BA English Major

The discipline of English has changed and so has your Major.

The new Major is designed to offer students a grounding in English studies while opening space for individual interests. Students can develop their own distinct path through the discipline's increasingly rich and diverse fields of study.

As of September 2019, our program requirements are greatly simplified. All students enrolled in the English Major must take a minimum of ★30 to a maximum of ★48 English courses at the 200-level or above, including:

★9 at the 200-level*

★9 at the 300-level

★6 at the 400-level.

Note:The prerequisite for all 200 and 300-level ENGL courses is ★6 of junior English, or ★3 of junior English plus WRS 101 or 102.

Plan your Major

As you choose your courses, consider these three recommended components.

1. Strong Recommendations

Three areas of study are strongly recommended (consider taking ★3 or more from each of the following):

Canadian literature and culture

2020/21:

ENGL 373: Canadian Lit: Writing and Colonization
ENGL 374: Canadian Lit&Culture: Early 20th-C Texts
ENGL 375: Canadian Lit&Culture: Reading Canadian Cultures
ENGL 378: Canadian Lit&Culture: Contemporary Cultural Texts
ENGL 407 B1: Louis Riel in Canadian Literature
ENGL 465 A1: #meetoo and Canadian Literature
WRITE 494 A1: A Poetics of Treaty

Indigenous literature and culture

2020/21:

ENGL 125: Indigenous Writing
ENGL 308: Indigenous Literature: Intellectual Traditions
ENGL 309: Indigenous Literature: Literary Movements
WRITE 494 A1: A Poetics of Treaty

pre-1900 literature and culture

2020/21:

ENGL 325: Medieval Literature and Culture
ENGL 336: Early Modern: 16th-Century Texts
ENGL 339: Studies in Shakespeare
ENGL 340: Early Modern: 17th-Century Texts
ENGL 348: The Eighteenth-Century Novel
ENGL 349: The Nineteenth-Century Novel
ENGL 350: 19th-C British: Romantic Texts
ENGL 352: 19th-C British: Early Victorian Texts
ENGL 353: 19th-C British: Late Victorian Texts
ENGL 358: Early American Literature and Culture
ENGL 390: Eighteenth-Century Women's Writing
ENGL 405: Victorian Poetry and Poetics
ENGL 407 A1: Constellating Moby-Dick
ENGL 407 B1: Louis Riel in Canadian Literature

2. Breadth Recommendations

We suggest that your Major cover the breadth of areas within English Studies and encourage you to take at least one course in each of the following areas:

Genres and Media Forms

ENGL 208 Reading Histories: Making Books
ENGL 209 Reading Histories: Making Readers
ENGL 210 Reading Histories: Histories in Texts
ENGL 218 Textualities: Reading and Interpretation
ENGL 219 Textualities: Narrative Theory and Poetics
ENGL 301 Topics in Genres
ENGL 302 Topics in Literary and Critical Theories
ENGL 303 Digital Culture
ENGL 304 Computing Technology and Culture: Digital Humanities
ENGL 327 Topics in Medieval Literature
ENGL 337 Topics in Early Modern Literature
ENGL 347 Restoration and 18th-C Lit&Culture: Drama (reserve)
ENGL 348 Restoration and 18th-C Lit&Culture: The Novel
ENGL 349 19th-C British Lit&Culture: The Novel
ENGL 368 Early 20th-C Lit&Culture: Drama
ENGL 369 Late 20th-C Lit&Culture: Drama
ENGL 377 Canadian Lit&Culture: Canadian Drama and Performance
ENGL 384 Popular Culture: Reading Popular Texts
ENGL 385 Popular Culture: Issues in Popular Culture
ENGL 386 Popular Culture: Working-Class Texts and Cultures (reserve)
ENGL 388 Children's Lit&Culture: Oral Traditions
ENGL 389 Children's Lit&Culture: Print Traditions
ENGL 395 Media Culture and History
ENGL 402 Studies in Genres
ENGL 405 Studies in Poetry
ENGL 406 Studies in Prose (reserve)
ENGL 424 Studies in the History of Books
ENGL 425 Studies in the History of Reading (reserve)
ENGL 424 Studies in the History of Books
ENGL 482 Studies in Drama and Performance
ENGL 483 Studies in Popular Culture
ENGL 485 Topics in Media Studies
ENGL 484 Studies in Literature and Film
ENGL 486 Studies in Computer Technologies and Culture
ENGL 487 Studies in Children's Literature (reserve)

