Program Overview

English Language and Literature Program

The English Language and Literature program at the University of Waterloo provides students with a structured program of studies to ground them in the discipline of English. The three-year degree gives students an opportunity to pursue one of the department's four majors:

• Literature
• Rhetoric, Media, and Professional Communication
• Literature and Rhetoric
• Creative and Professional Writing

During their studies, students will have the opportunity to read a wide range of national and historical literatures, including British, postcolonial, Canadian, and American, and take courses in rhetoric, digital media studies, professional writing, information design, and many other areas.

The courses in English Language and Literature will give students insight into our world and our culture, into our human identity, into the ideas and issues that excite and inspire us, and into the connections between our present and past. Students will graduate with both the breadth and the depth of a well-rounded education.

Program Requirements

The specific course and program requirements can be found in the Undergraduate Calendar.

More Information

For more information on English faculty, students can refer to the Faculty Profiles page. The English course list provides information on course offerings, and the Declaring your English major page offers guidance on how to declare a major.

The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of its work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg, and Haudenosaunee peoples. The main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. The university's active work toward reconciliation takes place across its campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is coordinated within the Office of Indigenous Relations.