English

• M.A. English
• M.A. English with Specialization in African Studies
• M.A. English with Specialization in Digital Humanities
• Ph.D. English

M.A. English

Academic Regulations

See the General Regulations section of this Calendar.

A standing of B- or better must be obtained in each credit counted towards the master's degree.

Admission Requirements

The minimum admission requirement for the master's program is a B.A. (Honours) (or the equivalent) in English language and literature, with at least a high Honours standing (normally B+ or better).

Possession of the minimum entrance standing is not in itself, however, an assurance of admission into the program.

Qualifying-Year Program

Applicants who hold a general (3-year) B.A. degree with at least a high Honours standing (normally B+), with a major in English language and literature, may be admitted to the qualifying-year program. Normally, these students will be required to complete 4.0 or 5.0 credits in English, as determined by the department, and to maintain a high Honours standing (normally B+) before being considered for admission into the master's program. For more information regarding the qualifying year, see the General Regulations section of this Calendar.

Accelerated Pathway

The accelerated pathway in the Department of English Language and Literature is a flexible and individualized plan of graduate study. Students in their final year of a Carleton B.A. Honours in English with demonstrated academic excellence and an aptitude for research may be invited to apply for this option.

Accelerated Pathway Requirements

Students accepted into the Accelerated Pathway will be allowed to enroll in up to two 5000-level graduate seminars during their final year of study. These courses will count towards the requirements for up to 1.0 credits of 4000-level courses in their BA Honours degree.  Students who obtain satisfactory standing as determined by the graduate committee in these  5000-level courses may receive advance standing with transfer credit of up to 1.0 credit, which can reduce their time to completion if they are subsequently accepted into a Carleton University Master's degree in English. 

A special committee is responsible for inviting students to apply for entrance to this pathway. A minimal overall CGPA of 11.0 is normally required for consideration; invited students should submit two reference letters from English Department faculty members and a writing sample to both Undergraduate Supervisor and Graduate Supervisor of the English Department. If accepted into the accelerated pathway, students must consult with both the Undergraduate and Graduate Supervisors to determine which graduate seminars they will take.  

Program Requirements

Each candidate will select one of the following program patterns:

M.A. English with Specialization in African Studies

Selection of Courses - African Studies

The courses listed below (all are worth 0.5 credit) are relevant to students of African Studies and could, with the approval of the specific requirements of the units involved, be used as courses to help fulfill degree requirements. There are also often graduate courses and 4000-level courses in a number of units at Carleton that are offered on an ad hoc basis that have significant content appropriate to African Studies. To have any such course count towards their degree requires approval of the Director of the Institute of African Studies when it is being offered.

Note: the number of spaces in graduate courses offered by other departments may be limited, and registration may be conditional upon obtaining the prior approval of the department concerned. It is the student's responsibility to ensure that permission is obtained from the appropriate department prior to registering in any of the following courses.

M.A. English with Specialization in Digital Humanities

Each program is designed to be completed within the three-term academic year. Each program is of equal status.

Guidelines for Completion of Master's Degree

Full-time master's candidates are expected to complete all requirements in twelve months or three terms of registered full-time study. Part-time master's candidates are expected to complete their degree requirements within an elapsed period of six calendar years after the date of initial registration.

Ph.D. English

Academic Regulations

See the General Regulations section of this Calendar.

Academic standing

Doctoral students must normally obtain a grade of B- or better in each course counted toward the fulfilment of the degree requirements.

Admission Requirements

Applicants will normally hold a master's degree in English (or equivalent) with at least an A- average (10 G.P.A.)

Applicants judged to be deficient in preparation may be asked to complete course work in addition to the Ph.D. program requirements.

Program Requirements

Students admitted to the Ph.D. program are required to complete a total of 10.0 credits.

ENGL 6000 and ENGL 6002 are required courses. Optional English courses will be selected from a list approved annually by the department. Students may take up to 1.0 credit of approved courses offered in other departments. Students may also choose directed reading courses with the core faculty of the program.

Comprehensive Examination and Research Project

Students are required to complete one comprehensive examination and one doctoral research essay. Each has a 1.0 credit value. The comprehensive examination (ENGL 6900) will focus on relevant theoretical and methodological issues and will take the form of a written and oral examination set and marked by members of core faculty. This will normally take place at the beginning of the second year of full-time doctoral study. The doctoral research project (ENGL 6901) will focus on the general historical period or conceptual issues of the candidate's research and will comprise a written research project of publishable length followed by an oral examination. This will normally be completed before the end of the second year of full-time studies.

Language Requirements

Candidates must demonstrate reading ability in a language other than English, normally by successfully completing a translation examination during the second year of full-time enrollment in the program.

Thesis

All students are required to submit a thesis proposal before proceeding to the writing of the thesis. The proposal must be approved by the graduate supervisor and the thesis committee. This will normally take place early in the third year of doctoral study. All students are required to complete a thesis (4.5 credits) in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the degree offered by the program. The thesis must be defended at an oral examination.