Department of English

Students talking in courtyard — Department of English

Learn from nationally and internationally respected scholars and historians; have access to the best of municipal, provincial and national cultural organizations; combine studies in various historical periods, cultural areas, and specializations; get top-quality, personalized education and becoming part of an academic community.

Welcome

First and foremost, the Department of English at the University of Ottawa strives to be an active and supportive community of learning. We pride ourselves on the high quality of our academic programs and the international reputation of our professors, but we are equally dedicated to making our Department a welcoming space on campus for students and faculty to come together as a social and intellectual community.

We invite you to make yourself at home in our departmental foyer, which is furnished as a place to read and study, to meet and converse, or just to take a break between classes. Our academic assistants and staff are on hand to help you navigate the complexities of university life, and our faculty members are dedicated to sharing their critical and scholarly expertise with you. The Department is also blessed at both the graduate and undergraduate levels with active student organizations that represent your interests and promote student social and cultural life. As chair of the Department, I welcome you to our community; I am here to assist you with any concerns you may have.

Jennifer Panek
Department Chair

Contact the Department of English

Simard Hall

English keyframe — Video

Reading, Writing, Thinking - Department of English

Programs

Besides providing an excellent base for professional development, a degree in English literature can offer you unmatched intellectual challenges.

The Department provides courses in all major historical and national areas of literature in English. It also offers courses in creative writing and literary theory, along with general interest courses in literature and film, children’s literature, science fiction, and literature and the environment.

An MA or PhD in English offers the opportunity to follow your passion while developing advanced professional skills in research, analysis, writing, and oral communication for a variety of audiences. What sets our graduate program apart is its combination of top-notch academic training and unrivalled collegiality. Our internationally renowned faculty members produce leading research in their fields. Our graduate students pursue research in fields across the discipline, from medieval to contemporary literature, and in areas ranging from scholarly editing to book history to interdisciplinary studies in areas like material culture or literature and science. The Department has a strong sense of community: our floor of the Arts building is a lively place where students and faculty meet regularly and develop close working relationships. Both the MA and the PhD programs host stimulating academic seminars and professional development workshops to help students prepare for leadership roles in a wide range of careers.

Creative Writing

English

Professional Editing

Professional Writing

Graduate: English (MA or PhD)

Student voices

“That first poetry workshop was a formative experience and shaped the direction I took, not only as a student of English but also as a burgeoning writer.”

Maria Scala

— Her poetry and nonfiction have appeared in numerous print and online literary journals