English (MA)
Students in the MA program take advanced courses in a range of literary periods and critical approaches. You’ll work towards a research-based master’s essay or project.
This program will prepare you for PhD programs or secondary advanced credentials (e.g., education, library and information sciences or archival studies).
You can complete this degree in 12 months. Students taking the Cultural, Social and Political Thought concentration normally need 18-24 months.
Funded MA students receive a one-year funding package of $15,000-$17,500 (including a mix of fellowships, awards and teaching assistantships).
| Expected length | Project or thesis | Course-based |
|---|---|---|
| 1 year | Yes | No |
Quick facts
- Program options:
- Master's
- Study options:
- Full-time study, Part-time study
- Program delivery:
- On-campus, Online
- Dynamic learning:
- Co-op optional
Outcomes
Students in this program will:
- evaluate and employ theoretical, methodological, material, generic, historical and thematic approaches to literature, culture and media in English
- conduct sophisticated critical analyses that demonstrate advanced research skills
- construct complex arguments and express them persuasively
- employ practical experience from the classroom and/or co-op learning
- evaluate colonial and post-colonial dimensions of English as a discipline
- demonstrate practical and analytical skills needed for higher levels of employment and doctoral programs
Find a supervisor
You do not need to identify, or have the agreement of, a supervisor before applying to this program.
It’s a good idea to explore our faculty listings and consider who you might like to work with. You don’t need to have anything confirmed for your application.
When we review your application, we’ll consider who would be best to supervise your work, depending on your proposed research.
Alison Chapman, FRSC
Professor Nineteenth-century literature and culture, Victorian poetry, women's writing, Anglo-Italian studies, Digital Humanities.
Christopher Douglas
Professor Literature and Religion; Bible as Literature; Contemporary American Fiction
Eric Miller
Associate Professor Poetry; the lyric essay; Friedrich Hoelderlin; Ann Radcliffe; Elizabeth Simcoe
Erin Kelly
Associate Professor & ATWP Director Rhetoric; Renaissance; Shakespeare; sixteenth- and seventeenth-century English drama
G. Kim Blank
Professor English Romantic poetry; cultural studies; theories of influence; university writing
Gary Kuchar
Professor Renaissance Literature; Seventeenth-Century Poetry and Prose; Intellectual History; Reformation Culture and Thought; Shakespeare; Literary/Critical Theory; Philosophy of Religion
Iain Higgins
Professor & Student Liaison Medieval English and Scottish literature; poetry; travel writing; utopian and dystopian fiction
Janelle Jenstad
Professor Shakespeare; Renaissance drama; London studies; bibliographical and print culture; digital humanities
Jentery Sayers
Associate Professor Media studies; American literature; critical theory; interactive fiction; prototyping; praxis and pedagogy
Joseph Grossi
Professor & Acting Undergraduate Adviser Old and Middle English literature
Kim McLean-Fiander
Assistant Teaching Professor & AWR Adviser Academic writing, early modern literature, book history, women writers, digital humanities
Lincoln Shlensky
Associate Professor Cultural studies; Film and media studies; Postcolonialism; Caribbean literature; Jewish and Hebrew studies
Lisa Surridge
Professor Victorian fiction and culture; illustrated Victorian serial fiction; legal writing
Luke Carson
Associate Professor & Chair Modern and contemporary American poetry; aesthetic theory
Magdalena Kay
Professor Twentieth- and twenty-first-century British poetry; Irish poetry; Polish poetry; comparative literature; poetics
Misao Dean
Professor Early Canadian writing on animals and the natural world; the Canadian novel; representation; contemporary critical theory; feminisms
Nancy Wright
Professor Shakespearean drama; seventeenth-century English poetry; literature and legal history; literature, religion and film.
