English
Master of Arts (MA)
GRADUATE PROGRAM OVERVIEW
| Program | Components | Expected Duration |
| MA in English | Thesis | 16 to 24 months |
| MA in English | Coursework | 12 months |
UBC Okanagan’s Master of Arts (MA) degree in English provides students with the theoretical and practical tools necessary for advanced study in literature and culture.
Graduates will be prepared for PhD research and a variety of professions that value strong communication skills and a facility in writing and textual analysis—such as education, law, public administration, journalism, professional writing and editing, publishing, consulting, digital content creation, technical writing, and marketing.
The MA involves coursework and independent publishable research driven by student interests and supported by attentive supervision. Our mission is to train students to be successful scholars, who are capable of contributing important literary and cultural knowledge, both within our field and the culture at large.
To complete the thesis option MA in English, students are required to take 30 credits:
- 18 credits attained through coursework: English 501, English 503, and four additional courses normally chosen from the English 520 series (details below);
- 12 credits achieved by completing the thesis (English 599). The thesis ranges from 15,000 to 20,000 words and requires an oral defence administered by the College of Graduate Studies. On March 1 of the second semester, you will submit a Thesis Proposal of 2,500 words with a four-page bibliography to the Graduate Programs and Planning Committee; it is developed in consultation with your supervisor.
- It is possible to complete the program in 12 months, but most students remain for 16 to 24 months.
Students are required to take core courses that are taught every year as well as courses chosen from the English 520 series. See Graduate Courses for details.
To complete the coursework option MA in English, students are required to take 30 credits:
- 21 credits attained through coursework: English 501, English 503, and five additional courses normally chosen from the English 520 series (details below);
- 9 credits achieved by completing English 590, the Independent Research Paper (IRP). The IRP ranges from 7,500 to 10,000 words.
- On March 1 of the second semester, you will submit an IRP Proposal of 1,500 words with a three-page bibliography to the Graduate Programs and Planning Committee it is developed in consultation with your supervisor.
- Most students complete the coursework MA English in 12 months.
Students are required to take core courses that are taught every year as well as courses chosen from the English 520 series. See Graduate Courses for details.
English 501 Critical Theory: This course introduces students to the discourses of Critical Theory that address literature and culture. Exploring the interdisciplinary roots of Critical Theory in philosophy, linguistics, aesthetics, political science, cultural studies, feminism, and history, this course examines the ways in which knowledge is something that is produced rather than a pre-given entity to be found or “discovered.”
English 503 Professionalization Seminar: The Practices of the Profession: This team-taught course will involve modules on a variety of topics related to professional and academic development. Students will learn research methods, how to conduct archival research, participate in a marking practicum and discussions regarding pedagogies pertaining to their duties as Teaching Assistants. Students will learn proposal-writing skills that will assist in the creation of applications to granting agencies or future professional/degree programs. Pass/Fail.
The following courses will be taught based on faculty research interests and expertise. They will be offered on the basis of faculty rotation. We will offer at least four per year and content will change annually. All courses will align with the following rubric.
ENGL 521: Topics in Historical Periods and Movements
ENGL 522: Topics in Genre Studies
ENGL 523: Topics in National/International Literatures and Culture
ENGL 524: Individual Author Studies
ENGL 525: Studies in Diversity and Identity
ENGL 501 Methodologies: Critical Theory | Dr. George Grinnell
This course examines contemporary critical theory, with a particular emphasis on methodology. Students will study a range of theoretical works and concepts crucial for understanding Critical Theory as a field of study in itself and as a set of methodologies and approaches important for the study of culture. Critical Theory has a complicated history within the humanities, sometimes derided and sometimes celebrated as its raison d’être. We will work to better understand the promise, preoccupations, and practices of theory in order to gauge the ways in which work in the humanities is always complicatedly enmeshed in theory
ENGL 503 Practices in the Profession and Teaching of Literary Studies and Related Disciplines | Dr. Jordan Stouck
The first half of this course is designed to provide learners with core skills in teaching. sessions will address equity practices, class design, discussion strategies, writing and critiquing exercises, and grading. Students will be given the opportunity to design and deliver short lessons in their field of expertise and will receive constructive feedback on their teaching. At the end of the first five weeks, students who have attended and participated in the sessions will receive the Foundations Certificate for Graduate Teaching Assistants.The second half of the course will familiarize new humanities scholars with the profession’s expectations, practices, and responsibilities.
