English - Bachelor of Arts
Overview
Study literature and open your mind to a world of provocative ideas and new perspectives. Our students are readers, writers, and critical thinkers who engage with culture, history, and language.
We offer a range of traditional and innovative courses led by award-winning faculty with a passion for teaching. Engage with writers and genres from across time and cultures; explore the classics or the very latest contemporary works; study creative writers or creative writing. Our courses offer you the opportunity to reflect deeply and think freely about the world and your own experiences within and beyond the boundaries of academic discourse.
Contact Information
Department of English
Room 6-223, City Centre Campus
10700 - 104 Avenue
Edmonton, AB T5J 4S2
T: 780-497-5346
Faculty of Arts and Science, Program Services (Advising)
Room 6-211, City Centre Campus
T: 780-497-4505
E: artsandscience@macewan.ca
The Bachelor of Arts
Faculty of Arts and Science
MacEwan.ca/BA
MacEwan University’s Bachelor of Arts (BA) is designed to provide a liberal arts education that allows students to explore a variety of academic disciplines and acquire a broad knowledge base that will prepare them for employment or future post-secondary studies. The degree is intended to provide students with breadth, depth, and diversity in the areas of humanities, sciences, social sciences, analytical studies, and fine arts as well as courses focused on language and literature. BA students study subjects in major and/or minor disciplines, and they are required to be familiar with the academic and faculty regulations and procedures as published herein.
General Program Information
The BA program requires students to complete 120 credits of non-duplicative coursework. The degree emphasizes both breadth and depth and has been designed for exceptional flexibility and customization. Students can complete a major and a minor, a double major, or a major and two minors.
Arts Disciplines
Discipline | Major | Minor | Honours |
---|---|---|---|
Anthropology | ⦿ | ⦿ | ⦿ |
Classics | - | ⦿ | - |
Creative Writing | - | ⦿ | - |
Economics | ⦿ | ⦿ | ⦿ |
English | ⦿ | ⦿ | ⦿ |
French | - | ⦿ | - |
Gender Studies | - | ⦿ | - |
History | ⦿ | ⦿ | - |
Philosophy | ⦿ | ⦿ | - |
Political Science | ⦿ | ⦿ | ⦿ |
Psychology | ⦿ | ⦿ | ⦿ |
Sociology | ⦿ | ⦿ | ⦿ |
Spanish | - | ⦿ | - |
Science Minors
Discipline | Minor |
---|---|
Biological Sciences | ⦿ |
Chemistry | ⦿ |
Computer Science | ⦿ |
Earth and Planetary Sciences | ⦿ |
Mathematics | ⦿ |
Physics | ⦿ |
Planetary Physics | ⦿ |
Statistics | ⦿ |
Out of Faculty Minors
Discipline | Minor |
---|---|
Accounting Minor for Arts and Science | ⦿ |
Arts and Cultural Management | ⦿ |
Business Law | ⦿ |
Business Studies | ⦿ |
Digital Experience Design | ⦿ |
Finance Minor for Arts and Science | ⦿ |
Human Resources Minor for Arts and Science | ⦿ |
Marketing Minor for Arts and Science | ⦿ |
Preparing for Professional Studies
Students intending to enter professional programs at other universities, such as law and education, can take their pre-professional studies in the Faculty of Arts and Science at MacEwan University. For example, there is a selection of courses that may be taken to facilitate the transition to an after-degree education program or, if the student prefers, transfer to a Bachelor of Education program after completion of as many as 60 credits of coursework. Students are advised to consult the admissions requirements for the universities and programs of their choice, and to select their MacEwan University courses accordingly. Completion of pre-professional courses at MacEwan University does not guarantee admission to the subsequent professional program. Each professional program requires a separate application and entry is competitive, not automatic.
Degree Requirements
Breadth Requirements
All Bachelor of Arts degrees require Breadth Requirements. Courses can satisfy both the breadth requirements and requirements for the major(s), minor(s), Honours, or options.
Breadth Element | Description | Credits |
---|---|---|
Literacy | ENGL 102 and 3 credits in university English (not including ENGL 111, ENGL 108, or ENGL 211), and 6 credits in a single language other than English or 6 credits in world literature (COMP 102 and COMP 103) | 12 |
Humanities | CLAS, HIST, HUMN, or PHIL | 6 |
Sciences | ASTR, BICM, BIOL, BOTN, CHEM, CMPT, EASC, GENE, PHYS, PSYC, SCIE, or ZOOL | 6 |
Social Sciences | ANTH, ECON, POLS, PSYC, or SOCI | 6 |
Analytical Studies | LING 101, MATH, PHIL 125, or STAT | 3 |
Fine Arts | AGAD, ARTE, CRWR, DESN, DRMA, MUSC, THAR, THPR, CLAS 252, CLAS 352, CLAS 353, or CLAS 356 | 3 |
Bachelor of Arts Degree
Program Element | Description | Credits |
---|---|---|
Primary Major | The Arts major will range from 42 to 60 credits with a minimum 36 credits taken at the senior-level. | 42-60 |
Secondary Major or Minor(s) | Students have the option of completing a second Arts major, or one or two minors. Minor courses must be completed at the senior-level. | 18-60 |
Options | Students can complete up to 15 credits in out-of-faculty options, with no more than 3 credits in physical activity (PACT) courses. | Up to 60 |
Total Degree Credits Including Breadth | 120 |
Bachelor of Arts Honours
Program Element | Description | Credits |
---|---|---|
Minimum Honour Requirements | Honours requirements are determined by each discipline. | 63 |
Option Courses, Non-Compulsory Honours Courses, and/or a Minor | Students have the option of completing a minor from outside of the Honours discipline. Some disciplines may require a minor. | 57 |
Total Degree Credits | 120 |
The minimum passing grade for a course at MacEwan University is a D unless otherwise noted next to the appropriate course in the program of study. In the Faculty of Arts and Science, students typically require a minimum grade of C- to use a course as a prerequisite. Please check course descriptions for more information.
English Requirements
English Major
The Bachelor of Arts (BA) in English program requires students to complete 120 credits of non-duplicative coursework. In addition to the English Major, students will complete one of the following:
- one minor,
- two minors, or
- a secondary Arts major
Students are required to complete option courses as well as the major(s) and minor(s). All BA degrees require Breadth Requirements. Courses can satisfy both the breadth requirements and requirements for the major(s), minor(s), or options.
The English Major is 42 to 60 non-duplicative English credits with a minimum 36 credits at the senior-level. Students must complete a minimum of six credits of ENGL at the 400-level. ENGL 211 cannot be used to fulfill the minimum requirements of the English Major.
Students also require a minimum of six credits of one language other than English (LOE). The LOE can be taken as part of the Literacy Breadth requirement.
