Department of English

Welcome from the Chair of English

Welcome to the Department of English at Ryerson University. We are part of Canada's fastest-growing and most ambitious university, located in the pulsing heart of its largest and most cosmopolitan city. In many ways, Toronto’s cosmopolitanism is Ryerson’s, and likewise our Department’s, all of which is reflected in the variety and vitality of our student body, our faculty members, our course offerings, and our scholarly, research and creative work as individuals. Through the books and articles we write, the scholarly and creative events we host, and the variety of bold projects we undertake, our faculty and students together make up a thriving intellectual community.

At the undergraduate level, we offer a BA in English. Students in this Honours degree take a wide variety of courses aimed at enhancing their creative and research expertise in literature and culture, as well as making relevant hands-on, experiential learning opportunities. In order to prepare them for future directions, we ensure that BA English students can take their literary knowledge, skills, and interests into the community, whether with emphasis on professional development, social justice, or both.  For students who wish to combine literary studies with another discipline, we also offer an English Option and an English Minor.

At the graduate level, we offer an MA in Literatures of Modernity. This distinctive graduate program combines advanced literary studies and innovative research and theoretical perspectives with opportunities for professionally-focused experience in Toronto’s literary and cultural sectors.

For those wishing to study English in the evenings or on a part-time basis, we also have a Certificate in English Literature and Popular Culture that allows students to enhance and refine their communication skills and also the quality of their professional and creative lives.

We are proud of our tradition, which reaches all the way back to the founding of the university, of preparing students with the skills and sensibilities most needed in the workplace, whether locally or globally. These skills and sensibilities are formed by the lively integration of curiosity, creativity and critical thinking and find their expression through engaged reading and writing, and ambitious imagining and creating.

As Chair, I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to the Department of English at Ryerson and invite you to explore our offerings and interests. To learn more about the BA English program, click here. And make sure to check out our upcoming events and creative writing initiatives; and discover what our students have to say about us!

With best wishes,

Professor Randy Boyagoda,
Chair of English