Home » Academics » Bachelor of Arts (BA) » English » Program Requirements

Program Requirements

2025-2026 Academic Year

Chair

Diane Piccitto, BA, Hons (Trent), MA (Western), PhD (Western), Associate Professor

English is one of the most interdisciplinary subjects. We investigate a range of current, complex, and often contentious topics, but always through the unique lens of analysing how language and literature are used to convey meanings, emotions, and values. The literary expressions we study include poetry and prose from the ancient world to the twenty-first century, as well as the interplay between language, sound, and image in sources such as illuminated manuscripts and books, oral narratives, dramatic productions, popular songs, graphic novels, television shows and movies, video games, and a range of digital media.

Studying English at the Mount will train you to become a better interpreter and user of language, focusing on the skills of critical reading, listening, and viewing, as well as creative, analytical, and persuasive writing and speaking. You will become more flexible, empathetic, and original in your thinking; more adept at identifying arguments, biases, and subtexts in all forms of linguistic expression; and more articulate and adaptable in your own written and oral communication. These are indispensable skills for success in our society, helping you communicate more effectively in social and professional relationships, enabling you to evaluate sources of information (and misinformation) in all media forms, and empowering you to thrive in any future graduate study, professional program, or career.

The English Department also offers a minor in Writing, which will train you to think critically and creatively about your own writing practices, while exploring the nature of persuasion and writing itself. Course texts vary widely, from contemporary essays written for popular audiences to literature and philosophy to historical and contemporary accounts of rhetoric. Courses designated ENGL/WRIT may be counted toward either the Writing minor or the English honours, major, combined major, concentration, or minor. Courses designated WRIT can be counted only toward the Writing minor.

Any student wishing to do a major, combined major, or concentration in English or wishing to minor in English or Writing must consult with the department Chair, who will assign the student to an advisor. The student’s program should be planned in consultation with the advisor. Students wishing to take honours may apply after completing 10.0 units of university study.

Students may count courses from a major, concentration, and/or minor towards a second major, concentration, and/or minor; however, students must complete a minimum of 50 percent of unique courses toward the second major, concentration, and/or minor, unless otherwise stated in the Undergraduate Academic Calendar.

Admission Requirements

Review sections 2.1.4 Admission Requirements and 2.1.6 Additional Admission Requirements.

The English Program Requirements changed in 2024. All students who enrolled at the Mount in Fall 2024 or after should follow the Program Requirements below. Students who enrolled prior to Fall 2024 should follow the previous Program Requirements, which are outlined in detail on Advising Checklists.

Major

The degree with a major is intended for those students with a clearly focused interest who wish to gain in-depth knowledge of a single discipline.

Students intending to complete the major degree must declare their intention to do so before registering for their sixth unit of coursework. Students who do not make this declaration within this time frame will not be permitted to register for further coursework.

The Mount also offers a limited enrollment internship option.

Students must successfully complete 20.0 units with the following requirements:
❏ a minimum of 8.0 and a maximum of 10.0 units in the major as follows:

ENGL 1155 or (ENGL 1170 and 1171) Students may not take both ENGL 1155 and 1170/1171
ENGL 2201
ENGL 2202
0.5 unit selected from ENGL 2209, 2250, 2251, 3310, 3311, 3343, 3347, 3363, 3367, 4454 or a Special Topics course that has been approved by the department
1.0 unit selected from ENGL 3300, 3355, 3356, 3364, 3365, 3376, 3377, 3378, 4475, 4476 or a Special Topics course that has been approved by the department for this requirement
1.0 additional unit of ENGL at the 2000 level or above
2.0 additional units of ENGL at the 3000 level or above
1.0 unit of ENGL at the 4000 level
a minimum overall GPA of 2.0 in the required 8.0 units of ENGL

❏ a minor consisting of 3.0 units as specified by the department offering the minor. Students must achieve a minimum GPA of 2.0 in the required 3.0 units
❏ students may choose a second 3.0 unit minor in any area that offers a minor
❏ 1.0 unit from each core group A, B, and C listed the Bachelor of Arts (General Studies) (exclusive of the major):

Core A – Sciences & Mathematics (1.0 unit)
Core B – Social Sciences (1.0 unit)
Core C – Humanities (1.0 unit)

❏ at least 9.0 units must be at the 2000 level or above
❏ Note: No more than 4.0 units from professional areas may be counted toward the degree. Courses included in the Applied Human Nutrition science minor will not be counted as professional electives.

Special Studies
Students may count a maximum of 4.0 units of directed/independent/research studies courses towards the degree, with no more than 2.0 units in any single discipline.

Major Certificate

Students who have graduated from Mount Saint Vincent University with a Bachelor of Arts General Studies degree may apply to do a major certificate. Students must fulfill the requirements for the major degree listed above.

Combined Major

The combined major degree is intended for those students who wish to gain in-depth knowledge of two disciplines. Students must declare a major or combined major before registering for their sixth unit of coursework. Students who do not make this declaration within this time frame will not be permitted to register for further coursework.

The Mount also offers a limited enrollment internship option.

