Join us at Laurier

Becoming a Golden Hawk means more than just cheering on our (really good) varsity teams – it means being a student who cares about your community, who works hard in the classroom, and who takes advantage of all the learning opportunities that can happen outside the classroom, too.

Steps to Apply

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Steps to Apply

Undergraduate AdmissionsGraduate Admissions

English (BA)

waterloo

Explore great books, emerging works, media and culture, all within their specific historical and cultural contexts. In a globally connected world, your ability to communicate effectively is key to your professional success. Courses in literature and writing teach reading, analytical and writing skills – a strong foundation for work in many professional fields. One of many ways to customize your degree is to complete a concentration in Creative Writing.

Apply Your Learning

Make the most out of your university career by taking advantage of all that Laurier has to offer you. Volunteer work, campus clubs, leadership programs, studying abroad, work experience – there are so many ways you can extend your classroom experience into the real world.

Here are just a few examples of the experiences you’ll have access to in the English program:

  • Apply for co-op at the end of your first year and gain real world work experience.
  • Attend the Meet the Prof Night and get to know your professors outside of the classroom.
  • Apply to live in the Film and Media Residence Learning Community as part of your first-year experience.
  • Take courses with a Community Service-Learning component to apply your learning outside of the classroom by volunteering in the Waterloo community.
  • Analyze a variety of literary and cultural works in print, audio-visual and virtual formats.

Check out the English and Film Studies Experience Guide.

 

2020 graduates who secured employment or went on to postgraduate studies

 

Laurier ranks in the top 6 percent of universities worldwide*

 

students who gained hands-on learning experiences at Laurier in 2019/20

*Center for World University Rankings (CWUR)

Admissions

Format: full time or part time      Duration: four years     Start: September (fall term)     OUAC code: UH
Ontario High School Admission Requirements
  • Minimum admission range: low 70s.
  • Competitive admission range based on last year’s admitted students: mid 80s.
  • English at 60%.
Canadian Admission Requirements (Outside of Ontario)

Students applying to this program from a Canadian province outside of Ontario are encouraged to review our course equivalents by province chart. This chart will show you what courses from your province are equivalent to the admission requirements listed under Ontario High School Admission Requirements.
International Admission Requirements

Students applying to this program from an international curriculum are encouraged to review our curriculum-specific requirements; you must also meet all program-specific requirements listed under the Ontario High School Admission Requirements section.

English-Proficiency Requirement

Laurier's language of instruction is English, and so we may require you to provide evidence of your English proficiency to help make sure you experience success in your academic courses.

Your three most recent years of full-time education must be in English without taking any ESL (English as a Second Language) courses. If you do not meet this requirement, you must provide evidence of your English proficiency.

We reserve the right to request an English-language test from any applicant.

If you do not meet Laurier's English proficiency requirement but are academically qualified for your program, you may be eligible for a conditional offer of admission.

Laurier English and Academic Foundation (LEAF) Program

The Laurier English and Academic Foundation (LEAF) program is an academic English program for Laurier applicants who have to prove English proficiency. If you have received an offer to Laurier with a condition to meet our English- proficiency requirement, you can meet that condition by successfully completing the LEAF program.
College Pathways

Graduates from a two-year general Arts and Science diploma program can apply to English within the Faculty of Arts on Laurier’s Waterloo campus. To be considered for admission to the Faculty of Arts, graduates must have an overall average of 75% in their program, as well as have achieved a minimum of 60% in a 4U English course or equivalent.

Learn more about our college transfer agreement.

Other Admission Requirements

Visit our admission requirements section to find specific requirements for university students, indigenous applicants, mature learners, homeschooled applicants, senior citizens, refugees, and more. 

Your Next Steps

Apply Now Strengthen Your Application Important Dates

Program Details

Experience a Vibrant English Program

We offer you a chance to explore language and narrative in print and electronic media. Our vibrant program allows you to develop your critical reading, analytical and writing skills in preparation for working in a globally connected world.

Our innovative classrooms emphasize active learning in small group settings where you'll study literary and film texts drawn from the breadth of English-speaking cultures.

Taught by scholars who are internationally recognized researchers, teachers and award-winning writers, our courses include British, Canadian, American, Indigenous and World literatures that participate in conversations that have endured over thousands of years, and which continue to fascinate our contemporary world via the screen and page.

Pathway to a Master's Degree

You can apply for a Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Master of Arts (MA) in English to receive two conditional offers of admission: one to undergraduate studies (BA) in English, and one to graduate studies (MA) in English.

