English Department | St. Xavier's College Thumba, Kerala

Overview

Faculty of the Department of English and Media Studies gathered around a table

Since 1964, English has shaped the intellectual life of St. Xavier’s College, first through more than five decades of the General English curriculum that reached every student on campus, and since 2020, through the B.A. in English and Media Studies, which now admits 50 students each year. This journey has been carried forward by dedicated faculty whose commitment laid the foundation for what the department has become: Mr. P. C. Chacko, Mr. P. L. Lukose, Fr. Paul Valiyakandathil S.J., Mr. Thomas Ayithamattam, Mr. Ramachandran Nair, Dr. Antony Mathew, Dr Mary Nirmala, Smt. Sophie Jose, Dr Mary Susan, and Dr Rachel George. Their legacy of scholarship and mentorship continues to inform the department’s spirit, reminding every student that they stand upon a foundation built with care, conviction, and enduring purpose.

The programme places literary study and media production side by side: students read across world literature, cultural narrative and critical theory while working in a dedicated Media Lab on photography, audio-visual editing, podcasting and journalism. Electives range from Reading Cinema and Game Studies to Brand Narratives and documentary production, and the final year culminates in a research project, short film or professional portfolio. The department also publishes the student magazine ‘BeamSprings’, hosts an Annual Symposium on Literature and Media titled ‘Beacon’, partners CineX for campus film culture, and maintains a cultural exchange with ITE College East, Singapore.

English and Media Studies faculty and students discussing literature and media together

English and Media Studies student holding a laptop on campus

Vision

To emerge as a regional hub for literature and media, where writing, criticism, and production are pursued in tandem, and carried forward through publication, scholarly exchange, and public discourse.

Mission

The Department of English and Media Studies forms critical readers, confident communicators, and ethically grounded media practitioners — accompanying each student, in the Jesuit spirit of cura personalis, towards intellectual, professional, and personal maturity.

Highlights

Literature and media in one degree

A single programme combines close literary study with hands-on production, an arrangement rare among undergraduate departments in the region.

Dedicated Media Lab

Students train with professional cameras, recording equipment and digital editing suites, building a working portfolio well before graduation.

International exchange

A cultural exchange partnership with ITE College East, Singapore, opens cross-cultural learning and a wider professional perspective.

‘BeamSprings’ and the ‘Beacon’

The student-run magazine and the department’s annual symposium bring authors, journalists and filmmakers into direct conversation with students.

Support for the whole campus

The Add-on Course in Communicative English and Remedial English Coaching extend the department’s teaching to undergraduate students across all disciplines.

HoD's Message

A story can be told on a page, through a lens, in a recording, or on a screen — and our students learn to work across all of them. Since 2020, this department has offered a degree that rejects the usual divide between literary study and media practice. Here, you will read closely across world literature and critical theory, while also writing, editing, recording, photographing, and publishing.

Our Media Lab, the student magazine BeamSprings, the Annual Symposium on Literature and Media titled ‘Beacon’, and our international cultural exchange with ITE College East, Singapore, are all spaces where this work comes to life. We also serve the wider college community through the Add-on Course in Communicative English and remedial coaching, in the belief that confidence in language belongs to every student. Above all, what defines us is accompaniment: our faculty walk alongside each student through the academic, creative, and personal journey of these four years.

Programme Overview

B.A. in English and Media Studies (FYUGP)

Our flagship Four-Year Undergraduate Programme is the perfect launching pad to turn your creative passions into a meaningful, thriving career, offering a beautiful mix of deep literary insight and modern media skills.

Seat Availability: 50 seats

Add-on Course in Communicative English

Open to all undergraduate students at the college who want to boost their professional communication, public presentation, and workplace readiness skills.

Remedial English Coaching

Providing warm, constructive, and targeted academic support for students looking to strengthen their language proficiency.

Why Choose Us?

A Unique, Integrated Experience

We are proud to be the only department in the region offering a beautifully structured blend of literary analysis and hands-on media production within a single, forward-thinking degree.

Our Vibrant Media Lab

You will dive straight into experiential learning in our dedicated Media Lab, designed to give you direct experience with photography, audio-visual editing, and digital content creation.

Global Horizons

Expand your world through our established international cultural exchange partnership with ITE College East, Singapore, giving you unparalleled cross-cultural perspectives.

Your Voice in Print

Showcase your creative writing, graphic design, and media commentary in BeamSprings, our acclaimed annual student-led magazine curated entirely by minds like yours.

Facilities

State-of-the-art Media Lab

A professionally equipped space for hands-on, experiential learning where you will gain technical skills using professional cameras, recording gear, and digital editing suites.

Multimedia Classrooms

Fully multimedia-equipped spaces with LCD projection facilities that seamlessly bring movies, documentaries, and digital presentations into daily learning.