Program Requirements

• You need a total of 20.0 credits overall, including a minimum of 10.0 (but no more than 14.0) credits in English.
• No more than 6.0 credits at the 100-level may be used toward the 20.0 credits required for the degree.
• Remember: single-term courses are worth .5 credits each, so two courses = 1.0 credit.
• Your course choices need to cover our four categories (see list below and the Honours BA in English worksheet).
• In order for you to progress through the honours program, you need a minimum cumulative GPA of 5.00 (C) in English and 5.00 (C) overall. In order to graduate, you need a minimum cumulative GPA of 7.00 (B-) in English and 5.00 (C) overall.

Requirements

• 1.0 credit from first-year courses (your choice of two of EN107, EN108, EN111, EN119, EN165 or EN190).
• 1.0 credit from Category 1: British Literature (Pre-1800).
• 1.0 credit from Category 2: Literature after 1800.
• 1.0 credit from Category 3: Canadian/American/Postcolonial/World Literature.
• 1.0 credit from Category 4: Theory/Language/Gender/Genre (0.5 of which must be EN301).
• 1.0 credit from 400-level offerings.
• 4.0 credits from any remaining 200- and 300-level EN courses.

Note: Students may choose a maximum of 1.0 credit from senior Film Studies and/or not-designated writing courses (EN206, EN304) toward the 10.0 required EN credits.

Resources

• Want to know more about your choices? See our Program Roadmaps page for suggestions and tips year-by-year.
• Download the Honours BA in English worksheet.

• You need a total of 20.0 credits, including a minimum of 7.00 credits in English.
• No more than 6.0 credits at the 100-level may be used toward the 20.0 credits required for the degree.
• Remember: single-term courses are worth .5 credits each, so two courses = 1.0 credit.
• Your courses choices need to cover our four categories (see list below and the combined Honours BA in English worksheet).
• In order for you to progress through the honours program, you need a minimum cumulative GPA of 5.00 (C) in English and 5.00 (C) overall. In order to graduate, you need a minimum cumulative GPA of 7.00 (B-) in English and 5.00 (C) overall.

Requirements

• 1.0 credit from first-year courses (your choice of two of EN107, EN108, EN111, EN119, EN165 or EN190).
• 1.0 credit from Category 1: British Literature (Pre-1800).
• 1.0 credit from Category 2: Literature after 1800.
• 1.0 credit from Category 3: Canadian/American/Postcolonial/World Literature.
• 1.0 credit from Category 4: Theory/Language/Gender/Genre.
• 0.5 credit from 400-level offerings.
• 1.5 credits from remaining 200- and 300-level EN courses.

Resources

• Want to know more about your choices? See our Program Roadmaps page for suggestions and tips year-by-year.
• Download the combined Honours BA in English worksheet.

To do a Minor in English, you need 3.0 credits:

• 1.0 credit from first-year courses (your choice of two of EN107, EN108, EN111, EN112, EN119, EN165, EN190).
• 2.0 credits from any 200- and 300-level EN courses.
• Students may include no more than 0.5 credit of the following as part of this minor: EN271, EN272, EN369, EN370, or EN371.
• Students may not declare both an English Minor and a Minor in Writing for Career and Community.

Resources

• Download the English minor worksheet.

The English program offers non-English Majors the opportunity to work towards a Minor in Creative Writing. The Minor pursues two main goals: 1) to provide opportunities to think and practice beyond the usual forms of academic writing; and 2) to offer students real-world experience in using their creative, analytical, and editorial skills to develop writing for professional publication.

The requirements for the Minor consist of the following:

• 1.0 credit in 100-level English courses
• EN272: Introduction to Creative Writing (required)
• 1.5 credits from the following list of specialized genre courses:
  • EN271: The Creative Process
  • EN369: Creative Writing - Nonfiction
  • EN370: Creative Writing - Poetry
  • EN371: Creative Writing – Short Story
  • FS374: Screenwriting and Directing
• Students completing this Minor must declare themselves to be non-English Majors.
• English Majors may take the Creative Writing Concentration.
• EN369, EN370, and EN371 may not be double counted for both this minor and a minor in Writing for Career and Community.

