English Studies

The School of English at Trinity College Dublin is one of the oldest in Britain and Ireland, and in 1867 it founded the first ever Chair in English Literature. The teaching and research expertise of Trinity's staff members encompass a wide range of areas. The School’s achievements include a global reputation for influential research and publication, the internationally-recognized high quality of our graduates, and our distinctive commitment to small group teaching and innovative course design.

Columbia's Department of English and Comparative Literature has played a significant role in the history of literary study in the United States and abroad since its inception. Although literary study has been part of Columbia's curriculum since its founding as King's College in 1754, the recognition of English as a distinct academic discipline at Columbia began with the appointment of Thomas Randolph Price as Professor of the English Language and Literature in 1882. In 1899 Columbia President Seth Low formed two separate departments: the Department of English Language and Literature, devoted to rhetoric, philology, and composition, and the Department of Comparative Literature, intended to represent newly emergent historical, cultural, and psychological approaches to literary expression. In 1910 these departments were merged as the Department of English and Comparative Literature. With a large faculty of renowned scholars and dedicated teachers, Columbia’s department offers a wide range of courses, recognizing traditional values in the discipline yet reflecting its changing shape.

During the Fresher years at Trinity, students take all English Studies core modules and approved/elective modules as required, and attain 120 ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System) credits. Students who do not have intermediate proficiency in a language other than English at the time of their admission to the Dual Degree Program will be required to take language courses in French, German, Russian, or Spanish during years one and two at Trinity, in fulfillment of the Columbia University Core language requirement. In years three and four, students continue to follow an English major at Columbia, earning 64 Columbia credits (equivalent to 120 ECTS credits). This program of study allows students to continue to develop their skills and deepen their engagement with the core discipline, while also undertaking a number of classes across various humanities subjects.

As part of the Trinity degree program, students entering the program prior to the Fall 2026 term also complete an additional 30 ECTS credits in years three and four, including a Capstone project that enables students to explore in-depth an area of interest.