Pavol Jozef Safarik University Faculty of Arts
Ph.D. in British and American StudiesKošice, Slovakia
DEGREE TYPE
PhD
DURATION
4 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
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EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2025
TUITION FEES
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STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
Key Summary
Introduction
British and American Studies are an essential part of European philological education in the current era of globalization. Implementation of this field of study in the Ph.D. form of study pursues the requirement to make a fundamental contribution to strengthening the theoretical and methodological basis of research and research proper in linguistic and literary disciplines as well as British and American realia and their teaching at a higher education institution. It makes a fundamental contribution to the education of new experts and thus maintains the continuity of this research in Slovakia.
Our graduates can work as teachers, translators, interpreters, linguists, employees of travel offices and agencies, text proofreaders, editors, etc.
About the Department
The Department of British and American Studies specializes in British and American studies, English and literature, and English for the European Institutions and Economy. The Department seeks primarily to blend the high professional erudition of its members, grounded in intensive scholarly research performed within the framework of international and national projects, with quality teaching of new scholars and researchers capable of asserting themselves in the labor market and addressing the growing demands in Slovakia and other EU member countries. The scope of research at our department includes areas such as linguistics, literary science, British and American studies, translation studies, and EFL methodology.
The department is located in the fresh, new premises of the Faculty of Arts, which is situated in the historical center of Košice. We offer our students practice-oriented study and teaching in perfectly equipped lecture halls, seminar rooms, and translation and language computer laboratories.
The Department of British and American Studies has an Erasmus+ partnership with more than 70 universities in over 20 countries. TOEFL iBT Certificates may be acquired during the studies to make our graduates compatible with world-class competitors. The department maintains a rich social life through the Students Club ELSE, Alumni Club, and the Club of English Teachers.
Gallery
Ideal Students
Our graduates have professional and methodological knowledge of linguistics, literature, and cultural-political and economic fields. They are able to apply this knowledge convincingly in argumentation while being aware of the relations with other areas, especially psychology, sociology, history, political science, and philosophy.
The graduates of the Ph.D. study program British and American Studies find employment mostly in areas that correspond to the graduate profile and in which graduates have the opportunity to use the skills and competencies acquired during their studies. The graduate’s competencies are:
- scientific evaluation of language phenomena in English and other languages,
- synchronous and diachronic comparison of linguistic phenomena, sub-systems, and the entire linguistic units in the genetic, typological, and area plans,
- comparative and critical research into literary works,
- familiarity with British and American life and institutions with an emphasis on cultural, historical, and political contexts and relations.
Admissions
Curriculum
Compulsory courses
- Foreign language - Academic Language Practice
- Literary Theory and Criticism in Anglophone contexts
- Modern Critical Theories and Research Methods in British and American Studies
- General Linguistics
- Basic Linguistic Methods
- History of Philosophy/Philosophy of Language
Compulsory elective courses
- History of Linguistics (19th and 20th Centuries)
- Intercultural Communication
- Linguistics in Interdisciplinary Relations
- Language Typology and Universals
- Development of the English Language
- Applied Linguistics
- Anglophone Literature in the Era of Globalisation
- British and American Culture and Mythology
- Idiomatology
- Interpretation of Literary Texts
- Technical Text Interpretation
- Interpretation of Media Texts
- Cognitive Linguistics
- Modern and Postmodern Literature
- Specialised Seminar for Dissertation Examination - Phonetics and Phonology
- Social Semiotics, Social Communication and Cultural Studies
- Specialised Seminar for Dissertation Examination - Lexicology
- Specialised Seminar for Dissertation Examination - Morphology
- Specialised Seminar for Dissertation Examination - Syntax
- Specialised Seminar for Dissertation Examination - Wordformation
- Pedagogy for University Teachers
- Psychology for University Lecturers
Elective courses
- Other Subject Offered by University Faculties
- Educational or Corresponding Specialised Activity of a PhD Student/Lecture at Other University
- Passive Participation in a Conference
- Presentation of a Detailed PhD Thesis Project
Research section
- Active Participation in an Academic Event 1 (Poster, Paper Presentation, Lecture)
- Active Participation in an Academic Event 2 (Poster, Paper Presentation, Lecture)
- Active Participation in an Academic Event 3 (Poster, Paper Presentation, Lecture)
- Original Scientific Publication 1 - Monograph, Research Study, Research Article
- Original Scientific Publication 2 - Monograph, Research Study, Research Article
- Original Scientific Publication 3 - Monograph, Research Study, Research Article
- Participation in Research Project 1
- Participation in Research Project 2
- Participation in Research Project 3
- Review in Academic Press 1
- Review in Academic Press 2
- Review in Academic Press 3
- Autumn School for PhD Students
- Autumn School for PhD Students
- Spring School for PhD Students
Compulsory courses
- Doctoral Thesis Defense
- Dissertation Examination
Program Outcome
Knowledge
- in the fields of linguistics, literature, and cultural-political and economic realia,
- of fundamental theories of research methodology and their practical application,
- how to apply theoretical information in argumentation,
- of independent and creative addressing the issues researched and presenting the research results in at least two world languages.
Skills
- to work both independently and in a research team,
- to communicate about your research and present it in a cultivated way both nationally and internationally,
- to acquire new knowledge in the field regarding global development, not merely in your field but also in related fields.
Competences
- in scientific research and problem formulation;
- by systematic monitoring the latest scholarly output in your field, not only in English but also in other languages, including your mother tongue,
- by developing your knowledge through lifelong learning.
The graduates will be trained for pedagogical work at a university; their field of employment will be linguistics, literature, and culture-focused research, university, and other teaching activities, and applied areas.
Career Opportunities
The graduates of the study programme have diverse job opportunities. They can work as teachers and professionals in education, university teachers, translators and interpreters, linguists, graphologists, employees of tourist information centres, travel agencies, proof-readers, and also journalists or managers of administrative, support, and business activities.