Graduate programs
- Overview of graduate programs
- Master’s programs
- Doctoral programs
- Graduate studies application procedures
- Graduate Handbook 2009-2010 (pdf)
- Graduate Courses – Spring/Summer 2011 to Winter 2012 (pdf)
- Previous graduate seminars
- Meet our graduate students
Graduate programs in English at the University of Ottawa
Our graduate programs equip students to pursue advanced studies in British, Canadian, or American literature informed by a broad knowledge of English literary history and by recent developments in literary criticism and cultural theory. The program includes workshops in professional skills such as research methods, grant applications, conference presentations, teaching, publishing, and the job search. In periodic reviews by the Ontario Council on Graduate Studies (OCGS), our graduate program is consistently awarded the highest possible ranking.
Graduate students in our department benefit from small classes, a collegial environment, and close mentoring relationships with our distinguished faculty. Our department is well-known for its annual Canadian Literature Symposium, which results in an important collection of essays each year. Faculty members regularly win prestigious SSHRC grants, publish important articles in peer-reviewed journals, and write books that make major contributions to their fields (for details, see our list of faculty publications and individual faculty profiles). Graduate students also benefit from the proximity of the National Library and Archives, which contains the largest collection of books and manuscripts in Canada, and the outstanding holdings in medieval studies at Saint Paul University.
Our students are successful in OGS and SSHRC competitions; in the year 2006-2007, for example, 32% of our graduate student body had external funding from OGS and SSHRC. Furthermore, all incoming full-time Canadian students or permanent residents with an A- average are guaranteed internal funding for the length of their program (1 or 2 years for the MA; 4 years for the PhD). Funding covers tuition fees (currently worth $5,490), a yearly stipend (amount varies depending on program), and a TAship worth approximately $9,000 per year. Click here for more information on funding.
Our active graduate students' association organizes events and activities such as a work-in-progress colloquium and an annual graduate student conference. We invite you to meet some of our graduate students by viewing their profiles, or browse our lists of recently completed MA and PhD theses to see the work our talented graduate students are doing.
MA programs
The MA programs help students develop the critical and scholarly skills and the intellectual independence required for doctoral studies and for leadership roles in other fields such as government, business, or law. Most students choose a coursework-based MA consisting of eight half-year seminars, though some opt for a thesis-based MA consisting of four seminars and intensive research leading to an MA thesis. Both programs provide strong preparation for those planning to pursue a PhD after completing the MA.
We also offer two collaborative MA programs:
- a collaborative MA in Medieval and Renaissance Studies consisting of three English seminars, two interdisciplinary courses in Medieval and Renaissance Studies, and a thesis.
- a collaborative MA in English and Women's Studies consisting of three English seminars, two interdisciplinary women's studies courses, and a thesis.
Admission requirements for the Master's degree in English (MA)
- Information about the Master’s degree in English – collaborative program in Medieval and Renaissance Studies:
- Information about the Master's degree in English - collaborative program in Women's Studies
PhD programs
Our PhD programs offer rigorous professional training that prepares students for a career in university teaching and research. Doctoral students complete six half-year seminars, a language requirement, comprehensive examinations in one major and two minor fields, a thesis proposal, and a dissertation. We also offer a collaborative PhD in English and Canadian studies, in which students complete a bilingual interdisciplinary seminar in Canadian Studies as part of their doctoral course work.
All new doctoral students will automatically receive an admission scholarship that covers their tuition fees, provided they are Canadian citizens or permanent residents with an average of at least A- (8.0 on a scale of 10).
- Admission requirements for the Doctoral degree in English
- Admission requirements for the Doctoral degree in English – collaborative program in Canadian studies
- Further information about the Doctoral degree in English-collaborative program in Canadian studies
Applications
Letter of recommendation for admission to graduate studies
Graduate packages (Canadian) should reach the Department by February 1st of each year.Please note that all applications to the graduate program should include the following:
- a completed online application form,
- two sealed letters of recommendation,
- all academic transcripts,
- a 500-word statement describing specific interests in the program to be pursued,
- an academic C.V.,
- a writing sample (not required for M.A. coursework option).
Graduate packages (International) should reach the Department by December 15th for admission in September of the following year.
Since admission to our MA program demands a broad knowledge of the history of English literature, students who have graduated from a university where English is a second language cannot normally be considered for admission to our MA program unless they have already attained from such a university an MA (first class) in English Literature with thesis or extensive research paper.