Programme: BAHons (Literary Theory)

Kindly take note of the disclaimer regarding qualifications and degree names.
Code Faculty Department
01240552 Faculty of Humanities Department: Afrikaans
Credits Duration NQF level
Minimum duration of study: 1 year Total credits: 120 NQF level:  08

Admission requirements

  1. Bachelor’s degree in a language, literary theory or language-related discipline
  2. A weighted average of at least 65% in a language, literary theory or language-related discipline at final-year level

General information

University of Pretoria Programme Qualification Mix (PQM) verification project

The higher education sector has undergone an extensive alignment to the Higher Education Qualification Sub-Framework (HEQF) across all institutions in South Africa. In order to comply with the HEQSF, all institutions are legally required to participate in a national initiative led by regulatory bodies such as the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), the Council on Higher Education (CHE), and the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA). The University of Pretoria is presently engaged in an ongoing effort to align its qualifications and programmes with the HEQSF criteria. Current and prospective students should take note that changes to UP qualification and programme names, may occur as a result of the HEQSF initiative. Students are advised to contact their faculties if they have any questions.

Minimum credits: 120

LCC 732 (30 credits) and LCC 727 (20 credits) are compulsory.  

Select another 3 or 4 Core modules to amount to a total of 120 credits.  

If 3 Core modules are selected, 1 Elective module offered by another department must be included.

If 4 Core modules are selected, no elective module can be included.

Core modules

  • Module content:

    A focus on the consequences of the colonial encounter between the West and the non-West, from the sixteenth century to the present day. Direct and indirect ways in which literary texts are involved with the discourse on the colony and the effects of power in social and political practices. Said and “worldliness” of literary texts. (Post)colonial identity. Bhabha and the “location of culture”, hybridity.

    View more

  • Module content:

    The texts and practices of leading African cultural, literary, media, philosophers, and social movements will be discussed with reference to their contribution to the development of African thought and culture. Figures such as Achebe, Biko, Cesaire, Garvey, Fanon, Mazrui, Rodney, Senghor, Mbembe, Ngugi wa Thiong’o and Soyinka will be featured in this module.

    View more

  • Module content:

    The place, nature and function of theory of literature, research (hermeneutical, empirical), application; analysis, interpretation, evaluation and canonisation; literary systems (fields); capita selecta from 20th-century perspectives on literature and the study of literature; key issues in literary theory; primary and secondary sources.

    View more

  • Module content:

    The relationship between national literatures and the broader frameworks of regional and world literature. “Distant Reading”. Cosmopolitanism. Popular literature and “bestsellers”. Approaches to multiple literatures (and cultures) in translation.

    View more

  • Module content:

    An advanced focus on “Western” and “Southern” Feminisms, Queer Theory, Gay and Lesbian Studies in literary texts.

    View more

  • Module content:

    Part 1 – Theoretical basis: The concepts “science” and “research”; the relationship “theory”, “research”, “application”, forms of research (inter alia descriptive, empirical, applied); the research process (from research proposal to research report: identification and formulation of the problem, development of hypotheses, data collection and interpretation, etc); the use of the computer in research. 
    Part 2 – Application: A limited research project in which the principles of research methodology are applied. A candidate must submit the topic and format to the head of department or his/her representative for approval.

    View more

  • Module content:

    A choice from the following themes:
    Narrativity
    Narrativity vs. classical narratology. The transaction between narratives and audiences. Employment. Eventfulness. Tellability. Fictionality. Life and Narrative. ; the function of narrative in the creation of “social memory”; historiographic meta-fiction”; study of texts (literary and historical) from various languages and periods.
    or
    (Auto) biography in world literature
    The history of biography and autobiography; biography, autobiography and their relationship to other genres; theories about subjectivity and identity (“self”), fact and fiction, objectivity and representation; study of relevant texts.
    or
    Media genre theory
    Genre theory as applied to culture and media studies. The factors contributing to the formation of media genres, the internal and external features as well as the reception of media products will be discussed in this module.
     

    View more

Elective modules


Regulations and rules
The regulations and rules for the degrees published here are subject to change and may be amended after the publication of this information.

The General Academic Regulations (G Regulations) and General Student Rules apply to all faculties and registered students of the University, as well as all prospective students who have accepted an offer of a place at the University of Pretoria. On registering for a programme, the student bears the responsibility of ensuring that they familiarise themselves with the General Academic Regulations applicable to their registration, as well as the relevant faculty-specific and programme-specific regulations and information as stipulated in the relevant yearbook. Ignorance concerning these regulations will not be accepted as an excuse for any transgression, or basis for an exception to any of the aforementioned regulations.

University of Pretoria Programme Qualification Mix (PQM) verification project
The higher education sector has undergone an extensive alignment to the Higher Education Qualification Sub-Framework (HEQF) across all institutions in South Africa. In order to comply with the HEQSF, all institutions are legally required to participate in a national initiative led by regulatory bodies such as the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), the Council on Higher Education (CHE), and the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA). The University of Pretoria is presently engaged in an ongoing effort to align its qualifications and programmes with the HEQSF criteria. Current and prospective students should take note that changes to UP qualification and programme names, may occur as a result of the HEQSF initiative. Students are advised to contact their faculties if they have any questions.

Copyright © University of Pretoria 2024. All rights reserved.

FAQ's Email Us Virtual Campus Share Cookie Preferences