The English Literature program at SNU is uniquely tailored to the Indian students of literature in the 21st Century who has to necessarily build bridges between their Indian identity rooted in the mother tongue, and the global identity rooted in the English language. The curriculum, both local and global in orientation, exposes students to a wide variety of literary traditions across time and space. The guiding principle is that all literature entails "defamiliarization" - imaginative movement outside oneself and/or the bounds of the familiar - and to that end, the curriculum is weighted towards questions of cross-cultural conversation and discovery. The curriculum places a premium on reading broadly but also deeply: students study the intimate relations between language, literary form, history, and culture, as well as tease out points of affinity and difference across borders of culture and chronology. SNU Literature majors will acquire skills of self-reflexive critical thinking and historical literary analysis.

It is crucial, in the current global context, that SNU students are trained to write in clear, articulate English and the Department requires several courses in Academic and Creative Writing and Communication that all students must take learning in the process to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.

The unique structure of SNU's undergraduate curriculum provide students the flexibility to combine their English studies with minors in such diverse subjects as Economics, Mathematic, Physics, Chemistry and even take courses in the School of Engineering. Because of this broad based education, students graduating from the English program at SNU have a variety of career options not typically available to their counterparts at more traditional Indian universities.

SNU English majors will have the opportunity to pursue higher studies leading to research and academic jobs at Universities. But many would have the training and breadth of knowledge for careers in print and electronic journalism, advertising and media in general, law and corporate positions involving writing and critical analysis such as investor relations and marketing. Students also go onto pursue careers in the civil services, teaching and positions in non-governmental and cultural and artistic organizations.