Courses

2024-2025 Academic Year

Prerequisites for University Study of English

Some ENGL 4000 level courses have specific prerequisites stated in the appropriate calendar entry. Otherwise, the following general rules apply:

Since University study of English literature begins at the 1000 level, students should not normally register for ENGL courses at the 2000 or 3000 level without having successfully completed 1.0 unit of ENGL at the introductory (1000) level.
Students may register for a 2000-level ENGL course without having completed 1.0 unit of ENGL at the introductory (1000) level, as long as they have successfully completed 5.0 units of university credit.
Students enrolled in the major, combined major, combined major with honours, and honours are advised to complete ENGL 2201 and ENGL 2202 before taking 3000- or 4000-level ENGL courses (this recommendation does not apply to students enrolled in the concentration or minor). No one should attempt a 4000-level ENGL course without having completed 1.0 unit of ENGL at the 2000 level or above.
Prerequisites for ENGL/WRIT and WRIT courses are listed in the calendar descriptions below.

The Department of English does not accept Challenge for Credit.

WRIT 1120
The Writing Process: Theory and Practice 0.5 unit
A practical and theoretical study of the writing process, especially for academic writing. Students will use writing to invent, arrange, style, draft, and revise arguments suitable to the rhetorical demands of academic inquiry. Rhetorical conventions of academic scholarship, such as contextualization, synthesis, documentation, and formatting, will be central to the course.

ENGL 1155
Introduction to Literature: Gender and Form 1.0 unit
An introduction to the critical study of the major forms of fiction, poetry, and drama, using examples from the medieval to the present day. Readings will include texts by authors with a range of intersectional identities, with an emphasis on gender. Representations of gender will also be a special focus for discussion. Note: Students who have received credit for ENGL 1170 and 1171 may not take this course for credit. (Also listed under Women’s Studies)

ENGL 1170
Introduction to Literature: Literary Genres 0.5 unit
An introduction to the terms and methods of literary analysis. Through critical study of a range of literary works, including short fiction, poetry, drama, and a novel, students will acquire the skills needed to write about them effectively. Note: Students who have received credit for ENGL 1155 may not take this course for credit.

ENGL 1171
Introduction to Literature: Literary Transformations 0.5 unit
An introduction to the critical study of literature from different historical periods. By following a particular theme or genre from the Middle Ages to the present day, students assess how writers are influenced by, respond to, and transform previous texts. Note: Students who have received credit for ENGL 1155 may not take this course for credit.

ENGL 2201
Shakespeare 1.0 unit
Prerequisite(s): please see Prerequisites for University Study of English above
A study of Shakespeare’s plays, showing his development as a dramatist and the changes in the specific genres of history, comedy, tragedy, and romance. Particular attention will be given to the plays’ socio-political context, and to the practice and implications of stage performance.

ENGL 2202
Introduction to Critical Methods 0.5 unit
Prerequisite(s): please see Prerequisites for University Study of English above
An introduction to the major schools and methods of contemporary literary criticism. In addition to reading selected works of literary theory, we will read representative literary texts through a variety of critical lenses.

ENGL 2205
Introduction to Literature for Children and Young Adults 1.0 unit
Prerequisite(s): please see Prerequisites for University Study of English above
A critical study of the forms and content commonly found in children’s literature. The origins of children’s literature in folk forms such as myth, fable, and fairy tale are explored, and selected classic, modern, and contemporary works are studied. Note: This course may not be counted toward the minor in Writing.

ENGL 2207
Queer Literature and Culture 0.5 unit
Prerequisite(s): students may register for a 2000 level ENGL course without having completed 1.0 unit of ENGL at the introductory (1000) level, as long as they have successfully completed 5.0 units of university credit
A study of themes in 2SLGBTQ+ literature from a range of historical periods in combination with theory, art, film, television, and/or other forms of popular culture.

