Program overview
The English program at Athabasca University explores a wide range of literary works from diverse genres, countries, and historical periods.
In this program you will do the following:
- analyze forms, styles and ideas of a variety of literary theories, from feminist to post-colonial.
- improve your skills in critical thinking, interpretation, and writing.
- gain a better understanding of the global spread of English, both in language and in literature.
Our courses span a wide range of topics from literary theory to creative writing, and from children’s and world literature to drama. The program has a focus on Canadian literature, and it also includes optional individualized reading and research courses.
Why take the Bachelor of Arts?
The Bachelor of Arts strengthens critical and creative thinking through a broad range of social, political, and cultural studies. The program is designed to
- broaden your perspective on local and global affairs
- encourage community and social involvement
- prepare you for lifelong learning and occupational diversity
Routes and options
The Bachelor of Arts in English is an online degree program, with both a 3-year and a 4-year option. There are no set start dates – you can enrol at any time and register for courses right away.
Bachelor of Arts, English Concentration (3-year online degree)
- A 3-year degree is a well-respected and marketable credential in Canada and the United States.
- It does not provide direct access to graduate-level studies.
- You can extend your 3-year degree to a 4-year degree at a later date, if you wish. Learn more about degree conversion.
Bachelor of Arts, English Major (4-year online degree)
- A 4-year degree fully prepares students for most graduate programs.
- The 4-year BA program allows you to pursue either a double major or a minor.
- Double majors must meet the requirements for both majors, which may restrict course selection or require additional credits above the 120 required for the BA.
- You should talk to an academic advisor about your program and courses if you’re considering a double major.
- To earn a minor you must complete 30 credits in that subject area.
- List of minors
- Anthropology
- Canadian Studies
- French
- Global Studies
- History
- Humanities
- Inclusive Education
- Labour Studies
- Philosophy
- Political Economy
- Political Science
- Psychology
- Public Administration
- Sociology
- Women's and Gender Studies
- AU does not offer an honours BA.
Completion times
Finish the concentration option in 3 years of full-time study, the major option in 4 years, or work at your own pace and take as long as you need. There is no time limit for completion.
How to apply
You can apply to AU online anytime. Once you’ve completed the online application form and paid the one-time general application fee (and transfer credit evaluation fee, if applicable), you’re officially an AU student and can start registering in courses.
Make sure we get your transcripts if you want us to consider your previous post-secondary education for transfer credit.
Transfer and advanced credit
If you have previous post-secondary education or significant life and work experience that relates to this program, you may be eligible for transfer credit or Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR). This could mean fewer courses to get your AU degree. If you transfer credit, you must complete a minimum of 30 credits at AU.
Program requirements
To complete the program you will need to fulfill all the general requirements of the Bachelor of Arts, plus those specific to your major, minor or concentration.
Our program plans can give you an idea of what courses you need to finish this program, and how to plan the order you’ll take them in. If you’re feeling stuck, our academic advisors can help.
Required courses
Detailed information about courses in this program can be accessed using the following links:
Tuition and fees
Once you have paid the initial application fee, tuition is pay-as-you-go for each course registration. Course fees vary depending on your location and other factors.
You can estimate your total program cost by multiplying the cost of a 3-credit course by the number of courses you need to take for the program. Remember that tuition costs may increase each year.
Program learning outcomes
Students who complete this program should be able to do the following:
- Write cogently and persuasively in a variety of modes, using the appropriate form of English for the occasion.
- Exercise critical discernment and employ disciplinary knowledge ethically and systematically to explore and critique oneself and the world.
- Conduct research independently and with scholarly rigour in order to make appropriate and well-reasoned contributions to knowledge within the field.
- Apply the skills of information literacy for the selection and use of authoritative scholarly sources.
- Distinguish textual forms and genres in order to evaluate their functions and facilitate a close reading of a text as a composed artifact.
- Apply original and creative thinking related to the discipline in order to produce compelling and imaginative work.
- Apply knowledge of the discipline’s major bodies of work, theoretical concepts, and interpretive approaches, and recognize diverse forms of knowledge, accounting for accuracy, complexity, and ambiguity.
- Evaluate the social contexts and complexities of literature and language in Canada, including Indigenous and immigrant works, and recognize the multiplicity and global dispersal of "Englishes."
Possible career options
- Writer, technical playwright, novelist, poet
- Journalist
- Editor
- Publisher
- Proofreader
- Copywriter
- Film/television producer
- Civil/foreign service officer
- Project manager
- English as a second language (ESL) teacher
- Researcher
Continuing education
At Athabasca University
At other educational institutions
- graduate programs in English and related disciplines*
- journalism
- library science
- social work
- law
- police studies
- education: bachelor/master
- teaching English as a second language (TESL)
* Some universities will not accept a 3-year degree for admittance into a graduate program. An additional year of study may be required. Entrance requirements vary among educational institutions. It is the students’ responsibility to research the entrance requirements of other universities.