All WRITE courses

Literary Periods

ENGL * 320 Old English Language and Literature
ENGL 324 Medieval Lit&Culture: Chaucer
ENGL 325 Medieval Lit&Culture: Medieval Texts
ENGL 327 Medieval Lit&Culture: Medieval and Tudor Drama
ENGL 336 Early Modern Lit&Culture: 16th-Century Texts
ENGL 337 Early Modern Lit&Culture: Drama
ENGL * 338 Early Modern Lit&Culture: Shakespeare
ENGL 339 Early Modern Lit&Culture: Studies in Shakespeare
ENGL 340 Early Modern Lit&Culture: 17th-Century Texts
ENGL 341 Restoration and 18th-C Lit&Culture: Restoration & Early 18-C Texts
ENGL 343 Restoration and 18th-C Lit&Culture: Late 18-Century Texts
ENGL 344 Early Modern Lit&Culture: Milton
ENGL 347 Restoration and 18th-C Lit&Culture: Drama (reserve)
ENGL 348 Restoration and 18th-C Lit&Culture: The Novel
ENGL 349 19th-C British Lit&Culture: The Novel
ENGL 350 19th-C British Lit&Culture: Romantic Texts
ENGL 352 19th-C British Lit&Culture: Early Victorian Texts
ENGL 353 19th-C British Lit&Culture: Late Victorian Texts
ENGL 358 American Lit&Culture: Early American Writing - Colonial, Rev…
ENGL 359 American Lit&Culture: Reading American Origins
ENGL 361 American Lit&Culture: American Modern - Postbellum & Early…
ENGL 362 American Lit&Culture: Toward the Now - Later 20th & Early 21st C
ENGL 363 Early 20th-C Lit&Culture: Modernism and Modernity
ENGL 364 Late 20th-C Lit&Culture: Modernism and Modernity
ENGL 365 Early 20th-C British Literature and Culture
ENGL 366 Late 20th-C British Literature and Culture
ENGL 367 Contemporary Literatures and Cultures
ENGL 368 Early 20th-C Lit&Culture: Drama
ENGL 373 Canadian Lit&Culture: Writing and Colonization
ENGL 374 Canadian Lit&Culture: Early 20th-C Texts
ENGL 376 Canadian Lit&Culture: Late 20th-C Texts
ENGL 378 Canadian Lit&Culture: Contemporary Cultural Texts
ENGL 390 Women's Writing: Writing by Women pre-1900
ENGL 391 Women's Writing: Writing by Women post-1900
ENGL 401 Studies in Authors
ENGL 409 Studies in Literary Periods and Cultural Movements
ENGL 426 Studies in Literary and Cultural Histories

National and Global Literature

ENGL 223 Reading Politics: Empire and the Postcolonial
ENGL 308 Aboriginal/Indigenous Literature: Intellectual Traditions
ENGL 309 Aboriginal/Indigenous Literature: Literary Movements
ENGL 312 Postcolonial Lit&Culture: African Writing in English
ENGL 313 Postcolonial Lit&Culture: Caribbean Writing in English (reserve)
ENGL 314 Postcolonial Lit&Culture: Irish Writing in English
ENGL 315 Postcolonial Lit&Culture: Indian Writing in English
ENGL 316 Postcolonial Lit&Culture: Middle-Eastern Writing in English
ENGL 320 Old English Language and Literature
ENGL 324 Medieval Lit&Culture: Chaucer
ENGL 325 Medieval Lit&Culture: Medieval Texts
ENGL 327 Medieval Lit&Culture: Medieval and Tudor Drama
ENGL 336 Early Modern Lit&Culture: 16th-Century Texts
ENGL 337 Early Modern Lit&Culture: Drama
ENGL * 338 Early Modern Lit&Culture: Shakespeare
ENGL 339 Early Modern Lit&Culture: Studies in Shakespeare
ENGL 340 Early Modern Lit&Culture: 17th-Century Texts
ENGL 341 Restoration and 18th-C Lit&Culture: Restoration & Early 18-C Texts
ENGL 343 Restoration and 18th-C Lit&Culture: Late 18-Century Texts
ENGL 344 Early Modern Lit&Culture: Milton
ENGL 347 Restoration and 18th-C Lit&Culture: Drama (reserve)
ENGL 348 Restoration and 18th-C Lit&Culture: The Novel
ENGL 349 19th-C British Lit&Culture: The Novel
ENGL 350 19th-C British Lit&Culture: Romantic Texts
ENGL 352 19th-C British Lit&Culture: Early Victorian Texts
ENGL 353 19th-C British Lit&Culture: Late Victorian Text
ENGL 354 Pre-20th-C Transnational Literature and Culture (reserve)
ENGL 355 American Lit&Culture: American Minority Literature
ENGL 356 American Lit&Culture: Reading American Technologies
ENGL 357 American Lit&Culture: Reading American Ideologies
ENGL 358 American Lit&Culture: Early American Writing - Colonial, Rev…
ENGL 359 American Lit&Culture: Reading American Origins
ENGL 360 American Lit&Culture: Race and Belonging in American Writing
ENGL 361 American Lit&Culture: American Modern - Postbellum & Early…
ENGL 362 American Lit&Culture: Toward the Now - Later 20th & Early 21st C
ENGL 373 Canadian Lit&Culture: Writing and Colonization
ENGL 374 Canadian Lit&Culture: Early 20th-C Texts
ENGL 375 Canadian Lit&Culture: Reading Canadian Cultures
ENGL 376 Canadian Lit&Culture: Late 20th-C Texts
ENGL 377 Canadian Lit&Culture: Canadian Drama and Performance
ENGL 378 Canadian Lit&Culture: Contemporary Cultural Texts
ENGL 379 Canadian Lit&Culture: Canadian Minority Literature (reserve)
ENGL 380 Canadian Lit&Culture: Reading the Local
ENGL 481 Studies in Empire and the Postcolonial

