Undergraduate Program FAQ

There is never any guarantees with waitlists, so we recommend having a Plan B in place. The Department of English cannot override the waitlist queue. Due to the the popularity of English courses, they reach their enrollment limits quickly. Spots may become available from time to time as students adjust their schedules. There is also a small time period between the close of the waitlists and the final deadline to add a course. If you check ACORN frequently during this time, and a spot opens up, you can register. 

Students who wish to pursue their education beyond an undergraduate degree are urged to check the requirements of the School or Faculty which they plan to attend. Programs in fields allied to English Language & Literature studies include other Languages and Literatures, Cultural Studies, Gender Studies, Linguistics, Sociology, Anthropology, Philosophy, Journalism, Psychology, Drama, Cinema Studies, Political Science, etc. It is recommended that students planning to do graduate study in English enrol in the Specialist Program in English. Although no specific course is a requirement for graduate school, it should be stressed that graduate programs, including those at the University of Toronto, normally seek students who have a good knowledge of the major literary forms and periods of English literature from Chaucer to the Twentieth Century. Some knowledge of contemporary criticism and theory is also useful. Students seeking detailed information about graduate English Programs offered at the University of Toronto should contact the Department of English Graduate Office. Early each fall, the Department offers a "Going to Graduate School" seminar to provide information and advice to students planning to go on to graduate schools, and it is strongly recommended that potential Graduate Students attend this event.

For detailed information about Letters of Permission and transfer credit, please refer to the Faculty of Arts and Science Letters of Permission web page. Students can also seek advice from their College Registrar's Office as to how transfer credits may apply to their degrees. We encourage students to fulfil their English program requirements with courses offered at St. George campus. Students may also take courses at UTM and UTSC upon receiving approval from the Undergraduate Advisor in advance. All ENG transfer credits, except ENG100H1 and its equivalents, will be accepted toward our programs, and each transfer would specify the program group it fits into, if any.

The Centre for International Experience (CIE) allows Arts & Science students to participate in Canadian and international exchanges while earning credits toward their U of T degree. For information regarding eligibility, destinations, and application procedures, please visit the CIE Learning & Safety Abroad web page.

The Summer Abroad programs administered by Woodsworth College give students the opportunity to take undergraduate degree credit courses for a period of one to two months. For further information visit the Summer Abroad website or contact the Professional and International Programs office at summer.abroad@utoronto.ca. If you are interested in taking a course outside of North America (but not through this summer abroad program), please email foreign.summer@utoronto.ca.

Each college at the University has its own writing centre with trained instructors who teach academic writing. In addition to free workshops and non-credit courses, writing centres offer individual consultation on planning, writing, and revising course assignments. The website Writing at the University of Toronto contains many useful advice files that answer common questions about academic writing, and includes the Writing Centre page with a link to the online system for making appointments.

Students may email geatutoring@gmail.com in order to ask about our Graduate Student Tutors and their hourly fees. For other academic help, please visit the Academic Success Centre.

For English Language Learning: Reading eWriting and Communication Café, visit the English Language Learning website.

Yes, it's possible. You must first apply to the Faculty of Arts & Science as a Non-Degree Student. More information about the application process can be found at How to Apply. Important to note that Non-Degree Students do select courses after Degree students, so it's a good idea to keep a back-up of course options.