English Language and Literatures

Program Overview

As an English major, you’ll study literature written in English from around the world – from the earliest medieval riddles to contemporary slam poetry. You’ll also have the opportunity to study the English language: its roots, its patterns, and its uses in politics and social media. If you’re an English major or honours student, you’ll encounter the past and present of imaginative literature and understand how our language makes meaning. You’ll learn to read intelligently, to write lucidly, to imagine and to understand cultures, to work in teams, to ask good questions, and to learn independently. Experiential learning and research As an English student, you can choose to take your learning in any number of directions: Seminars: Attend student-centred seminars with opportunities for independent research. Student-directed seminars: Take the seminar experience one step further and design your own course! Honours thesis: Write an undergraduate thesis, working one-on-one with a professor. Community engagement courses: Gain real-world experience with experiential learning opportunities in First Nations communities, literary collectives, local high schools, and more. Book history courses: Learn how to use a printing press in a book history course. Campus features As an English student on UBC’s Vancouver campus, you’ll have access to key on-campus resources, including: Buchanan Tower lounges and offices UBC Library’s Rare Books and Special Collections UBC Press, Canada’s pre-eminent social science publisher The Ubyssey, UBC’s student newspaper The Garden Statuary, UBC’s undergraduate English journal

Academic Requirements