English Courses
- 100 level courses
- 200 level courses
- 300 level courses
- All Undergraduate Courses
- All postgraduate courses
General Course Information
- Paths of Study in English (PDF, 105 kB)
- Student Responsibility
- Research and Plagiarism
- Essay Writing Information
- Frequently Asked Questions
Course Advice
As an English major you will be able to choose from a number of key areas as you decide which courses to take. You may decide you want a broad sampling of courses from a variety of periods; on the other hand, you may decide you wish to specialize in a particular area such as New Zealand literature, creative writing, or Anglo-American literature. There is no need to decide right away; some reflection, however, will allow you to lay the groundwork for your future studies even in your first year.
Beginning an English major
It's a very good idea to plan out your major carefully so that you cover the courses you need from the beginning. The only actual requirements for advancing to the 200 level (except courses in Creative Writing) are that you must have completed either one course in English at the 100 level with a B or better, or have completed two courses in English at the 100 level, or have completed any three courses in the College of Arts.
However, there are two courses that provide essential grounding for your future study in English. These are ENGL 102 Introduction to English and ENGL 117 Writing the Academic Essay.
- ENGL 102 focuses on key concepts such as why we read, what narrative is, and how stories have shaped English-speaking cultures. It encourages students to ask why they are studying English and what they hope to understand once they have finished their degrees.
- ENGL 117 teaches students how to write academic essays and focuses on how to form an argument based on one's reading – an essential skill for any subject, and especially for a textually grounded discipline like English.
While ENGL 117 is generally offered each semester, ENGL 102 is usually only available the first semester of the year, so do plan accordingly.
Continuing in the major
As you move into 200 level courses, you will find your classes grow smaller and your responsibilities greater. You will be required to participate more in class discussions, and your ability to read carefully and to make closely reasoned arguments in your essays will be tested more rigorously than in 100 level courses.
To take 300 level courses, you must have completed either one course in English at the 200 level with a B or better, or two courses in English at the 200 level, or any three 200 level courses in the College of Arts. At this level you may decide to specialize in one particular area.
- If you are most interested in New Zealand/Australian literature, you will probably have already taken ENGL 105 New Zealand Literature 1. You will want to be sure to take courses such as ENGL 209 Australian Writing and Culture or ENGL 210 New Zealand Literature 2.
- If you are most interested in Creative Writing, you may want to take courses such as ENGL 220 Short Fiction or ENGL 231 Poetry.
- If you are most interested in Anglo-American literature, you will probably already have taken ENGL 107 Shakespeare or ENGL 109 American literature. At the 200 level, you could take ENGL 203 The Eighteenth-Century Novel or ENGL 243 The Animal in American Popular Culture.
There is, however, absolutely no reason why you should specialize if you decide, as many do, that you are interested in everything!
Third and Fourth Years
Like the second year, the third year will find you in smaller courses with, again, greater expectations not only for your skills in reading, analysis, and writing, but also for your ability to manage your time wisely and to take responsibility for your education. This becomes even more important if you opt for a fourth year, to gain a B.A. English (Honours).
Why do Honours?
If you decide to do an Honours degree, you will find it brings several advantages.
- You will enter the job market with a higher qualification than a B.A.
- You may be considering a research career in your field, and the Honours degree will allow you to take the first steps towards such a career.
- You may take an Honours degree as a first step towards earning an MA or MFA or, possibly, a PhD.
Starting an Honours degree
If you wish to earn an Honours degree, you must have completed seven courses in English, including two at the 300 level and at least another two above the 100 level. If you have taken a course at the 300 level in another subject you may, with the permission of the Programme Coordinator, be admitted to the Honours level with six courses in English, including two at the 300 level and at least another two above the 100 level. In general, students admitted to the Honours level should have earned an average grade of B or better in all their English courses, but special attention will be paid to grades earned at the 300 level.
What do I need to do to earn the Honours degree?
You can either take four 400 level papers, or you may take three papers and write a 10,000-word supervised essay (ENGL 480), a 10,000-word directed writing project (ENGL 442), or a 10,000-word creative writing project (ENGL 481).
Honours students are regarded as similar to American graduate students taking coursework in preparation for writing their MA thesis or PhD dissertation. As an Honours student, you will be expected to be more self-directed than in undergraduate work. Classes are much smaller – ranging from three to perhaps a dozen students – and regular attendance is essential. You will be conducting your own research on topics largely of your own choice, and you will be expected to be familiar not only with such basic requirements such as MLA formatting for papers, but also with more advanced issues such as the role of literary theory in the study of English. Generally speaking, you will be assessed on attendance, participation, and one or two large pieces of work.