The study of English will give you insight into our world and our culture, into the connections between the present and the past, into the ideas and issues which excite, inspire, and trouble us, and into our common human identity. The study of English will also develop your analytical, judgmental, and critical capacities, your sensitivity to language and its uses, and your writing abilities. An English degree can prepare you for a future in teaching, professional writing and communication, business or industry, for studies in law, and for advanced studies leading to graduate degrees in English and related fields.
In the University of Waterloo English department, you will find a wide range and variety of courses and programs in literature, language, rhetoric, digital media, and writing. All of the department's major programs give students a broad perspective on the discipline, requiring courses in the categories of criticism, the study of language, and British, American, Canadian, and postcolonial literatures.
uWaterloo's English department is strongly committed to excellence in teaching and to the intellectual and academic growth and development of its students. English faculty members, who are found not only on the main campus but also at St. Jerome's University College and Renison College, perform research in a great many areas of literary, rhetorical, linguistic, and theoretical interest. Several members are also published creative writers.
The uWaterloo English Society welcomes new members and encourages all students interested in English to participate in its activities. The society is especially committed to the encouragement of the creative capacities and interests of its members, organizing poetry readings and publishing a literary magazine.
Graduate students in the department participate in seminars, colloquia, and the University of Waterloo's "Sharing Discovery" graduate research conference. Students are represented by S.A.G.E (Student Association of Graduates in English) and are involved in organizing academic and professional events both inside and outside of the department.