ENGL 521K Imagism: Sculptural Poetics | Dr. Anderson Araujo
This course engages one of the most seminal poetic experiments in Anglo-American Modernism: Imagism. T. S. Eliot would go so far as to label the movement the “starting-point of modern poetry.” This course takes a long view of Imagism, from the first Imagist Manifesto of 1913 to the last Imagist anthology of 1930. We will explore not only the evolution of Imagist verse and doctrine, but also the aesthetic and ideological rifts that emerged within and without the movement as it competed in a crowded marketplace of avant-garde experiments.
ENGL 521S Posthumanisn & Critical Animal Studies | Dr. Jodey Castricano
This course begins from the philosophical position that animals are worthy of serious intellectual consideration and, thus, a further aim is to attend to how animality and the question of the animal(s) similarly intersect with questions of gender, race, class and ethnicity by introducing students to the necessary intersection of posthumanism and critical animal studies.
ENGL 522O Gender, Voyeurism, Pleasure: The Ethics of Violence in Contemporary Crime Fiction | Dr. Melissa Jacques
This course will explore the following questions: Does the female defective detective differ from her male counterpart? If so, how? What role does a detective’s gender play in the production of subjectivity in contemporary novels written by women? How might gendered violence and trauma limit and/or contribute to the detecting abilities of the female protagonist? And, finally, what are the ethics of representation in genre depictions of violence against women?
ENGL 522N The English Novel in the Long Eighteenth Century | Dr. Alison Conway
This class will analyze the evolution of the novel as a genre from John Bunyan to Jane Austen. We will also study issues of historical importance to the novels we read, including England’s imperial expansion and the slave trade, the cultural ascendance of the middling ranks, emergent Enlightenment understandings of human rights, the politics of politeness, and the rise of the professional author. We will consider how the different narrative modes—romance, realist, satiric, Gothic—incorporate these issues into their literary hermeneutics. In addition to reading the primary texts, students will read novel criticism and theory that attends to the literary history of the English novel and its formal practices.
ENGL 524E Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales | Dr. Michael Treschow
This course offers students the opportunity to read and analyze Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales in Middle English.Students will consider different critical approaches for reading the Tales. Considerable focus will be given to trauma theory in reading the Tales. The satirical nature of the Tales and their diversity of tone will be examined in relation to post-structuralist theory.
ENGL 524F Shakespeare and Political Theology | Dr. Sean Lawrence
We are repeatedly assured that all criticism is political. One of the important roots of this concept, or rather assumption, is found among German intellectuals of the 1920s and 1930s, principally Carl Schmitt and Ernst Kantorowicz, each of whom seems to have independently coined the phrase “Political Theology.” They enjoy a continuing influence, both through their influence on the historiography of ideas of a half-century ago, and through the re-discovery of their work by contemporary critics. In this course, we will read six plays by Shakespeare — one of them a collaboration — alongside key texts of political theology, and examples of Shakespeare criticism inflected by political theology.
ENGL 525E Studies in Indigenous Literature and Criticism | Dr. Allison Hargreaves
This course explores literary and other creative work produced in response to the historical and ongoing issue of violence against Indigenous women in Canada. Our readings will put literary, activist, legal, and policy-related interventions into dialogue with one another in order to highlight key points of intersection between contemporary Indigenous literary production and anti-violence debate.
ENGL 525H Reconciliations | Dr. Lisa Grekul
With focus on a selection of Canadian literary texts which engage with “dark chapters” of Canadian history, this course examines the role literature plays in ongoing processes of decolonization and reconciliation. Our analyses of the required readings—drawn from the genres of fiction, drama, creative non-fiction, and the graphic novel—will be informed by both public discourse and multi-disciplinary scholarship on Canada’s long track record of genocide and officially-sanctioned/institutionalized racism.
ENGL 525I Writing as Resistance: Contemporary Women’s Fiction in the UK | Dr. Jennifer Gustar
This course will explore the diverse range of women’s fiction currently emerging in the UK, in order to understand the issues that we are all addressing in this contemporary moment. The fiction will range from historical re-visions, to postcolonial Gothicism, to consideration of transnationalism, to the very contemporary politics of this moment of political and cultural divisions, marked by Brexit. .
RESEARCH & SUPERVISORS
Research Areas
The MA degree draws on the expertise of faculty members with national and international publications in every period of English literature from medieval to postmodern.