ENGL 2209
Introduction to Indigenous Literatures and Cultures 0.5 unit
Prerequisite(s): Please see Prerequisites for University Study of English
An introductory, interdisciplinary course to a range of Indigenous literatures and cultures of the Northern Hemisphere. Indigenous identity, kinship, and survivance will be explored as well as Indigenous experience of settler colonialism, institutionally-sanctioned violence, forced assimilation, and other relevant concerns.

ENGL 2213
Contemporary Film 0.5 unit
Prerequisite(s): please see Prerequisites for University Study of English above
An introduction to techniques of the art of film and to film analysis through a study of a wide range of contemporary films. The course may include a focus on a specific genre such as science fiction or horror.

ENGL 2216
Drama 0.5 unit
Prerequisite(s): please see Prerequisites for University Study of English above
A study of drama, examining work from a range of historical periods and/or nationalities, with emphasis on the relation between text and performance and on the role of drama in society.

ENGL 2220/WRIT 2220
Writing to Influence: Introduction to Rhetorical Persuasion 0.5 unit
Prerequisite(s): 5.0 units of university credit or WRIT 1120
A practical and theoretical study of the art of rhetorical persuasion. Particular attention will be given to the rhetorical modes of persuasion, which will be used to analyze the persuasive power of example texts and to facilitate student writing. The ethical questions to which rhetorical persuasion gives rise are central to the course.

ENGL 2221/WRIT 2221
Introduction to Creative Writing 0.5 unit
Prerequisite(s): 0.5 unit of ENGL at the 1000 level
A study and practice of creative writing, including poetry, fiction, and/or creative non-fiction, in a workshop environment driven by writing exercise and peer review. Instruction will be grounded in contemporary creative writing from peer-reviewed journals. Additionally, the course may be supplemented by visits from or to creative writers.

WRIT 2222
Introduction to Editing 0.5 unit
Prerequisite(s): completion of 5.0 units of university credit, including WRIT 1120
A practical and historical study of text editing. Particular attention will be paid to practices of manuscript analysis, substantive editing, copy editing, and proofreading, using standard practices set by the Editors’ Association of Canada. Students will practice editing texts from a range of genres: literature, scientific and humanist scholarship, and popular writing. Students will have access to a number of professional resources, including professional editors.

ENGL 2223/WRIT 2223
History of Writing, Reading, and the Book 0.5 unit
Prerequisite(s): 5.0 units of university study
A study of the history of the book as a material object and the development of reading, authorship, orality, and textuality from antiquity to the present, including the production and dissemination of texts in the West. Readings will consist of fiction and non-fiction.

ENGL 2225/WRIT 2225/PHIL 2225
Tricksters, Liars, and Sophists: The History of Rhetoric 0.5 unit
Prerequisite(s): 5.0 units of university study, including WRIT 1120
A survey of the history of rhetoric in the western tradition through a study of theories and practices of rhetoric from ancient Greece to contemporary scholarship. The course will focus on changing conceptions of what rhetoric is and its value.

ENGL 2242
Themes in Women’s Writing 0.5 unit
Prerequisite(s): Please see Prerequisites for University Study of English above
A study of a specific theme or cluster of themes in women’s writing from a range of historical periods, including texts prior to 1800. Topics may include education, sexuality, and the formation of selfhood, as well as depictions of femininity and masculinity. Note: Students who have received credit for ENGL 2240 or ENGL 2241 may not take this course for credit. (Also listed under Women’s Studies)

ENGL 2250
Canadian Poetry 0.5 unit
Prerequisite(s): please see Prerequisites for University Study of English above
An introduction to Canadian poetry from the nineteenth century until the present. The course will emphasize contemporary (late twentieth and twenty-first century) poetry. (Also listed under Canadian Studies)

ENGL 2251
Canadian Fiction 0.5 unit
Prerequisite(s): please see Prerequisites for University Study of English above
An introduction to Canadian fiction, from the nineteenth century until the present. (Also listed under Canadian Studies)

ENGL 2260
Poetry 0.5 unit
Prerequisite: Please see Prerequisites for University Study of English above
A study of poetic techniques and genres from different periods of literary history, with an opportunity to examine the development of one poet’s work. The course will explore the ways poets employ a variety of poetic forms, as well as the ways they both work within and challenge specific traditions.

