English Department

MacNally North - 3rd Floor

The English Department is an undergraduate department with a wide variety of courses leading to both major and minor concentrations in English, as well as an honours degree. The core of the program reflects a traditional approach to English studies, including both literary-historical and genre courses. In addition, and making the department distinctive, a number of the courses offered are cross-listed with other departments or programs. This particular feature allows students to expand the area of their academic studies, and even to set up double major programs or major-minor combinations which reflect their own developing interests rather than a uniform structure. Among these cross-listed programs and fields are Atlantic Canada Studies, Irish Studies, Linguistics, Women's Studies, and Creative Writing.

Even within the department, the various combinations of courses and subject areas available to students allow them to specialize within the field of English studies in non-traditional ways. In particular, the department offers courses which permit the study of literature within the context of regional studies, including world literature, postcolonial literature, Canadian (and native Canadian) literature, Atlantic Canadian literature, Anglo-Irish literature, and Anglo-Scottish literature. Other possible areas of specialization are drama, literary criticism, including feminist criticism, Victorian literature, and science fiction. Literary studies can also be combined with linguistic studies of English.

The resulting diversity of interest shows in the classroom. Not only do the students represent differing backgrounds and motivations, but so also do the faculty. Several faculty members who teach cross-listed courses have research interests in the combined fields, and teach courses in the related departments and programs as well as in the English department. They are therefore able to bring the experience of other fields to the teaching and discussion of English language and literature.

The department offers its own minor concentration in Creative Writing. Students in this program are expected to develop their writing professionally, and the aim is to produce works acceptable for publication. Students are required to submit a portfolio of work before enrolling. All courses are taught as seminar workshops by professional authors, and they include intensive exercises in writing fiction, poetry, plays, and non-fiction. It is possible for a student to have a major concentration in English, with a minor in Creative Writing, a combination which appeals to many budding writers.

This page last modified Tuesday, 01-Nov-2011 10:53:42 ADT