Bachelor of Arts - English Major
Course ID | Course Name | Credits |
---|---|---|
Specific Major Requirements | ||
ENGL 102 | Analysis and Argument | 3 |
ENGL 103 | Approaches to Literature: Trends and Traditions | 3 |
ENGL 391 | Topics in Literary Theory | 3 |
Choose 3 credits from the following: | 3 | |
Rhetoric and Textual Analysis | ||
Sentence Style and Textual Analysis | ||
The History of the English Language | ||
Choose 9 credits from Literature before 1800 from the following: | 9 | |
Genesis of English Literary Forms: Old English to Late Renaissance | ||
Earlier Medieval English Literature | ||
Later Middle English Literature | ||
Chaucer | ||
Studies in Shakespeare | ||
English Renaissance Literature | ||
Studies in 17th Century English Literature | ||
Augustan Literature | ||
Topics in the Long 18th Century Literature | ||
Milton | ||
Early and Later Middle English | ||
Elizabethan/17th Century Literature | ||
Restoration/Eighteenth Century Literature | ||
Choose 3 credits from Canadian Literature from the following: | 3 | |
Early Canadian Literature | ||
Contemporary Canadian Literature | ||
General Major Requirements | ||
Choose 18 to 36 credits from junior- or senior-level ENGL or CRWR. | 18-36 | |
Secondary Major or Minor(s) | ||
Students have the option of completing a second Arts major, or one or two minors. Minor courses must be completed at the senior-level. | 18-60 | |
Options | ||
Students can complete up to 15 credits in out-of-faculty options, with no more than 3 credits in physical activity (PACT) courses. | ||
Total Credits | 120 |
English Honours
The Bachelor of Arts (BA) English Honours degree program requires students to complete 120 credits of non-duplicative coursework. The English Honours program is comprised of 63 to 84 credits. Students must complete a minimum of 12 ENGL credits at the 400-level including ENGL 499. Students in the Honours degree must also take three credits in each of Canadian, British, and American literature. These may be duplicative within the five time periods and the General Honours Requirements. ENGL 211 cannot be used to fulfill the minimum requirements of the English Honour program.
Students have the option of completing a minor within the requirements of the English Honours program. Minors are comprised of 18 senior-level credits.
For consideration of admittance/acceptance into English Honours, students must present the following:
- Completion of a minimum of 45 university-level credits applicable to the program of study, with a GPA of 3.0 or higher
- 24 of the 45 credits must have been completed in the last 12 months
- A minimum of six ENGL credits completed at the senior-level
- A minimum GPA of 3.3 across all senior-level ENGL courses
Students accepted and enrolled in the English Honours program must maintain a minimum overall GPA of 3.0. As well, students must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.3 across all senior-level ENGL and CRWR courses for each 12 consecutive months following acceptance into the Honours program. If a student declares the Creative Writing Minor with the English Honours, only senior-level ENGL courses will be used to calculate the Honours GPA. Failure to maintain a 3.3 Honours GPA will result in the student's program status reverting to a BA English Major.
All BA degrees, including Honours, require Breadth Requirements. Courses can satisfy both the breadth requirements and requirements for Honours, minor(s), or options.
Bachelor of Arts - English Honours
Course ID | Course Name | Credits |
---|---|---|
Specific Honours Requirements | ||
ENGL 102 | Analysis and Argument | 3 |
ENGL 103 | Approaches to Literature: Trends and Traditions | 3 |
ENGL 391 | Topics in Literary Theory | 3 |
ENGL 499 | Honours Thesis Project | 3 |
Choose 3 credits from the following: | 3 | |
Rhetoric and Textual Analysis | ||
Sentence Style and Textual Analysis | ||
The History of the English Language | ||
Choose 3 credits from each of the following time periods: | 15 | |
Early and Later Middle English | ||
Earlier Medieval English Literature | ||
Later Middle English Literature | ||
Chaucer | ||
Early and Later Middle English | ||
Elizabethan and 17th Century | ||
Studies in Shakespeare | ||
English Renaissance Literature | ||
Studies in 17th Century English Literature | ||
Milton | ||
Elizabethan/17th Century Literature | ||
Restoration and 18th Century | ||
Augustan Literature | ||
Topics in the Long 18th Century Literature | ||
Restoration/Eighteenth Century Literature | ||
British, American and Canadian 19th Century | ||
Topics in Romantic Literature | ||
Early Victorian Literature | ||
Later Victorian Literature | ||
19th Century American Literature | ||
Nineteenth Century Literature | ||
British, American, Canadian and Post-Colonial Literature 20th and 21st Century | ||
Early 20th Century American Literature | ||
Contemporary American Literature | ||
Topics in 20th and 21st Century Literature | ||
Early 20th Century British & Anglophone Literature | ||
Contemporary British and Anglophone Literature | ||
Early Canadian Literature | ||
Contemporary Canadian Literature | ||
Topics in Post-Colonial Literature | ||
Post- Colonial Theory and Practice | ||
Twentieth Century Literature | ||
Intersections - Theory and Culture | ||
Twenty-First Century Literature | ||
General Honours Requirements | ||
Choose 33 to 54 credits in senior-level ENGL or CRWR in consultation with the English Honours advisor. | 33-54 | |
Option Courses and/or a Minor | ||
Students can complete up to 15 credits in out-of-faculty options, with no more than 3 credits in physical activity (PACT) courses. | 36-57 | |
Total Credits | 120 |
English Minor
The English Minor requires 18 senior-level credits with a minimum of 12 credits at the 300- or 400- level and a maximum of three credits from CRWR. Junior-level ENGL 102 and one of ENGL 103, ENGL 104, or ENGL 105 are required. ENGL 211 cannot be used to fulfill the requirements of the English Minor.
Course ID | Course Name | Credits |
---|---|---|
Specific Minor Requirements | ||
Choose 3 credits from the following: | 3 | |
Earlier Medieval English Literature | ||
Later Middle English Literature | ||
Chaucer | ||
Studies in Shakespeare | ||
English Renaissance Literature | ||
Studies in 17th Century English Literature | ||
Augustan Literature | ||
Topics in the Long 18th Century Literature | ||
Milton | ||
Early and Later Middle English | ||
Elizabethan/17th Century Literature | ||
Restoration/Eighteenth Century Literature | ||
General Minor Requirements | ||
Choose 15 credits from senior-level ENGL or CRWR | 15 | |
Total Credits | 18 |
Degree Regulations
Students are strongly encouraged to seek advice from the academic advisors about academic planning for completing degree requirements at MacEwan University.
Academic Residency - Credit Requirements
In addition to the academic residency requirements of the University, Bachelor of Arts students also must complete at MacEwan University:
- A minimum of 24 credits at the senior-level in the major discipline, with 12 of those senior credits completed at the 300- or 400-level. All 400-level requirements are to be completed at MacEwan University.
- If applicable, a minimum of nine credits at the senior-level in a minor, with at least three of those credits at the 300- or 400- level.
Breadth Requirements
Courses taken to fulfil major, minor, or option requirements can also be used to satisfy breadth requirements.
Declaration of a Major and a Minor
Students are advised to declare a primary major and a minor, or a primary major and secondary major, or a primary major and two minors by the time they have completed 45 credits. Majors are selected from Arts disciplines and consist of 42 to 60 junior- and senior-level credits. With the exception of those students in an Honours program, a maximum of 60 credits may be completed from any one discipline for credit towards the degree. A major and minor cannot be in the same discipline and students may not declare more than one out-of-faculty minor. Students can re-declare their major(s) and/or minor(s) if required.
For students completing multiple majors or minors, the Faculty cannot guarantee a schedule of classes that will permit the student to complete their degree in eight consecutive fall and winter semesters. Furthermore, depending on the courses in which a student enrols, meeting the requirements of a double major may require the completion of more than 120 credits for graduation. Students are strongly encouraged to consult with a program advisor in the Program Services Office in the Faculty of Arts and Science and a discipline advisor in their major and minor disciplines prior to declaration.