ENGL 2261
Short Fiction 0.5 unit
Prerequisite(s): please see Prerequisites for University Study of English above
An exploration of the nature of fiction based on the study of a wide range of short stories and novellas.

ENGL 2264
Introduction to Popular Literature 0.5 unit
Prerequisite(s): please see Prerequisites for University Study of English above
An introduction to one or more popular literary genres. Attention will be paid to the history and development of the genre and its conventions and variety of forms. Possible emphases may include (but are not limited to): detective fiction, science fiction, fantasy, romance, and horror. Note: Students who have taken ENGL 2262 and/or ENGL 2263 may not take this course for credit.

ENGL 2270
Classical Traditions 0.5 unit
Prerequisite(s): please see Prerequisites for University Study of English above
A study of various examples of pre-modern literatures in translation and their influence in the English tradition. Topics may vary from year to year and may extend beyond classical Greek and Latin texts to include biblical or medieval European texts.

ENGL 3211
Selected Topics in English 0.5 unit
Prerequisite(s): please see Prerequisites for University Study of English above
A seminar course, offered periodically, on a special topic in literary studies. Course offerings will vary and may focus on a particular historical period, genre, author, or theoretical approach.

WRIT 3211
Selected Topics in Writing 0.5 unit
Prerequisite(s): permission of the instructor
A seminar course, offered periodically, on a special topic in writing studies. Course offerings will vary and may focus on an advanced topic in writing or rhetoric.

ENGL 3212
Selected Topics in English 0.5 unit
Prerequisite(s): please see Prerequisites for University Study of English above
A seminar course, offered periodically, on a special topic in literary studies. Course offerings will vary and may focus on a particular historical period, genre, author, or theoretical approach.

WRIT 3212
Selected Topics in Writing 0.5 unit
Prerequisite(s): permission of the instructor
A seminar course, offered periodically, on a special topic in writing studies. Course offerings will vary and may focus on an advanced topic in writing or rhetoric.

ENGL/WRIT 3221
Creative Nonfiction Writing 0.5 unit
Prerequisite(s): 5.0 units of university study, including one of the following: ENGL/WRIT 2220 or ENGL/WRIT 2221
A practical study of creative nonfiction writing. This course explores creative nonfiction through its subgenres (e.g., collage, memoir, and/or literary journalism) and rhetorical techniques and practices (e.g., style, arrangement, tropes, schemes, and/or progymnasmata). The course is driven by workshops, wherein students will share, refine, and generally practice their craft.

ENGL 3225/WRIT 3225
Critical Approaches to Teaching Writing: Histories, Practices, and Pedagogies 0.5 unit
Prerequisite(s): 5.0 units of university study including WRIT 1120 and 0.5 unit of WRIT at the 2000 level or above
A study of writing pedagogies in North America that have emerged in composition studies since the 1960s (e.g., process theory, expressivism, cognitivism, social epistemic rhetoric). Students will develop their own approach to writing instruction that is grounded in historical and theoretical scholarship and tested in classroom workshops with other students.

ENGL 3300
Restoration and Eighteenth-Century Literature 1.0 unit
Prerequisite(s): please see Prerequisites for University Study of English above
A study of drama, poetry, fiction and non-fiction written by women and men from the Restoration to the French Revolution.

ENGL 3305
Children’s Literature 0.5 unit
Prerequisite(s): please see Prerequisites for University Study of English above
The study of a particular topic in literature for children and/or adolescents.

ENGL 3307
Romanticism and Revolution 0.5 unit
Prerequisite(s): please see Prerequisites for University Study of English above
A study of the literature of the early British Romantic era (c. 1785-1810). The course explores revolution – especially the influence of the French Revolution – slavery, liberty, imagination, and nature, as well as feminist and Gothic perspectives on these concepts. Authors may include Baillie, Blake, Coleridge, Equiano, Robinson, Wollstonecraft, and Wordsworth.

