English

Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Explore literature and how it imparts meaning in multiple contexts and eras, including the contemporary globalized world.

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Degree

Bachelor

Length

4 years

Faculty/School

Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies

Why study English at UBC Okanagan?

Get your UBC degree in English, which involves the close study and analysis of complex texts. Our courses explore literature and culture across a full range of historical periods from medieval to contemporary in various national and global contexts.

UBC Okanagan’s liberal arts degrees prepare students for global citizenship by integrating foundational knowledge with interdisciplinary opportunities in social justice, sustainability and Indigenous content.

Degree Options

English undergraduates can complete a BA in English with a Major, Combined Major, Honours or General Studies BA with a Concentration in English.

Students can declare English as their major at the end of first year. In their second year, students can elect to remain in the English Major, apply to the English Honours program, or pursue a Combined Major.

Sample Courses

These are examples of courses you can enrol in during your studies. To plan your academic journey, please visit undergraduate academic planning.

ENGL 112: Studies in Composition
ENGL 114: Studies in Composition: Indigenous Perspectives
ENGL 150: Introduction to Literary Genre
ENGL 151: Critical Studies in Literature
ENGL 155: Writing and Making Technology in the Humanities

ENGL 212: Children’s Literature
ENGL 220: Foundations: Literature in Historical Context
ENGL 224: Foundations: Reading Across Borders
ENGL 234: Foundations: Indigenous Literature
ENGL 250: Foundations: Interdisciplinary Theory and Method in Literary Research

ENGL 309: Modern Critical Theory and Interdisciplinary Methods
ENGL 333: Canadian Fiction
ENGL 349: 17th-Century Literature
ENGL 379: Colonialism and Decolonization
ENGL 386: Studies in Transatlantic Modernism
ENGL 394: Interdisciplinary Studies in English Literature

ENGL 428: Chaucer's Canterbury Tales
ENGL 462: Postcolonialism and British Fiction
ENGL 472: American Studies
ENGL 473: Studies in Indigenous Literature and Criticism
ENGL 491 Black Intellectual Traditions

Plan your academic journey by exploring the undergraduate academic planning guide designed for arts students.

Explore customized Program Plans designed to support your journey to graduation and beyond.

Careers and Outcomes

UBC degrees are respected by employers around the globe. Program graduates will have the skills to pursue a career in a variety of fields like,

  • Author
  • Bank officer
  • Book critic
  • Columnist
  • Copywriter/copy editor
  • Corporate communications specialist
  • Court reporter
  • Desktop publisher
  • Documentation specialist
  • Editor
  • Foreign correspondent
  • Freelance writer/editor
  • Fundraising specialist
  • Information officer
  • Journalist
  • Legislative aide
  • Librarian
  • Linguist
  • Literary agent
  • Manuscript reader/assessor
  • Multimedia writer
  • Newspaper/magazine editor
  • Overseas language teacher
  • Proofreader
  • Public/media relations officer
  • Publisher
  • Radio/TV newscaster
  • Radio/TV producer
  • Reporter
  • Scriptwriter
  • Speech coach
  • Speech researcher
  • Speechwriter
  • Technical writer
  • Writing centre director

Mastery of the English language is a powerful political and philosophical tool to expand career options in the information age. Become an expert communicator in occupations such as speechwriter, editor and media producer.

Admission, Fees, Applying

You could soon be studying at one of the world’s top universities. Be sure to review the content below to prepare for attending UBC Okanagan.

English Course Union Book Exchange

Experiential Learning

Expand your horizons while studying abroad, conducting meaningful research, or working in the community with your UBC colleagues.

Learn more about Co-op, Go Global and Undergraduate Research Awards opportunities at Experiential Education.

The English Course Union (ECU) promotes the interests of students in the Department of English and Cultural Studies. The ECU provides its members with an opportunity to enhance their experience within the English program by offering a welcoming community of like-minded bookworms, engaging events and overall support during their journeys in academia.

The AMP Lab is a research space at UBCO run by faculty in the Department of English and Cultural Studies that houses projects related to poetry, media and archiving. There are opportunities for students to engage in research projects throughout their degree in the lab.

Global and Close-Knit

At UBC Okanagan, you gain all the benefits of attending a globally ranked, top 5% university while studying in a close-knit learning community. 50% of graduates, from all across the globe, choose to stay in the region.

Discover the Okanagan

A diverse natural region with sandy beaches, beautiful farms, vineyards, orchards and snow-capped mountains, the Okanagan is an inspirational landscape perfect for those seeking leisure or outdoor adventure.

UBC's Okanagan campus borders the dynamic city of Kelowna, a hub of economic development with a population of more than 150,000 people— the fourth fastest-growing population in Canada.