English Language and Literature

Welcome! The Department of English Language and Literature at the University of Waterloo offers unique undergraduate and graduate programs covering the study of literature, rhetoric, professional writing, and digital media. Our professors have national and international reputations in these areas, and we boast many awards for teaching. ​Graduates of our B.A. and M.A. programs find successful careers in industry, law, government, teaching, medicine, communication design, and entrepreneurship, often getting their start with our co-op program; they also go on to advanced studies in English. Graduates of our PhD program hold academic and non-academic positions in Canada and across the world.

Undergraduate Studies

Photo of student giving presentation on a blog.

Whether you want to explore literature, digital media, political discourse, or technical communication, our diverse undergraduate degrees and programs allow you to pursue your interests. You have a wide variety of degree options, and with our integrated co-op option, you can combine study and work experience.

Graduate Studies

Photo of graduate students around a table.

We offer MAs in Literary Studies, Rhetoric and Communication Design, and Experimental Digital Media. Our PhD offers a unique integration of literary studies with such fields as rhetoric, new media, and discourse analysis. Our degrees will prepare you for work in and beyond the academy. 

Research

Photo of students around a computer.

Our department features internationally known scholars who conduct research in a variety of fields, including literary studies, digital media, and rhetoric and professional communication. The department is also affiliated with a number of research bodies, including the Critical Media Lab, the Games Institute, First Person Scholar, the Waterloo Directory of Victorian Periodicals, and the Canadian Journal of Disability Studies.

Teaching and Learning

Photo of students around a seminar table.

Teaching is central to our department, and our faculty and graduate students include many award-winning instructors. Class sizes in the department are small, and your professors are dedicated, dynamic instructors who will give you the academic tools you need to follow your intellectual passions and the individual attention you need to grow as a scholar.

Find out more

To find out more about our department, follow any of the links above or in the main menu. Our faculty and staff are also happy to talk with you via email, over the phone, or in person to answer any questions you might have.

For undergraduate inquiries

Contact our undergraduate administrator, Jenny Conroy, or our acting undergraduate chair, Randy Harris.

The English undergraduate office is located in Hagey Hall room 251.

For graduate inquiries

Contact englishgrad@uwaterloo.ca, or our graduate chair, John Savarese.

The English graduate office is located in Hagey Hall room 250.

 

 Social Media

You can also follow us on a variety of social media:

Platform What's on it
facebook link Event notices, general department news, and English-related links from both within and outside the department.
Twitter link News and events for graduate students and faculty, English-related job advertisements, and calls for papers and articles.
Wordpress logo Words in Place (our department blog): a wide variety of articles on people and events in the department, including interviews with undergraduate and graduate students.
YouTube link Videos of department events and student projects.
University of Waterloo crest Our Department Newsletter: a periodic summary of what's been happening with faculty and students in English Language and Literature.
 

The Department of English acknowledges that we are living and working on the traditional territory of ‎ the Attawandaron (also known as Neutral), Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee peoples. The University of Waterloo is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land promised to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Read More >>

Webmaster: Bruce Dadey

News

  1. Feb. 4, 2021New Book by UWaterloo English Alumna Sara Humphreys
    Photo of cover for Manifest Destiny 2.0

    Congratulations to UWaterloo English almuna Dr. Sara Humphreys on the publication of her new book, Manifest Destiny 2.0: Genres in Games Worlds (U of Nebraska P, 2021). Dr. Humphreys is a 2008 graduate of UWaterloo English’s PhD program.

  2. Oct. 26, 2020UWaterloo English's Class of 2020

    We're proud to announce the names of UWaterloo English's class of 2020, including graduates from both the spring and fall convocations. These students persevered through the COVID pandemic and navigated many unexpected challenges, both educational and personal, to achieve their degrees. Congratulations and all the best for the future! 

  3. Apr. 3, 2020Congratulations to the 2019-2020 English Department Award Winners!
    Photos of Award Winners

    The recipients of the 2019-2020 English Awards have been announced. Congratulations to all the winners!

    To read a statement from the department congratulating the winners, see our blog, Words in Place.

    Here are the recipients:

Read all news