ENGL 3308
Romantic Rebels and Reformers 0.5 unit
Prerequisite(s): please see Prerequisites for University Study of English above
A study of the literature of the later British Romantic era (c. 1811-1835). The course examines how authors such as Austen, Byron, Keats, Hemans, Landon, Prince, and the Shelleys address revolution and reform, oppression and rebellion, as well as imagination, nature, heroism, and domesticity in light of earlier Romantic writers.

ENGL 3310
Indigenous Literatures 0.5 unit
Prerequisite(s): please see Prerequisites for University Study of English above
An interdisciplinary course considering a range of Indigenous literatures across an array of mediums and genres to broader cultural concerns experienced by Indigenous peoples of North America, including but not limited to the effects of settler colonialism and forced assimilation, as well as issues of identity, kinship, and survivance.

ENGL 3311
Indigenous Feminisms and Sexualities 0.5 unit
Prerequisite(s): please see Prerequisites for University Study of English
Interdisciplinary course considering a range of Indigenous feminisms and sexualities across an array of mediums and genres at the intersectionalities of race and class as experienced by Indigenous peoples, including the effects of settler colonialism, institutionally sanctioned violence, forced assimilation, affecting issues of identity, kinship, and survivance.

ENGL 3313
Modern and Contemporary Drama 0.5 unit
Prerequisite(s): please see Prerequisites for University Study of English above
A study of theatre from the end of the nineteenth century to the present. Plays from a variety of countries will be examined in the context of theoretical debates about the nature of theatre, as well as new production techniques.

ENGL 3319
Modern Poetry to 1945 0.5 unit
Prerequisite(s): please see Prerequisites for University Study of English above
A study of the major movements in American and British poetry in the first part of the twentieth century, with particular emphasis on Imagism and the Modernist movement.

ENGL 3327
Victorian Literature 0.5 unit
Prerequisite(s): please see Prerequisites for University Study of English above
An examination of a particular theme or topic in Victorian literature, explored in a range of texts and literary forms, including poetry, fiction, and non-fiction.

ENGL 3330/WRIT 3330
Myths and Theories about Writing 0.5 unit
Prerequisite(s): one of ENGL 2202, ENGL/WRIT 2220, ENGL/WRIT 2223, or ENGL/WRIT 2225
A theoretical study of the nature and function of writing. Topics may include questions of writing’s relationship to the generation and representation of ideas, social construction, authorship, and performativity. The course will be based on texts from the history of philosophy and contemporary research pertaining to the nature of writing.

ENGL 3342
Modern Fiction 0.5 unit
Prerequisite(s): please see Prerequisites for University Study of English above
A study of the main developments in British and American fiction during the Modernist period (1900-1945).

ENGL 3343
Issues in Canadian Literature and Theory 0.5 unit
Prerequisite(s): please see Prerequisites for University Study of English above
An in-depth and sustained study of a single issue in Canadian literature and theory. The course covers the theoretical debates surrounding that issue and the reactions to and developments surrounding that debate in Canadian literature. Note: Students who have taken ENGL 3354 may not take this course for credit. (Also listed under Canadian Studies)

ENGL 3346
Contemporary Literature 0.5 unit
Prerequisite(s): please see Prerequisites for University Study of English above
A study of literature written in English, as well as influential work in translation, from 1945 to the present.

ENGL 3347
Imagining America 0.5 unit
Prerequisite(s): please see Prerequisites for University Study of English above
A study of literature and culture that imagines and reimagines America. The course examines works both by and about Americans and includes topics such as border crossings, the American Dream, Hollywood, transatlantic slavery, immigration, Indigenous sovereignty, and intersectional identities.

ENGL 3355
Sixteenth-Century Literature 0.5 unit
Prerequisite(s): please see Prerequisites for University Study of English above
A study of non-dramatic literature written or translated into English during the sixteenth century through an examination of poetry and prose by a variety of authors with particular attention to the historical and cultural context of the works.

