English Honours

The Bachelor of Arts — English is designed to enable students to explore many aspects of English studies. The English program offers courses in composition, creative writing, film, literature, and literary theory. Mount Royal University offers you the option of pursuing either a Bachelor of Arts with a major in English and a Bachelor of Arts with honours in English.

The Bachelor of Arts — English (Honours) is intended for students who have a strong interest in literature and who wish to pursue a more specialized degree than the English major. In particular, students whose aspirations involve graduate study are encouraged to consider the Honours Program.

English Honours Seminar

The English Honours Seminar offers you the opportunity to create a research project focused on a topic of personal interest and to gain practical research experience. Each student will work on an honours project under the supervision of a faculty member into whose area the project topic falls.

Graduation Requirements — BA with Honours in English

Learn more information on courses you will need to take to meet graduation requirements. You will need to maintain a minimum Grade Point Average of 3.00 in each semester of your studies in order to remain in the Honours program. In order to graduate with Honours, you will need to achieve a minimum mark of B in the Honours Seminar (ENGL 5110) and a minimum GPA of at least 3.00 in the final twenty (20) courses of your degree.

Acceptance Requirements — Honours Stream

You may apply to the appropriate department for acceptance into the Honours stream upon the successful completion of 20 courses in the Bachelor of Arts program. Acceptance into the Honours stream is competitive, meaning students with a higher GPA will be considered first. You must present a minimum Grade Point Average of 3.00 in the last ten (10) 3-credit courses (or equivalent) and identify a research focus that is compatible with the available faculty for mentorship within the department. Only tenured or tenurable faculty in English, Film Studies, or Creative Writing with an MA or PhD (or equivalent) are eligible as supervisors. Note: GPA is calculated on the basis of whole semesters only. Applicants must submit an unofficial transcript of their complete academic record, at Mount Royal and elsewhere, at the same time as they submit their honours application.

Before applying for Honours, you must also have declared a major in English.

When To Apply

You may apply for entrance into Honours between March 1 and May 1 of the academic year in which you've successfully completed 20 courses. The department will meet to decide on who will be accepted into the Honours stream, based on the number of applications received and the qualifications of the students who have applied. A student who has graduated with a Bachelor of Arts may not apply to enter Honours in the same discipline in which they received the Bachelor of Arts degree.

Space in the program is limited. For this reason, qualified students are encouraged to apply upon completion of twenty (20) 3-credit courses (or equivalent) toward their program.

Early Application Period — February

If you wait until after the midpoint of your degree, you may apply to Honours between February 1 and March 1 of the academic year in which you’ve successfully completed 30 courses. Your success as a qualified applicant will then depend in part on whether additional students can be accommodated in the Honours Seminar. Students in this situation should make an application prior to March 1, the close of the early application period. Pending receipt of final grades for the winter semester, they may be conditionally admitted into the stream before the close of the regular application period.