Please note that not all of these courses are offered every year.

Resources

• Download the Minor in Creative Writing worksheet.

The English program offers English Majors the opportunity to work towards a Concentration in Creative Writing. The concentration pursues two main goals: 1) to provide opportunities to think and practice beyond the usual forms of academic writing; and 2) to offer students real-world experience in using their creative, analytical, and editorial skills to develop writing for professional publication.

The requirements for the Concentration consist of the following:

• 1.0 credit in 100-level English courses
• EN272: Introduction to Creative Writing (required)
• 1.5 credits from the following list of specialized genre courses:
  • EN271: The Creative Process
  • EN369: Creative Writing - Nonfiction
  • EN370: Creative Writing - Poetry
  • EN371: Creative Writing – Short Story
  • FS374: Screenwriting and Directing

Please note that not all of these courses are offered every year.

Resources

• Download the Concentration in Creative Writing worksheet.

To do the Writing for Career and Community (WCC) minor, you need to take 3.0 credits in courses designated on the WCC list. Begin with our required EN190: Introduction to Academic Writing course. This will introduce you to the basics of effective writing across different genres, and also places emphasis on practical experience gained through in-class exercises and writing assignments. 

After taking this required course, you can choose 2.5 credits from a suite of courses offered across disciplines in the Faculty of Arts, in English as well as in Communication Studies, Political Science, and History. These courses include:

• EN206: Writing for Business (0.5)
• EN240: Critical Reading and Writing (0.5)
• EN303: Advanced Academic Writing (0.5)
• EN370: Creative Writing: Poetry (0.5)
• EN371: Creative Writing: Short Story (0.5)
• CS206: Public Communication (0.5)
• CS315: Print Communication and Culture (0.5)
• DH/HI200: Digital Storytelling (0.5)
• DH/HI300: Digital Editing and Publishing (0.5)
• PO209: Legal Writing (0.5)
• PO344: Writing for Politics and Policy (0.5)
• PO349: Political Communication (0.5)

Notes

• You may also take up to 1.0 credit from the Brantford campus’ Professional Writing minor, which will count toward the Writing for Career and Community minor.
• Open to students graduating with an honours degree only.
• EN369, EN370, and EN371 may not be double counted for both this minor and a minor in Creative Writing.

Resources

• Download the Writing for Career and Community worksheet.

For a Minor in Youth and Children: Culture and Texts (YCCT), you need to take 3.0 credits from these designated YCCT courses offered across disciplines in the Faculty of Arts, in English as well as in Archaeology, Film Studies, Sociology, Youth and Children, and Women’s Studies:

• 0.5 credit in 100-level English courses (excluding EN190)
• 0.5 credit in YC100: Studying Youth and Children: An Introduction (required)
• 2.0 credits in the following courses (of which at least 1.0 credit must be from EN courses):
  • AR332: Children in the Ancient World
  • EN201: Children's Literature
  • EN213: The Child in African Literature and Popular Culture
  • EN285: Tween Literature and Culture
  • EN286: Young Adult Literature
  • FS260: Youth Culture in Film
  • SY303: Sociology of Youth
  • SY412: Constructions of Parenthood and Children in Canada
  • YC200: Youth and Children Through the Ages
  • YC326: Children, Toys and Media
  • WS203: Girls, Women and Popular Culture

Resources

• Download the Minor in Youth and Children: Culture and Texts worksheet.

Honours English Majors

Laurier students applying to the Vancouver Film School (VFS) must be registered at Laurier in the English program and have completed a minimum of 2.5 credits in English. Laurier students may start the VFS program after completing 10.0 overall credits at Laurier (normally Year 3) and then return to Laurier to complete Year 4 and their remaining degree requirements.

Students in this pathway must complete at least 10.0 credits of English courses, fulfilling specific requirements in consultation with the English Advisor. Students must use this worksheet in tandem with the English Honours worksheet to determine which courses fit each Category requirement.

Honours English and Film Studies Majors

Laurier students applying to the Vancouver Film School (VFS) must be registered at Laurier in the English and Film Studies programs and have completed a minimum of 2.0 credits in English. Laurier students may start the VFS programs after completing 10.0 overall credits at Laurier (normally Year 3) and then return to Laurier to complete Year 4 and their remaining degree requirements.