Social and Cultural Diversity

ENGL 220 Reading Politics: Gender and Sexuality
ENGL 221 Reading Politics: Class and Ideology
ENGL 222 Reading Politics: Race and Ethnicity
ENGL 223 Reading Politics: Empire and the Postcolonial
ENGL 302 Literary and Cultural Theories
ENGL 305 Literature and Religion
ENGL 308 Aboriginal/Indigenous Literature: Intellectual Traditions
ENGL 309 Aboriginal/Indigenous Literature: Literary Movements
ENGL 355 American Lit&Culture: American Minority Literature
ENGL 360 American Lit&Culture: Race and Belonging in American Writing
ENGL 379 Canadian Lit&Culture: Canadian Minority Literature (reserve)
ENGL 380 Canadian Lit&Culture: Reading the Local
ENGL 388 Children's Lit&Culture: Oral Traditions
ENGL 389 Children's Lit&Culture: Print Traditions
ENGL 390 Women's Writing: Writing by Women pre-1900`
ENGL 391 Women's Writing: Writing by Women post-1900
ENGL 392 Queer Writing
ENGL 407 Studies in Texts and Cultures
ENGL 409 Studies in Literary Periods and Cultural Movements
ENGL 465 Studies in Gender and Sexualities
ENGL 466 Studies in Class and Ideology (reserve)
ENGL 467 Studies in Race and Ethnicity
ENGL 481 Studies in Empire and the Postcolonial

Theoretical Approaches

ENGL 209 Reading Histories: Making Readers
ENGL 210 Reading Histories: Histories in Texts
ENGL 212 Intro to the English Language
ENGL 217 Textualities: Signs and Texts
ENGL 218 Textualities: Reading and Interpretation
ENGL 219 Textualities: Narrative Theory and Poetics
ENGL 220 Reading Politics: Gender and Sexuality
ENGL 221 Reading Politics: Class and Ideology
ENGL 222 Reading Politics: Race and Ethnicity
ENGL 223 Reading Politics: Empire and the Postcolonial
ENGL 224 The Literary Institution
ENGL 300 Social and Cultural History of the English Language
ENGL 302 Literary and Cultural Theories
ENGL 308 Aboriginal/Indigenous Literature: Intellectual Traditions
ENGL 385 Popular Culture: Issues in Popular Culture
ENGL 390 Women's Writing pre-1900
ENGL 391 Women's Writing post-1900
ENGL 392 Queer Writing
ENGL 409 Studies in Literary Periods and Cultural Movements
ENGL 425 Studies in the History of Reading
ENGL 430 Studies in Theory
ENGL 465 Studies in Gender and Sexualities
ENGL 466 Studies in Class and Ideology (reserve)
ENGL 467 Studies in Race and Ethnicity
ENGL 481 Studies in Empire and the Postcolonial
ENGL 482 Studies in Drama and Performance

3. Follow your interests

Which of these areas interest you most? Here's a selection of our courses:

Popular Genres

ENGL 209 B1: Histories of Reading
ENGL 309 A1: Indigenous Literatures: Life Writing
ENGL 375 A1: Contemporary Bestsellers and Popular Genres in 21c Canada
ENGL 384 A1 Popular Culture: Reading Popular Texts
ENGL 385 B2 Graphic Novels
ENGL 389 A1 & B1 Children's Literature
ENGL 483 A1 Tolkien’s Legendarium
WRITE 399 B1 Screenwriting
WRITE 399 X50 Creative Writing for Video Games

Global Issues

ENGL 222 Reading Race and Ethnicity
ENGL 223 A1 & B1 Reading Empire and the Postcolonial
ENGL 308 A1: Indigenous Literatures: Intellectual Traditions
ENGL 309 A1: Indigenous Literatures: Life Writing
ENGL 314 Postcolonial Literature: Irish Writing in English
ENGL 315 Postcolonial Literature: Indian Writing in English
ENGL 367 B1: Contemporary Literature: The Surveillance Society
ENGL 373 B1: Canadian Literature: Writing and Colonization
ENGL 407 B1: Louis Riel in Canadian Literature
ENGL 407 A1: Constellating Moby-Dick
ENGL 409 B1: The Aesthetics of Disruption
ENGL 430 A1: A Geopoetics of Habitat
ENGL 465 A1: #meetoo and Canadian Literature
ENGL 467 B1: “Afterlives” of US Slavery
WRITE 494 A1: A Poetics of Treaty

