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English (MA)

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The Department of English offers the degrees of Master of Arts (with or without thesis) and Doctor of Philosophy in English. Both programs equip students to pursue advanced studies in British, Canadian, or American literature informed by a broad knowledge of literary history and by recent developments in literary criticism and cultural theory. The department is well known for its annual Canadian Literature Symposium, and its faculty is distinguished and well-published. The Ontario Council on Graduate Studies (OCGS) has consistently awarded the department the council's highest rating.

The department offers collaborative programs in Women’s Studies and in Medieval and Renaissance Studies at the M.A. level. For more information on these programs, see “Admission Requirements”.

The program operates within the general framework of the general regulations of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (FGPS) of the University of Ottawa, which are posted on the FGPS website. Please note, however, that any course fulfilling a graduate degree requirement in English must be completed with a mark of B or higher. A student whose record shows any two grades lower than a mark of B will automatically be asked to withdraw from the program. Most graduate courses in the Department of English at the University of Ottawa carry three credits. Requirements are stated in number of credits.

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The professors included in the list below are members of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. This means that they are authorized to supervise or co-supervise theses. A complete list of the faculty and staff members associated with the program can be found at http://www.english.uottawa.ca/

ALLEN, Thomas, Associate Professor
Nineteenth-century American literature

ARSENEAU, Mary, Full Professor
Nineteenth-century British literature

BLAIR, Jennifer, Assistant Professor
Canadian literature and cultural studies; Critical theory; Literature and architecture

BURKE, Victoria, Associate Professor
Early modern literature; Women's writing; Manuscript culture

CARLSON, David, Full Professor
Middle English and Renaissance literature

CHILDS, Donald, Full Professor
Modern British literature, T.S. Eliot, V. Woolf, W.B. Yeats

DE BRUYN, Frans, Full Professor
Restoration and eighteenth-century literature

DENNIS, Ian, Full Professor
Romantic Literature; Mimetic Theory; Creative Writing

FERRIS, Ina, Full Professor
Romantic and Victorian literature; Novel theory; Critical theory

FIAMENGO, Janice, Full Professor
Canadian literature

GILLINGHAM, Lauren, Associate Professor
Nineteenth-century British literature and the novel; Regency society, popular genres, popular culture; Realism; romance; and the rise of the novel

GORDON, Craig, Assistant Professor
Modernist Studies; Science and Culture; 20th-Century British Literature; Literary and Critical Theory

JARRAWAY, David, Full Professor
American literature and cultural studies; Queer theory

LANDRETH, Sara, Assistant Professor
Eighteenth-century literature and culture; Historical epistemology ; Literature and science; Literature and theology

LONDON, April, Full Professor
Eighteenth-century; Romantics

LYNCH, Gerald, Full Professor
Canadian literature; Creative writing

MAKARYK, Irene, Full Professor
Shakespeare; Comparative literature

MANGANIELLO, Dominic, Full Professor
Anglo-Irish; Modern British; Comparative literature

MAYNE, Seymour, Full Professor
Canadian literature; Modern poetry; Creative writing; Comparative literature

MOSS, John, Emeritus Professor
Canadian Literature; Literary Criticism and Critical Theory; Arctic Narrative

PANEK, Jennifer, Associate Professor
Renaissance literature

RADLOFF, Bernhard, Full Professor
Literary theory; American literature

RAINE, Anne, Associate Professor
American literature and cultural studies; literature and environment

RAMPTON, David, Full Professor
Contemporary American literature; Comparative literature

RECTOR, Geoffrey, Associate Professor
Anglo-Norman and Middle English literature; Medieval rhetoric and education; Medieval romance and historiography

STACEY, Robert, Associate Professor
Canadian literature

STAINES, David, Full Professor
Canadian literature; Medieval literature; Victorian poetry

SUGARS, Cynthia, Associate Professor
Canadian Literature; Postcolonial theory; Psychoanalysis

TAYLOR, Andrew, Full Professor
Medieval literature

VON MALTZAHN, Nicholas, Full Professor
Milton; Seventeenth-century literature

WILSON, Keith, Full Professor
Victorian and twentieth-century British literature

The MA program is intended to refine the critical and scholarly skills of high achievement graduates from undergraduate honours programs. An honours BA in English literature with a minimum high second class standing of B+ is normally required. A 500-word statement of interest in the program is required with the application. Students applying for the MA with thesis option should submit a sample of their academic writing, such as an essay written for an undergraduate English course.
Students who have completed a BA or equivalent degree with a minimum of six full courses in English with an average of 75 per cent (B+) may be admitted to a qualifying year which normally comprises 30 credits selected to ensure coverage of the major fields of English literature. These courses must be successfully completed in each case with a mark of B+ or higher. By special permission one or two graduate courses may be substituted for the equivalent number of undergraduate courses. After the requirements of the qualifying year have been satisfactorily fulfilled, students may apply for admission to the regular MA program. Such admission will depend on the quality of their overall record.

