Graduate studies

The MA in English helps students develop the advanced professional skills and the intellectual independence required for doctoral studies and for leadership roles in a variety of fields. Seminars are small, providing a stimulating environment for students to develop their skills and build supportive relationships with peers and faculty members. The academic seminars and, optionally, the research paper or thesis research foster rigorous study of British, Canadian, or American literary history from a range of critical perspectives. In addition, the program includes training in transferable professional skills such as grant-writing, presenting at conferences, teaching, publishing articles, and planning for academic and non-academic career paths. We also offer a unique MA with Co-op option, which enables students to gain paid work experience in government, business, arts administration and other professional careers while pursuing advanced studies in English Literature. Our MAs go on to PhD programs at universities across the continent, or pursue careers in government, education, non-profit work, writing and editing, law, and other professional fields.

Part of an historic institution, the oldest bilingual university in Canada, the Department of English at the University of Ottawa is a fresh and vibrant department at the forefront of literary studies. Our faculty are internationally renowned, producing leading research in their fields. Our doctoral program prepares students to pursue independent research in British, Canadian, or American literature informed by a broad knowledge of literary and cultural history and by recent developments in literary criticism and theory. Our program is recognized as one of the best departments of English in Canada; in the 2014 QS rankings, it was ranked one of the top 150 English departments worldwide.