyan
Kenyan citizens pursuing postgraduate studies at recognised universities. Applicants must meet HELB eligibility criteria.
Chuka University Graduate Scholarship
ScholarshipKsh 130,000Kenyan
Chuka University may offer institutional graduate scholarships based on academic merit. Contact the School of Graduate Studies for details.
MLA Research Grant
ScholarshipKsh 150,000
Language and literature scholars may access Modern Language Association research grants for academic research and conference attendance.

Getting in

The grades, the alternatives, and who accredits the award.

What you need

KCSE mean grade: N/A (Postgraduate)
Alternative entry: The programme is open to graduates from English, literature, linguistics, education (with English specialisation), and related humanities disciplines. Applicants must meet additional departmental requirements as specified. The programme is offered full-time and part-time over two years at Chuka University.

How you are assessed

4 components

Continuous Assessment
Coursework40% of the mark
Ongoing assessment through literary analysis essays, linguistic assignments, seminar presentations, and research papers throughout each semester.
End-of-Semester Examination
Examination60% of the mark
Written examination conducted at the end of each semester for each course unit.
Thesis / Research Project
Project100% of the mark
Independent research thesis on a literary or linguistic topic, assessed through written submission and oral defence.
Seminar Presentation
Practical20% of the mark
Assessment of research presentation skills through seminar presentations on literary or linguistic topics to peers and faculty.

Accreditation

The programme is accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE), Kenya's statutory body for university quality assurance. Chuka University is a CUE-accredited public university.

Accredited by

Commission for University Education (CUE)
Academic accreditationRequired
Statutory accreditation required for all university programmes in Kenya. Chuka University is a CUE-accredited public university.
Modern Language Association (MLA)
Professional alignment
International academic association for language and literature studies. Graduates may join MLA for professional development and research networking.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

5 roles

English Teacher
Moderate demandKsh 80,000 to Ksh 200,000
Teaches English language and literature at secondary schools, colleges, or universities, developing curriculum and assessing student learning.
University Lecturer in English
Moderate demandKsh 100,000 to Ksh 250,000
Teaches English literature or linguistics at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, conducts research, and supervises student projects.
Editor
Moderate demandKsh 90,000 to Ksh 230,000
Edits and prepares written content for publication in publishing houses, media organisations, or corporate communications.
Communications Specialist
High demandKsh 90,000 to Ksh 240,000
Develops and manages communications content for organisations, including writing, editing, and strategic communications planning.
Researcher in Humanities
Moderate demandKsh 80,000 to Ksh 210,000
Conducts research on literary, linguistic, or cultural topics for research institutions, think tanks, or academic organisations.

Graduate outcomes

Graduates pursue careers in teaching, academic research, publishing, journalism, communications, public relations, and creative writing across educational institutions, media, and corporate sectors.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Tools you will learn

NVivo
Research softwarePrimary
Qualitative data analysis software for analysing literary texts, interview data, and qualitative humanities research.
AntConc
Corpus analysis softwarePrimary
Corpus analysis toolkit for concordance analysis, collocation analysis, and corpus-based linguistic research.
EndNote
Reference management
Reference management software for organising citations and bibliographies in academic writing and thesis preparation.
JSTOR
Research database
Digital library providing access to academic journals, books, and primary sources for literary and linguistic research.
Microsoft Word
Writing software
Word processing software for academic writing, literary analysis, and thesis preparation.

Industry links

Common misconceptions

An MA in English only leads to teaching careers.
Graduates pursue diverse careers including publishing, journalism, corporate communications, public relations, creative writing, and research, not only teaching.
English literature is just about reading books.
The programme involves rigorous critical analysis, theoretical engagement, research methodology, and the study of language structure and use.
There is no demand for English graduates in Kenya.
English remains Kenya's official language and medium of instruction, creating ongoing demand for qualified English professionals in education, media, and communications.
Linguistics is the same as literature.
Linguistics is the scientific study of language structure and use, while literature focuses on literary texts and their interpretation, though both fall under English studies.
A degree from a smaller university is less valuable.
Chuka University is CUE-accredited and its MA English programme meets the same statutory quality standards as programmes at larger universities.
Postcolonial and African literature are not important.
The programme includes African and postcolonial literature, which are essential for understanding literary traditions and cultural expressions in the Kenyan and African context.