Our research focus areas include:
- 16th and 17th Century Literature
- 18th and 19th Century Literature
- Aesthetics
- African Literature
- American and African-American Literature
- Autobiography
- British Literature
- Canadian Literature
- Critical and Literary Theory
- Cultural Studies
- Children’s Literary Cultures
- Diaspora
- Ecocriticism
- Ethics
- Feminist and Queer Theory
- Film and Media Studies
- The Gothic
- History of the Novel
- Indigenous Literature and Theory
- Liturature and Medicine
- Medieval and Renaissance Studies
- Modernism
- Music and Culture
- Peace and War Studies
- Postcolonial and Decolonization
- Reconsiliation
- Social Activism
- South Asian Literature
Supervisors
The success of UBC Okanagan’s MA in English Program depends on exceptional students.
Please touch base with a faculty supervisor before you start the application process. We look forward to hearing about your research interests and career goals.
Anderson Araujo | 250.807.9589 | anderson.araujo@ubc.ca
Research interests: Transnational modernism; First World War poetry, 20th-century British and Irish literature; modernism and transatlantic modernism; peace and war studies; aesthetics.
Research interests: Transnational modernism; First World War poetry, 20th-century British and Irish literature; modernism and transatlantic modernism; peace and war studies; aesthetics.
Martin Blum | 250.807.9362 | martin.blum@ubc.ca
Research interests: Medieval and Renaissance studies; short narrative genres; German language and culture.
Research interests: Medieval and Renaissance studies; short narrative genres; German language and culture.
Jodey Castricano | 250.807.9196 | jodey.castricano@ubc.ca
Research interests: 19th-century studies, including gothic studies and psychoanalysis (Freud/Jung); critical animal studies; ecofeminism; critical and literary theory, film and media studies; feminist and queer theory; ethics; social activism.
Research interests: 19th-century studies, including gothic studies and psychoanalysis (Freud/Jung); critical animal studies; ecofeminism; critical and literary theory, film and media studies; feminist and queer theory; ethics; social activism.
Alison Conway | 250.807.9701 | alison.conway@ubc.ca
Research interests: Literary and cultural history of the long eighteenth-century in Britain; narrative studies; and gender and sexuality theory.
Research interests: Literary and cultural history of the long eighteenth-century in Britain; narrative studies; and gender and sexuality theory.
Robert Eggleston | 250.807.9380 | robert.eggleston@ubc.ca
Research interests: Restoration and 18th-century theatre; ideological instability in the comedies and farces of Edward Ravenscroft; theories of comedy during the late 17th century; political satire and censorship of the stage during the 1720s and 1730s.
Research interests: Restoration and 18th-century theatre; ideological instability in the comedies and farces of Edward Ravenscroft; theories of comedy during the late 17th century; political satire and censorship of the stage during the 1720s and 1730s.
Greg Garrard | 250.807.8479 | greg.garrard@ubc.ca
Research interests: Ecocriticism; contemporary environmental writing; critical animal studies; film and media studies; literature and science; Canadian literature.
Research interests: Ecocriticism; contemporary environmental writing; critical animal studies; film and media studies; literature and science; Canadian literature.
Lisa Grekul | 250.807.9347 | lisa.grekul@ubc.ca
Research interests: Canadian literatures; diaspora literatures and theory; postcolonial and decolonization studies; film and media studies; Ukrainian-Canadian literature.
Research interests: Canadian literatures; diaspora literatures and theory; postcolonial and decolonization studies; film and media studies; Ukrainian-Canadian literature.
George Grinnell | 250.807.9638 | george.grinnell@ubc.ca
Research interests: Critical and literary theory; cultural studies; Romanticism; peace and war studies; punk culture; cultural studies in music; aesthetics; critical and literary theory; feminist and queer theory; literature and medicine; ethics; African-American literature.
Research interests: Critical and literary theory; cultural studies; Romanticism; peace and war studies; punk culture; cultural studies in music; aesthetics; critical and literary theory; feminist and queer theory; literature and medicine; ethics; African-American literature.
Jennifer Gustar | 250.807.9384 | jennifer.gustar@ubc.ca
Research interests: Women’s literature; feminist and queer theory; postcolonial theory/fiction and contemporary British literature.
Research interests: Women’s literature; feminist and queer theory; postcolonial theory/fiction and contemporary British literature.
