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Honours Program

Entry to Honours is by application at the end of two terms in a Departmental program, preferably with at least 18 credits of English on the student's record. Students intending to apply for Honours or already accepted should consult an Honours advisor regarding their course selections.

Be sure to take a look at our list of Frequently Asked Questions
regarding the Honours Program and the Honours Essay.

Program Requirements

Entry to Honours is by application, normally after two terms in a Departmental program, including at least 18 credits of English. The Faculty of Arts requires that all students admitted to Honours programs complete a second program minor in addition to their Honours program. 

Admission to the Honours program is limited to a small number of students with excellent records. The minimum CGPA for application to the Honours program is 3.30. Students with a CGPA lower than 3.3 and at or above 3.0 (but with the requisite 3.5 program GPA) may consult the Director of the Honours program for special permission to apply. Students with a program GPA lower than 3.5 and at or above 3.3 (but with the requisite CGPA of 3.3) may also consult the Director of the Honours program for special permission to apply. In neither instance is admission guaranteed. After admission into the Honours program, the student is required to maintain a CGPA at a level set by the Faculty for graduation with Honours and a program GPA at the level set by the Department. 

The Honours program in English requires 54 credits. Students intending to apply for Honours should plan to complete as many of the specific requirements of their option as possible within the first two years. With the written approval of an adviser, up to 9 credits may be taken outside the Department. All Honours students must complete at least 6 of their complementary credits at the 500 level. Ideally, 500-level seminars chosen will be relevant to the area of the student's independent study in the Honours Essay course (ENGL 491D1/ENGL 491D2); all these courses are usually taken in the final year of the program. The Honours Essay is first planned in consultation with a supervisor at the time of application to the Honours program; it is then guided and evaluated by that supervisor during the completion of ENGL 491. Graduation with Honours requires 54 credits of English, a minimum mark of B+ on the Honours Essay, a minimum CGPA of 3.00, and a minimum program GPA of 3.50. Graduation with First Class Honours requires a mark of A on the Honours Essay, a minimum CGPA of 3.50, and a minimum program GPA of 3.70.

 


Option I - Literature (54 Credits)

Required Courses (18 credits)

ENGL 202, ENGL 203 and ENGL 311 are normally taken in the first two terms of the program.  ENGL 360 is normally taken in the second year of the program.

  • ENGL 202 Departmental Survey of English Literature 1 (3 credits) 
  • ENGL 203 Departmental Survey of English Literature 2 (3 credits) 
  • ENGL 311 Poetics (3 credits) 
  • ENGL 360 Literary Criticism (3 credits) 
  • ENGL 491D1 Honours Essay (3 credits) 
  • ENGL 491D2 Honours Essay (3 credits) 

Complementary Courses (36 credits)

36 credits selected as described below. At least 6 of the 36 credits must be at the 500 level. A maximum of 9 credits may be from another department with the signed permission of the program adviser. At least 3 of the 36 credits must be devoted to a course on a Major Author, and 3 must be devoted to a course on Canadian Literature, as indicated under the rubrics dedicated to these offerings in each year’s list of Complementary Courses on the Department of English website. A maximum of 9 of the 36 credits are allowed at the 200 level, none in the final year of the program.

Note on Topics Courses: The Department of English offers courses which change topic from academic year to academic year. Depending on the topic in a specific year, these courses may count toward different program requirements. At the time they register for a topics course, students should confirm with their program adviser the program requirement it fulfils for that academic year.

Theory

3 credits from a list of courses on Theory.

Areas of English Literature 1

6 credits, 3 credits each from two of the following areas: Backgrounds of English Literature, Old English, Medieval, Renaissance.

Areas of English Literature 2

6 credits, 3 credits each from two of the following areas: Restoration, 18th Century, Romantic, Victorian, 19th Century American.

Areas of English Literature 3

6 credits, 3 credits each from two of the following areas: Early 20th Century, Modernist, Post-modernist, Contemporary.

Literature Stream Offerings

6 credits from among English Department Literature stream offerings.

Department Offerings

9 credits from among other Department offerings (ENGL courses).


Option II - Drama and Theatre (54 Credits)

Required Courses (12 credits)

Note: ENGL 230 and ENGL 355 should be taken in the first two terms of the program.

