Concordia University of Edmonton
Bachelor of Arts in English Major
Edmonton, Canada
BA
DURATION
4 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2026
TUITION FEES
CAD 28,351 / per year
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
The study of literature enables learners to better understand how literary works uniquely reflect and shape our world. The purpose of literary study is to appreciate how literary texts impact the world, to better understand the relationship between the past and present, to appreciate cultural contexts, and to explore complex questions. This program guides students through junior and senior level courses, lecture-focused classes, seminar courses, and capstones with the option of pursuing a research emphasis that may include an independent study.
The goal of the four-year program in English is to prepare students to apply various methodologies and theories to the practice of reading literary texts, develop critical reading and writing skills, compose original scholarship, engage ethically in academic conversations, and participate in collaborative learning.
These skills equip students to pursue after-degree programs in education as well as careers in administration, library studies, journalism, writing, editing, copywriting, marketing, media, communications, and law. Students who undertake this degree will also have a greater opportunity to pursue further education in graduate studies or professional programs.
Advantages
- Our BA in English integrates a comprehensive historical approach to literature with an emphasis on literary theory and recent approaches.
- We offer courses in creative and technical writing.
- We offer the opportunity for students to participate in individual study with a faculty member of their choice.
- Our graduates have gone on to successful careers in many fields.
- Our students have been accepted into top graduate programs.
- All faculty members are active in their field of research and up to date on current perspectives and criticism.
- Classes are small, so you can get to know your fellow students and your instructors.
42–60 credits required, to include:
Junior Level
- 6 credits of junior-level ENG (Recommended: British Literature from 1300 to 1800 and British Literature from 180 to the Present)
Medieval and Renaissance Literature
- 6 credits chosen from
- Chaucer
- The Later Middle Ages
- The Early English Renaissance
- The Later English Renaissance
- Shakespeare
- Further Studies in Shakespeare
Eighteenth and Nineteenth Century Literature
- 6 credits chosen from
- Transformation and Trauma: Eighteenth-Century British Literature
- Jane Austen and Adaptation
- The Eighteenth-Century British Gothic Novel
- British Romantic Literature
- Victorian Poetry
- Nineteenth-Century English Novel
Modern British Literature
- One of
- Early Twentieth-Century British Literature
- Mid-Twentieth Century British Literature or
- Contemporary British Literature
Canadian Literature
- One of
- Canadian Literature to 1900
- Early Twentieth-Century Canadian Literature
- Mid-Twentieth Century Canadian Literature
- Contemporary Canadian Literature or
- Contemporary Indigenous Literature
American Literature
- One of
- American Literature to 1900
- Early Twentieth-Century American Literature
- Mid-Twentieth Century American Literature, or
- Contemporary American Literature
Writing
- One of
- Essay Writing (Non-fiction)
- Introduction to Creative Non-Fiction
- Introduction to Creative Writing: Fiction, or
- Introduction to Creative Writing: Poetry
Senior Seminar
- 6 credits chosen from
- the ENG 401–425 series
- Independent Studies
- Literary Criticism I
- Literary Criticism II
- Magazine Editing and Production
Unspecified
- 6–24 credits of unspecified senior-level ENG or WRI courses
In addition to the above, students must complete:
- 6 credits of courses offered by the Departments of Fine Arts, Philosophy and Religious Studies, Literature and Languages other than ENG or WRI, Handbells and Handchimes for Children and Youth.
- 6 credits of courses in the Faculty of Science.
- 6 credits of courses offered by the Departments of Social Sciences and/or Psychology.
In addition to the above, students must present:
- Undergraduate Academic Integrity Training
Permissible minors: All minors listed in section 10.6 other than English.
English students find employment in many different fields. Not only are our graduates well prepared for further qualifying studies to become editors, journalists, librarians, or teachers, but many also go on to become lawyers, politicians, or businesspeople.
In today’s marketplace, an English degree is a flexible degree that is attractive to employers.