Collage of images related to English.

In the Master of Arts in Literary Studies (MA-LIT), students have the option of completing their degree by coursework or by a combination of coursework and a major project or a thesis. We investigate historical and contemporary areas of British, American, Canadian and English-language postcolonial literatures, alongside the theories relevant to their study. MA-LIT graduates are employed in publishing, private industry, government, educational organizations, non-governmental organizations, and in their own businesses; others go on to doctoral programs. 

The MA-LIT can also be taken in the co-op stream.

Full program information and regulations are available in the Graduate Calendar. Admission requirements and the application process can be accessed through Discover Graduate Studies. MA LIT specific requirements can be tracked with the help of our department checklists.

You can earn your MA-LIT by following any of the following streams:

  • Course work

  • Major Research Project (MRP)
  • Thesis

The following sections outline the shared requirements of all streams and the individual requirements of each.

Shared requirements

The following requirements are shared between all streams:

Academic integrity  workshop 

All students are required to complete a University of Waterloo workshop on academic integrity and sign a pledge to conduct their research with scrupulous honesty. The workshop takes place before classes begin and students will not be allowed to take classes until they have signed the pledge.

Stream-specific requirements