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English

Degree Awarded: Bachelor of Arts (Honours)
Administered by: Department of English
Program Format: Full-time, four-year program.
Full-time, five-year co-op program.

O.S.S.D. with six Grade 12 U/M courses including Grade 12 U English.

Notes:

  1. ENG4U/EAE4U is the preferred English.
  2. A grade of 70 percent or higher will be required in Grade 12 U English.
  3. Subject to competition, candidates may be required to present averages/grades above the minimum.

Combining theoretical, historical, and critical knowledge with opportunities for experiential learning, the BA English curriculum encourages students to encounter in the widest possible range of verbal, visual, material, and digital texts, and leads them to showcase their understanding of how to put knowledge into action in meaningful ways.

Career Opportunities

Students develop proficiency in critical thinking and an enhanced ability to question, research, argue, understand, and communicate – foundational skills in careers that value problem-solving and communication. Graduate career paths may include education, academic research and teaching, law, library and information science, business, the public service, creative industries, entertainment, and non-governmental organizations. Some graduates move into more specialized careers in publishing and editing. Graduates may also continue their studies at a graduate level.

Curriculum Information

The curriculum builds on a foundational year of interdisciplinary study in the Humanities and Social Sciences, followed by three years of more specialized study in English. Students take a combination of 8 required English courses and 12 English elective courses. A mandatory practicum elective course is taken in the second year. Students must also take two pre-20th century elective courses to ensure disciplinary breadth. The core goals of the program are to graduate students who:

  • have mastered the ability to critically analyze oral, written, and other forms of texts;
  • will appreciate the complexities in various academic interpretations, and will be able to think critically about the normative assumptions governing both particular interpretations and interpretation in general;
  • are capable of developing probing research questions, conducting effective research, and persuasively communicating the results of their inquiry in a variety of oral and written modes;
  • possess a superior set of “career-ready” research, analytical, and oral and written skills, and know how to apply them to professional situations as well as to graduate study opportunities;
  • demonstrate discipline-specific knowledge, including an integrated understanding of the aesthetic, intellectual, and social foundations of literature and culture in a range of genres and media and cultural literacy through a familiarity with the richness and complexity of their literary and cultural heritage; and
  • act as responsible academic and community citizens, both locally and globally.  

Semesters One and Two: The first year is a Common Arts Platform which is shared with the BA programs in Criminology, Environment and Urban Sustainability, Geographic Analysis, History, Philosophy, Politics and Governance, Psychology, Sociology, and Language, Literatures, and Cultures. Students gain a broad, interdisciplinary base of knowledge, skills, and methodologies. They also establish the basis for study in the English discipline in two required courses in fictional and non-fictional narratives. Students also acquire skills and knowledge in two Faculty of Arts foundational courses, Academic Writing and Research, and Critical Thinking, and choose additional electives from a broad range of areas.

Semesters Three through Six: In second year, students take their final foundational Common Arts Platform skills course, Research Design and Qualitative Methods, alongside a course titled Approaches to English Research. Students also select an English practicum course giving them opportunities to explore creating writing, digital narrative, grammar and editing, and other experiential offerings. In the third year, students take a course in Literary and Cultural Theory. Students select their pre-20th century English courses and fulfill additional elective requirements, including Liberal Studies electives.

Semesters Seven and Eight: In their final year of study, students satisfy any remaining elective requirements and take the required capstone seminar. Electives may include an independent research paper or an advanced practicum course. These capstone courses are designed to develop depth in the disciplines and sharpen students’ professional competencies.

Transferability Guidelines

In order to transfer to English from any of Criminology, Environmental and Urban Sustainability, Geographic Analysis, History, Language and Intercultural Relations, Philosophy, Politics and Governance, Psychology, or Sociology, students must:

  1. have a CLEAR Academic Standing at the end of the Winter term of their second semester of studies; and
  2. have successfully completed ENG 110. It is strongly recommended that students complete both ENG 110 and ENG 208 in first year.

Co-operative Program Overview

An optional co-operative education program is available which provides students with 12 months of work experience which will complement their classroom studies and support the development of essential employability skills required for the workforce, including communication, collaboration and problem-solving.

Although the Career & Co-op Centre (opens in new window)  cannot guarantee placements, they provide assistance in locating suitable positions and counselling students in their search for suitable jobs. This co-op program enables students to earn competitive wages to offset the costs of a university education.

Students who have completed the first semester of the regular program must apply through the department for admission to the co-operative program before the end of the first year. Enrolment in the co-op program is limited. Admission will be based on a portfolio which includes the student's grade point average, a resume and a statement of intent.

The sequencing of academic and work terms is shown below:

  Fall Winter Spring/Summer
Year 1 1st semester 2nd semester --
Year 2 3rd semester WKT 150 --
Year 3 WKT 250 4th semester WKT 350
Year 4 5th semester 6th semester --
Year 5 7th semester 8th semester --

Students must successfully complete a minimum of three work terms in order to graduate from the co-op program.

In most cases the co-op program requires five years to complete the degree in English. Students will have the option to fast track if they choose to take electives during the Spring/Summer. The regular program can be completed in four years.

All co-op placements must be approved by the Career & Co-op Centre (opens in new window)  and the Faculty Advisor for the English co-op program.

Liberal Studies

Students must take two lower level liberal studies courses and four upper level liberal studies courses to graduate. Students must not choose courses that are restricted for their program or major.

Please refer to the liberal studies chapter of this calendar for more information on the Liberal Studies Policy. Further information on liberal studies can also be found at the Faculty of Arts' Liberal Studies website (opens in new window) .