Students in this pathway must complete at least 7.0 credits in English and 7.0 credits in Film Studies, fulfilling specific requirements in consultation with their English and Film Advisors. The following requirements are for the English portion of the Combined Honours Degree. Students must use this worksheet in tandem with the Combined Honours English worksheet to determine which courses fit each Category requirement.

Resources

• Download the Vancouver Film School Pathway worksheet.

The Honours BA in Film Studies consists of 10.0+ credits (of 20.0 credits) as follows:

Note: Single-term courses are worth .5 credits each, so two courses = 1.0 credit.

Required Courses

• 1.0 credit in introductory courses: FS101, FS102, FS103
• 1.0 credit in Film History courses: FS240, FS241
• 1.0 credit in Film Theory courses: FS341, FS342
• 1.0 credit in National Cinema courses: FS238, FS239, FS244, FS246, FS250, FS301, FS330, FS333, FS355, FS360, FS365
• 1.0 credit in 400-level seminars: FS443, FS444, FS446, FS447, FS489
• 5.0 credits in other Film Studies (FS) courses (of which 1.0 credit may be senior English courses)

Degree Program Electives

An additional 10.0 credits toward the degree total of 20.0 credits (of which no more than 5.0 credits can be at the 100 level).

Specializations

Students in the Honours BA in Film Studies can graduate with a Specialization in Film Theory or Film Production as part of the degree.

• Specialization in Film Theory consists of 1.5 credits in Film Theory courses (from FS341, FS342, FS345, FS346, FS348, FS349). Students must achieve a minimum grade point average of 9.00 (B+) in the major.
• The Specialization in Film Production consists of 1.0 credit in Studio courses (FS370 and FS371) and 0.5 credit in Industry courses (from FS275, FS280, FS374). Students must achieve a minimum grade point average of 7.00 (B-) in the major.

Resources

• Want to know more about your choices? See our Program Roadmaps page for suggestions and tips year-by-year.
• Download the Honours BA in Film Studies worksheet.

The combined Honours BA in Film Studies consists of 7.0+ credits (of 20.0 total credits, of which 14.0 credits must be at the senior level) as follows:

Required Film Studies Courses

• 0.5 credit in introductory courses: FS101, FS102, FS103
• 1.0 credit in Film History courses: FS240, FS241
• 1.0 credit in Film Theory courses: FS341, FS342
• 1.0 credit in National Cinema courses: FS238, FS239, FS244, FS246, FS250, FS301, FS330, FS333, FS355, FS360, FS365
• 0.5 credit in 400-level seminars: FS443, FS444, FS446, FS447, FS489
• 3.0 credits in other Film Studies (FS) courses (of which 2.5 credits must be senior courses)

Note: Single-term courses are worth .5 credits each, so two courses = 1.0 credit.

Degree Program Electives

An additional 13.0 credits toward the degree total of 20.0 credits, which includes the second BA major.

Resources

• Want to know more about your choices? See our Program Roadmaps page for suggestions and tips year-by-year.
• Download the combined Honours BA in Film Studies worksheet.

The Film Studies minor consists of 3.0 credits, 2.5 of which must be at the senior level.

Resources

• Download the Minor in Film Studies worksheet.

The Film Production Option is designed for all non-Film Studies honours students who seek to combine a foundational knowledge of Film Studies with a practical understanding of the techniques of video and film production, from script to screen.

The Film Production Option consists of 4.0 credits (of 20.0 credits) as follows:

• 0.5 in introductory courses (FS101, FS102, FS103)
• 1.0 in Film History courses (FS240, FS241)
• 1.0 in Film Studio courses:
  • FS370: Intro to Video Editing
  • FS371: Advanced Video Editing
• 1.0 in Film Industry courses:
  • FS275: The Business of Film
  • FS280: Audiences and Film Fandom
  • FS374: Screenwriting and Directing
• 0.5 in other FS courses (senior level)

Resources

• Download the Film Production Option worksheet.