ENGL 3356
Seventeenth-Century Literature 0.5 unit
Prerequisite(s): please see Prerequisites for University Study of English above
A study of the poetry and prose of seventeenth-century England from the Jacobean period through to the Restoration by a variety of writers, including Jonson, Donne, Lanyer, Wroth, Herrick, and Milton. Particular attention will be given to the historical and cultural context of the works.

ENGL 3363
Feminisms and their Literatures 1.0 unit
Prerequisite(s): please see Prerequisites for University Study of English above
A cross-cultural survey of women’s writings from 1970 to the present. This course will examine feminism as a plurality and its activity as an international literary movement. (Also listed under Women’s Studies)

ENGL 3364
Shakespeare’s Contemporaries 0.5 unit
Prerequisite(s): please see Prerequisites for University Study of English above
A study of plays written by Shakespeare’s contemporaries, including Marlowe, Jonson, Middleton, and Webster. Particular attention will be given to developments in English drama during the period and to the relationship of the plays to their socio-political context.

ENGL 3365
The Eighteenth-Century British Novel 0.5 unit
Prerequisite(s): please see Prerequisites for University Study of English above
A study of the early development of the British novel.

ENGL 3366
The Nineteenth-Century British Novel 0.5 unit
Prerequisite(s): please see Prerequisites for University Study of English above
A study of the development of the British novel in the nineteenth century.

ENGL 3367
Nineteenth-Century American Literature 0.5 unit
Prerequisite(s): please see Prerequisites for University Study of English above
A study of American literature and culture from 1776-1900. The course examines constructions of a national identity from the Declaration of Independence to the literature of social revolt and includes topics such as gender, slavery, Indigenous relations, the frontier, and American exceptionalism. Note: Students who have taken ENGL 3352 may not take this course for credit.

ENGL 3376
Medieval Literature 0.5 unit
Prerequisite(s): please see Prerequisites for University Study of English above
A study of a particular theme or genre in Middle English literature. Possible topics may include romances, mystical writings, saints’ lives, or epics and legends in authors such as Geoffrey Chaucer, William Langland, the Gawain-poet, or Margery Kempe.

ENGL 3377/WRIT 3377
Old English: Translation Theory & Practice 0.5 unit
Prerequisite(s): 1.0 unit of English at the 1000 level or WRIT 1120 and 0.5 unit of WRIT at the 2000 level
A study of medieval and contemporary translation theories, with practice in the creative art of Old English translation. Students will produce a short translation while exploring Old English literature and culture and various styles of translation. Note: Students who have taken ENGL 3361 may not take this course for credit.

ENGL 3378
Old English: Beowulf, Then & Now 0.5 unit
Prerequisite(s): ENGL 3377/WRIT 3377
A study of Old English heroic narratives focusing on Beowulf and its translations and adaptations from the nineteenth century to the present. Students will deepen their translation skills while examining adaptations of the ideology of Anglo-Saxonism. Note: Students who have taken ENGL 3361 may not take this course for credit.

WRIT 3512/COMM 3512
Writing About Science 0.5 unit
Prerequisite(s): 0.5 unit of writing courses (PBRL and/or WRIT) and 0.5 unit from Core A – Sciences and Mathematics and 0.5 unit from Core C – Humanities OR permission of the instructor. In addition, 0.5 unit of writing courses at the 2000 level is recommended
Explores strategies for meeting the needs of diverse academic and general audiences of scientific information. Assignments reflect typical professional genres: research posters, grant applications, news releases, and feature articles. The class is rooted in contemporary scholarship on rhetoric, science communication, and writing..

ENGL 4401/WRIT 4401
Special Topic 1.0 unit
ENGL 4405/WRIT 4405
Special Topic 0.5 unit
ENGL 4406/WRIT 4406
Special Topic 0.5 unit
Prerequisite(s): permission of the instructor
A course catering to a particular interest of either a faculty member or a group of upper-level students. Course offerings vary, dealing for example with particular authors, genres, theoretical approaches, historical periods or advanced topics in writing. Note: Depending on the topic, this course may be offered only as ENGL or only as WRIT.