Graduation Grade Point Average
As part of the Graduation Grade Point Average regulation above, Bachelor of Arts students must obtain an overall GGPA of 2.0 or higher, with a minimum GPA of 2.0 on all courses credited toward the major(s) and a minimum GPA of 2.0 on all courses credited toward the minor(s).
Graduation Requirements
Graduation requirements are governed by the date on which students declare their major(s) and minor(s). Students who declare their major(s) and minor(s) up to and including February 15 are bound by the requirements of the current academic year. Those students who declare after February 15 are bound by the programs of study and degree requirements of the upcoming academic year as published in the MacEwan University Academic Calendar.
Junior- and Senior-Level Courses
Courses numbered from 100 to 199 are considered junior-level and courses numbered from 200 to 499 are considered senior-level.
Major or Minor 300- and 400-Level Requirements
The 300- and 400-level requirements in the major or minor cannot consist solely of project, field placement, and/or individual study courses.
Maximum Independent Courses
The maximum number of credits for independent work (project, field placement, and/or individual study courses), excluding the Honours Thesis, is 15 credits. Specific disciplines may have further restrictions.
Maximum Junior-Level Courses
A maximum of 48 credits at the 100-level are permitted in completion of the BA degree. Additional courses at the 100-level will be declared extra to the 120 credits required to complete the BA degree and will not be counted toward fulfilment of graduation requirements.
Minimum Arts Courses
Students are required to complete successfully a minimum of 72 credits from Arts courses.
Minimum Passing Grade
A minimum grade of D is required for all Arts degree courses unless otherwise noted next to the appropriate course in the program of study.
Minimum Transfer Grade for Credit
A minimum grade of D is required on any transfer credit granted for the program. Arts and Science courses require a minimum grade of C- when the course is used as a prerequisite. Transfer credit decisions made by the university are final and cannot be appealed.
Out-of-Faculty Options Requirements
Degree options may include a maximum of 15 credits from courses offered by a Faculty or School other than Arts and Science except for those students completing an out-of-faculty minor or those who have met the minor requirements with a diploma. These students must complete their degree options from courses offered within the Faculty of Arts and Science. Fine arts courses taken to fulfil breadth requirements do not count towards the allocation of out-of-faculty credit.
Progression of Studies
Students are responsible for ensuring they meet the prerequisite and/or co-requisite requirements as noted on all courses that may fulfil Bachelor of Arts or Arts Honours program requirements.
Honours Regulations
Overall Requirements
The Honours program of study consists of 63 to 84 credits as determined by the discipline. Students in the Honours program may choose to complete a minor outside of the Honours discipline. Some disciplines may require a minor.
Course Load
Students accepted into an Honours program must complete 24-credits in each twelve consecutive months they are in the program. Exceptions to this rule may occur with the approval of the Honours discipline advisor.
Grade Point Average Requirement
Students accepted and enrolled in the Arts Honours program must maintain a minimum overall GPA of 3.0. As well, students must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.3 across a set of courses designated by each discipline for each twelve consecutive months following acceptance into the Honours program. Failure to do so will result in the student’s program status reverting to a BA with a major in the previous honours discipline.
Graduation Grade Point Average
In order to graduate, students must obtain an overall GGPA of 3.0 or higher, with a minimum GPA of 3.3 across a set of courses designated by each discipline.
Additional Degree Regulations - Subsequent Baccalaureate
In addition to meeting the degree regulations listed above, students who already hold a baccalaureate degree must satisfy policies pertaining to subsequent baccalaureate credentials.
English Courses
ENGL 102
Analysis and Argument
3 Credits
This course helps students to develop the academic writing skills they use throughout their university studies. The essay is the most important genre in this course, but students may also study works from other genres. By analyzing, summarizing, synthesizing, and critiquing a variety of texts, students learn how to develop their own analyses and arguments with appropriate and correctly documented primary and secondary sources. A thorough review of grammar and sentence structure is a key component of this course. Note: Students should not register in more than one first-year English course per term.
ENGL 103
Approaches to Literature: Trends and Traditions
3 Credits
Building on the foundation established by ENGL 102, ENGL 103 develops and deepens, through the reading and analysis of literary texts, the critical thinking, research, and writing skills that are applicable across the university curriculum. In ENGL 103, students are introduced to a selection of representative genres, authors, and texts in English. Texts to be studied may range from the past to the present, the medieval to the modern and contemporary. The organization and content of any given section depend upon the interests and expertise of the instructor: students might study a variety of works in two or three different genres, for example, or they might look at the development of a particular theme across genres, through time, or in a variety of works, or they might consider examples of literature from a variety of time periods, etc.; but in all sections students will study and analyze a range of English literary works, genres, forms, and writers. In every iteration of the course, students hone critical reading, thinking, writing, and research skills through literary study.
Prerequisites: A minimum grade of C- in ENGL 102 or in WRIT 101.
ENGL 104
Approaches to Literature: Narrative Across Media
3 Credits
Building on the foundation established by ENGL 102, ENGL 104 develops and deepens, through the reading and analysis of literary texts, the critical thinking, research, and writing skills that are applicable across the university curriculum. In ENGL 104, students focus on narrative forms and techniques across a variety of media such as novels, short stories, films, video games, comics, etc. The central concern is the complex relationship between a story and the medium in which it is told. The content of a given section depends on the interests and expertise of the instructor. Students might consider the way in which a specific genre (or theme)--science fiction, horror, etc.--carries across diverse media; they might look at various adaptations of a particular story, or "universe"; or they might consider the ways in which a particular medium has developed out of (while diverging from) an older narrative form; etc. In every iteration of the course, students hone critical reading, thinking, writing, and research skills through literary study.
Prerequisites: A minimum grade of C- in ENGL 102 or in WRIT 101.
ENGL 105
Approaches to Literature: Contemporary Literature and Culture
3 Credits
Building on the foundation established by ENGL 102, ENGL 105 develops and deepens, through the reading and analysis of literary texts, the critical thinking, research, and writing skills that are applicable across the university curriculum. In ENGL 105, students analyze how contemporary works of literature respond to significant cultural moments, events, and trends in the late-twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Students read a range of literary texts with a focus on analyzing, researching, and writing about emerging cultural issues in the world today. Specific content in any given section will vary according to instructor interest and expertise,but all sections will emphasize how literary texts reflect, shape, and contribute to their immediate cultural contexts Students might study literary representations of topics related to gender, sexuality, race, class, or other markers of identity; topics related to a significant historical event, such as 9/11 or the Black Lives matter movement; or topics that focus on cultural concepts in literary texts, such as the non-human, the Anthropocene, or indigenous reconciliation. In every iteration of the course, students hone critical reading, thinking, writing, and research skills through literary study.
Prerequisite: A minimum grade of C- in ENGL 102 or in WRIT 101.
ENGL 108
Introduction to Language and Literature
3 Credits
This course combines instruction in writing with the study of the essay and the short story. Students may also study other forms of literature such as articles, poems, and drama. This course aims to increase students' appreciation of literature and to give them practice in academic writing. This course is not to be taken by students in Arts, Science, or Education. Note: Students should not register in more than one first-year English course per term.
ENGL 111
Communications
3 Credits
This course aims to help students improve their communication skills: writing, reading, speaking, and listening. The main emphasis, however, is on writing skills. Students write an expository and a persuasive essay, summarize written text, and apply principles of clear and correct writing to their own compositions. Students learn research and documentation strategies, and strengthen and expand their writing skills so that they can write more effectively for a variety of audiences and purposes. Students may choose from a number of delivery options that include classroom and online sections.