Allison Hargreaves | 250.807.8446 | allison.hargreaves@ubc.ca
Research interests: Indigenous literature and theory; Indigenous feminisms; settler studies; Indigenous writing in Canada; postcolonial and decolonization studies; feminist and queer theory; reconciliation; social activism.
Research interests: Indigenous literature and theory; Indigenous feminisms; settler studies; Indigenous writing in Canada; postcolonial and decolonization studies; feminist and queer theory; reconciliation; social activism.
Melissa Jacques | 250.807.9537 | melissa.jacques@ubc.ca
Research interests: Literary studies and practices; critical and literary theory; the Gothic genre; peace and war studies.
Research interests: Literary studies and practices; critical and literary theory; the Gothic genre; peace and war studies.
David Jefferess | 250.807.9359 | david.jefferess@ubc.ca
Research interests: Postcolonial studies; globalization; anti-oppression; cultural studies; peace and war studies; reconciliation; humanitarian discourse; ethics; social activism; South-Asian literature; African literature.
Research interests: Postcolonial studies; globalization; anti-oppression; cultural studies; peace and war studies; reconciliation; humanitarian discourse; ethics; social activism; South-Asian literature; African literature.
Daniel Keyes | 250.807.9320 | daniel.keyes@ubc.ca
Research interests: Film, television and media studies; critical whiteness studies; critical and literary theory; cultural studies; studies in the suburban culture of North America; cultural studies in music; postcolonial and decolonization studies; drama and theatre studies; digital culture; Canadian literature.
Research interests: Film, television and media studies; critical whiteness studies; critical and literary theory; cultural studies; studies in the suburban culture of North America; cultural studies in music; postcolonial and decolonization studies; drama and theatre studies; digital culture; Canadian literature.
Sean Lawrence | 250.807.9415 | sean.lawrence@ubc.ca
Research interests: Shakespeare; canonical literature and 20th-century French philosophy; Medieval and Renaissance studies; peace and war studies; drama and theatre studies; ethics.
Research interests: Shakespeare; canonical literature and 20th-century French philosophy; Medieval and Renaissance studies; peace and war studies; drama and theatre studies; ethics.
Marie Loughlin | 250.807.9330 | marie.loughlin@ubc.ca
Research interests: 16th-century poetry and prose; early modern women’s writing; early modern drama; women’s literature; 16th and 17th-century literature; spiritual autobiography; speculative fiction; feminist and queer theory.
Research interests: 16th-century poetry and prose; early modern women’s writing; early modern drama; women’s literature; 16th and 17th-century literature; spiritual autobiography; speculative fiction; feminist and queer theory.
Oliver Lovesey | 250.807.9385 | oliver.lovesey@ubc.ca
Research interests: Victorian and 18th-century novel; postcolonial studies; restoration and 18th-century literature; history of the novel; cultural studies in music; postcolonial and decolonization studies; literature and medicine; social activism; African literature.
Research interests: Victorian and 18th-century novel; postcolonial studies; restoration and 18th-century literature; history of the novel; cultural studies in music; postcolonial and decolonization studies; literature and medicine; social activism; African literature.
Janet MacArthur | 250.807.9355 | janet.macarthur@ubc.ca
Research interests: Autobiography; Holocaust studies; auto/biographical discourse; peace and war studies; postcolonial and decolonization studies; digital culture, literature and medicine.
Research interests: Autobiography; Holocaust studies; auto/biographical discourse; peace and war studies; postcolonial and decolonization studies; digital culture, literature and medicine.
Paul Milton | 250.807.9418 | paul.milton@ubc.ca
Research interests: 20th-century American and Canadian fiction; literature and space; fictional treatments of suburban life; Canadian poets and literature; African-American literature.
Research interests: 20th-century American and Canadian fiction; literature and space; fictional treatments of suburban life; Canadian poets and literature; African-American literature.
Emily Murphy | 250.807.8073 | emily.murphy@ubc.ca
Research interests: Digital Humanities; text encoding; digital editing; actor-network theory; feminist and intersectional DH; critical and creative making; digital pedagogy; the body and digital culture; twentieth-century literature and culture; high, middlebrow, and popular modernisms; literature of the Spanish Civil War; women’s writing; adaptation and media-specificity; dance, movement, and physical culture; history of psychiatry and psychoanalysis; celebrity culture; little magazines and the slicks; life writing.
