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English and Cultural Studies

Do you want to leave a good impression on people? Do you want to be able to persuade them to understand your perspective and motivate action? Then, you need to learn how to articulate your thoughts – regardless of whether you’re speaking or writing.

English and Cultural Studies looks at the importance of storytelling to human life and culture. This new program will enhance your ability to empathize with diverse narratives, as well as sculpt your own in ways that influence people and positive change.

English and Cultural Studies Brochure

Stories

Studying English has led our alumni to inspire greatness with their mastery of comprehension, creative and critical thinking and communication. Learn where their unparalleled grasp of linguistics and literature have taken them, and start to imagine what you can achieve when you know how to motivate others to action through persuasive reasoning and empathy-building. 

  • The Liberal Arts help you contextualize all these challenges within our past, present and future, which reinforces how we look at the world and how able we will be to change it.
    Natalie Cross
    Double Major in Political Science and English
  • The practice of medicine is not about cells. It's about human beings and that, above all else, is what the Liberal Arts teaches you to understand
    Don Melady, BA'81 English
    Physician, Mount Sinai Hospital
    Read More
  • Huron gave me competence academically and socially. My education taught me how to communicate with people from all walks of life, including those in positions of authority
    Taylor Harris
    From Huron to Cambridge
    Read More

Program Options

English & Cultural Studies gives students the opportunity to engage with unique works of literature across a diverse array of platforms. While looking back through time at significant historical, political and cultural events, students will be learning critical skills for the modern workplace. From intensive research through to the capacity for confident and influential public speaking, English & Cultural Studies graduates are well-prepared to be Leaders with Heart in corporate, community and government sectors. 

Learn what your time at Huron will look like, as you explore the authors and narratives that have changed, and are continuing to transform, our incredibly complex world.

Honors Specialization
Specialization
Major
Minor
English for Teachers

Do you dream about inspiring a love of English culture and literature in the next generation of Leaders with Heart? If you're considering becoming a teacher who is able to support their students to think critically, produce creative arguments and recognize the relevance of thematic patterns that may form the basis of potent arguments, explore your potential to change lives with the power of transformational narratives. 

Learn more about the English for Teachers minor.

Contemporary English Literature

Study literature with a focus on those works generally produced after World War I. Look at how contemporary literature re-imagines history, genre and identity, and draw comparisons and connections to the ways we currently analyze and depict our circumstances. Learn to sharpen and raise your voice to tell your own story in ways that inspire understanding, relationship-building and the achievement of your personal and professional goals.

Pair this minor with another focus in the Liberal Arts; theology or Management & Organizational Studies to gain a fulsome set of skills that will prepare you to be a great asset to any team or industry.

Learn more about the Contemporary English Literature Minor. 

English and Cultural Studies

Study the most valued literature in English alongside cultural works that lie beyond traditionally celebrated authors. Engage with popular culture such as young adult fiction, digital writing, graphic novels, lyrics, comic books, and film.

Take advantage of the opportunity to explore what constitutes "English" literature, as you examine global literatures and narratives in the English language alongside those from the U.K., Ireland, and North America.

Learn more about the following program offerings in English and Cultural Studies:

Honors Specialization

Combined Honors Specialization Faculty of Arts and Social Science at Huron/HBA

Specialization

Major 

Minor

Professors

Our English & Cultural Studies professors are exceptionally passionate about their course material, and they want to share their excitement about storytelling with you. That's why, this department prioritizes their relationships with students and ensures they are able to nurture talents and interests by providing individualized support. Learn about the educators who will guide you along the journey from timeless literary works through to modern articles and analyzes that speak to the challenges, opportunities and adventures that define humanity and our relationship with the world. 

  • I profoundly believe in the value of a radical pedagogy. For me, this kind of teaching means that I seek to go beyond the practice of simply offering my students some kind of knowledge but that I challenge what they have come to understand as knowledge, or what is normal, or natural, or to be expected in the course of their lives ...
    Teresa Hubel, PhD
    Full Professor, English and Cultural Studies
    Read More
  • What is the goal of your teaching? ie. My teaching aims to inspire students to confront and actively respond to the critical problems raised in the works I teach while also encouraging them to find creative outputs (e.g. performance, digital design) to express these views
    Scott Schofield, PhD
    Assistant Professor, English & Cultural Studies
  • I hope to help students better understand the stories through which they make sense of the world, introduce them to new stories, and communicate their knowledge more effectively
    Neil Brooks, PhD
    Associate Professor, English and Cultural Studies
    Read More
  • My teaching aims to explore the meaning and purpose of human culture, through a close study of historical and contemporary cultural forms, in both traditional and contemporary media
    John Vanderheide, PhD
    Assistant Professor, English and Cultural Studies
    Read More

English and Cultural Studies Department

Tenure-stream

  • Dr. Neil Brooks, Chair and Associate Professor, 519.438.7224 ext. 240, Rm V123, nbrooks@huron.uwo.ca
  • Dr. Teresa Hubel, Full Professor, 519.438.7224 ext. 219, Rm A306, tdhubel@huron.uwo.ca
  • Dr. Scott Schofield, Associate Professor, 519.438.7224 ext. 221, Rm V129, sschofi4@uwo.ca
  • Dr. John Vanderheide, Associate Professor, 519.438.7224 ext. 607, Rm A203, jvande29@huron.uwo.ca

Program sessional and per course instructors 

Professors Emeriti 

English and Cultural Studies Course Intro

Storytelling is an ancient art that has helped preserve valuable human narratives that continue to hold significant relevance and meaning - even amidst today's digitally-focused generation. Narratives of love, loss, struggle and perseverance ring as true for audiences today, as they did when performed under the direction of the Bard and the reign of Elizabeth I. As a student within the English & Cultural Studies program, you will learn to recognize these powerful themes and derive meaning from their analysis that can be applied to support your personal and professional growth.