Table A - Lower Level Restrictions

English courses, CMN 230 and PHL 214 are not available for credit.

Table B - Upper Level Restrictions

English courses are not available for credit.

Minors

Students may pursue any Minor offered by Toronto Met (with some exceptions). Please refer to the Minors chapter of this calendar for further information on individual Minor requirements and exclusions.

The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education Certificates

Undergraduate students wishing to pursue a continuing education certificate program should be aware of possible program exclusions. Please refer to the Certificate Registration section of the Curriculum Advising website (opens in new window)  for complete details.

1st & 2nd Semester

REQUIRED:

REQUIRED GROUP 1: Four courses from Table I.

OPEN ELECTIVE: Two Open Electives.

  

3rd & 4th Semester

REQUIRED:

  • ENG 810 Approaches to English Research
  • SSH 301 Research Design and Qualitative Methods

LIBERAL STUDIES: Two courses from Table A - Lower Level Liberal Studies.

CORE ELECTIVE: One course from the following:

  • ENG 302 Practicum: Writing for Magazines
  • ENG 304 Practicum: Making Digital Work
  • ENG 306 Practicum: Writing Poetry
  • ENG 307 Practicum: Writing Fiction
  • ENG 308 Practicum: Grammar Principles for Editors
  • ENG 340 Practicum: Making Little Magazines
  • ENG 390 Practicum: Open Topics

CORE ELECTIVE: One course from the following:

CORE ELECTIVE:  Three courses from Core Elective Table II.

CORE ELECTIVE/OPEN ELECTIVE: One course from Table I or one Open Elective.

  

5th & 6th Semester

REQUIRED:

  • ENG 400 Literary and Cultural Theory

LIBERAL STUDIES: Two courses from Table B - Upper Level Liberal Studies.

CORE ELECTIVE: Three courses from Table II.

CORE ELECTIVE: One course from the following:

CORE ELECTIVE: One course from the following:

  • ENG 223 Literatures of Exile and Migration
  • ENG 413 Literature, Empire and Colonization
  • ENG 620 Literatures of the Caribbean
  • ENG 623 Film/Literature: Middle East, North Africa
  • ENG 640 Literatures of Asia and its Diasporas
  • ENG 650 Indigenous World View
  • ENG 653 Black Literatures and Cultures
  • ENG 942 Decolonizing Literature

OPEN ELECTIVE: Two Open Electives.

  

7th & 8th Semester

REQUIRED:

LIBERAL STUDIES: Two courses from Table B - Upper Level Liberal Studies.

CORE ELECTIVE:  Five courses from Table II.

OPEN ELECTIVE: Two Open Electives.

1st & 2nd Semester

REQUIRED:

REQUIRED GROUP 1: Four courses from Table I.

OPEN ELECTIVE: Two Open Electives.

  

3rd & 4th Semester

3rd Semester

REQUIRED:

  • ENG 810 Approaches to English Research
  • SSH 301 Research Design and Qualitative Methods

LIBERAL STUDIES: One course from Table A - Lower Level Liberal Studies.

CORE ELECTIVE: One course from the following:

CORE ELECTIVE/OPEN ELECTIVE: One course from Table I*or one Open Elective.

*Students in the Co-op Program should take SSH 104 (Table I) to fulfil this requirement.  

4th Semester

CORE ELECTIVE: One course from the following:

  • ENG 302 Practicum: Writing for Magazines
  • ENG 304 Practicum: Making Digital Work
  • ENG 306 Practicum: Writing Poetry
  • ENG 307 Practicum: Writing Fiction
  • ENG 308 Practicum: Grammar Principles for Editors
  • ENG 340 Practicum: Making Little Magazines
  • ENG 390 Practicum: Open Topics

CORE ELECTIVE:  Three courses from Core Elective Table II.

LIBERAL STUDIES: One course from Table A - Lower Level Liberal Studies.

5th & 6th Semester

Revised curriculum begins 2023-2024 for students admitted Fall 2020 and after.

5th Semester

REQUIRED:

  • ENG 400 Literary and Cultural Theory

CORE ELECTIVE: One course from the following:

LIBERAL STUDIES: One course from Table B - Upper Level Liberal Studies.

CORE ELECTIVE: One course from Table II.

CORE ELECTIVE: One course from the following:

  • ENG 223 Literatures of Exile and Migration
  • ENG 413 Literature, Empire and Colonization
  • ENG 620 Literatures of the Caribbean
  • ENG 623 Film/Literature: Middle East, North Africa
  • ENG 640 Literatures of Asia and its Diasporas
  • ENG 650 Indigenous World View
  • ENG 653 Black Literatures and Cultures
  • ENG 942 Decolonizing Literature

6th Semester

CORE ELECTIVE:  Two courses from Table II.

OPEN ELECTIVE: Two Open Electives.

LIBERAL STUDIES: One course from Table B - Upper Level Liberal Studies.

7th & 8th Semester

REQUIRED:

LIBERAL STUDIES: Two courses from Table B - Upper Level Liberal Studies.

CORE ELECTIVE:  Five courses from Table II.

OPEN ELECTIVES: Two Open Electives.

  Fall Winter Spring/Summer
Year 1 1st semester 2nd semester --
Year 2 3rd semester WKT 150 --
Year 3 WKT 250 4th semester WKT 350
Year 4 5th semester 6th semester --
Year 5 7th semester 8th semester --

A Program Advisory Council (PAC) is a group of volunteers that provides expert advice to a school or department on program related matters such as curriculum, program review, technology and trends in the industry, discipline or profession. For more information, see Senate Policy #158 (Program Advisory Councils).

Please see English department website for updated information