1. Stellar Faculty
Ajou University’s Department of English Language and Literature was ranked among the top departments of its kind in Korea in a university assessment conducted by JoongAng Ilbo in September 2011 (in the SCI- and KCI-publication component). The department’s faculty teach not only required courses for the major but also non-major courses in English. Many professors take on multiple appointments (language institute, Ajou English program, Graduate School of Education, etc.) and receive consistent recognition, including Best Lecture awards, for their commitment to and skill in teaching.
2. Student Exchange & Dual Degree Program
Ajou University currently operates diverse programs through exchange agreements with four institutions and 319 universities in 67 countries. Many English majors, by studying at these universities as exchange students, receive full credit for courses taken while also having the opportunity to develop a global mindset through daily experiences of a foreign language and culture. Ajou University also operates a “2+2” dual degree program with Stony Brook University in New York and the Illinois Institute of Technology, which has been gaining in popularity among Department of English Language and Literature majors.
3. Support for English Proficiency Exam
Ajou University students who register for an English proficiency exam are subsidized for the registration fee.
4. Academia-Industry Training
Through the Humanities Internship, English language and literature majors can develop practical work skills by applying what they have learned about language and culture in locations such as museums and corporations. Through academia-industry training courses, students are given the opportunity to carry out work tasks and gain a sense of what it is like to work in their area of interest under the joint guidance of Ajou University faculty and experts in the field.
5. Curricular for Teaching Profession (Teacher Training)
Ajou University operates a certification program for those who wish to teach English at a secondary school in Korea. There are many department alumni who, after taking this program, passed the national teacher certification exam and are currently working in the field. Support is also given through an admission-linked scholarship for students who enter the Graduate School of Education and wish to gain secondary English Teaching Profession Certification.
6. English Café
The English Café, which is managed by English Language and Literature majors, offers opportunities for Ajou students, foreign exchange students, and native English speaker/department faculty to interact—in English! —and engage in diverse cultural experiences.
7. Advisory System in Small Groups
In each group of the Advisory System, one professor communicates closely with a group of approximately seven students, helps students adjust to university life and offers faculty mentoring on their major and career planning. In the Department of English Language and Literature, this program is supplemented with special lectures, other coaching programs, and an alumni network to guide students, as professionally as possible, through the process of discovering their area of interest, performing well academically, and finding a career path.