Laurier students applying to the Vancouver Film School (VFS) must be registered as a student at Laurier in the Film Studies program and have completed a minimum of 2.5 credits in Film Studies. Laurier students may start the VFS programs after completing 10.0 credits at Laurier (normally Year 3) and then return to Laurier to complete Year 4.

Film Production Pathway

VFS’s Film Production program counts as 5.0 credits toward the Laurier Honours BA in Film Studies (10.0 credits) as follows:

• 2.0 from non-major elective 200- or 300-level (senior) credits
• 3.0 from Film Studies 200- or 300-level (senior) credits

Writing for Film,Television, and Games Pathway

VFS’s Writing for Film, Television and Games program counts as 5.0 credits toward the Laurier Honours BA in Film Studies (10.0 credits) as follows:

• 2.5 from non-major elective 200- or 300-level (senior) credits
• 2.0 from Film Studies 200- or 300-level (senior) credits
• 0.5 equivalent to FS374: Screenwriting and Directing

Acting for Film and Television Pathway

VFS’s Acting for Film and TV program counts as 5.0 credits toward the Laurier Honours BA in Film Studies (10.0 credits) as follows:

• 3.0 from non-major elective 200- or 300-level (senior) credits
• 2.0 from Film Studies 200- or 300-level (senior) credits

Resources

• Download the Vancouver Film School Pathway worksheet.

MA candidates can choose among three options to complete their study: the course-work option, the Major Research Paper option, and the Professional Skills Option.

All students must complete EN600, a one-term (0.5-credit) seminar in Research Methods, Theory and Professionalization (graded satisfactory/unsatisfactory).

Course Work

We offer students the opportunity to complete the degree in eight months by choosing the course work option. Students who choose the course work option will complete seven one-term (0.5-credit) courses and EN600.

Major Research Paper

• Master’s students in English and Film Studies who choose the Major Research Paper (MRP) option are required to complete EN600 (Research Methods, Theory and Professionalization), six one term (0.5-credit) courses, and EN695 (Major Research Paper), which is equivalent to a one-term (0.5-credit) course.
• The Major Research Paper (MRP) is shorter than a thesis (40-50 pages) and provides a well-researched analysis of a research question that offers a fresh perspective on material in the discipline of English and/or Film Studies.
• Proposals for MRPs are due Dec. 5 each year, and are subject to the approval of the Graduate Studies Committee.
• There is no oral defence associated with this MRP; the paper is supervised and graded by a single professor with expertise in the area of focus. Should students fail to submit a passing MRP by Aug. 1, they must then complete the degree through course work.
• Unlike a Directed Study (EN690), in which students meet weekly with a professor, the MRP relies more heavily on independent research and writing.

Professional Skills Option

• Master’s students in English and Film Studies who choose the Professional Skills Option are required to take EN600 (Research Methods, Theory and Professionalization), six one-term (0.5-credit) courses, and the placement, which is equivalent to a one-term course: 0.5 credit.
• Our Professional Skills Option is designed to provide master’s students with a unique opportunity for supervised practical application of studies in English and Film.
• In addition to providing direct experience and an opportunity to apply the skills and knowledge acquired through coursework in literary and filmic studies, professional skills placements bring candidates face-to-face with concrete situations and professional working environments. This work-integrated learning course is designed to improve students’ employment prospects and labour market outcomes. 
• The Professional Skills Option is offered in the spring term (May to June) and cannot be taken in conjunction with the Major Research Paper option.
• Recent placements include Laurier's Communications and Public Affairs office, Library Archives, Grand River Jazz Society, Grand River Film Society, and the New Quarterly Journal.
• Master’s students in English and Film Studies who choose this option are required to take EN600 (Research Methods, Theory and Professionalization), six half-credit courses, and the placement, which is equivalent to a one-term course: 0.5 credit. 

Directed Studies

Directed Studies courses are subject to the approval of the Graduate Studies Committee. They are reserved for exceptional circumstances. Proposals for Directed Studies courses for the fall term must be received must be received by Aug. 15; proposals for the winter term must be received by Nov. 15.

Courses

In their first year of study, PhD students are required to take four 0.5 credit courses, typically two in each term.

