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Laurier’s Master of Arts (MA) in English and Film Studies offers courses and faculty expertise in literature and global cultures, film and media studies, and professional skills. You'll develop your understanding of the discipline, and improve your critical thinking and communication skills through analysis and research.
The Master of Arts (MA) in English and Film Studies may be completed in an intensive eight-month option (course work only) or in a one-year option consisting of course work plus either a Major Research Paper or the Professional Skills Option.
The department offers graduate courses in both English Literature and Film Studies. Each student has the flexibility to choose an area of concentration: either a single focus on English literature or film, or a combined focus on English Literature and Film Studies. Students undertaking the Major Research Paper option also have the opportunity to customize their degree work according to their area of interest under the close supervision of one of our dedicated faculty members. Students undertaking the Professional Skills Option have the opportunity to apply the skills and knowledge acquired during coursework in professional working environments engaged with literature or film.
The MA degree is offered on a full-time or part-time basis. Most full-time students complete the program in two terms (eight months) by choosing the course-work stream, which consists of seven one-term courses and a required course in Research Methods, Theory, and Professional Issues (graded satisfactory/unsatisfactory).
Students who wish to pursue the three-term (12 months) degree may do so either by choosing to write a Major Research Paper under the supervision of a faculty member with the relevant expertise or by taking our new Professional Skills Option in the spring term.
We offer students the opportunity to complete the degree in eight months by choosing the course work option. Students who choose the course work option will complete seven one-term courses and EN600 (Research Methods, Theory and Professional Issues).
Master’s students in English and Film Studies who choose the Major Research Paper (MRP) option are required to take EN600: Research Methods, Theory and Professional Issues), six half-credit courses, and EN695 (Major Research Paper).
Our Professional Skills Option is designed to provide master’s students with a unique opportunity for supervised practical application of studies in English and Film.
In addition to providing direct experience and an opportunity to apply the skills and knowledge acquired through course work in literary and filmic studies, practicum placements bring candidates face to face with concrete situations and professional working environments. This work-integrated learning course is designed to improve students’ employment prospects and labour market outcomes.
Directed Studies courses include working one-on-one with a professor, or taking a 4th year seminar in which course work has been adjusted to graduate level expectations. They are subject to the approval of the Graduate Studies Committee. Proposals for Directed Studies courses for the fall term must be received by Aug. 15; proposals for the winter term must be received by Nov. 15; proposals for the spring/summer term must be received by Feb. 15.
Our research focus is on Gender, Nation and Media. The cross-pollination of literary, film and media studies, combined with our department’s exceptionally strong record of publications and expertise in gender, diaspora and postcolonial studies, makes us particularly well-suited for students wishing to engage with these intersecting fields of specialization.
Ideas relevant to our fields of study include gender, representation, aesthetics, narrative, adaptation, memory, identity and genre. Our faculty has a diverse range of expertise in areas such as global culture, periodical culture, music, memory, animation, gaming, youth culture, ecocriticism, human rights, media history, life writing and diaspora.
Works to be studied may include: fiction, film, poetry, autobiography, drama, graphic narratives, digital and visual media, travelogues and essays.
The program teaches you to apply your critical thinking and communication skills in concrete situations, through practical assignments and projects such as organizing debates and class colloquia, and through producing conference papers, chapbooks, book and film reviews, author interviews, blogs, reports and media releases.
"I made use of many of Laurier's resources over the course of my degree such as the Writing Centre and the Career Centre. However, the most beneficial resources were my professors. Every professor in the department was available and willing to offer advice, discuss research and provide feedback. I felt well supported and at home at Laurier."
Kristen Schiedel (2019). Kristen began her PhD program in English at Dalhousie University in fall 2019. Her project explores the female agency and gothic conventions in contemporary women's writings.
Take the first step in your graduate education and apply to one of our graduate programs. Follow our three-step admission process — we’ll walk you through how to apply and prepare for your first day as a graduate student.