ENGL 4407/WOMS 4407/GWGS 6607
Queer Theory 0.5 unit
Prerequisite(s): 1.0 unit of ENGL at the 2000 or 3000 level or 1.0 unit of WOMS at the 3000 level or permission of the instructor
A study of theories of otherness and disruptions of heteronormative discourses. The course will examine the origins of queer cultural criticism as well as more recent theorizations, covering topics such as sexuality, gender, desire, performance, identity politics, trans studies, camp, psychoanalytic theories of identification, and the representation of AIDS. Note: Students may not take both ENGL 4407/WOMS 4407/GWGS 6607 and ENGL 4408 toward the minor in Writing.

ENGL 4408
Critical Theory 0.5 unit
Prerequisite(s): please see Prerequisites for University Study of English above
A study of a selected theoretical topic or movement from various disciplines and periods. Note: Students may not take both ENGL 4407/WOMS 4407/GWGS 6607 and ENGL 4408 toward the minor in Writing.

ENGL 4410/WRIT 4410
Directed Study 1.0 unit
ENGL 4411/WRIT 4411
Directed Study 0.5 unit
ENGL 4412/WRIT 4412
Directed Study 0.5 unit
Prerequisite(s): written permission
An open course, permitting upper-level students to pursue study in a specific area not accommodated in the regular course program. The student designs the syllabus in consultation with the supervising professor. Students intending to take this course must obtain departmental approval before registration. Note: Depending on the topic, this course may be offered only as ENGL or only as WRIT.

ENGL 4415
Studies in Children’s Literature 0.5 unit
Prerequisite(s): please see Prerequisites for University Study of English above
The advanced study of a particular topic in children’s literature. Note: Students who have received credit for ENGL 3306 may not take this course for credit.

ENGL 4427
Studies in Victorian Culture 0.5 unit
Prerequisite: Please see Prerequisites for University Study of English above
An examination of a single issue in the Victorian age, as seen in fiction, non-fiction, popular culture, visual arts and poetry. Note: Students who have received credit for ENGL 3328 may not take this course for credit.

ENGL 4446
Studies in Contemporary Culture 0.5 unit
Prerequisite(s): please see Prerequisites for University Study of English above
An interdisciplinary course relating contemporary literature to broader cultural concerns. Note: Students who have received credit for ENGL 3348 may not take this course for credit.

ENGL 4454
Studies in Postcolonial Literature and Theory 0.5 unit
Prerequisite(s): please see Prerequisites for University Study of English above
An advanced study of an issue in postcolonial literature and theory. This course will cover the theoretical underpinnings and debates that inform the issue and the ways in which it is explored in literature.

ENGL 4475
Studies in Medievalism 1.0 unit
Prerequisite(s): please see Prerequisites for University Study of English above
A selected topic in medievalism (the study of responses to the Middle Ages in later times), including an examination of the medieval texts that give rise to these responses.

ENGL 4476
Studies in Medieval Culture 0.5 unit
Prerequisite(s): please see Prerequisites for University Study of English above
A study of a particular topic in medieval culture through an examination of medieval literature in an interdisciplinary context which may include the visual arts, manuscript study, or philosophical, medical, legal, or theological texts. Note: Students who have received credit for ENGL 3375 may not take this course for credit.

ENGL 4480
Studies in Literature and Film 0.5 unit
Prerequisite(s): please see Prerequisites for University Study of English above
A study of a particular theme or topic that arises from an examination of the complex relationship that exists between literature and film. Note: Students who have received credit for ENGL 3380 may not take this course for credit.

ENGL 4499
Honours Thesis 1.0 unit
Prerequisite(s): written permission
A course intended to give practice in independent research, requiring an extended piece of writing. The student designs a syllabus through prior consultation with the supervising professor.

Academic Note: This web-based calendar information is applicable for the 2024-2025 academic year which runs from September 01, 2024 to August 31, 2025.

For information on previous years, please consult the University Academic Calendars web page.