ENGL 199
English for Engineering Students
3 Credits
This course aims to develop the student's ability to provide effective written and oral information. It will focus on instruction in fundamental writing skills, including building effective sentences and paragraphs, and on learning to communicate clearly across a range of genres and media used in academic and professional contexts, including correspondence and presentations. Students will be introduced to the principles of information gathering, analysis, and citation. Note: This course is restricted to Engineering students.
ENGL 205
Rhetoric and Textual Analysis
3 Credits
English 205 is an introduction to the rhetorical tradition and to the fundamental ways in which rhetoric has informed English literature and literary criticism. The devices and schemes of rhetoric--from the level of the sentence to that of overall argument--give shape to both writing and thinking about writing. Students learn to write analytically about the rhetoric of texts and cultural artifacts in various modern settings. The course stresses the development of analytic skills that are central to the study of literature.
Prerequisites: Minimum grade of C- in ENGL 103, ENGL 133 or 6 credits of 100 level University ENGL.
ENGL 207
Sentence Style and Textual Analysis
3 Credits
English 207 is an introduction to the fundamental elements of Modern English in relation to the art of sentence writing. Students explore the relation between style and grammar in a variety of contexts and learn to write analytically about the elements of sentence style in modern texts as well as to parse and edit their own sentences. The course stresses the development of analytic skills that are central to the study of literature.
Prerequisites: Minimum grade of C- in ENGL 103, ENGL 133 or 6 credits of 100 level University ENGL.
ENGL 211
Business Communication
3 Credits
This course focuses on effective problem-solving approaches in business writing. Letters, memos, emails, and reports, often presented in case study formats, aid in developing expertise in gathering and analyzing data, writing with a clear sense of purpose, and writing with a reader's needs clearly in mind. Although the principles of clear, concise business communication are covered, the main emphasis is on practical applications of these concepts.
ENGL 215
Sports in Literature
3 Credits
ENGL 215 builds on the reading, writing, and research skills students have acquired in first-year English. This course explores the intersection of literature, sports, and culture. Students read a selection of sports-themed literature across a variety of genres, including novels, graphic novels, short stories, poetry, literary journalism, biography, autobiography, and film. Selected texts represent a diverse range of sports and approaches. Students will also develop research writing skills and learn to write analytically about sports in literature.
Prerequisites: Minimum grades of C- in ENGL 102 and in three credits of university ENGL, not including ENGL 108, ENGL 111, ENGL 199, or ENGL 211.
ENGL 218
Reading Gender
3 Credits
ENGL 218 builds on the reading, writing, and research skills students have acquired in first-year English. This course offers students the opportunity to read literature in various genres and media dealing with issues, experiences, and representations of gender and sexuality—e.g., women’s writing and queer writing. Students will also develop research writing skills and learn to write analytically about representations of gender. The specific approach is, in any given year, dependent on the expertise of the instructor. For detailed information about the current course offering, please consult the English Department.
Prerequisites: Minimum grades of C- in ENGL 102 and in three credits of university ENGL, not including ENGL 108, ENGL 111, ENGL 199, or ENGL 211.
ENGL 219
Readings in Speculative Fiction
3 Credits
ENGL 219 builds on the reading, writing, and research skills students have acquired in first-year English. This course introduces students to a representative sampling of science fiction, fantasy, and/or horror. Students will examine the way these genres emerge from the broader category of speculative fiction in the late nineteenth century and then develop into a host of subgenres during the twentieth and twenty-first. From classics in early science fiction and fantasy to contemporary cyberpunk and steampunk, the course explores the style and function of fiction that speculates on worlds both possible and impossible. Students will also develop research writing skills and learn to write analytically about speculative fiction.
Prerequisites: Minimum grades of C- in ENGL 102 and in three credits of university ENGL, not including ENGL 108, ENGL 111, ENGL 199, or ENGL 211.
ENGL 240
The Bible as Literature
3 Credits
ENGL 240 builds on the reading, writing, and research skills students have acquired in first-year English. From the Middle Ages to the present, writers have incorporated allusions to both the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament to enrich their texts. A grasp of the significance of these allusions deepens a reader's understanding and appreciation of many of the major works in English literature. This course focuses on prominent texts in the Bible such as Genesis, the Book of Job, Ecclesiastes, the Gospels, Revelation, and selected psalms and proverbs. Students will also develop research writing skills and learn to write analytically about the Bible as literature.
Prerequisites: Minimum grades of C- in ENGL 102 and in three credits of university ENGL, not including ENGL 108, ENGL 111, ENGL 199, or ENGL 211.
ENGL 243
Genesis of English Literary Forms: Old English to Late Renaissance
3 Credits
ENGL 243 builds on the reading, writing, and research skills students have acquired in first-year English. This course is an introduction to genres and literary forms that emerged during the early development of English Literature. Students read a selection of texts from the Old English through late Renaissance periods and are introduced to literary analysis at a level beyond the first-year level. Potential texts include Beowulf, Piers Plowman, and the Towneley plays, as well as the writings of people like Gower, Marlowe, Donne, and Spenser. Students will also develop research writing skills and learn to write analytically about texts from this period.
Prerequisites: Minimum grades of C- in ENGL 102 and in three credits of university ENGL, not including ENGL 108, ENGL 111, ENGL 199, or ENGL 211.
ENGL 282
Introduction to the Short Story
3 Credits
ENGL 282 builds on the reading, writing, and research skills students have acquired in first-year English. This course is an introduction to the main generic elements of the short story. Students read a selection of stories from the mid-nineteenth through early twenty-first centuries and are introduced to the basics of narrative theory. Students will also develop research writing skills and learn how to write analytically about fiction. Students will only receive credit for one of ENGL 282 and ENGL 206.
Prerequisites: Minimum grades of C- in ENGL 102 and in three credits of university ENGL, not including ENGL 108, ENGL 111, ENGL 199, or ENGL 211.
ENGL 283
Introduction to the Novel
3 Credits
ENGL 283 builds on the reading, writing, and research skills students have acquired in first-year English. In this course, students study the main generic elements of the novel in English. Students read landmark novels from the eighteenth through twenty-first centuries and are introduced to the basics of narrative theory. Students will also develop research writing skills and learn how to write analytically about novels.
Prerequisites: Minimum grades of C- in ENGL 102 and in three credits of university ENGL, not including ENGL 108, ENGL 111, ENGL 199, or ENGL 211.
ENGL 284
Introduction to Drama
3 Credits
ENGL 284 builds on the reading, writing, and research skills students have acquired in first-year English. In this course, students read a selection of plays from the last two and a half thousand years. This is a genre course in drama, introducing students to the diverse forms of dramatic literature (mostly from the Western canon) and to a number of major playwrights. The course focuses on elements of dramatic structure, aesthetics, and genre, within the context of theatre history and cultural history more broadly. Students will also develop research writing skills and learn to write analytically about plays and playwrights.
Prerequisites: Minimum grades of C- in ENGL 102 and in three credits of university ENGL, not including ENGL 108, ENGL 111, ENGL 199, or ENGL 211.
ENGL 285
Introduction to Poetry
3 Credits
ENGL 285 builds on the reading, writing, and research skills students have acquired in first-year English. In this course, students read a selection of mostly short English poems from the last thousand years. This is a genre course in poetry; it approaches the very broad and historically malleable genre of poetry through the basic elements of poetic language and form. Students will also develop research writing skills and learn to write analytically about poems. Note: Not to be taken by students with credit in the former English 293.