After you have submitted your OUAC application, paid the non-refundable application fee, and Laurier has received your application, you'll receive an email from gradadmissions@wlu.ca advising you to upload the additional required documentation to Laurier’s Online Registration and Information System (LORIS).
Note that the application process and the uploading of supplemental documentation, which includes references, typically takes two weeks. To avoid disappointment, please apply early.
An application for admission to our MA program in English and Film Studies must include:
Visit our Graduate Admissions Toolkit for more information about applying.
Proficiency in written and spoken English is essential to graduate studies at Laurier. Applicants whose language of instruction during their previous postsecondary education was not in English must submit evidence of proficiency in English. If applicable, results from accepted testing services must be uploaded to LORIS.
Questions? Contact Madelaine Hron, graduate coordinator, at mhron@wlu.ca. For general inquiries, contact Joanne Buchan at ENFSGradProgram@wlu.ca or 548.889.4879.
"Laurier's program gave me the flexibility I craved to pursue a variety of literary interests while developing marketable skills and gaining a competitive degree. The interdisciplinary nature of the program and its course-based approach allowed me to explore different areas of research, resulting in a truly fulfilling and challenging experience."
Catherine Brunskill (2017). Catherine works as Marketing, Recruitment and Outreach Officer at Renison University College, affiliated with the University of Waterloo, and volunteers as Publicity Director for The New Quarterly, one of Canada's leading literature magazines.
Our program offers master’s students first-hand teaching experience in the form of teaching assistantships in English or Film Studies courses. We offer our master’s students a highly competitive guaranteed funding package, ranging in value from $14,000 to $19,000.
Students are expected to apply for any financial awards for which they are eligible. Consequently, some students may enter the Master of Arts (MA) program with a SSHRC or OGS award. Students who enter the program with an external award are eligible for an incentive scholarship.
Financial support for students (Canadian and permanent residents) in the MA in English and Film Studies Program is available from several sources, including:
Our department takes great pride in its students’ accomplishments while they are in our program, and also in the productive, successful and fulfilling careers they build with the skills they have acquired in the course of their degree.
Those of our graduates who wish to pursue a career in academia are very successful in winning external awards and scholarships, as well as securing a place as doctoral candidates in the leading PhD programs across the country. Those who pursue careers beyond the academy prove how versatile and highly valued the Master of Arts (MA) in English and Film Studies continues to be in a rapidly changing and increasingly competitive global job market.
Our graduate students have launched successful careers in the publishing industry, education and government, the media and entertainment industry, the information technology sector, law, journalism, the business sector and much more. Graduates find employment in areas that require creativity, writing and oral presentation skills, and research abilities.
ASPIRE is Laurier's professional skills development training program for graduate students. The program helps you craft an individualized, extracurricular learning plan tailored to your professional journey and entry to the workplace.
Learn about the interests and ongoing research of our faculty members. If their research interests you, email the professor directly to set up a meeting. Include information about yourself, your skills, your experience, and why you’re interested in their research.
Sandra Annett
Associate Professor
Undergraduate Advisor, Film Studies
Andrea Austin
Associate Professor
Katherine Bell
Associate Professor
Jing Jing Chang
Associate Professor
Tamas Dobozy
Professor
Philippa Gates
Professor
Madelaine Hron
Associate Professor
Graduate Program Coordinator
Jenny Kerber
Associate Professor
Undergraduate Advisor, English
Russell Kilbourn
Professor
Chair, Department of English and Film Studies
Tanis MacDonald
Professor
Richard Nemesvari
Professor
Mariam Pirbhai
Professor
Markus Poetzsch
Associate Professor
Lynn Shakinovsky
Associate Professor
Katherine Spring
Associate Professor
Undergraduate Advisor, Film Studies
Eleanor Ty
Professor
Robin Waugh
Professor
Kathryn Carter
Professor
Dean: Faculty of Liberal Arts (acting)
Ian MacRae
Associate Professor
Kenneth Paradis
Associate Professor
Lisa Wood
Associate Professor
Program Coordinator, English