Students must successfully complete 20.0 units. In order to complete a combined major in English, the following requirements must be met:
❏ a minimum of 6.0 units and a maximum of 8.0 units in the English combined major as follows:

ENGL 1155 or (ENGL 1170 and 1171)
ENGL 2201
ENGL 2202
0.5 unit selected from ENGL 2209, 2250, 2251, 3310, 3311, 3343, 3347, 3363, 3367, 4454 or a Special Topics course that has been approved by the department
1.0 unit selected from ENGL 3300, 3355, 3356, 3364, 3365, 3376, 3377, 3378, 4475, 4476 or a Special Topics course that has been approved by the department for this requirement
1.0 additional unit of ENGL at the 2000 level or above
1.0 additional unit of ENGL at the 3000 level

❏ a second combined major specified by another program (Biology, Canadian Studies, Chemistry, Communication, Cultural Studies, Economics, Family Studies, French, Gerontology, History, Mathematics, Political Studies, Psychology, Sociology/Anthropology, Women’s Studies)
❏ a minimum overall GPA of 2.0 in the required 6.0 units of each combined major
❏ at least 5.0 units of the 12.0 units overall required for the combined majors must be at the 3000 level or above
❏ 1.0 unit from each core group A, B, and C listed under the Bachelor of Arts (General Studies)(inclusive of the majors):

Core A – Sciences & Mathematics (1.0 unit)
Core B – Social Sciences (1.0 unit)
Core C – Humanities (1.0 unit)

❏ at least 9.0 units of the total 20.0 units must be at the 2000 level or above
❏ Note: No more than 4.0 units from professional areas may be counted toward the degree. Courses included in the Applied Human Nutrition science minor will not be counted as professional electives.

Students wishing to combine an arts major and a science major (e.g. Chemistry and English or Biology and Political Studies):
❏ must meet all of the requirements listed above
and
♦ to complete a BSc (Combined Major) primary science discipline plus secondary arts discipline

must complete a minimum 12.0 units of the total 20.0 units in science disciplines

♦ to complete a BA (Combined Major) primary arts discipline plus secondary science discipline

must complete a minimum 12.0 units of the total 20.0 units in arts disciplines

Combined Major with Honours

Admission to the combined major with honours program must be approved by the honours committee of the English Department. Typically, application through the department Chair would be made after the completion of 10.0 units of study; acceptance is contingent upon the agreement of a faculty member to supervise the thesis. Students considering graduate school should take a language other than English.

The Mount also offers a limited enrollment internship option.

Students must successfully complete 20.0 units with the following requirements:
❏ a minimum of 9.0 and a maximum of 11.0 units in the honours subject as follows:

ENGL 1155 or (ENGL 1170 and 1171) Students may not take both ENGL 1155 and 1170/1171
ENGL 2201
ENGL 2202
0.5 unit selected from ENGL 2209, 2250, 2251, 3310, 3311, 3343, 3347, 3363, 3367, 4454 or a Special Topics course that has been approved by the department
1.0 unit selected from ENGL 3330, 3343, 3363, 3377, 4407, 4408, 4454
3.0 units selected from the following list with at least 0.5 unit from four different areas:
Medieval: ENGL 3376, 3377, 3378, 4475, 4476
Renaissance: ENGL 3355, 3356, 3364
Eighteenth-Century or Romantics: ENGL 3300, 3307, 3308, 3365
Nineteenth-Century British or American Literature: ENGL 3327, 3366, 3367, 4427
Twentieth-Century and Contemporary Literature: ENGL 3310, 3311, 3313, 3319, 3342, 3343, 3346, 3347, 3363, 4446, 4480
1.0 additional unit of ENGL at the 2000 level or above
ENGL 4499, including the presentation of an honours colloquium and attendance at the colloquia of other honours students
of all the ENGL courses taken for the combined major with honours degree, 1.0 unit must be at the 4000 level in addition to 4499
with departmental approval, designated ENGL 4401, 4405, 4406 (Special Topics) may be used to meet combined major with honours requirements

❏ a second combined major specified by another program (Biology, Canadian Studies, Chemistry, Communication Studies, Cultural Studies, Economics, Family Studies, French, Gerontology, History, Mathematics, Political Studies, Psychology, Sociology/Anthropology, Women’s Studies)
❏ a minimum overall GPA of 2.0 in the required units of each combined major
❏ at least 8.0 units of the 15.0 units overall required for the combined majors must be at the 3000 level or above
❏ 1.0 unit from each core group A, B, and C listed under the Bachelor of Arts (General Studies)(exclusive of the honours subject):

Core A – Sciences & Mathematics (1.0 unit)
Core B – Social Sciences (1.0 unit)
Core C – Humanities (1.0 unit)

❏ at least 9.0 units of the total 20.0 units must be at the 2000 level or above
❏ obtain a minimum GPA of 3.0 and a grade of at least C- in the required ENGL honours courses
❏ achieve a minimum of B- in the honours thesis
❏ obtain an overall GPA of 3.0 or better in all courses counted for the degree beyond the first 5.0 units taken
❏ Note: No more than 2.0 units from professional areas may be counted toward the degree. Courses included in the Applied Human Nutrition science minor will not be counted as professional electives.