Exams

There are two PhD Candidacy exams: the Comprehensive Area Exam and the Specialization Area Exam. Both exams are designed to prepare students in areas of specialization for teaching and research. The Comprehensive Area Exam is comprised primarily of canonical texts for a teachable area, while the Specialization Area Exam is orientated towards the dissertation and may cover, in-depth, both the canonical and the non-canonical texts necessary for the dissertation research. The two exams complement and reinforce each other, but occur at separate stages of the program and are graded separately.

PhD Schedule

Year 1 (Fall and Winter)

• In December, the student consults the graduate coordinator to determine the constitution of the overall Area Exam Committee based upon the plan of research and study for the dissertation.
• The committee, which includes the dissertation supervisor plus two other members with expertise in one or more of the areas the student wishes to pursue, is selected by January.
• One overarching area of study — genre, period, movement, nation, theory — is chosen by the student for the purpose of developing a recognized teachable strength and of forming a general background for the Specialization Area.
• The study selection outlined above will constitute the Comprehensive Area Exam.

 Year 2 (December)

• The student writes a take-home exam (of a one week maximum duration). The exam comprises a choice of three out of five essays questions, each of which requires approximately eight to 10 pages of double-spaced typed writing. If a student fails the Comprehensive Area Exam, the student is allowed one further opportunity to rewrite the exam within two months of receiving the failed grade.

Year 2 (February)

The student submits a reading list for the Specialization Area Exam to the committee for approval. This list is self-directed in consultation with the examining committee; it comprises 70-80 works (90-100 text units).

Year 2 (March 1)

• The student submits a draft dissertation proposal of approximately six-eight pages, and a works cited to the student’s SAE committee.
• In drafting this proposal, and the subsequent reading list, students are strongly encouraged to consult and use the Dissertation Proposal Template.
• The student begins studying for the Specialization Area Exam, directly pertinent to the dissertation.

Year 2 (Late August)

• The student completes the written exam (one essay out of three questions), on campus.
• Within one week of the written exam, the student takes the oral exam (two hours), which is devoted to questions pertaining both to the written exam and to the reading list as a whole.
• If a student fails either portion of the Specialization Area Examination, the student is allowed one opportunity to rewrite it within four months of receiving the failed grade.

Year 3 (September)

The student begins work on the dissertation.

Year 3 (Early December)

Within eight weeks of the oral exam, the student submits to the committee a final version of the dissertation proposal (six-eight pages) that addresses any feedback offered by the committee arising from the SAE.

Year 3 (April)

By the end of the winter term of the student’s third year, the student must have submitted a working chapter of the dissertation to the committee (minimum: 25 pages) that demonstrates the feasibility of the project, as well as the student’s ability to realize it. Failure to achieve this milestone will result in a rating of unsatisfactory on the annual progress report; two such consecutive ratings will result in a recommendation to withdraw from the program.

Year 3 (Fall or Winter)

Doctoral students are required to meet the language requirement by demonstrating reading proficiency in at least one language other than modern English. (French is the recommended language though students may propose a language other than French if it has direct relevance to the student’s program of study.) The language exam must be completed in Year 3 of the student’s program.

If the student proposes a language other than French, the selection of the language will be determined by the student in consultation with the dissertation advisor.

A student may also submit for approval by the Graduate Studies Committee a written request to have the language requirement waived where evidence of demonstrated proficiency in a relevant second language can be provided. (Any such request must be submitted to the graduate program coordinator no later than the Winter term of the student’s second year in the program.) Credit will not normally be given for the completion of an undergraduate-level language course.

Schedule Overview

Program Standing

A minimum standing of B+ in all prescribed graduate courses and seminars is required. Students are normally expected to maintain an A- average in the program. A student who twice fails the Comprehensive Area Exam, the Specialization Area Exam, or the language exam will normally be required to withdraw from the program. On April 15 of each year of registration, students are required to complete an annual research progress report detailing the achievements of the previous year and the objectives for the next year. The report must demonstrate satisfactory progress, and must be signed with comments by the advisor and graduate coordinator, and filed with the graduate coordinator and the Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies office. Failure to submit a satisfactory report may result in a suspension of the student's funding or the student being required to withdraw from the program.