  • ENGL 230 Introduction to Theatre Studies (3 credits) 
  • ENGL 355 The Poetics of Performance (3 credits) 
  • ENGL 491D1 Honours Essay (3 credits) 
  • ENGL 491D2 Honours Essay (3 credits) 

Complementary Courses (42 credits)

42 credits selected as described below. At least 6 of the 42 credits must be at the 500 level. A maximum of 9 credits may be from another department with the signed permission of the Program Adviser. A maximum of 9 of the 42 credits are allowed at the 200 level, none in the final year of the program.

3 credits from the following practice-based courses:

  • ENGL 269 Introduction to Performance (3 credits) 
  • ENGL 365 Costuming for the Theatre 1 (3 credits) 
  • ENGL 368 Stage Scenery and Lighting 1 (3 credits) 
  • ENGL 372 Stage Scenery and Lighting 2 (3 credits) 
  • ENGL 377 Costuming for the Theatre 2 (3 credits) 

Shakespeare or Another Major Figure in Drama and Theatre Courses

3 credits from a list of courses on Shakespeare or, when available and with an instructor's signed permission on the student's Audit Sheet, another major figure in Drama and Theatre.

Drama and/or Theatre Courses with a Canadian Component

3 credits from a list of courses in Drama and/or Theatre with a Canadian component.

Theatre History Courses

3 credits from a list of courses in Theatre History.

Drama and Theatre Before 1900 Courses

3 credits from a list of courses in Drama and Theatre before 1900.

Theory Courses

3 credits from a list of courses in Theory.

400-Level Theory Courses

3 credits from a list of courses with a theoretical component, from the option's offerings at the 400 level or above.

Performance-Oriented Courses

9 credits from a list of Performance-Oriented courses.

English Courses

12 credits in English selected in consultation with an academic adviser.

Drama and Theatre - Courses of Interest - Other Departments

Students are normally permitted to count 6 credits from other departments toward their English programs. In exceptional circumstances, an adviser, approached by a student with strong academic grounds for including a third such course, may grant permission, to a maximum of 9 extra-departmental credits, and must so indicate in advance by signing the departmental program audit sheet. 

This list comprises courses in other departments that might be accepted by an adviser for credit towards the student's Drama and Theatre program. This list applies only to these courses as they are offered in the current academic year. 

There might be other courses in the Faculty of Arts for which a student could receive Drama and Theatre program credit. A student who has identified a course not noted below should show their program adviser the course syllabus in advance and, if he or she agrees, get the adviser's initialled approval of the course on their program audit sheet. The Department requires a complete signed audit sheet in the student's file in Arts 155 in order to process the file for graduation. 

Included in the list are courses taught in languages other than English and courses that have prerequisites.


Option III - Cultural Studies (54 Credits)

Required Courses (15 credits)

ENGL 275, ENGL 277, and ENGL 359 should be taken in the first two terms in the program.

  • ENGL 275 Introduction to Cultural Studies (3 credits) 
  • ENGL 277 Introduction to Film Studies (3 credits) 
  • ENGL 359 The Poetics of the Image (3 credits) 
  • ENGL 491D1 Honours Essay (3 credits) 
  • ENGL 491D2 Honours Essay (3 credits) 

Complementary Courses (39 credits)

39 credits selected as described below. At least 6 of the 39 credits must be at the 500 level. A maximum of 9 credits may be from another department with the signed permission of the program adviser. A maximum of 9 of the 39 credits are allowed at the 200 level, none in the final year of the program.

Note on Topics Courses: The Department of English offers courses which change topic from academic year to academic year. Depending on the topic in a specific year, these courses may count toward different program requirements. At the time they register for a topics course, students should confirm with their program adviser the program requirement it fulfils for that academic year.

Major Figures

3 credits from a list of courses on Major Figures in Cultural Studies.

Canadian Component

3 credits from a list of courses with a Canadian component.

Theory or Criticism

3 credits from a list of courses on Theory or Criticism.

Historical Dimension

6 credits from a list of courses in Cultural Studies with an historical dimension.

400-Level Theory

3 credits from a list of 400-level courses in Cultural Studies with a theoretical component.

Departmental Offerings

6 credits from among other Departmental offerings (ENGL courses).

Additional Cultural Studies

15 additional credits from the option's offerings which includes all the courses specifically listed in the Cultural Studies categories above as well as others listed on the Complementary Course lists for each academic year.

 

 

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