Prerequisites: Minimum grades of C- in ENGL 102 and in three credits of university ENGL, not including ENGL 108, ENGL 111, ENGL 199, or ENGL 211.
ENGL 286
Introduction to Literary Non-Fiction
3 Credits
ENGL 286 builds on the reading, writing, and research skills students have acquired in first-year English. In this course students study various forms of literary non-fiction, such as the memoir, the personal/familiar essay, biography, travel literature, and literary journalism. Selected works are drawn from across a range of national literatures and time periods, with an emphasis on modern texts. Students are introduced to the basics of narrative theory and key theoretical issues related to literary non-fiction. Students will also develop research writing skills and learn to write analytically about literary non-fiction.
Prerequisites: Minimum grades of C- in ENGL 102 and in three credits of university ENGL, not including ENGL 108, ENGL 111, ENGL 199, or ENGL 211.
ENGL 288
Introduction to Film Narrative
3 Credits
ENGL 288 builds on the reading, writing, and research skills students have acquired in first-year English. In this course, students study the main generic elements of narrative in film. Students are exposed to those aspects of cinematic storytelling that cannot be adapted by or from other media (such as the novel) while also exploring film’s various inheritances and influences. Students will also develop research writing skills and learn to write analytically about narrative in film.
Prerequisites: Minimum grades of C- in ENGL 102 and in three credits of university ENGL, not including ENGL 108, ENGL 111, ENGL 199, or ENGL 211.
ENGL 297
Academic Essay Writing
3 Credits
ENGL 297 aims to increase students' ability to write and understand non-fiction expository prose, including academic writing. Students study style and rhetoric, the relationship between form and content, the theory and practice of composition, and the processes of revision to improve their academic writing skills. This is not a remedial course in grammar or in basic essay writing skills, though there may be some review of these matters; rather, the class focuses on honing students' expository writing and critical reading, writing, and analytical skills. Revising, editing, and essay workshopping may constitute a significant component of class time. While specific writing assignments may vary from section to section, all students write a total of 6000 words, including at least one in-class essay. A major research assignment may also be included. There is no final examination. Note: Not to be taken by students with credit in ENGL 299.
Prerequisites: Minimum grades of C- in ENGL 102 and in three credits of university ENGL, not including ENGL 108, ENGL 111, ENGL 199, or ENGL 211.
ENGL 307
The History of the English Language
3 Credits
This course traces the history of English from its ancient Indo-European and Germanic roots to the Early Modern Period. By examining representative texts from Old, Middle, and Early Modern English, students learn how English spelling, pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, and syntax have evolved. English 307 stresses the development of analytic skills that are central to the study of literature.
Prerequisites: Minimum grade of C- in ENGL 103, ENGL 133 or 6 credits of 100 level University ENGL.
ENGL 319
Earlier Medieval English Literature
3 Credits
This course examines the poetry and prose of one of the longest, richest, and most significant periods of English literature. From the world of Beowulf to the Anglo-Norman court, from Old English epic and elegy to early medieval lyric and romance, the themes and forms from this period have reverberated throughout English literature and inspired countless writers down to our own time, including Tolkien and Lewis. Students read most works in translation, although some early Middle English works may be read in the original.
Prerequisites: A minimum grade of C- in three credits of 200- or 300-level ENGL, not including ENGL 205, ENGL 207, ENGL 211, or ENGL 297.
ENGL 320
Later Middle English Literature
3 Credits
This course focuses on the literature of fourteenth and fifteenth-century England by examining a selection of poetry, prose and drama from one of the richest periods of English literature. From tales of chivalry to Arthurian adventure; romance to religious mysticism; lyrical love poetry to witty satire and bawdy humour, this period has near-unrivalled diversity and depth and is crucial for understanding much of how English literature develops in subsequent centuries. Students read most works in the original Middle English.
Prerequisites: A minimum grade of C- in three credits of 200- or 300-level ENGL, not including ENGL 205, ENGL 207, ENGL 211, or ENGL 297.
ENGL 324
Chaucer
3 Credits
This course focuses on the works of Geoffrey Chaucer, one of the greatest poets in English literature. Chaucer's place in English literature is central; his poetry in its rich diversity has influenced writers in English from Shakespeare to Tolkien. The Canterbury Tales are justly considered his masterpiece, but just as accomplished and equally influential are the early dream visions and the great love poem Troilus and Criseyde. Despite the passage of time, Chaucer's works in their humour, compassion, and beauty remain fresh, accessible, and, in many ways, surprisingly contemporary.
Prerequisites: A minimum grade of C- in three credits of 200- or 300-level ENGL, not including ENGL 205, ENGL 207, ENGL 211, or ENGL 297.
ENGL 336
Studies in Shakespeare
3 Credits
This course introduces students to the range and depth of Shakespeare's drama through the attentive reading of a variety of plays. Comedies, histories, tragedies, and romances allow students to understand Shakespeare's thought and the dramatic genres in which he wrote. Note: Not to be taken by students with credit in the former English 239 or 338.
Prerequisites: A minimum grade of C- in three credits of 200- or 300-level ENGL, not including ENGL 205, ENGL 207, ENGL 211, or ENGL 297.
ENGL 337
English Renaissance Literature
3 Credits
This course explores the literature of the English Renaissance from about 1485 to about 1603. The course begins with a consideration of the early Tudor Period, including the reigns of Henry VII and Henry VIII (1485-1548), as well as selections from the mid-Tudor and Elizabethan periods (1549-1603). Besides surveying the poetry of the period starting with Wyatt, Surrey, and Skelton, the course can include selected Renaissance prose works such as Thomas More’s Utopia and Sidney’s Defence of Poetry. At the discretion of the instructor the course may also include one or more Non-Shakespearean Renaissance English Plays.
Prerequisites: A minimum grade of C- in three credits of 200- or 300-level ENGL, not including ENGL 205, ENGL 207, ENGL 211, or ENGL 297.
ENGL 340
Studies in 17th Century English Literature
3 Credits
The seventeenth century was a period of revolution and remarkable literary experimentation. The decades between 1600 and the restoration of the monarchy experienced dramatic social change, religious upheaval, a regicide, scientific discovery, and expanding colonization of the “New World.” This period also produced some of the most influential works of English literature. The course examines a representative range of poetry and prose by writers as diverse as Donne, Jonson, Marvell, Herbert, Wroth, Bacon, Bunyan, Behn, Hobbes, Burton, Cavendish, Walton, and Winstanley.
Prerequisites: A minimum grade of C- in three credits of 200- or 300-level ENGL, not including ENGL 205, ENGL 207, ENGL 211, or ENGL 297.
ENGL 341
Augustan Literature
3 Credits
Students study the authors, works, and genres that were predominant in the Augustan Age and broader Neoclassical Period, between 1660 and 1785. This course includes a selection of drama, fiction, essays, and poetry by eighteen-century writers such as John Dryden, Alexander Pope, Jonathan Swift, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, and Samuel Johnson.
Prerequisites: A minimum grade of C- in three credits of 200- or 300-level ENGL, not including ENGL 205, ENGL 207, ENGL 211, or ENGL 297.
ENGL 342
Topics in the Long 18th Century Literature
3 Credits
Students focus on a single topic in eighteenth-century literature, such as a particular genre (drama, poetry, the novel, prose), author, group of authors, region, or theme. For detailed information about the current course offering, please consult the English Department.
