English Language and Literature

Program Overview

English Language and Literature

Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences @ UWindsor

Program Overview & Highlights

• Honours 4-Year Program
• B.A.

Immerse yourself in English literature from early oral traditions to contemporary writing from around the world. You’ll have the chance to attend poetry readings and book launches, chat one-on-one with visiting writers, and get to know our world-class faculty. You will be in many small classes exclusive to English majors and will receive the attention you need to thrive. Plus, you can get hands-on experience by applying to the Co-op program or enrolling in specialized courses like the Editing and Publishing practicum where students edit, market, and publish original manuscripts. The world needs critical thinkers and writers. Become one of them.

• Earn while you learn with paid co-op and build your resume for a successful career in book publishing, copywriting, and more
• Be a part of Windsor's rich literary community and attend poetry readings, book launches, and readings by celebrated authors
• Build critical thinking and communication skills that are always in demand
• Combine your interests and take a double major
• Small classes with hands-on experience (including in editing and publishing!)
• You can take courses from different periods in literature, Canadian literature, rhetoric and linguistics, and more. Specialize in what interests you.

Learn More About Our Program

• 97% of our graduates are employed within 2 years
• 20+ exchange and study abroad opportunities offered in diverse destinations including Australia, the UK, and France
• 40+ books published by students in the Editing and Publishing practicum course
• 40,000+ alumni worldwide in careers that range from marketing and corporate communications, to technical writers and government interpreters, speech therapists, lawyers, doctors, and more

What Lancers Are Saying

• I've learned how to read and write about poetry, I've learned about the complexities of the Canadian literary marketplace and the nuances of Canadian literature.... Beyond improving my skills as a reader, writer, and academic, my experiences... have made me a more informed citizen within my local community and beyond. I've gained valuable new insights and perspectives that have fundamentally shifted my values and social involvement in the world around me. I've gained lasting friendships, and a rich, creative community of individuals I cherish. I have had the pleasure of working as a Research Assistant with Dr. Price, through the IGNITE program.... In the Creative Writing workshops, I've learned about various approaches to storytelling and poetry, while also learning how to read, edit, and workshop creative works of fiction....In the Editing and Publishing Practicum, I learned the process of editing, proofreading, and publishing a manuscript, as well as the process of marketing, promoting, and launching a book. I believe experiential learning opportunities have helped me translate theoretical skills into practical, marketable skills that I can add to my professional CV.
• The University of Windsor offers such a refreshing environment to focus on academic topics that I am passionate about, surrounded by like-minded people with the same passion. The core courses of my program offered a concrete basis to approach more complex topics and ideas. Even outside of the classroom, the University of Windsor offers countless student groups and organizations. The English Undergraduate Student Associate and the Classics Society allowed me to exercise what I have learned in class and apply and share it among new friends. The hard skills that I have gained that will help me in my future career. The transferable skills that I have gained from my studies in English include close-reading and critical thinking.... Such skills are incredibly valuable across disciplines and in the world generally. I know that these transferable skills will be a critical asset in my professional future.

Faculty & Staff

• Selena Randhawa, Recruiter - Business, FAHSS, Law, Education
• Sheri Lowrie, FAHSS Recruitment and Outreach Coordinator

Admission Requirements

High School Student from Canada

• Course Requirements: English/ENG4U (min. avg. 60%)
• Minimum Average: 70%
• Minimum Average (Co-op): 80%; 70% minimum in English

High School Student from Outside Canada and the United States (International)

• Course Requirements: Grade 12 English
• Recommended: Grade 12 Creative Writing
• Minimum Average: 70%

Career Tracks

• Writer
• Copywriter
• Screen writer
• Editor
• Publisher
• Communications director
• Journalist
• Archivist
• Lawyer
• Librarian
• Marketing manager
• Professor
• Public official
• Public relations officer
• Reporter
• Social media co-ordinator
• Teacher
• Technical writer

Plan Your Program

Term: Fall 2025

Important Notes

1. All FAHSS programs require students to take one course with Indigenous content, perspectives, or materials. This can be done at any time during the student’s undergraduate education. It is recommended that co-op students fulfill this requirement in the summer term. See this link for course options: Not all Indigenous content courses are offered every term.
2. Students studying within the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences are encouraged to review the FAHSS Overview page.
3. English may be combined with another major for a degree in Combined Honours English and Another Subject.

Required Course Notes

• Required ENGL First-Year Courses
  • ENGL 1002
  • ENGL 1003
• Recommended Other Courses
  • GART 1210
  • One Social Science course
  • One Language or Science course
  • One other course from any area of study, excluding Arts

Required Courses

• ENGL 1002: Writing about Literature An introduction to analyzing and writing about literary texts, focusing on: the major genres (poetry, drama, and narrative prose), the use of literary terms, and frequent writing assignments in practical criticism. (Not available on an Audit basis.) (Restricted to majors in English and IAS only.)
• ENGL 1003: Early British Literature A survey of representative texts to 1750: the Medieval, Renaissance, seventeenth-century and eighteenth-century periods. (Restricted to majors in English and IAS only.) Credit cannot be obtained for both ENGL-1003 and ENGL-2109.

Recommended Courses

• GART 1210: An Introduction into Indigenous Topics This course introduces students to Indigenous histories, perspectives, and modern realities through an Indigenous lens. The role of colonization is introduced as Indigenous relationships on Turtle Island changed as a result of contact and colonization. This survey course provides a learning opportunity for students to engage in Indigenous pedagogy and worldview as they learn how history impacts the contemporary lives of Indigenous people. Through exploring relationships, this course engages critical reading, writing and thinking skills through course lectures and seminar activities. The history of relations assists in understanding how colonization’s policies and statutory documents thereafter affected Indigenous peoples, such as the Royal Proclamation, Treaties, the Indian Act, the British North America Act (1867), and the Constitution Act (1982). Today, these colonial-state governance documents are a significant part of Indigenous-Crown and Indigenous-settler relations. (2 lecture hours and 1 tutorial hour per week.) (Also offered as SOSC-1210.)