Info Session: NUS-Department of English, Linguistics and Theatre Studies
Time: 2pm-3pm Nov 14, 2025
Link: https://nus-sg.zoom.us/j/89609060826?pwd=36euq1y4ap3z4eSip1o3EMcksY6owm.1
Meeting ID: 896 0906 0826
Passcode: 162141
Program:
MAs in Literary Studies
MA English Language and Literature
MA Theatre and Performance Studies
Introduction:
We are one of the oldest departments in the university, and have had students studying here since 1929. In that time we have changed from a department in a colonial university, to one with students involved in anti-colonial struggles, to an independent department in a newly independent nation, and finally, to what we are today.
The department is rather peculiar in that it houses three undergraduate majors and three graduate programmes all under the same roof. We teach and study English language and linguistics, English literature and Theatre and Performance Studies. Although there is a lot of collegial and student interaction between the three parts, as well as some teaching and research collaboration, each of the three sections has its own character, and its own distinctive strengths. I might add, though, that all three programmes include in their numbers some of the best teachers in the university.
The English Language and Linguistics programme engages in the formal study of the properties of language and the qualitative study of language in its social context. Our students gain familiarity with the questions and methodologies of both areas, learning about language, the most distinctive of human activities, and about how to understand it. We have research strengths in both kinds of study. Alongside work on multilingualism, psycholinguistics and syntax, we also have people studying sociolinguistics, discourse studies, and English varieties in Asia. We are honoured to be consistently ranked among the top linguistics programmes globally.
The literature programme is, like the discipline itself, somewhat different from the language programme. We cannot say that all our students must know certain areas of the discipline. Instead, we offer a range of coverage and approaches, and emphasise the kinds of capacities our students develop rather than the knowledge they must possess. These capacities include a rigorous sensitivity to language, the ability to interpret with special penetration and the skills of argument and writing. Like our syllabus, our research is quite varied, with people working on postcolonial literature, literary history, theory and film.
Theatre and Performance Studies cultivates students' critical thinking, research abilities, and presentation skills—particularly for those seeking to work at the intersection of artistic practice, industry, research, and community advancement. Taught by globally renowned leaders in fields such as Asian performance, drama analysis, practice-based research, digital humanities, and interdisciplinary studies of literature, film, and performance, the program trains students in close critical and historical contextual analysis. Graduates will possess the cultural leadership skills required for diverse roles—from leaders of arts organizations to research assistants in cultural studies to arts policy makers. Additionally, the program emphasizes digital skills in the arts and humanities, including archival development, interactive design, and multimedia interfaces.
