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Department of English | Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Simon Fraser University Calendar | Summer 2025

English Honours

Bachelor of Arts

This program is for those with special interest in literature, writing and rhetoric, or creative writing who wish to pursue studies beyond the major program. The honours essay (ENGL 496) allows for independent research and writing on a topic of the student's choice. Students who are planning to enter the honours program are encouraged to consult the Undergraduate Advisor or Undergraduate Chair.

Program Requirements

Students complete 120 units, as specified below. Completion of ENGL 364 is required prior to admission to the honours program.

Lower Division Requirements

Students proposing to enter the honours program will complete the same lower division ENGL courses as English majors (see below). Normally a 3.5 GPA in all Simon Fraser University English courses and a CGPA of 3.0 are required for acceptance and continuance.

Students complete any two 100-division English courses. Such courses may include:

ENGL 111W - Literary Classics in English (3) *
ENGL 112W - Literature Now (3) *
ENGL 113W - Literature and Performance (3) *
ENGL 114W - Language and Purpose (3) *
ENGL 115W - Literature and Culture (3) *
ENGL 199W - Writing to Persuade (3) *

Students also complete any four 200-division English courses. Such courses may include:

ENGL 202 - The Environmental Imagination (3) **
ENGL 204 - Reading Sexuality and Gender (3) **
ENGL 209 - Race, Borders, Empire (3) **
ENGL 210 - Reading and Writing Identities (3) **
ENGL 211 - The Place of the Past (3) **
ENGL 213 - Reading Across Media (3) **
ENGL 214 - History and Principles of Rhetoric (3) **
ENGL 216 - History and Principles of Literary Criticism (3)
ENGL 234 - Metrics and Prosody (3) **
ENGL 272 - Creative Reading (3)

Students wishing to major in English are strongly advised to submit a formal declaration to this effect to the undergraduate advisor upon completing all lower division requirements.

* any one, but not more than one of these courses may be replaced by any three unspecified transfer units in English or in ENGL-Writing

** any one, but not more than one, of these courses may be replaced by any three unspecified 200 division transfer units in English

† strongly recommended for honours students

Upper Division Requirements

English honours students must obtain 48 upper division ENGL units. A minimum of 20 of these units must be at the 400-level, excluding Directed Studies Courses (ENGL 490, 491).

A minimum of four units must be from the following group of courses, focused on Canadian and/or Indigenous Literature:

ENGL 355 - Canadian Literatures (4)
ENGL 360 - Popular Writing by Indigenous Authors (4)
ENGL 431W - Seminar in Indigenous Literatures (4)
ENGL 432W - Seminar in Canadian Literature (4)

Students must complete all of the following courses:

ENGL 364 - Literary Criticism: History, Theory, and Practice (4) ††
ENGL 494 - Honours Research and Methods Seminar (4)
ENGL 496 - Honours Graduating Essay (4)

†† Courses may be taken in advance of (preferred) or concurrent with ENGL 494.

Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Honours Degree Requirements

For all bachelor of arts (BA) honours programs, students complete at least 120 units, which includes

  • at least 60 units that must be completed at Simon Fraser University
  • satisfaction of the writing, quantitative, and breadth requirements
  • students complete at least 60 upper division units, which must include at least 48 units in upper division courses in a Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences honours program; no more than 15 upper division units that have been transferred from another institution can be used toward this requirement
  • at least 60 units (including 21 upper division units) in Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences courses
  • students complete lower division requirements for at least one Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences honours program
  • students are required to achieve an overall cumulative grade point average (CGPA) and upper division CGPA of at least 3.0, and an honours program CGPA and upper division CGPA of at least 3.0

Writing, Quantitative, and Breadth Requirements

Students admitted to Simon Fraser University beginning in the fall 2006 term must meet writing, quantitative and breadth requirements as part of any degree program they may undertake. See Writing, Quantitative, and Breadth Requirements for university-wide information.

WQB Graduation Requirements

A grade of C- or better is required to earn W, Q or B credit

Requirement

Units

Notes
W - Writing

6

Must include at least one upper division course, taken at Simon Fraser University within the student's major subject; two courses (minimum three units each)

Q - Quantitative

6

Q courses may be lower or upper division; two courses (total six units or more)
B - Breadth

18

Designated Breadth

Must be outside the student's major subject, and may be lower or upper division:

Two courses (total six units or more) Social Sciences: B-Soc
Two courses (total six units or more) Humanities: B-Hum
Two courses (total six units or more) Sciences: B-Sci

6

Additional Breadth

Two courses (total six units or more) outside the student's major subject (may or may not be B-designated courses, and will likely help fulfil individual degree program requirements).

Students choosing to complete a joint major, joint honours, double major, two extended minors, an extended minor and a minor, or two minors may satisfy the breadth requirements (designated or not designated) with courses completed in either one or both program areas.

Residency Requirements and Transfer Credit

  • At least half of the program's total units must be earned through Simon Fraser University study.
  • At least two thirds of the program's total upper division units must be earned through Simon Fraser University study.

Elective Courses

In addition to the courses listed above, students should consult an academic advisor to plan the remaining required elective courses.