Vancouver Film School Pathway

The Vancouver Film School (VFS) pathway gives you the opportunity to enrich your critical study of literature with practical training in writing at Canada’s leading school for filmmaking.

In only four years, students in the VFS pathway complete an honours Bachelor of Arts (BA) from Laurier and a diploma from VFS. English students (or combined English and Film Studies students) attend VFS's Writing for Film, Television and Games program.

Program Options and Courses

Creative Writing Concentration

The English program offers you the opportunity to work towards a concentration in Creative Writing. This concentration will help you think and practice beyond the usual forms of academic writing; and offer you real-world experience in using your creative, analytical, and editorial skills to develop writing for professional publications.

Options and Minors

These are a few of the many popular academic opportunities which allow you to dive deeper into your major area of study or broaden your knowledge:

  • Applied Digital Option
  • Communication Studies Minor
  • Community Engagement Option
  • Creative Writing Minor
  • Film Studies Minor
  • History Minor
  • Legal Studies Option
  • Management Option
  • Social Entrepreneurship Option

For non-English majors:

  • English Minor
  • Writing for Career and Community Minor
  • Youth and Children: Texts and Cultures Minor

Check out other options to enhance your degree.

First-Year Courses

You'll have the option to select two of the following courses:

  • Enriched Literary Studies: Elements and Approaches
  • Introduction to Academic Writing
  • Literature and Catastrophe
  • Literature and Crime
  • Literature and Love
  • Literature and the Environment
  • Reading Fiction

In addition, you'll choose 4.0 elective credits in courses that interest you.

Sample First-Year Electives

  • Harry Potter and Medieval Culture
  • Mediterranean Culture and Civilization
  • Modern Standard Arabic

Sample Upper-Year Courses

  • Critical Reading and Writing
  • Gaming and Narrative Theory
  • The Fairy Tale

Similar Programs

Co-op

Co-op is a way to integrate what you are learning in the classroom with practical experience in your field of study. Build your resume, earn money, develop your network, and graduate with work experience.

You can apply for admission to co-op in your first year and may be eligible for an admission interview early in your second year. As a student in this program, you will be eligible to complete paid work terms lasting 12 to 16 weeks.

Interested? Learn more about co-op.

Tuition and Scholarships

Getting a university education is an investment in your future.

At Laurier, we take financial health seriously by providing a wide variety of funding opportunities for you throughout your degree, such as scholarships and bursaries, and by equipping you with the skills to manage your finances effectively in the years to come.

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"Through class discussion, conducting research, and constructing essay arguments, I gained the tools to analyze and contextualize media and texts.... In pursuing work as a film and television editor, as well as a novice screenwriter, a strong understanding of media fundamentals has given me the confidence not only to utilize conventional methods, but also to explore the limits of those conventions in my own work."

Shelley Therrien, English graduate

"From my perspective, a degree in English has been an excellent foundation for the writing skills required in the legal profession. It has taught me attention to detail and a creative writing style that allows me to excel in legal research and writing, including formal submissions and facta."

Devyn Coady, English graduate

Your Career Awaits

Laurier English students have gone on to pursue a wide range of exciting careers in traditional and non-traditional areas. Our alumni stress the importance of writing, communication and analytical skills — command of language is crucial to all fields — and demonstrate how fundamental English and literary studies have been to success in postgraduate education and careers straight out of undergraduate degrees.

Here are just some examples of our graduates' destinations. What’s yours?

Sample Career Options

Note: Additional training and education may be required.

  • advertising agent
  • copy writer/editor
  • digital communications specialist
  • journalist/reporter
  • lawyer
  • marketing manager
  • project coordinator
  • scriptwriter
  • teacher/ESL instructor
  • technical writer

Explore more careers.

Support After Graduation

Alumni for life means that you have access to Career and Employment Support offered at Laurier for your entire career.

Waterloo Campus

The Waterloo campus is tucked into about one city block, so you’re steps away from your classes, food and your new favourite study spot.

There are many ways to tour our Waterloo campus, whether that's on a guided tour with one of our Laurier student ambassadors, on your own using virtual reality, or even on-demand through one of our pre-recorded tours. See our campus spaces and start to picture yourself at Laurier.
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"Immediately after receiving my English degree from Laurier, I began a broadcasting career in Toronto working for a nationally televised network. Being asked to produce scripts specifically for television was a seamless transition for me thanks to the four years spent honing my writing skills and producing essays at Laurier."

Andy Baechler, English graduate

Interested in More Info?

Email chooselaurier@wlu.ca, call 519.884.0710 x3385 or see all contact information.

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