Research interests: Digital Humanities; text encoding; digital editing; actor-network theory; feminist and intersectional DH; critical and creative making; digital pedagogy; the body and digital culture; twentieth-century literature and culture; high, middlebrow, and popular modernisms; literature of the Spanish Civil War; women’s writing; adaptation and media-specificity; dance, movement, and physical culture; history of psychiatry and psychoanalysis; celebrity culture; little magazines and the slicks; life writing.
Margaret Reeves| 250.807.9639 | margaret.reeves@ubc.ca
Research interests: Early modern women’s writing; children’s literary cultures (early modern to contemporary); early modern childhood and youth; Milton and early modern political theory; satiric fiction; women’s literature; Medieval and Renaissance studies; 16th and 17th-century literature; history of the novel; auto/biographical discourse; speculative fiction; feminist and queer theory.
Research interests: Early modern women’s writing; children’s literary cultures (early modern to contemporary); early modern childhood and youth; Milton and early modern political theory; satiric fiction; women’s literature; Medieval and Renaissance studies; 16th and 17th-century literature; history of the novel; auto/biographical discourse; speculative fiction; feminist and queer theory.
Karis Shearer | 250.807.9776 | karis.shearer@ubc.ca
Research interests: Canadian poetry and fiction; critical pedagogy; gender theory; American poetry; cultural studies; feminist and gender theory; modernism and transatlantic modernism; drama and theatre studies; digital culture; feminist and queer theory; creativity; social activism.
Research interests: Canadian poetry and fiction; critical pedagogy; gender theory; American poetry; cultural studies; feminist and gender theory; modernism and transatlantic modernism; drama and theatre studies; digital culture; feminist and queer theory; creativity; social activism.
Jordan Stouck | 250.807.9663 | jordan.stouck@ubc.ca
Research interests: Composition studies; Canadian and Caribbean literature; postcolonial and decolonization studies; scholarship of teaching and learning.
Research interests: Composition studies; Canadian and Caribbean literature; postcolonial and decolonization studies; scholarship of teaching and learning.
Bryce Traister | 250.807.9357 | bryce.traister@ubc.ca
Research interests: American Literature, especially the colonial and antebellum periods; religious studies; American Cultural Studies; science fiction.
Research interests: American Literature, especially the colonial and antebellum periods; religious studies; American Cultural Studies; science fiction.
Michael Treschow | 250.807.9356 | michael.treschow@ubc.ca
Research interests: Old and Middle English literature; Medieval and Renaissance studies, speculative fiction.
Research interests: Old and Middle English literature; Medieval and Renaissance studies, speculative fiction.
Centres, Labs & Projects
STUDENTS & THESES
Meet Our Students
FCCS students are significant contributors of artistic and cultural events on campus and off in Kelowna, the Okanagan Valley and beyond. Follow our English program on Facebook to keep up to date on events and connect with our community on campus and beyond.
English Students have participated in digital initiatives on our campus such as Textual Editing and Modernism in Canada and Punk Pedagogy, learning valuable skills and gaining the opportunity to disseminate research and work directly with stakeholders.
Students have also participated in experiential graduate courses that move outside the traditional classroom, sometimes in the local area and sometimes travelling to remote locations such as the Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre on Vancouver Island.
We are proud to share our the accomplishments of our alumni who have gone on to many prestigious programs, and have had successes in publications and career opportunities.
Theses and Dissertations
Search all UBC Okanagan English student publications at cIRcle, the university’s digital repository for research and teaching materials.
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Admission to UBC graduate programs is competitive. Applicants must meet the following criteria.
Master of Arts Applicants (MA)
Applicants to the MA in English program are expected to have a BA degree in English.
Applicants are expected to have a standing of a B+ (76%) average or better in their third- and fourth-year classes or at least 12 credits in third- and fourth-year English classes with an A- (80%) or better average.
In exceptional circumstances, a student who has a strong undergraduate record but does not meet the minimal requirements may be allowed to take a qualifying term in the MA English program on recommendation of the FCCS Graduate Program Committee. Further, a student cannot be admitted into the program if a suitable supervisor is not available.
MORE INFORMATION
Visit the UBC Okanagan Academic Calendar* for full admission and program requirements information; the calendar is a comprehensive guide to all programs, courses, services and academic policies at the University of British Columbia.
* In case of a discrepancy between this webpage and the UBC Calendar, the UBC Calendar entry will be held to be correct.
Master of Arts Applicants (MA)
Applicants to the MA in English program are expected to have a BA degree in English.