Prerequisites: A minimum grade of C- in three credits of 200- or 300-level ENGL, not including ENGL 205, ENGL 207, ENGL 211, or ENGL 297.
ENGL 348
Milton
3 Credits
This course examines the achievements of John Milton, in both prose and in verse. The course primarily focuses on the major works of Milton: Paradise Lost, Paradise Regained, and Samson Agonistes, but it also examines a select number of Milton's minor poems and prose works.
Prerequisites: A minimum grade of C- in three credits of 200- or 300-level ENGL, not including ENGL 205, ENGL 207, ENGL 211, or ENGL 297.
ENGL 350
Topics in Romantic Literature
3 Credits
Conventionally book-ended by the French Revolution in 1789 and the beginnings of modern democratic reform in 1832, the Romantic period in Britain was a time of intense social and political upheaval. This course acquaints students with the diverse literature of the period in relation to its complex and volatile literary, intellectual, and historical contexts. Each iteration of this course focuses on a single topic within Romantic literature, such as a single genre, theme, or generation of authors. The specific topic and approach depends on the expertise of the instructor. For detailed information about the current course offering, please consult the English Department.
Prerequisites: A minimum grade of C- in three credits of 200- or 300-level ENGL, not including ENGL 205, ENGL 207, ENGL 211, or ENGL 297.
ENGL 352
Early Victorian Literature
3 Credits
In the literature of this earlier Victorian period marked by energetic and momentous change, writers conveyed a multitude of doubts about religious faith and changing gender roles, while also voicing moral quandaries about class privilege and imperial rule. This course explores selected fiction, poetry, and non-fiction (from 1832 to 1870) in the context of the dominant ideological concerns which show Victorians as self-consciously modern and engaged in vigorous self-scrutiny.
Prerequisites: A minimum grade of C- in three credits of 200- or 300-level ENGL, not including ENGL 205, ENGL 207, ENGL 211, or ENGL 297.
ENGL 353
Later Victorian Literature
3 Credits
This course focuses on the late nineteenth-century reaction to the aesthetic, religious, and sexual mores of the preceding ""high"" Victorian period. The closing century's apocalyptic tenor finds expression in metaphors and themes of the period's literature, concerns embodied discursively in response to the New Imperialism, the New Woman, and the Aesthete or Decadent. The course looks at selected fiction, poetry, and non-fiction (from about 1860-1900) in the context of contemporary cultural anxieties about social upheaval, gender crisis, and moral turmoil, the dialectic of change enacted in Pre-Raphaelitism and the Aesthetic and Decadent movements of the 1890s.
Prerequisites: A minimum grade of C- in three credits of 200- or 300-level ENGL, not including ENGL 205, ENGL 207, ENGL 211, or ENGL 297.
ENGL 358
19th Century American Literature
3 Credits
This course is a study of representative literary texts from the period by a variety of major authors. Novels, poetry, and essays are all represented. Authors include some of the following: Philip Freneau, J. F. Cooper, J. R. Lowell, E.A. Poe, R.W. Emerson, Margaret Fuller, Henry Thoreau, Frederick Douglass, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Herman Melville, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Walt Whitman, Fanny Fern, Emily Dickinson, Henry James, William Dean Howells, Mark Twain, Henry Adams, Kate Chopin, Stephen Crane, Frank Norris, and Paul Laurence Dunbar.
Prerequisites: A minimum grade of C- in three credits of 200- or 300-level ENGL, not including ENGL 205, ENGL 207, ENGL 211, or ENGL 297.
ENGL 361
Early 20th Century American Literature
3 Credits
In this course, students study representative American texts spanning from the early twentieth century to the cold war. A broad range of early to mid-twentieth century genres is considered – e.g., novels, short stories, poems, plays, and films. The works are analyzed closely and placed within their historical and cultural context – especially the wars and development of “the American Century.” Students are exposed to authors as varied as Chesnutt, Lowell, Larsen, Dreiser, Eliot, Faulkner, Moore, Hemingway, Hurston, Stein, Wharton, Ellison, and O’Connor.
Prerequisites: A minimum grade of C- in three credits of 200- or 300-level ENGL, not including ENGL 205, ENGL 207, ENGL 211, or ENGL 297.
ENGL 362
Contemporary American Literature
3 Credits
In this course, students study representative American texts spanning from the Cold War to the present moment. A broad range of late-twentieth and twenty-first century genres are considered – e.g., novels, short stories, poems, plays, comics, and films. The course focuses on narrative innovations as well as the persistence of traditional American styles in a rapidly changing social, cultural, and ideological environment. Students are exposed to authors as varied as Ginsberg, Barth, Plath, Reed, Brooks, Pynchon, Barthelme, Kingston, Erdrich, Morrison, Acker, Mamet, Franzen, Miller, Tarantino, Eggers, and Danielewski.
Prerequisites: A minimum grade of C- in three credits of 200- or 300-level ENGL, not including ENGL 205, ENGL 207, ENGL 211, or ENGL 297.
ENGL 364
Topics in 20th and 21st Century Literature
3 Credits
By maintaining a focus on a single topic related to literary and narrative production in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, this course allows students to supplement ENGL 361, ENGL 362, ENGL 365, ENGL 366, ENGL 376, & ENGL 381. Each iteration of the course is organized around a single author, group of authors, genre, region, or theme. The specific topic and approach, in any given year, depends on the expertise of the instructor. For detailed information about the current course offering, please consult the English Department.
Prerequisites: A minimum grade of C- in three credits of 200- or 300-level ENGL, not including ENGL 205, ENGL 207, ENGL 211, or ENGL 297.
ENGL 365
Early 20th Century British & Anglophone Literature
3 Credits
This course involves a close study of representative British and Anglophone texts from the first half of the twentieth century, the modernist period. A broad range of genres is considered, such as novels, short stories, poems, plays, and films. Works are situated in terms of their engagements with the cultural, social, political, scientific, and technological changes of the period. Writers studied may include but are not limited to Mulk Raj Anand, W. H. Auden, Elizabeth Bowen, Joseph Conrad, Ford Madox Ford, E. M. Forster, Christopher Isherwood, Henry James, James Joyce, Hugh MacDiarmid, D. H. Lawrence, Dorothy Richardson, Jean Rhys, George Bernard Shaw, Evelyn Waugh, and Virginia Woolf.
Prerequisites: A minimum grade of C- in three credits of 200- or 300-level ENGL, not including ENGL 205, ENGL 207, ENGL 211, or ENGL 297.
ENGL 366
Contemporary British and Anglophone Literature
3 Credits
This course surveys representative British and Anglophone texts from the second half of the twentieth century and beyond. A broad range of genres may be considered, such as novels, short stories, poems, plays, and films. These works are situated in terms of their engagements with the cultural, social, political, scientific, and technological changes of the period. Writers studied may include but are not limited to Martin Amis, Julian Barnes, A. S. Byatt, Anthony Burgess, Angela Carter, Ian Fleming, Seamus Heaney, Tony Harrison, Kazuo Ishiguro, Hanif Kureishi, Doris Lessing, David Lodge, Hilary Mantel, Ian McEwan, Iris Murdoch, V. S. Naipaul, Harold Pinter, Salman Rushie, Zadie Smith, Muriel Spark, and Tom Stoppard.
Prerequisites: A minimum grade of C- in three credits of 200- or 300-level ENGL, not including ENGL 205, ENGL 207, ENGL 211, or ENGL 297.
