Note: 91社区鈥檚 new Course Catalogue will replace the eCalendar. The Course Catalogue is expected to go live the week of April 22nd. When the new site is published, "mcgill.ca/study" will be redirected to the new Course Catalogue website.
Course information on this site is not reflective of offerings for the 2025鈥�2026 academic year. Some irregularities may occur as we move operations to the incoming Course Catalogue.
The Department of English at 91社区 is unique, in that its program brings together three different but related streams of study: Literature; Drama and Theatre; and Cultural Studies. Courses provide advanced instruction in the interpretation of texts in English from the medieval period to the contemporary moment, and in critical鈥痶heory鈥痑nd diverse methods in literary, cultural, theatre, and performance studies. Graduate students are key participants in all areas of department life in their roles as students, supervisors, teaching assistants, research assistants, course instructors, representatives on the student association, and members of key committees including hiring committees. In addition to the diverse research of individual faculty members, several collaborative initiatives are housed in or supported by the department, including the Montreal International Poetry Prize, the Burney Centre, 91社区 Medievalists, TRaCE Transborder, ELTQ (English-Language Theatre in Quebec), Ciphers of the Times, Poetry Matters, and NOVANOV (Novelists on the Art of the Novel). The active research culture of the department ensures its continuing status as top-ranked place to pursue the study English.
The English Department offers both M.A. and Ph.D. degrees. On average, there are 80 graduate students enrolled in the M.A. and Ph.D. programs each year.
The M.A. program admits 25 students each year from around the world. Unlike many other master's programs in English, the 91社区 M.A. culminates in a major piece of independent research, either a thesis or research paper, which is carried out under the supervision of a faculty member. Approximately half of 91社区 M.A. graduates go on to Ph.D. programs either at 91社区 or elsewhere. Other graduates have found employment with foundations, university development offices, publishing houses, consulting firms, and CEGEPs.
The Ph.D. program admits approximately five students each year from around the world. Doctoral students specialize in a broad range of fields within English studies.
All students who apply are considered for financial support, normally in the form of a scholarship that can be supplemented by Teaching or Research Assistantships.
The Department offers two options toward the M.A. degree; one thesis (45 credits), and the other non-thesis (48 credits). Both options are designed to be completed in four terms and both entail a substantial piece of independent research undertaken with the guidance of a supervisor. It is rare for any student pursuing the M.A. to complete the degree in less than two years, although in certain circumstances it is possible to do so in one year (Fall, Winter, and Summer terms) or in 16 months (Fall, Winter, Summer, and Fall terms). M.A. students must complete the program within three years.
| Master of Arts (M.A.) English (Thesis) (45 credits) |
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In the thesis option, students must successfully complete Graduate Research Seminar (ENGL 694) and five seminars, and write a thesis of 80鈥�100 pages that adheres to the guidelines set under the thesis regulations of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Students submit a proposal for the thesis to the Graduate Administration Committee in the Department; the proposal must be approved before students begin working on the thesis. When completed, the thesis is submitted to the Thesis Office and is reviewed by an External Examiner. |
| Master of Arts (M.A.) English (Non-Thesis) (48 credits) |
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In the non-thesis option, students must successfully complete Graduate Research Seminar (ENGL 694) and seven seminars, and write a research paper of 40 pages. Students submit a proposal for the research paper to the Graduate Administration Committee in the Department; the proposal must be approved before students begin to write the research paper. The finished paper is evaluated by the supervisor and a second member of the Department. Although the Non-Thesis (research paper) M.A. is designed to be completed in two years, some students complete the program in one year (Fall, Winter, and Summer terms) or in 16 months (Fall, Winter, Summer, and Fall terms). |
| Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) English |
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Students with an M.A. in English or a closely related discipline may apply to the Ph.D. program. In their first year (Ph.D. 2), doctoral students are expected to complete the two halves of the compulsory proseminar: ENGL 787 (taken in the Fall term) and ENGL 788 (taken in the Winter term), along with four seminars. The proseminars expose students to current academic issues, theoretical propositions, and professional questions. Students may substitute for the two second-term seminars one extended supervised Optional Research Project. Courses must be chosen in order to make possible the identification of a major and a minor area of concentration. In this department, the Ph.D. comprehensive exam is covered by ENGL 797 (Compulsory Research Project), to be completed in Ph.D. 3. Doctoral students must complete the Ph.D. program within six years. A candidate intending to submit the thesis to meet the deadline for Spring Convocation must give notice of this intention before January 1. A candidate intending to meet the deadline for Fall Convocation must give such notice before May 1. The majority of students who complete the Ph.D. proceed to postdoctoral fellowships and teaching positions, either at CEGEP (colleges) or at universities. |
M.A. Degree
Admission to the M.A. program requires a B.A. degree in English (honours or major) or its equivalent, with a very strong record of academic success (especially in the final two years of the B.A.). Typically, applicants will have solid training and coverage within their chosen area of theatre, cultural studies, or literature. Outstanding applicants from related disciplines may be invited to take a Qualifying year.
Ph.D. Degree
Admission to the doctoral program is highly competitive. Generally, outstanding students with the M.A. degree in hand apply to the doctoral program and are accepted into Ph.D. 2. In very rare circumstances, outstanding graduates of B.A. programs will be considered for 鈥渇ast-tracking鈥� into the doctoral program, entering at Ph.D. 1. For their first year, students follow the M.A. program (Thesis option) and, if their work is given a strong evaluation at the end of the first year, they then go on to complete the remaining requirements of the Ph.D. program.
English Language Proficiency
For graduate applicants whose mother tongue is not English, and who have not completed an undergraduate or graduate degree from a recognized Canadian or American (English or French) institution or from a recognized foreign institution where English is the language of instruction, documented proof of English proficiency is required prior to admission. For a list of acceptable test scores and minimum requirements, visit mcgill.ca/gradapplicants/international/proficiency.
91社区鈥檚 online application form for graduate program candidates is available at mcgill.ca/gradapplicants/apply.
See University Regulations & Resources > Graduate > Graduate Admissions and Application Procedures > Application Procedures for detailed application procedures.
Application opening dates are set by Enrolment Services in consultation with Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (GPS), while application deadlines are set by the English Department and may be revised at any time. Applicants must verify all deadlines and documentation requirements well in advance on the appropriate 91社区 departmental website; please consult the list at mcgill.ca/gps/contact/graduate-program.
Information on application deadlines is available at mcgill.ca/gradapplicants/how-apply/application-steps/application-deadlines.
Admission to graduate studies is competitive; accordingly, late and/or incomplete applications are considered only as time and space permit.
The Master of Arts in English; Thesis is an academic program in literary and cultural studies. The program focuses on the interpretation of texts in English from the medieval period to the contemporary moment, and in critical theory and diverse methodologies in literary, cultural, theatre, and performance studies. The program may be completed in three or four...
For more information, see Master of Arts (M.A.) English (Thesis) (45 credits).
The Master of Arts in English; Non-Thesis is an academic program in literary and cultural studies. The program focuses on the interpretation of texts in English from the medieval period to the contemporary moment, and in critical theory and diverse methodologies in literary, cultural, theatre, and performance studies. The program may be completed in three or four...
For more information, see Master of Arts (M.A.) English (Non-Thesis) (48 credits).
The PhD in English focuses on research topics related to literature, drama and theatre, cultural studies, authorship and publishing, and critical theory.
For more information, see Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) English.