Applicants are expected to have a standing of a B+ (76%) average or better in their third- and fourth-year classes or at least 12 credits in third- and fourth-year English classes with an A- (80%) or better average. A student cannot be admitted into the program if a suitable supervisor is not available.
Applicants from a university outside Canada in which English is not the primary language of instruction must present evidence of English language proficiency tests. Test scores must have been taken within the last 24 months.
MORE INFORMATION
Visit the UBC Okanagan Academic Calendar* for full admission and program requirements information; the calendar is a comprehensive guide to all programs, courses, services and academic policies at the University of British Columbia.
* In case of a discrepancy between this webpage and the UBC Calendar, the UBC Calendar entry will be held to be correct.
Required Grades and Credential Guide
Grades and degree credentials required by UBC vary by country. Search the Required Grades and Credential Guide — a guide to assist international students in estimating their eligibility.
International Advisors
An international student advisor can answer questions about immigration, medical insurance and the transition to UBC’s Okanagan campus in Kelowna, BC. Visit the International Programs and Services website to meet the team.
TUITION & FUNDING
UBC Okanagan’s tuition and fees compare favourably with universities of the same high calibre.
Tuition
| Program | Schedule | Domestic (per year) | International (per year) |
|---|---|---|---|
| MA | Full-time | $4,987.45 | $8,604.67 |
Tuition amounts presented here are estimates only and fees are subject to change. For official tuition and fee information, visit the UBC Okanagan Academic Calendar*, a comprehensive guide to all programs, courses, services and academic policies at the University of British Columbia.
Tuition is paid three times a year at the beginning of each term, and on the first day of the term, as per the Academic Calendar: Winter Term 1 (September), Winter Term 2 (January), and Summer Term (May).
* In case of a discrepancy between this webpage and the UBC Calendar, the UBC Calendar entry will be held to be correct.
Funding Opportunities
The Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies is committed to financially supporting our graduate students to the best of our ability and providing a variety of funding options.
Currently, the Faculty can provide up to two years of support for Masters students through a combination of Graduate Entrance Scholarships (GDES), Teaching Assistantships (TAs), Research Assistantships (RAs) and University Graduate Fellowship (UGFs) funding. The specific source of the funding for an individual student will depend on a number of factors and may include a mixture of TA, RA and UGF support.
Assistantships
Teaching Assistantships
TAs pay approximately $11,500 annually and we prioritize graduate students for these positions—Masters students have two years of priority for placement. The number of available positions is contingent on Faculty budget and overall student numbers. TA positions are posted online.
Research Assistantships
RAs are employment opportunities for qualified students offered by faculty members with research grants and contracts. As a paid research assistant, graduate students assist their supervisor or other researchers in conducting high-level research, which often contributes to the student’s thesis or dissertation. RAs are not guaranteed because they follow the financial cycles of the supervisor’s external grants and contracts.
Scholarships & Awards
UBC Awards
The College of Graduate Studies administers merit-based graduate awards at the Okanagan campus. The College manages a number of award competitions each year and administers payment of all internal awards and selected external awards, including:
- Graduate Entrance Scholarships (GDES): Applicants to the program are eligible for entrance scholarships if they meet the minimum program requirements (80% or better).
- University Graduate Fellowships (UGF): UGFs are a merit based scholarship that is awarded to current graduate students engaged in full-time, thesis based research with a GPA of 80% or better. Awards start at $3,000, with a maximum of $24,000 total per student.
External Awards
- Students are also expected to apply for funding through the Social Sciences and Humanities Council of Canada (SSHRC). if eligible.
- Graduate scholarships and awards may also be available from foundations, private companies or foreign governments (check with your country’s education authority).
HOW TO APPLY
Find a Supervisor
Please contact our faculty before starting your application. Admission to the MA English program requires the support of a faculty supervisor as well as meeting program-specific criteria for admission requirements.
Required Documents
A complete application package will contain:
- Online application and application fee
- Transcripts for all post-secondary institutions attended (even if the degree is not complete or if courses were not taken as part of a degree; unofficial transcripts can be included at time of application to ensure you meet the application deadline, but you must also have your official transcripts sent to UBC)
- English proficiency exam scores (if required)
- Curriculum vitae (CV) or resumé
- Scholarly writing sample of at least 2,000 words from an upper-level undergraduate course
- Statement of Intent/Statement of Purpose
- Three letters of reference
Deadlines
Applying takes time. We recommend you start your application at least two months in advance of published deadlines.
