Accessible instructors
We offer many department events where you can connect with your professors
The Advantages of an English Degree at Queen’s
Small-class Experience at Every Level
In each year of your English studies at Queen’s, you will work with instructors who get to know you individually, and with whom you can build an ongoing relationship.
First-year English combines large lectures with small tutorials
Second-year seminar focuses on a single text: really get to know the text, and your peers
Third-year courses are small to mid-size, combining lecture, discussion, small-group, and collaborative work
Fourth-year seminars feature small-group, intensive exploration of an array of topics
Combine Creative and Analytical Work
The Queen’s English Department encourages you to develop your creativity. We offer several Creative Writing courses, all of which can count toward English degrees. Some of these courses are analytical/creative hybrids: like regular English courses they offer a structured approach to a defined topic, but they allow students to submit creative work instead of essays. Several upper-year seminars allow students to choose between writing a research essay or doing some form of creative assignment. These opportunities invite students to explore creative responses to challenging questions.
Find Your Passion
The English Department is small enough to foster a strong sense of community among students, but large enough to offer you a diverse array of courses. From popular forms like children’s and YA literature to the classics, from Canadian authors to English-language texts from around the world, from medieval poetry to texts written this year, and including many LGBTQ+ and BIPOC voices, you will be able both to follow your interests and discover new ones.
Choosing an English Plan
It’s easier than ever to choose an English Plan: all you need is a minimum grade of C– in any first-year ENGL course, and you qualify for the Major, Joint Honours, or Minor. Students with a lower grade may still qualify, and are invited to contact the Undergraduate Chair for more information.
Note that this information is new as of 2023; some web pages haven’t been updated yet, and still list ENGL 100 as the sole gateway to English Plans. This is not the case: ENGL 100 (currently offered mainly online) is now merely one of several entries to studying English.
The Frequently Asked Questions page is a good resource to address any further queries about our undergraduate degrees. You may also contact us directly at the Department of English.
Undergraduate Chair
Scott-Morgan Straker
ugrad.english@queensu.ca
Undergraduate Program Assistant
Britt Howard
Watson Hall, Room 420
613-533-6000 ext. 74446
EnglishDept@queensu.ca
