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English - ENGL

Contact Information

Location: Social Sciences Building, Room 1148
Faculty number: 403.220.5484
Fax: 403.289.1123
E-mail address: enggrad@ucalgary.ca
Web page URL:

1. Degrees and Specializations Offered

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Master of Arts (MA), course-based and thesis-based

Areas: Literature in English

A Creative Writing option is available in the Master of Arts (thesis-based) and Doctor of Philosophy programs.

2. Admission Requirements

In addition to Faculties of Graduate Studies and Arts requirements, the Department requires:

Master of Arts (course-based and thesis-based)

a) A ²ÝÝ®ÎÛÊÓÆµµ¼º½ Honours degree or its equivalent in English (10 full-course equivalents in English).

b) A Statement of Intent.

c) A 5-10 page sample of critical writing; for creative writing applicants, an additional 10-page sample of creative writing.

d) For applicants required to provide proof of proficiency in English, a minimum TOEFL score of 600 (written test), 100 (Internet-based test), a MELAB score of 84, an IELTS score of 7.5, or a PTE score of 7.0.

e) Two reference letters.

Doctor of Philosophy

a) A Master of Arts Degree in English or its equivalent.

b) A Statement of Intent.

c) A 5-10 page sample of critical writing; for creative writing applicants, an additional 10-page sample of creative writing.

e) Two reference letters.

3. Application Deadline

On-line applications must be complete and supporting documents (with the exception of letters of reference and official transcripts) received in the department by December 15th. Letters of reference and official transcripts will be received until January 10th. We recommend you allow at least 15 business days for mailing any supporting documents. Please note: The Department of English only has one application deadline and admits only for September.

4. Advanced Credit

Application for advanced credit must be made to the Department Head at the time of admission.

5. Program/Course Requirements

In addition to Faculties of Graduate Studies and Arts requirements, the Department normally requires:

Master of Arts (thesis-based)

a) Three full-course equivalents in English at the 600 or 700 level beyond the Honours BA.

b) English 696 or its equivalent.

c) A demonstrated reading knowledge of a language other than English.

d) A scholarly and/or critical thesis approved by the Faculty of Graduate Studies.

Master of Arts (course-based)

a) Four full-course equivalents in English at the 600 or 700 level beyond the Honours BA or equivalent.

b) English 696 or its equivalent.

c) A demonstrated reading knowledge of a language other than English.

Note: Only the course-based Master of Arts program is open to part-time students.

Doctor of Philosophy

a) Six full-course equivalents in English at the 600, 700, or 800 level beyond the Honours BA or three full-course equivalents in English beyond the MA.

b) English 696 or its equivalent.

c) A demonstrated reading knowledge of a language other than English.

d) A Minor Field Examination.

e) A Major Field Candidacy Examination.

f) A doctoral disseration on approved topic.

6. Additional Requirements

All students must attend an orientation session.

Second Language Requirement

The Department of English requires, for both the MA and PhD, knowledge of one language other than English. Students are encouraged to establish competency in a language that contains a body of texts relevant to their program of study. This requirement can be met in the following ways:

a) A minimum grade of "B" in a full course or each of two half courses at a senior (300) level

b) Passing the department reading exam. Computer-based courses in French (French 235 - French 237 and French 335 - French 337) and German (German 201 - German 213) are available and would be helpful in preparing for the department set exam.

c) Documentation establishing native proficiency in a language other than English

It is the responsibility of the student to supply evidence of native proficiency or evidence that course work in a language at another university meets the requirement spelled out in this guide. Students who do not meet the requirement upon entry should consult with the Associate Head (Graduate Program) no later than the week before classes begin about the best approach to take.

7. Credit for Undergraduate Courses

With the approval of the Department, all graduate students may take for credit up to one full-course equivalent at the 500 level (excluding English 504).

8. Time Limit

Expected completion time is up to two years for the Master of Arts (thesis-based), and four years for the Master of Arts (course-based) and Doctor of Philosophy degrees. Maximum completion time is four years for the Master of Arts (thesis-based) and six years for the Master of Arts (course-based) and Doctor of Philosophy degrees.

9. Supervisory Assignments

For the first seven months of the program, students are assigned an interim advisor to give them time to familiarize themselves with faculty membersâ€™ research before securing a permanent supervisor.

Master of Arts (thesis-based)
By March 1 of the first year, each student must submit a proposed field of research and the name of a proposed supervisor to the Graduate Executive Committee for approval.

Master of Arts (course-based)
By March 1 of the first year of study, each student must submit the name of the proposed supervisor to the Graduate Executive Committee for approval (August 15 for part-time students).

Doctor of Philosophy
By April 1 of the first year, each student may submit the name of a proposed supervisor and the proposed areas of the major and minor field examinations to the Graduate Executive Committee for approval. By September 30 of the second year, the supervisor, following consultation with the student, will submit the names of the proposed supervisory committee to the Graduate Executive Committee for approval.

10. Required Examinations

Doctoral Candidacy Examinations

Before formally embarking on the writing of the PhD thesis, all students must pass the following:

1. A written minor field examination based on one of the departmentâ€™s field reading lists and distinct from the major field.

2. The Faculty of Graduate Studies requires the successful competition of a candidacy oral examination. This candidacy exam is based on the major field reading lists and written exams set by the department. Prepared by the supervisory committee, the examination consists of three parts, each requiring the student to answer one of two questions (for a total of three of six questions). This examination must be completed no less than ten working days before the candidacy oral examination.

The candidacy oral examination is a formal oral examination scheduled by the Faculty of Graduate Studies no later than 28 months after the student's initial registration in the program (for those who entered the program with an M.A. degree).

This oral examination should address issues arising from the written examination. Examiners are asked to record their assessment of the written component by commenting on the use of relevant literature and techniques, organization, literary competence, originality, argumentation leading to the conclusions, and anything else they consider important.

The candidacy oral examination will be conducted according to the Faculty of Graduate Studies procedures. Questions on the Research Proposal will not be included in the Oral Examination.

Consult the Department website for details.
The dissertation defence is open to the public.

11. Research Proposal Requirements

Master of Arts (thesis-based)
By May 1, no later than eight months after initial registration, each student must submit a thesis proposal on the form Registration of MA Thesis Topic to the Graduate Executive Committee. Further details are available from the department.

Doctor of Philosophy
By September 30 of the second year, each student must submit a thesis proposal on the form Initial PhD Thesis Research Proposal and Supervisory Committee to the Graduate Executive Committee.

The student must submit a Final PhD Thesis Proposal and Bibliography form along with a final thesis proposal and bibliography to the doctoral supervisory committee within three months of successful completion of the candidacy examinations. Further details are available from the department.

12. Special Registration Information

Students must register for courses by the end of June. Continuing students and new students who are able to do so should consult the course instructors before they register or as soon as they arrive on campus. Final approval to enter a course is given by the Head or Associate Head of the Department.

13. Financial Assistance

Financial assistance may be available to qualified students. For information on awards, see the Awards and Financial Assistance section of this Calendar.

Students applying for scholarships are advised to have their applications to the Department by December 15.

14. Other Information

None.

15. Faculty Members/Research Interests

Detailed information about faculty members and their research interests may be found at .

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