The application deadline of January 15 qualifies MA in English applicants for Graduate Entrance Scholarships. After this deadline, however, applications will still be reviewed for admission.
For full consideration students should submit all application materials by the following:
| Intake | Application Deadline |
|---|---|
| Domestic applicants | |
| September | January 31 |
| International applicants | |
| September | January 31 |
UBC’S OKANAGAN CAMPUS
The University of British Columbia is a global centre for research and teaching, consistently ranked among the 40 best universities in the world. In the psychology program at UBC’s Okanagan campus, you gain all the benefits of attending a globally respected university while studying in a close-knit learning community.
DYNAMIC CITY
UBC’s Okanagan campus borders the dynamic city of Kelowna, a hub of economic development with a population of about 150,000 people—the fourth fastest growing population in Canada. In fact, the Okanagan Valley is rated one of the best communities in Canada to grow your business.
More than 160 buses travel daily from campus to key locations such as Kelowna’s cultural district and thriving downtown waterfront. The campus is two minutes from the Kelowna International Airport, one of the top 10 busiest airports in Canada.
UBC Okanagan is situated within the First Nations territory of the Okanagan Nation, whose spirit of stewardship for the land is reflected in the university’s respect for sustainability.
NATURAL BEAUTY
A diverse natural region with sandy beaches, beautiful farms, vineyards and orchards, and snow-capped mountains, the Okanagan Valley features sweeping stretches of lakeside and endless mountain trails for biking and hiking.
Check out this 360-degree video: Kelowna From Above.*
* Best viewed using desktop Chrome or Firefox (desktop) or YouTube app (mobile).
CAMPUS HOUSING
Full-time UBC Okanagan students can live in residence, which offers modern living with easy access to academic and personal support. Residences are surrounded by hiking and biking trails, plus panoramic views of the campus and valley.
OFF-CAMPUS HOUSING
* UBC does not verify or endorse information shared on this third-party website, which is offered here as a public resource only.
Events: See what’s happening with FCCS News & Events, including readings by visiting authors and artist talks, performances, the AlterKnowledge Discussion Series, Film Series, Okanagan Short Story Contest, the popular annual Art on the Line fundraiser, and much more.
Stay Connected: and keep in touch with us, too—by following the FCCS community on Facebook and Twitter. Follow the UBCO Grad community on Twitter and keep up to date with what is happening in the English program.
Stay active: Take advantage of the many opportunities to get involved and play—from workout space in the new Hangar Fitness and Wellness Centre and our 1,561 square-metre gymnasium, to athletic courts, intramurals, fitness classes and nationally ranked varsity athletics. Have a ball in Sports and Recreation.
Relax: The Graduate Collegium is a gathering place where grad students can hang out, eat lunch, spend time with their fellow students, and attend or host special events. The lounge-style room is open seven days and week and is outfitted with comfortable furniture, kitchen facilities, and individual and group-work spaces.
Community: The Aboriginal Centre is a home away from home for all Aboriginal students by providing a sense of belonging and community, a place to catch up, wind down, make lunch, share opportunities and celebrate success.
College of Graduate Studies: Your hub for administrative support and such things as graduate workshops for professional development and for assisting you from the admissions process through to your graduation
Centre for Scholarly Communication (CSC): Supports graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, staff and faculty in disseminating their research. The CSC provides one-on-one consultations and workshops, including writing support for theses, dissertations, journal articles and grant proposals.
Centre for Teaching and Learning: Provides support related to teaching, TA training and use of technology in educational programming.
Learn more about graduate student resources and support in FCCS.
Career Development
Graduates of the MA English program will be prepared for a variety of professions that value strong communication skills and a facility in writing and textual analysis—such as education, journalism, professional writing, publishing, law, consulting and marketing—or for PhD research.
Career Services
Map out your future and prepare to hit the ground running with resources and services provided by the Advising & Involvement Centre.
Tell your story with resumé and cover-letter strategies, and search Work Study jobs for experience relevant to your degree and career goals. You can also book an appointment to meet one-on-one with our career advisor.
alumni UBC
alumni UBC is a member-driven association that offers a variety of lifetime programming and communications to enrich the lives of UBC graduates.
The ‘Your Next Step’ program offers webinars, speaker series and professional development sessions. It is designed to provide advice, tips and resources in areas of career development to graduates for life after university.
Realize the promise of a global community with shared ambition for a better world and an exceptional UBC.