Collaborative Program in Women's Studies at the Master's Level

The Department of English is a participating unit in the collaborative program in Women's Studies at the Master's level. This program has been established for students wishing to enrich their training in English by including an interdisciplinary component in Women's Studies. The specific requirements of the collaborative program include two core courses in Women's Studies and a thesis on a topic related to women's studies.

Students should normally apply for acceptance in the Women's Studies collaborative program at the same time as they apply for admission to the Master's program in English.

For further details, please consult the Women’s Studies program on the FGPS website.

Collaborative Program in Medieval and Renaissance Studies at the Master's Level

The Department of English is a participating unit in the collaborative program in Medieval and Renaissance Studies at the Master's level. This program has been established for students wishing to enrich their training in English by including an interdisciplinary component in Medieval and Renaissance Studies. The specific requirements of the collaborative program include two core courses in medieval studies and a thesis on a topic related to Medieval and Renaissance Studies.

Students should normally apply for acceptance in the Medieval and Renaissance Studies collaborative program at the same time as they apply for admission to the Master's program in English.

For further details, please consult the Medieval and Renaissance Studies program on the FGPS website.

The Department offers two options for the MA:

A two year program in which students complete twelve credits of course work, ENG7997 (Thesis Proposal), and a thesis, of about ninety pages in length, defended in an oral examination.

A one year program in which students complete twenty-four credits of course work.

The completion times above are for full-time students. Part-time students may take up to four years to complete MA program, but are not eligible for scholarship support. The residence requirement for students admitted on a full-time basis is three sessions.

In keeping with the bilingual character of the University, the program has a French language requirement. Student may satisfy this requirement by passing FLS 1000, the test administered by the Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute, or its equivalent as determined by the Department of English. A pass on the Department's test leads to an S on the transcript. Students may also satisfy the language requirement by passing six credits of second-year university-level language course(s). These courses are additional to the English courses required for the degree.

Collaborative Program in Women's Studies

Students admitted to the Collaborative program in women's studies at the master's level must meet the requirements for a master's degree in their primary program as well as the requirements of the women's studies program. Normally, the women's studies courses are recognized as partial fulfillment of the requirements of the student's primary program, in which case the passing grade in the relevant FEM course or courses is the same as that specified for the primary program.

The Women's Studies requirements are:

Two compulsory courses:

FEM5300 FEMINIST THEORIES (3cr.)

FEM5103 FEMINIST METHODOLOGIES (3cr.)

Students must complete the two compulsory courses before their first registration for the major research paper or thesis.

A thesis or major research paper on a topic related to women, gender, feminism or sexualities. The proposed topic must be approved by the Women’s Studies Graduate Committee as well as by the student’s primary program. The thesis or major research paper must demonstrate knowledge of feminist scholarship in the field or fields appropriate to the topic, and of feminist methodologies where applicable.

The thesis supervisor must possess Women’s Studies and/or feminist expertise. In the case of a major research paper, the supervisor should, ideally, possess Women’s Studies and/or feminist expertise. If not, one of the readers must possess such expertise. Joint supervision by a professor from the participating unit and a professor chosen by the WSGC may be appropriate in some cases.

Thesis or Major Research Paper Proposal: The thesis or major research paper proposal must be approved by the Women’s Studies Graduate Committee as well as by the primary program. Usually the thesis or major research paper proposal is submitted to women’s studies by the end of the third session of the first year of studies. For the primary programs that do not require a proposal, students must still submit a proposal to the Women’s Studies Graduate Committee.

Examiner or Reader: One of the examiners (for the thesis) or reader (for the major research paper) must be a person approved by the Women’s Studies Graduate Committee.

The passing grade in all courses is C+. Students who fail two courses (equivalent to 6 credits) must withdraw from the program.

Collaborative Program in Medieval and Renaissance Studies

Students in the program must complete the requirements of their primary program and those of the collaborative program. One of the two 3-credit courses in medieval and Renaissance Studies (MDV 5100 or MDV 5500) will be counted towards the requirements of the primary program. Consequently, students in the specialization will have only one extra course to take.

The requirements of the collaborative program are as follows:

Two compulsory courses:

MDV5100 Medieval and Renaissance Studies Research Methods and Tools (3cr.)