Contemporary - 21st Century

ENGL 308 Indigenous Literature: Intellectual Traditions
ENGL 309 A1: Indigenous Literatures: Life Writing
ENGL 362 B1: American Literature & Culture: Toward the Now - Later 20th & Early 21st Century
ENGL 367 B1: Contemporary Literature & Cultures: The Surveillance Society
ENGL 375 A1: Contemporary Bestsellers and Popular Genres in 21c Canada
ENGL 378 B1: Contemporary Canadian Cultural Texts
ENGL 384 A1: Reading Popular Texts
ENGL 385 B2: Graphic Novels
ENGL 391 B2: Writing by Women Post-1900
ENGL 430 A1: A Geopoetics of Habitat
ENGL 465 A1: #meetoo and Canadian Literature
WRITE 494 A1: A Poetics of Treaty

Social Justice and Literature

ENGL 220 Reading Gender and Sexuality
ENGL 221 Reading Class and Ideology
ENGL 222 Reading Race and Ethnicity
ENGL 223 Reading Empire and the Postcolonial
ENGL 309 A1: Indigenous Literatures: Life Writing
ENGL 360 A1: Race and Belonging in American Writing
ENGL 367 B1: Contemporary Literature: The Surveillance Society
ENGL 373 B1: Canadian Literature: Writing and Colonization
ENGL 392 B1: Queer Writing
ENGL 407 A1: Constellating Moby-Dick
ENGL 409 B1: The Aesthetics of Disruption
ENGL 430 A1: A Geopoetics of Habitat
ENGL 465 A1: #metoo and Canadian Literature
ENGL 467 B1: “Afterlives” of US Slavery
WRITE 494 A1: A Poetics of Treaty

Gender and Sexuality

ENGL 220 Reading Gender and Sexuality
ENGL 343 B1: Gender and Sexuality in 18th-Century Literature
ENGL 390 A1: Eighteenth-Century Women’s Writing
ENGL 391 B2: Women's Writing: Writing by Women Post-1900
ENGL 392 B1: Queer Writing
ENGL 465 A1: #metoo and Canadian Literature

Creative Writing

WRITE 294 Introduction to Writing Poetry
WRITE 295 Introduction to Writing Prose
WRITE 297 Introduction to Writing Nonfiction
WRITE 392 Intermediate Poetry
WRITE 393 Intermediate Fiction
WRITE 397 Intermediate Creative Writing: Nonfiction
WRITE 399 Creative Writing for Video Games
WRITE 399 Screenwriting
WRITE 494 Advanced Creative Writing: A Poetics of Treaty
WRITE 498 Advanced Creative Writing: Nonfiction

Media Studies and Print Culture

ENGL 208 History of the Book
ENGL 209 Histories of Readers
ENGL 303 Digital Cultures
ENGL 385 Graphic Novels
ENGL 395 Media, Culture, History
WRITE 399 B1: Projects in Genre: Screenwriting
WRITE 399 X50: Creative Writing for Video Games

Going to Graduate School

Many graduate programs emphasize historical and national breadth in entrance requirements and thus if you are thinking about graduate school, you may wish to take courses in the following areas: Medieval: ENGL 325
Early Modern: ENGL 336, ENGL 339, ENGL 340
Restoration and Eighteenth Century: ENGL 390, ENGL 348
Nineteenth Century: ENGL 349, ENGL 350, ENGL 352, ENGL 353, ENGL 405A, ENGL 407B, 409B
Canadian: ENGL 373, ENGL 374, ENGL 375, ENGL 378, ENGL 407B, ENGL 465A
American: ENGL 360, ENGL 362, ENGL 407A, ENGL 467B
Post-colonial: ENGL 314, ENGL 315
Indigenous: ENGL 308, ENGL 309
Literary Theory: ENGL 218, ENGL 219, 430A, 430B

To help guide you to specific areas of interest, see our course listing and/or our English Major Worksheet page. You can also make an appointment with the undergraduate advisor.

The major in English is not designed to meet specific requirements for entrance into graduate programs in the Department of English and Film Studies; if you are looking for such preparation, you should consult the Associate Chair (Graduate Studies) before enrolling in the third year of the BA program.

* As of September 2019: Students who entered the program before September 2019 are allowed to graduate with *6 credits. All students entering the program since September 2019 need *9 at the 200-level.

Our Areas: English | Creative Writing | Film Studies | Writing Studies