The Structure of the English Curriculum at St. Thomas

The English Department offers courses at three levels: introductory, intermediate, and advanced.

1. Introductory Courses
Courses at the introductory level, numbered in the 1000-range, are intended for first-year or beginning students of English. Students should note that ENGL 1013 is open only to ESL students, and that ENGL 1006 is prerequisite to ENGL 2013 and to all courses at the 3000- level.

2. Intermediate Courses
Courses at the intermediate level, numbered in the 2000-range (except ENGL 2013 and 2023), are general interest courses open not only to students who have completed ENGL 1006 and are planning to minor, major, or honour in English, but also to students following other programmes who have completed any 30 credit hours of courses at the 1000-level.

3. Advanced Courses
Courses at the advanced level, numbered in the 3000-range, are normally open only to students
who have completed ENGL 2013 and 2023.

Seminars at the 4000-level are open only to students who have been accepted into the Honours programme (with the exception of ENGL 4213, which is intended for students pursuing the Major with a Concentration in Drama). They are limited in enrolment and foreground active research, writing, and formal oral presentations. Normally, two seminars are offered each year.

Programmes

The Major and Honours Programmes are designed to ensure that students experience as wide a range of contents and methods as possible. Therefore, students are required to take a minimum number of courses from a range of categories that have been identified by the Department as central to the discipline.

Common FAQs

What courses should I take if I'm thinking of going on to graduate school in English?
The normal requirement for entry into graduate school is an honours degree. Many universities also expect that students entering graduate school will have broad coverage of periods, courses in Canadian and/or American literature, and a course in literary theory. If you think you'd like to consider graduate school, feel free to speak to the Honours Director, Dr. Andrea Schutz, or any member of the Department.

How do I go about obtaining a letter of reference from a professor?
Professors regularly write letters of reference for students applying for scholarships, professional programmes, or graduate school, and we're happy to do so. Your best advice is to choose a professor who knows you well, and for whom you have done your best work. We need to have the form, if there is one, or details including address and due date, well in advance (several weeks, if possible). We need you to fill out in advance any part of the form that asks for your name or the programme for which you are applying. You should ask each professor whether there is additional information they would like to have, such as a cv, a copy of your transcript, and, for graduate school, any description you have written of your intended course of study. Sometimes, we send the reference directly to the university to which you are applying; sometimes, we provide the letter to you in a sealed envelope. References are generally confidential.