MDV5500 Méthodes et outils de recherche des études médiévales et de la Renaissance (3cr.)

AND

MDV5900 Séminaire de recherche interdisciplinaire / Interdisciplinary Research Seminar (3cr.)

Students must complete the two compulsory courses before they register to the major research paper or thesis.

A thesis or major research paper on a topic related to medieval and Renaissance studies; the proposed topic must be approved by the program committee of the participating unit and the committee of the collaborative program. The supervision of the major research paper or thesis must be carried out by a professor approved by the collaborative program committee. At least one of the two thesis examiners (or one examiner of the major research paper) must be a member of the collaborative program.

In both cases, the title of the degree will indicate the discipline of the participating unit with the specification "specialization in Medieval and Renaissance Studies."

The passing grade in all courses is C+. Students who fail two courses (equivalent to 6 credits) must withdraw from the program.

Duration of the Program

Students are expected to complete all requirements within two years. The thesis must be submitted within four years of the date of initial registration in the program.

Residence

Students admitted full-time must register full-time for at least three sessions.

Minimum Standards

The passing grade in all courses is B. Students who fail two courses (equivalent to 6 credits) must withdraw from the program.

Every year the department usually offers at least three credits in each of the following areas: medieval, renaissance, restoration and 18th century, romanticism, victorian, modern British, American, Canadian, and theory.

The titles below refer to general subject areas, whereas the actual seminars will consist of specific studies in the subject areas. For a detailed description of the seminars available in any year, please consult the department webpage. Information is normally available early in the winter for the next academic year. All courses are three credits.

ENG6300 OLD ENGLISH I (3cr.)

ENG6301 OLD ENGLISH II (3cr.)

ENG6302 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY (1.5cr.)
Preparation of students for the professional study of English. Review and analysis of the expanding number of electronic and print research tools and methods. Internet database searches, both in the discipline of English as well as in related fields (such as history, philosophy, and sociology), and evaluation of Internet sites. Short assignments based on the student’s proposed area of research. Preparation of grant applications and of the thesis proposal. Compiling a preliminary bibliography and taking the initial steps toward the preparation of a thesis proposal. Graded S/NS. Offered in the fall session.

ENG6303 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT (1.5cr.)
Preparation of students for the professional study of English. Introduction to professional concerns and activities: writing and publishing scholarly articles, presenting conference papers, membership in professional organizations, and career opportunities (including the interview). Sessions to be devoted to the practice of teaching, covering such topics as syllabus construction, teaching ‘styles,’ classroom management, teaching dossiers, and student evaluation. Graded S/NS. Offered in the winter session

ENG6304 Doctoral Research Methods (3cr.)
Overview of theoretical, methodological, and critical approaches to literary studies to enable students to situate their own research within the discipline.

ENG6310 MIDDLE ENGLISH LITERATURE I (3cr.)

ENG6320 MIDDLE ENGLISH LITERATURE (3cr.)

ENG6321 MIDDLE ENGLISH LITERATURE III (3cr.)

ENG6322 MIDDLE ENGLISH LITERATURE IV (3cr.)

ENG6330 RENAISSANCE LITERATURE I (3cr.)

ENG6341 SHAKESPEARE I (3cr.)

ENG6342 SHAKESPEARE II (3cr.)

ENG6343 SHAKESPEARE III (3cr.)

ENG6344 SHAKESPEARE IV (3cr.)

ENG6350 RENAISSANCE LITERATURE II (3cr.)

ENG6351 RENAISSANCE LITERATURE III (3cr.)

ENG6352 RENAISSANCE LITERATURE IV (3cr.)

ENG6355 RESTORATION LITERATURE I (3cr.)

ENG6356 RESTORATION LITERATURE II (3cr.)

ENG6357 RESTORATION LITERATURE III (3cr.)

ENG6360 EIGHTEENTH CENTURY LITERATURE I (3cr.)

ENG6361 EIGHTEENTH CENTURY LITERATURE II (3cr.)

ENG6362 EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY LITERATURE III (3cr.)

ENG6363 EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY LITERATURE IV (3cr.)

ENG6370 ROMANTIC LITERATURE I (3cr.)

ENG6371 ROMANTIC LITERATURE II (3cr.)

ENG6372 ROMANTIC LITERATURE III (3cr.)

ENG6373 ROMANTIC LITERATURE IV (3cr.)

ENG6380 VICTORIAN LITERATURE I (3cr.)

ENG6381 VICTORIAN LITERATURE II (3cr.)

ENG6382 VICTORIAN LITERATURE III (3cr.)

