The department of English and Cultural Studies will give you the opportunity to study a wide range of creative texts, ranging from Medieval and Early Modern to contemporary British, American, Canadian, Indigenous and global Anglophone literatures, science fiction, graphic novels, memoirs and other creative non-fiction. You will also gain familiarity in interdisciplinary areas and themes, including contemporary critical theory, critical race studies, theories of gender and sexuality, decolonization and resistance, popular culture, health and environmental humanities.  

Attending to the aesthetic qualities of literature and the power of the imagination, you will also gain tools to understand the place and effects of literature and other forms of cultural production in the world. Here are some of the specific skills you will learn as an English and Cultural Studies student:

•   To express ideas clearly and compellingly in written and oral form, formulate and present arguments with grace, precision and force
•   Hone your capacity for independent and creative thought; understand and assess ideas from multiple perspectives
•   Think clearly and critically, analyze and use language in imaginative ways
•   Understand rational, emotional, aesthetic and political functions of language
•   Gather, synthesize and analyze evidence; use imagination to understand and address complex problems
•   Question how and what you know, understand how literature and popular culture reflect and shape society
•   Read and analyze diverse texts with attention to fine detail and big picture