ENGL 368
Topics in Race and Gender
3 Credits
By focusing on a broad theme or topic, this course allows students to look closely at the way in which issues of race and/or gender inform and are informed by narrative representations. While students may consider theoretical debates associated with problems of race or gender, the course concerns itself primarily with literary works that engage in, run alongside, or frustrate those debates. Each iteration of the course is organized around a single, author, group of authors, genre, period, locale, and/or theme. The specific topic and approach is, in any given year, dependent on the expertise of the instructor. For detailed information about the current course offering, please consult the English Department.
Prerequisites: A minimum grade of C- in three credits of 200- or 300-level ENGL, not including ENGL 205, ENGL 207, ENGL 211, or ENGL 297.
ENGL 374
Early Canadian Literature
3 Credits
This course involves a close study of representative Canadian texts from the beginnings of Canadian literature through first half of the twentieth century. A broad range of genres may be considered, such as novels, short stories, poems, plays, and films. Works are situated in terms of their engagements with the cultural, social, political, scientific, and technological changes of the period. Students study Canadian authors from a variety of backgrounds.
Prerequisites: A minimum grade of C- in three credits of 200- or 300-level ENGL, not including ENGL 205, ENGL 207, ENGL 211, or ENGL 297.
ENGL 376
Contemporary Canadian Literature
3 Credits
This course covers key developments in Canadian culture and literary works during this period when our literature came of age. Major authors achieved international acclaim, a rich diversity emerged in literary themes and forms, and marginalized narratives of class, race, gender, and the environment moved to the literary centre. These developments occurred against the backdrop of the maturing of Canada into one of the globe's most peaceful and economically stable multicultural nations.
Prerequisites: A minimum grade of C- in three credits of 200- or 300-level ENGL, not including ENGL 205, ENGL 207, ENGL 211, or ENGL 297.
ENGL 377
Studies in Indigenous Literature
3 Credits
This course covers a number of works of Indigenous literature, ranging from collected oral folk tales and myths of the pre-contact period to print literature and films of the post-contact period. The course covers how Indigenous works of the pre-contact period convey Indigenous cultural world-views that contrast sharply with that of settler or colonial culture. The course examines Indigenous texts and films of the post-contact period as resisting colonial culture and promoting the survival of tribal cultures and languages. The course clarifies Indigenous perspectives on historical issues such as residential schools, missing and murdered indigenous women, and the treatment of Indigenous peoples in the non-Indigenous justice system. The course also considers the approaches advocated in Indigenous texts on the way forward, for Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples, toward restitution and reconciliation.
Prerequisites: A minimum grade of C- in three credits of 200- or 300-level ENGL, not including ENGL 205, ENGL 207, ENGL 211, or ENGL 297.
ENGL 381
Topics in Post-Colonial Literature
3 Credits
By focusing on a theme or topic, this course allows students to closely read literature from one or more regions that have experienced colonization. The course primarily concerns itself with literary works, although some introductory readings in postcolonial theory may supplement and/or complement the selected literature. Each iteration of the course is organized around a single author, group of authors, genre, theme, geographical area, or literary or linguistic tradition. The specific topic and approach is, in any given year, dependent on the expertise of the instructor. For detailed information about the current course offering, please consult the English Department. Note: This course may be taken up to two times, provided the course topic is different.
Prerequisites: A minimum grade of C- in three credits of 200- or 300-level ENGL, not including ENGL 205, ENGL 207, ENGL 211, or ENGL 297.
ENGL 382
Topics in Literary Studies
3 Credits
This course gives students the opportunity to study works that deal with a single theme, such as the outsider or the child in literature, or works that exemplify a single tradition, such as naturalism or the lyric poem. Each iteration of the course is organized around a single author, group of authors, literary tradition, region, or theme. The specific topic and approach, in any given offering, depends on the expertise of the instructor. For detailed information about the current course offering, please consult the English Department. This course may be taken twice if the topic is different.
Prerequisites: A minimum grade of C- in three credits of 200- or 300-level ENGL, not including ENGL 205, ENGL 207, ENGL 211, or ENGL 297.
ENGL 383
Topics in World Literature
3 Credits
By focusing on a theme or topic, this course allows students to closely read world literature: either literature in translation from one or more literary traditions outside of English, or Anglophone literature from areas or regions outside of North America, the United Kingdom, or Australia. The course primarily concerns itself with translated literary works and/or Anglophone world literature, although some introductory readings in theory of world literature and/or translation may supplement and/or complement the selected literature. Each iteration of the course is organized around a single author, group of authors, genre, theme, geographical area, or literary or linguistic tradition. The specific topic and approach is, in any given year, dependent on the expertise of the instructor. For detailed information about the current course offering, please consult the English Department. Students may take this course up to two times provided the topic is different.
Prerequisites: A minimum grade of C- in three credits of 200- or 300-level ENGL, not including ENGL 205, ENGL 207, ENGL 211, or ENGL 297.
ENGL 388
Topics in Film Studies
3 Credits
This course provides students an opportunity to explore (in-depth) a specific theme, topic, or problem related to film narrative and criticism. Each iteration of the course will define and sustain a specific focus – on, for instance, a specific region or era of film production, specific forms of animation, the evolution of a single genre (science fiction, horror, comedy, etc.), the process and problems of adaptation, the works of a single auteur or group of auteurs, etc. Note: While not required, it is recommended that students take ENGL 288 before taking this course. This course may be taken twice for credit if the topic is different.
Prerequisites: A minimum grade of C- in three credits of 200- or 300-level ENGL, not including ENGL 205, ENGL 207, ENGL 211, or ENGL 297.
ENGL 389
Topics in Children's Literature
3 Credits
This course offers various studies in the realm of Children's literature. Individual iterations of the course can focus on classics of children's literature, folktale and children's literature, or the child in literature. For detailed information about the current course offering, please consult the English Department.
Prerequisites: A minimum grade of C- in three credits of 200- or 300-level ENGL, not including ENGL 205, ENGL 207, ENGL 211, or ENGL 297.
ENGL 391
Topics in Literary Theory
3 Credits
By focusing on a broad theme or topic associated with literary and cultural theory, this course encourages students to consider the way in which theoretical debates inform the practice of narrative production and study. In any given iteration of the course, students are exposed to a broad range of primary texts by influential theorists—e.g., Plato, Aristotle, Marx, Freud, Kristeva, Mulvey, Said, Butler, Hayles, and Žižek. Each iteration also functions as both an historical survey of influential theoretical texts and an introduction to theory as a tool for literary interpretation. The specific topic and approach is, in any given year, dependant on the expertise of the instructor. For detailed information about the current course offering, please consult the English Department.
Prerequisites: A minimum grade of C- in 6 credits of 200 or 300 level university courses.
ENGL 398
Independent Study
3 Credits
This course permits an intermediate-level student to work with an instructor to explore a specific topic in depth through research or directed reading in primary and secondary sources. The student plans, executes and reports the results of their independent research or study project under the direction of a faculty supervisor. To be granted enrolment in the course, the student must have made prior arrangements with a faculty member willing to supervise his or her project. This course can be taken twice for credit.
