Department of English

Why study English at UVic?

Programs

Applying to UVic

Student studying in a reading room — Plan your 2021–22 courses
Let next year’s course offerings excite and inspire you!
Our courses

Student on campus — Hone your skills
Studying English increases your ability to analyze texts and to write effectively, all while delving further into the literature you love.
Undergraduate studies

Student reading on a bench outside — A vibrant community of graduate students
Our programs let you explore different topics and build your own skill sets. Graduate student Alana Sayers’ research is focused on Indigenous literature and its importance.
Graduate studies

Close-up of the Map of London project — Vibrant research
Our students and faculty participate in a number of fascinating research projects, like the Map of Early Modern London project: a digital, interactive version of the *Civitas Londinum.*
Our research

Student sitting on the grass on campus — Professional communication
UVic's unique Professional Communication program lets you develop highly employable skills while you complete your undergraduate degree.
Professional communication program

Statement by the Chair, Department of English

The Department of English in no way condones or promotes racist language or racist behavior. The Chair of English deeply regrets that the use of racist language occurred in one of our classes, and is taking measures to ensure that such incidents never occur again. While the English department is signed on to take the university’s Anti-Racism Awareness workshop this fall, recent events clearly show we need to do more. Discussions are underway about workshops in which we can establish best practices for teaching disturbing and potentially triggering materials. As well, we are continuing with the substantial curriculum revision that reflects our support of the university’s commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Anti-Racism. The events of last week, and discussion on social media over the weekend, remind us how important this work is and that we must act quickly. I will be working closely with colleagues and the Dean to achieve demonstrable changes that support our individual and departmental commitments and responsibilities.

Literature captures us and urges us to reflect on our relationship to the world, to our culture and to ourselves. In stories, poems and plays; in film, graphic novels and even video games, we represent who we are through imagination and language.

We offer a wide range of both traditional and innovative courses that tackle literature from a variety of perspectives. Let us feed your imagination and challenge your intellect.

Special courses offered for the 2021-22 academic year

ENGL 230: Contemporary Media & Fiction (Jentery Sayers)
ENGL 230: Canadian Graphic: 21st-Century Comics (Sheila Rabillard)
ENGL 230: Sexting Through the Ages: 2500 Years of Erotic Writing (Stephen Ross)
ENGL 330: Utopian Fiction: Roads to Nowhere (Sam Wong)
ENGL 330: Law and Literature (Nancy Wright)
ENGL 360: Shakespeare on Screen (Erin Ellerbeck)
ENGL 360: Shakespeare and the World of Slings and Arrows (Gary Kuchar)
ENGL 391: Adultery in the Modern Novel (Michael Nowlin)
ENGL 392: J.M. Coetzee: Parables of Power in the (Post)Colony (Nicole Shukin)
ENGL 471: Contemporary Women Playrights: Claiming the Stage (Sheila Rabillard)
ENGL 481: Victorian Treasures in Special Collections: Adventures in rare books and digital tools (Alison Chapman)

Find other course offerings.

We acknowledge and respect the lək̓ʷəŋən peoples on whose traditional territory the University of Victoria stands, and the Songhees, Esquimalt and W̱SÁNEĆ peoples whose historical relationships with the land continue to this day.