FACULTY OF HUMANITIES

McMaster University recognizes and acknowledges that it is located on the traditional territories of the Mississauga and Haudenosaunee nations, and within the lands protected by the “Dish With One Spoon” wampum agreement.

Welcome to the Department of English and Cultural Studies! We combine long-standing commitments to traditional areas of English literary study, ranging from Medieval and Early Modern to contemporary British, American and Canadian literature, with expertise in interdisciplinary areas and themes, such as science fiction, narratives of health, and literature/culture and the environment.

Contemporary critical theory, critical race studies, theories of gender and sexuality, and decolonization and resistance also form core elements of our program. We were among the first English Departments in Canada to develop courses and programs in Cultural Studies and Critical Theory, and these offerings foster a unique and valuable set of critical, analytical and communications skills in our students.

Finally, at the same time as we attend to the aesthetic qualities of literature and the power of the imagination, our program emphasizes the place and effects of literature and other forms of cultural production in the world. By teaching students how to think in creative and thoughtful ways, to write, speak and listen carefully and critically, and to problem solve effectively, an English degree opens all kinds of doors to students – ones that might not be immediately obvious – in a volatile job market; it also teaches graduates to be better local and global citizens.

Beyond courses there are other opportunities for engagement, including the Writer in Residence Program and the John Douglas Taylor Conference. The department also hosts prominent scholarly journals, Eighteenth-Century Fiction and Early Theatre.