Note: First-class honours will be awarded to students who maintain a GPA of 3.5 or better in 9.0 units in the honours subject and no grade below B- in all courses counted for the degree beyond the first 5.0 units taken.

Combined Major Honours Certificate

Students who have graduated from Mount Saint Vincent University with a Bachelor of Arts Combined Major degree, with a combined major in English may apply to do a combined major honours certificate. Students must fulfill the requirements for the combined major honours degree listed above and meet the University regulations regarding honours certificates.

Honours Degree

Admission to the honours program must be approved by the honours committee of the English Department. Typically, application through the department Chair would be made after the completion of 10.0 units of study; acceptance is contingent upon the agreement of a faculty member to supervise the thesis. Students considering graduate school should take a language other than English.

The Mount also offers a limited enrollment internship option.

Students must successfully complete 20.0 units with the following requirements:
❏ a minimum of 10.0 and a maximum of 12.0 units in the honours subject as follows:

ENGL 1155 or (ENGL 1170 and 1171) Students may not take both ENGL 1155 and 1170/1171
ENGL 2201
ENGL 2202
0.5 unit selected from ENGL 2209, 2250, 2251, 3310, 3311, 3343, 3347, 3363, 3367, 4454 or a Special Topics course that has been approved by the department
1.0 unit selected from ENGL 3330, 3343, 3363, 3377, 4407, 4408, 4454
4.0 units selected from the following list with at least 0.5 unit from four different areas:
Medieval: ENGL 3376, 3377, 3378, 4475, 4476
Renaissance: ENGL 3355, 3356, 3364
Eighteenth-Century or Romantics: ENGL 3300, 3307, 3308, 3365
Nineteenth-Century British or American Literature: ENGL 3327, 3366, 3367, 4427
Twentieth-Century and Contemporary Literature: ENGL 3310, 3311, 3313, 3319, 3342, 3343, 3346, 3347, 3363, 4446, 4480
1.0 additional unit of ENGL at the 2000 level or above
ENGL 4499, including the presentation of an honours colloquium and attendance at the colloquia of other honours students
of all the ENGL courses taken for the honours degree, 1.0 unit must be at the 4000 level in addition to 4499
with departmental approval, designated ENGL 4401, 4405, 4406 (Special Topics) may be used to meet honours requirements

❏ a minor consisting of 3.0 units as specified by the department. Students must achieve a minimum GPA of 2.0 in the required 3.0 units
❏ 1.0 unit from each core group A, B, and C listed under the Bachelor of Arts (General Studies)(exclusive of the honours subject):

Core A – Sciences & Mathematics (1.0 unit)
Core B – Social Sciences (1.0 unit)
Core C – Humanities (1.0 unit)

❏ obtain a minimum GPA of 3.0 and a grade of at least C- in 10.0 units of the required ENGL honours courses
❏ achieve a minimum of B- in the honours thesis
❏ obtain an overall GPA of 3.0 or better in all courses counted for the degree beyond the first 5.0 units taken
❏ Note: No more than 4.0 units from professional areas may be counted toward the degree. Courses included in the Applied Human Nutrition science minor will not be counted as professional electives.

Note: First-class honours will be awarded to students who maintain a GPA of 3.5 or better in 10.0 units in the honours subject and no grade below B- in all courses counted for the degree beyond the first 5.0 units taken.

Honours Certificate

Students who have graduated from Mount Saint Vincent University with a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in English may apply to do an honours certificate. Students must fulfill the requirements for the honours degree listed above and meet the University regulations regarding honours certificates.

Concentration

To obtain a concentration in English, students must fulfill the following requirements:
❏ either ENGL 1155 or ENGL 1170 and 1171
❏ 1.0 additional unit of ENGL at the 2000 level or above
❏ 2.0 additional units of ENGL at the 3000 level or above

Minors

Minor in English

To obtain a minor in English, students must fulfill the following requirements:
❏ either ENGL 1155 or ENGL 1170 and 1171
❏ 1.0 additional unit of ENGL at the 2000 level or above
❏ 1.0 additional unit of ENGL at the 3000 level or above

Minor in Writing

The minor in Writing is for those who want to explore the theory and practice of writing in a more intensive way than is possible in other courses. From histories, practices, and theories of rhetoric and composition to creative writing and the principles of editing and researching in a digital age, the topics covered in the minor in Writing examine various aspects of the academic discipline of writing studies.

To obtain a minor in Writing, students must fulfill the following requirements:
❏ WRIT 1120
❏ 2.5 additional units at the 2000 level or above from WRIT, ENGL/WRIT, LIBR 2100, COMM/WRIT 3512, and either ENGL 4407/WOMS 4407/GWGS 6607 or ENGL 4408. Students may not take both ENGL 4407/WOMS 4407/GWGS 6607 and ENGL 4408 toward the minor in Writing.

Academic Note: This web-based calendar information is applicable for the 2025-2026 academic year which runs from September 1, 2025 to August 31, 2026.

For information on previous years, please consult the University Academic Calendars web page.