Skip to main content

English: Bachelor of Arts Major

Description

The Bachelor of Arts, Major in English program focuses on the diverse literatures of the English-speaking world, including the full range of British, Canadian, and American literary traditions, diasporic literature and literature in translation, oral and written Indigenous narratives, and classic and contemporary film. This degree will allow students to develop the knowledge, core competencies, and skills characteristic of a traditional Bachelor of Arts program, while preparing them to respond critically and creatively to a wide range of issues and challenges in our community and in society in general. In addition to critical reading, writing and thinking skills, students who complete a Bachelor of Arts in English will be prepared for entry into the labour market through the incorporation of essential employability skills into all of our courses. They will also benefit from the expertise and the commitment to teaching excellence of our faculty, as well as from the small class sizes that characterize undergraduate study at KPU. Arts degrees have high levels of student satisfaction, and the literacy and analytical skills developed in such programs will prepare students to become constructive members of society and to fit well into the workplace.

Admission Requirements

Students pursuing a major in English must be admitted to the Faculty of Arts.

Declaration Requirements

Students intending to graduate with this Faculty of Arts Bachelor’s degree must declare the credential by the time they complete 60 credits of undergraduate coursework. At the time of declaration, the student must satisfy all of the following requirements:

  • In good academic standing with the University
  • Completion of a minimum of 18 credits of undergraduate coursework, including the following with a minimum grade of “C”:
    • 3 credits of ENGL at the 1100 level or higher
    • 6 credits at the 1100 level or higher in the Major area

Curricular Requirements

Students pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in English must complete all requirements in the Bachelor of Arts framework in addition to their major or minor program requirements.

English Major

Students must complete 6 credits of first-year ENGL, including ENGL 1100, an introductory writing course that is required of all degree students at KPU, as well as 3 credits chosen from one of two introductory literature courses, ENGL 1202 and ENGL 1204. In their second year, students will choose at least three courses from a variety of 2000-level options designed to provide them with the literary historical knowledge necessary for upper-level study of literature in English. In their third year, students undertake in-depth study in a range of specific literary-historical periods and may concentrate on the development of a specific literary genre, i.e. poetry, fiction, drama or film. Finally, in the fourth year, students examine more sharply focused topics or themes, which are considered from multiple perspectives. (The specific requirements at each level of study are outlined below.)

1000 Level

The 1000 level of study in English provides a foundation for all Bachelor of Arts degree students by providing six to nine credits of critical reading and writing-intensive course work. Courses at the 1100 level focus primarily on the essay form; those at the 1200 level focus primarily on introductions to fiction, poetry and drama. Some instructors also teach film in these courses.

All students must complete:
  ENGL 1100 Introduction to University Writing 3 credits
And one of:
  ENGL 1202 Reading and Writing about Selected Topics: An Introduction to Literature 3 credits
  ENGL 1204 Reading and Writing about Genre: An Introduction to Literature 3 credits

2000 Level

English courses at the 2000 level are accessible to all students who have completed six ENGL course credits from above (or their equivalent).

One of:
  ENGL 2301 Canadian Literature in English 3 credits
  ENGL 2309 Literature of the United States of America 3 credits
  ENGL 2316 English Literature: 14th to 18th Centuries 3 credits
  ENGL 2317 English Literature: 18th to 20th Centuries 3 credits
And:
  A further 6 credits from courses in ENGL at the 2000 level 6 credits

3000 and 4000 Level

English courses at the 3000 level are accessible to students who have completed at least 18 credits, including six credits in ENGL at the 1100 level or higher.

English courses at the 4000 level are accessible to students who have completed at least three credits in ENGL at the 3000 level.

In order to satisfy the requirements of the Bachelor of Arts, Major in English program, students must also complete at least thirty credits of study in 3000- and 4000-level ENGL courses. These thirty credits must include a minimum of three credits at the 4000 level and meet the following distribution requirements:

One of:
  ENGL 3300 Critical Theory 3 credits
  ENGL 3305 Film Theory 3 credits
One of:
  ENGL 3315 Studies in Chaucer 3 credits
  ENGL 3320 Studies in Shakespeare 3 credits
  ENGL 3321 English Renaissance Drama, Excluding Shakespeare 3 credits
  ENGL 3323 Seventeenth-Century British Literature 3 credits
  ENGL 3325 Eighteenth-Century British Literature 3 credits
One of:
  ENGL 3301 19th-Century Canadian Literature in English 3 credits
  ENGL 3306 Literature of the United States: Beginnings to 1865 3 credits
  ENGL 3328 Romantic Poetry and Poetics 3 credits
  ENGL 3332 Victorian Poetry and Non-Fiction 3 credits
  ENGL 3336 The Victorian Novel, 1837-1900 3 credits
And:
  A further 21 credits from courses in ENGL at the 3000 or 4000 level, including at least 3 credits from courses at the 4000 level 21 credits

Note:

  • The grade for each ENGL course taken towards a Major in English must be a 'C' or better.
  • Courses will be offered on a rotating basis (i.e. not all courses will be available in a given year).

Credential Awarded

Upon successful completion of the major program students are eligible to receive a Bachelor of Arts. Transcripts will indicate a Major in English.

At a Glance

Faculty of Arts

kpu.ca/arts

English

kpu.ca/arts/english

Program Type:

  • Undergraduate

Credential Granted:

  • Baccalaureate Degree

Offered At:

  • KPU Langley  Langley
  • KPU Richmond  Richmond
  • KPU Surrey  Surrey

Start Date(s):

  • Fall Intake (September)  September
  • Spring Intake (January)  January
  • Summer Intake (May)  May

Intake Type:

  • Open Intake  Open intake

Format:

  • Full-time  Full-time
  • Part-time  Part-time

Minimum Credits Required:

  • 120

Instructional Cycle:

  • Semester-based

Curriculum Effective Date:

  • 01-Sep-2018

How to Declare:

Applying to KPU:

Last Updated: 13-Dec-2018

This online version of the Kwantlen Polytechnic University Calendar is the official version of the University Calendar. Although every effort is made to ensure accuracy at the time of publication, KPU reserves the right to make any corrections in the contents and provisions of this calendar without notice. In addition, the University reserves the right to cancel, add, or revise contents or change fees at any time without notice. To report errors or omissions, or send comments or suggestions, please email Calendar.Editor@kpu.ca