ENG6383 VICTORIAN LITERATURE IV (3cr.)

ENG6900 SECOND LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT
In keeping with the bilingual character of the University, the MA program has a French language requirement. Students may satisfy this requirement by passing the FLS1000, the test administered by the Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute, or the departmental language test. The departmental tests are one-hour examinations which require the candidate to translate, with the aid of a dictionary, a passage of literary criticism or another appropriate selection of similar difficulty approximately one page in length. Students may also satisfy the language requirement by passing six credits of second-year university-level language course(s). These courses are additional to the English courses required for the degree. In all cases, the minimum passing grade is 50% and leads to an "S" (Satisfactory) on the transcript for ENG6900.

ENG7300 MODERN LITERATURE I (3cr.)

ENG7301 MODERN LITERATURE II (3cr.)

ENG7302 MODERN LITERATURE III (3cr.)

ENG7303 MODERN LITERATURE IV (3cr.)

ENG7310 AMERICAN LITERATURE I (3cr.)

ENG7311 AMERICAN LITERATURE II (3cr.)

ENG7312 AMERICAN LITERATURE III (3cr.)

ENG7313 AMERICAN LITERATURE IV (3cr.)

ENG7320 CANADIAN LITERATURE I (3cr.)

ENG7321 CANADIAN LITERATURE II (3cr.)

ENG7322 CANADIAN LITERATURE III (3cr.)

ENG7323 CANADIAN LITERATURE IV (3cr.)

ENG7330 ANGLO IRISH LITERATURE (3cr.)

ENG7331 ANGLO-IRISH LITERATURE II (3cr.)

ENG7332 ANGLO-IRISH LITERATURE III (3cr.)

ENG7370 HISTORY OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE (3cr.)

ENG7375 COMMONWEALTH LITERATURE (3cr.)

ENG7376 COMMONWEALTH LITERATURE II (3cr.)

ENG7377 COMMONWEALTH LITERATURE III (3cr.)

ENG7380 HISTORY OF CRITICISM I (3cr.)

ENG7381 THEORY OF CRITICISM I (3cr.)

ENG7382 HISTORY OF CRITICISM II (3cr.)

ENG7383 HISTORY OF CRITICISM III (3cr.)

ENG7384 THEORY OF CRITICISM II (3cr.)

ENG7385 THEORY OF CRITICISM III (3cr.)

ENG7900 SECOND LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT
In keeping with the bilingual character of the University, the PhD program has a French language requirement. Students may satisfy this requirement by passing FLS1000, the test administered by the Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute, or the departmental language test. The departmental tests are one-hour examinations which require the candidate to translate, with the aid of a dictionary, a passage of literary criticism or another appropriate selection of similar difficulty approximately one page in length. Language testing of languages other than French is normally administered by the Department. Students may also satisfy the language requirement by passing six credits of second-year university-level language course(s). These courses are additional to the 18 credits required for the degree. In all cases, the minimum passing grade is 66 percent and leads to an "S" (Satisfactory) on the transcript for ENG7900. NOTE: Students who achieve 65% or higher at the MA level will not be required to retake the test if they continue on to the PhD.

Readings and Research

ENG6111 DIRECTED READINGS I (3cr.)

Only in the most exceptional of circumstances and subject to the approval of the graduate committee will a directed reading course be accepted.

ENG6112 DIRECTED READINGS II (3cr.)

Only in the most exceptional of circumstances and subject to the approval of the graduate committee will a directed reading course be accepted.

ENG6313 DIRECTED READING (3cr.)

ENG7997 MA Thesis Proposal
The thesis proposal is prepared under the direction of the thesis supervisor and is approved by the graduate committee. The proposal must normally be successfully completed by the end of the third session. In the event of failure, the proposal can be resubmitted the following session at the latest. A second failure leads to a grade of NS on the transcript and to withdrawal from the program. Graded: S (Satisfactory) / N/S (Not Satisfactory). Prequisites: 12 credits.

ENG7999 MA THESIS RESEARCH

ENG9997 PhD Thesis Proposal
The thesis proposal is prepared under the direction of the thesis supervisor and is approved by the graduate committee after consultation with area experts. The proposal must normally be successfully completed by the end of the seventh session. In the event of failure, the proposal can be resubmitted the following session at the latest. A second failure leads to a grade of NS on the transcript and to withdrawal from the program. Graded: S (Satisfactory) / N/S (Not Satisfactory). Prerequisites: 15 credits.

ENG9998 COMPREHENSIVE EXAM (PhD)

ENG9999 PhD THESIS RESEARCH

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