Nicholas Bradley
Associate Professor & Honours Program Adviser Canadian literature, American literature, literatures of the West Coast
Nicole Shukin
Associate Professor Theories of biopower; politics of nature and animals; cultures of globalization
Raymond Siemens
Distinguished Professor Renaissance literature; textual culture; editorial theory; Humanities Computing
Rebecca Gagan
Associate Teaching Professor Romanticism; Pedagogy; Academic Writing; Scholarship of Teaching and Learning; Community-Engaged Learning
Rebecca Halliday
Assistant Teaching Professor& Professional Communication Adviser communication studies; fashion studies; media studies; performance studies; digital media and mediatization; social media; influencers; AI; fashion and streetwear; affect theory; material culture; immaterial labour; popular culture; corporate communication; crisis communication
Richard Pickard
Assistant Teaching Professor Environmental humanities; composition; 18th C. poetry; BC writing; professional and technical writing
Richard van Oort
Professor Shakespeare; literary theory; generative anthropology; literature and anthropology
Samuel Wong
Assistant Teaching Professor Early modern literature, history of ideas, genre theory.
Shamma Boyarin
Assistant Professor Medieval Hebrew and Arabic literature; the Bible and literature
Stephen Ross
Professor & Graduate Adviser Modernism; theory; the novel; literature and theory of climate change
Suzan Last
Associate Teaching Professor Academic and technical writing; curriculum development
Show me program details
Providing you accurate admission requirements, application deadlines, tuition fee estimates and scholarships depends on your situation. Tell us about yourself:
Your program details
Application deadlines
Admission requirements
Program specific requirements
- Completion of a bachelor's degree in English or a related discipline. Preference is given to those with an Honours BA in English or a major that included a range of courses in English literature and literary theory.
- An A- average or higher in the last two years of study and at least a B average overall is standard, i.e., a grade point average of 7.0 on a nine-point scale, 3.7 on a four-point scale, or a high second-class standing.
- Unofficial transcripts from every post-secondary institution attended. (If you are offered admission, you will need to submit official transcripts).
- Names and emails of two academic references. They will be sent assessment forms directly.
- A statement of intent: one single-spaced typed page. Indicate your area(s) of academic interest and describe your preparation for the program. Explain what research or path you plan to undertake and explain why UVic is suited to these plans. (CSPT applicants should be sure to highlight preparation and research suitable to the CSPT program.)
- A 10–15-page double-spaced typed essay demonstrating strong academic writing and advanced literary and/or critical abilities. If you don’t hold an Honours degree you may submit two shorter essays.
- A curriculum vitae. This should include details of your educational background, any relevant training, employment experience (academic or otherwise), awards and honours (academic or otherwise), publications (academic or otherwise), and any experience with leadership, teaching, and/or conference presentation.
- GRE scores are not required.
Program specific requirements
- Completion of a bachelor's degree in English or a related discipline. Preference is given to those with an Honours BA in English or a major that included a range of courses in English literature and literary theory.
- An A- average or higher in the last two years of study and at least a B average overall is standard, i.e., a grade point average of 7.0 on a nine-point scale, 3.7 on a four-point scale, or a high second-class standing.
- Unofficial transcripts from every post-secondary institution attended. (If you are offered admission, you will need to submit official transcripts).
- Names and emails of two academic references. They will be sent assessment forms directly.
- A statement of intent: one single-spaced typed page. Indicate your area(s) of academic interest and describe your preparation for the program. Explain what research or path you plan to undertake and explain why UVic is suited to these plans. (CSPT applicants should be sure to highlight preparation and research suitable to the CSPT program.)
- A 10–15-page double-spaced typed essay demonstrating strong academic writing and advanced literary and/or critical abilities. If you don’t hold an Honours degree you may submit two shorter essays.
- A curriculum vitae. This should include details of your educational background, any relevant training, employment experience (academic or otherwise), awards and honours (academic or otherwise), publications (academic or otherwise), and any experience with leadership, teaching, and/or conference presentation.
- GRE scores are not required.
Completion requirements
Funding & aid
Tuition & fees
Estimated minimum program cost*
* Based on an average program length. For a per term fee breakdown view the tuition fee estimator.
Estimated values determined by the tuition fee estimator shall not be binding to the University of Victoria.
Ready to apply?
You can start your online application to UVic by creating a new profile or using an existing one.
Faculties & departments
Related programs
Need help?
Contact Deborah Ogilvie at englgradsec@uvic.ca or 250-721-6331.