The Department of English and Film Studies at Wilfrid Laurier University welcomes applications to the following graduate programs for Fall 2024 admission:

• MA in English and Film Studies
• PhD in English and Film Studies.

Graduates from these programs have gone on to careers as professors, librarians, editors, marketing and communications officers, filmmakers and producers, advertising and graphic design specialists, teachers and lawyers. Students appreciate the caring, close-knit community, their efforts to integrate research and teaching, and the high level of individual attention from our faculty. All students in these programs are fully-funded with a combination of TAships and scholarships. Canadian students are encouraged to apply for Ontario Graduate Scholarships and SSHRC.

MA in English and Film Studies

The MA can be completed in an intensive 8-month program (coursework only) or one year (coursework + Professional Skills Practicum; OR coursework + Major Research Paper). Our Professional Skills option provides MA students with direct work experience and practical applications of their skills. Our students have worked in such places as The New Quarterly Journal, Laurier’s Office of Communications and Public Affairs, and for the Grand River Film Festival. The Major Research Paper option involves students working one-on-one with a chosen faculty member in an area of directed research following student interest, completed in the summer term.

MA Student Funding: Students with a minimum average of B+ are guaranteed a competitive funding package averaging $15,000 per year, as well as teaching experience in our first-year introductory courses in English or Film Studies.

PhD in English and Film Studies

The PhD program provides students a unique opportunity to pursue rigorous, specialized research in either Literary Studies or Film Studies, or to take advantage of the rich intellectual and theoretical confluence between the two disciplines. We are deeply committed to the academic and professional development of our students. Students are given the opportunity to professionalize through their teaching, presentations, colloquia, research and assistantships. Areas of strength include Canadian literature, Asian cinema, literature and films of the Asian and South Asian diaspora, feminist and gender theory, Victorian literature, affect and memory studies, popular culture and digital media. Students have access to the Tri-University Library system and an extensive film collection.

PhD Student Funding: Students with a minimum average of A- are guaranteed funding package of $22,000 per year for four years. All students gain teaching experience—both as TAs and primary instructors—and a number will have the opportunity to work as research assistants.

Courses for Next Year:

• EN 600: Research Methods, Theory and Professionalization – Prof. Katherine Bell
• EN 617: Identity Politics in Film – Prof. Jing Jing Chang
• EN 619: From Nickelodeons to Netflix: Approaches to Film History – Prof. Katherine Spring
• EN 638: Youth, Canadian Fiction, and the National Imaginary – Prof. Katherine Bell
• EN 639: Natures Past and Eco Futures – Prof. Jenny Kerber
• EN 644: Aesthetics and Simulation – Prof. Andrea Austin
• EN 648: The Graphic Novel – Prof. Eleanor Ty
• EN 692: Children, Rights, and Representation – Prof. Madelaine Hron
• EN 692: Poetics of “The Troubles” in the Texts of North Ireland – Prof. Tamas Dobozy

For more information, check out our web pages, or contact the Graduate Program Coordinator, Tamas Dobozy, tdobozy@wlu.ca.

The first deadline for scholarships: Jan. 15, 2024