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Program Details
As human beings, we understand ourselves and our place in the world through the stories that we tell. In our department, we approach stories as tools for self-reflection and self-understanding, creative thinking and problem solving. Our students learn to think deeply and write clearly in small, supportive and inclusive classes taught by award-winning professors who take pride in the personal attention they give their students. Our students are prepared for living in a complex world by studying the texts that anchor our diverse cultural and intellectual histories, from Beowulf to Bollywood, Jane Austen to comic books, Shakespeare to Indigenous drama.
Students also have the opportunity to apply to study abroad and register in one of two specialized concentrations: Creative Writing and Drama Studies. In collaboration with the School of Linguistics & Language Studies, we offer a minor in Professional Writing.
Exceptional Resources
At Carleton you will have a unique opportunity to study in our innovative Book Arts Lab and learn about how the physical aspects of books — their structure and aesthetics — contribute to their holistic meaning.
Work Experience
A Co-op option allows you to combine your studies with valuable, paid work experience in the nation’s capital. Our Co-op students frequently find employment with the federal government, Ottawa’s high-tech sector or national institutions.
Capital Advantage
Enjoy access to national institutions including the National Arts Centre, the National Gallery of Canada and Library and Archives Canada. Attend a range of literary events, from prestigious national galas to coffeehouse writer circles.
Get started in Carleton360 to receive tailored information on our programs, student services and community.
Program Videos
Program Videos
Career Outcomes
Explore your passions, refine new skills and discover the career that’s right for you.
The English program is designed to develop students’ abilities to analyze texts accurately, contextually and critically, to write clearly and persuasively in a variety of genres and to conduct independent research — skills that are key to your future endeavours in the world beyond university.
Sample Careers
- Advertising
- Arts Programming
- Civil Service
- Communications
- Creative Writing
- Editing
- Education
- Human Resources
- Journalism
- Law
- Library and Information Science
- Market Research
- Marketing
- Media
- Non-Profit Sector
- professional writing
- Public Relations
- Publishing
- Research
- Screenwriting
- Social Media
- Teaching
- Technical Writing
- Writing
Sample Courses
FYSM 1004 - Reading Literatures and Cultures
Introduction to active literary reading skills, focusing on at least three literary genres including poetry, prose, and drama, with attention to literary, social, historical, and political contexts. This course is writing attentive. Strongly recommended for English majors. Consult English Department website for annual topics.
ENGL 4139 - Editing a Literary Magazine
In this experiential learning course students will work collaboratively to design, edit, produce, and publicize issues of a Carleton University literary magazine in digital and/or print formats.
Visit the Undergraduate Calendar to view a comprehensive list of course offerings for this program and discover the exciting things Carleton students are learning in the classroom!
I graduated from Carleton in 2020 with an Honours B.A. in English with a Concentration in Creative Writing. My experience in the Department of English was such a positive one that I stayed for another year to complete an MA in 2021. I then entered a Bachelor of Education program, and I now work full time as a high school English and Drama teacher with the Ottawa Catholic School Board. I chose Carleton because the Creative Writing Concentration gave me the chance to pursue my love of creative writing while also obtaining an English degree. The Department gave me opportunities to perform and publish some of my creative work, contribute to running a literary magazine, and attend workshops and readings by published authors. In the English Department I found a supportive and motivating community of peers and mentors who encouraged me to pursue a career in education. I learned how the study of literature can challenge our ways of thinking about and knowing the world around us, an approach to reading that I am now excited to pass on to my own students. Studying English at Carleton helped me realize my potential as a creative writer, an academic, and a professional.