ENGL 401
Studies in Genres
3 Credits
This course gives students the opportunity to focus on a single genre or to compare two or more genres. Because genre is such a fluid term, the works studied and approach to genre will depend in any given year on the interests and expertise of the instructor. The course could, for example, focus on a specific type of poem, such as the sonnet or the dramatic monologue, on a specific type of novel such as the gothic novel or the bildungsroman, on a specific type of drama, such as Restoration Comedy, or on a specific type of non-fiction, such as the essay or biography. Alternatively, students could focus on a genre such as satire and study a variety of types of satiric literature that could include poems, essays, stories, novels, and drama.
Prerequisites: Minimum grade of C- in 12 credits of 200- or 300-level ENGL courses.
ENGL 402
Studies in Authors
3 Credits
This course focuses on the works of a single author. In any given year, the author studied and the approach to the works depends on the interests and expertise of the instructor. Through a close examination of the works of a single author, students get a better sense of the social and cultural context in which the author lived and worked. Students also strengthen their knowledge of how the central ideas and techniques of the author developed and changed.
Prerequisites: Minimum grade of C- in 12 credits of 200- or 300-level ENGL courses.
ENGL 405
Topics in Canadian Literature
3 Credits
This course gives students the opportunity to study in more depth and detail one or more authors and/or genres of Canadian literature. Students have the opportunity to design and undertake independent research, write a major paper, lead seminar discussions, and strengthen their grasp of theoretical concepts relevant to literature written during this period. In any given year, the author(s) studied and the approach to the works depends on the expertise of the instructor. For detailed information about the current course offering, please consult the English Department.
Prerequisites: Minimum grade of C- in 12 credits of 200- or 300-level ENGL courses.
ENGL 481
Post- Colonial Theory and Practice
3 Credits
This course surveys the key works in post-colonial theory, validating the status of post-colonial literature as a vibrant segment of contemporary writing in English. Seminal thinkers and significant scholars such as Frantz Fanon, Edward Said, Aimé Césaire, Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, and Robert Young are covered. Postcolonial theory is meaningfully used as a tool for in-depth analysis of major primary texts, representing various regions, political perspectives, and cultural affiliations. While most of the works studied are written in English, postcolonial texts translated into English may be included. Authors such as Chinua Achebe, Salman Rushdie, Nadine Gordimer, Arundhati Roy, V.S. Naipaul, and Ahdaf Soueif are studied.
Prerequisites: Minimum grade of C- in 12 credits of 200- or 300-level ENGL courses.
ENGL 489
Literary Themes, Traditions, and Phenomena
3 Credits
This course gives students the opportunity to study works that deal with a single theme, such as the outsider or decadence; or works that exemplify a single tradition, such as naturalism or the Arthurian tradition; or works that exemplify a particular phenomenon, such as imagism or literary forgeries.
Prerequisites: Minimum grade of C- in 12 credits of 200- or 300-level ENGL courses.
ENGL 491
Early and Later Middle English
3 Credits
This course gives students the opportunity to study in more detail one or more authors and/or genres of Early and Later Middle English. Students have the opportunity to design and undertake independent research, write a major paper, lead seminar discussions, and strengthen their grasp of theoretical concepts relevant to literature written during this period. In any given year, the author(s) studied and the approach to the works depends on the expertise of the instructor. For detailed information about the current course offering, please consult the English Department.
Prerequisites: Minimum grade of C- in 12 credits of 200- or 300-level ENGL courses.
ENGL 492
Elizabethan/17th Century Literature
3 Credits
This course gives students the opportunity to study one or more authors and/or genres of Elizabethan and seventeenth century literature. Students have the opportunity to design and undertake independent research, write a major paper, lead seminar discussions, and strengthen their grasp of theoretical concepts relevant to literature written during this period. In any given year, the author(s) studied and the approach to the works depends on the expertise of the instructor. For detailed information about the current course offering, please consult the English Department.
Prerequisites: Minimum grade of C- in 12 credits of 200- or 300-level ENGL courses.
ENGL 493
Restoration/Eighteenth Century Literature
3 Credits
This course gives students the opportunity to study in more depth and detail one or more authors and/or genres of Restoration and Eighteenth Century literature. Students have the opportunity to design and undertake independent research, write a major paper, lead seminar discussions, and strengthen their grasp of theoretical concepts relevant to literature written during this period. In any given year, the author(s) studied and the approach to the works depends on the expertise of the instructor. For detailed information about the current course offering, please consult the English Department.
Prerequisites: Minimum grade of C - in 12 credits of 200- or 300-level ENGL courses.
ENGL 494
Nineteenth Century Literature
3 Credits
This course gives students the opportunity to study in more depth and detail one or more authors and/or genres of nineteenth century literature. Students have the opportunity to design and undertake independent research, write a major paper, lead seminar discussions, and strengthen their grasp of theoretical concepts relevant to literature written during this period. In any given year, the author(s) studied and the approach to the works depends on the expertise of the instructor. For detailed information about the current course offering, please consult the English Department.
Prerequisites: Minimum grade of C - in 12 credits of 200- or 300-level ENGL courses.
ENGL 495
Twentieth Century Literature
3 Credits
This course gives students the opportunity to study in more depth and detail one or more authors and/or genres of twentieth-century literature. Students have the opportunity to design and undertake independent research, write a major paper, lead seminar discussions, and strengthen their grasp of theoretical concepts relevant to literature written during this period. In any given year, the author(s) studied and the approach to the works depend on the expertise of the instructor. For detailed information about the current course offering, please consult the English Department.
Prerequisites: Minimum grade of C- in 12 credits of 200- or 300- level ENGL courses.
ENGL 496
Intersections - Theory and Culture
3 Credits
Focused on the ways in which critical theory exposes, critiques, and/or participates in literary and cultural movements, this course provides students with the opportunity to study critical theory within the context of the cultural trends it defines and exemplifies. Sections could be organized around any number of topics, including (but not limited to) the rise and fall of deconstruction, the death of the author, communal individuality, hypertext and post humanity, race and performativity, literary Marxism, the text and the unconscious, discourse and power, postmodern subjectivities, and the ethical turn.
Prerequisites: A minimum grade of C- in ENGL 267, 391, 392, 393, or 394 and in 9 credits of 200- or 300-level ENGL courses.
ENGL 497
Twenty-First Century Literature
3 Credits
This course gives students the opportunity to study in more depth and detail one or more authors and/or genres of twenty-first century literature. Students have the opportunity to design and undertake independent research, write a major paper, lead seminar discussions, and strengthen their grasp of theoretical concepts relevant to literature written during this period. In any given year, the author/s studied and the approach to the works depend on the expertise of the instructor. For detailed information about the current course offering, please consult the English Department.
Prerequisites: Minimum grade of C- in 12 credits of 200- or 300-level English courses.
ENGL 498
Advanced Independent Study
3 Credits
This course permits an advanced student to work with an instructor to explore a specific topic in depth through research or directed reading in primary and secondary sources. The student plans, executes and reports the results of their independent research or study project under the direction of a faculty supervisor. To be granted enrollment in the course, the student must have made prior arrangements with a faculty member willing to supervise his or her project. This course can be taken twice for credit.
Prerequisites: Consent of the Department.
ENGL 499
Honours Thesis Project
3 Credits
This course gives fourth-year English Honours students the opportunity to write a substantial research paper of 5000-7500 words and to deliver a conference-length version of that paper before an audience in a formal setting. Students have regular consultations with their supervisor during this project, usually once per week during the term or twelve hours total. Note: English 499 is a degree requirement for Honours English students. Students must be in the final year of an Honours English program or obtain consent from the Chair of the Department of English.