Huron's English & Cultural Studies courses are as diverse as they are intriguing and challenging. Choose the topics that most interest you, and prepare to become submersed in a world of inward and outward reflection that will strengthen your understanding of history, culture, and most importantly, what makes us human. 

After your first year, you can explore issues such as: reading literature since the digital turn, from heroes to superheroes, African-American social movements, music in culture, women’s literature, film and popular culture, indigenous literature, popular culture and film, creative writing.

2020-2021 Courses
Course Course Description Instructor Course Outline
ENG 1027F – The Storyteller's Art I: Introduction to Narrative View description Mioc View course outline
ENG 1028G – The Storyteller's Art II: Topics in Narrative View description Mioc View course outline
ENG 1042E – Literature and Cultural Representations View 550 / 551 / 552 Di Ponio/ Blanchette / Pearson View 550 / 551 / 552
ENG 2028G  – Topics in Literature and Film View description Mioc View course outline
ENG 2033E  – Children's Literature View description Hartley View course outline
ENG 2228F  – Literary and Cultural Texts: Pre –1700 View description Di Ponio View course outline
ENG 2229G  – Literary and Cultural Texts: 1700 –1900 View description Donaldson View course outline
ENG 2230F – Studies in Poetics View description Brooks View course outline
ENG 2265F  – Introduction to Theory View description Sandhar View course outline
ENG 2306G  – Renaissance Literature View description Di Ponio View course outline
ENG 2316F  – Topics in 18th Century Literature View description Hubel View course outline
ENG 2326F  – Topics in Victorian Literature View description Donaldson View course outline
ENG 2356F – Topics in 20th Century Canadian Literature View description Komorowski View course outline
ENG 2715G  – Women & Literature: Special Topics View description Pearson View course outline
ENG 2824F  – Special Topics in Cultural Studies View description Mioc View course outline
ENG 2825E  – Special Topics in Cultural Studies View description Sunder View course outline
ENG 3265G  – Advanced Theory View description Pearson View course outline
ENG 3771E  – Genres/Forms/Modes View description Di Ponio View course outline
ENG 3999F  – Creative Writing View description King View course outline
ENG 4871F  – Seminar in Literary Studies View description Brooks View course outline
ENG 4881G  – Seminar in Literary Studies View description Hubel View course outline
2019-2020 Courses
Course Instructor Course Outline
ENG 1027F – The Storyteller's Art I: Introduction to Narrative Vanderheide/ Donaldson 550 outline/ 551 outline
ENG 1028G – The Storyteller's Art II: Topics in Narrative Mioc/Di Ponio 550 outline/ 551 outline
ENG 1042E – Literature and Cultural Representations Schofield/Di Ponio 550 outline/ 551 outline
ENG 2027G Literature and Film Mioc View course outline
ENG 2230F – Studies in Poetics Brooks View course outline
ENG 2265F  – Introduction to Theory Di Ponio View course outline
ENG 2326G – Topics in Victorian Literature Donaldson View course outline
ENG 2356G – Topics in 20 Century Canadian Literature in English Robinet View course outline
ENG 2363F – Topics in World Literature Written in English Hubel View course outline
ENG 2470F – Canadian Drama Di Ponio View course outline
ENG 2550F – Special Topics: Young Adult Fiction Mioc View course outline
ENG 2695E – Backgrounds & Foundations Schofield View course outline
ENG 2705G – Special Topics: Women & Literature Hubel View course outline
ENG 2735F – Children's Culture and Literature: 1950's to the Present Di Ponio View course outline
ENG 3333E – Experiential Engagement with 
Literature and Culture: Forms of Adaptation a Critical Making Course		 Vanderheide/ Schofield  View course outline
ENG 3771E  – Genres/Forms/Modes Vanderheide View course outline
ENG 4572F – Literature of the Canada/ US Border Brooks View course outline
ENG 4851G – Music in Literature and Culture Vanderheide View course outline
2018-2019 Courses

 

Course Instructor Course Outline
ENG 1027F – The Storyteller's Art I: Introduction to Narrative Mioc 550 outline/ 551 outline
ENG 1028G – The Storyteller's Art II: Topics in Narrative Donaldson/Mioc 550 outline/ 551 outline
ENG 1042E – Literature and Cultural Representations Schofield/Vanderheide 550 outline/ 551 outline
ENG 2028G  – Topics in Literature and Film Di Ponio View course outline
ENG 2229G  – Literary and Cultural Texts: 1700 –1900 Donaldson View course outline
ENG 2230F – Studies in Poetics Brooks View course outline
ENG 2265F  – Introduction to Theory Di Ponio View course outline
ENG 2335G – British Literature since 1945: Major Authors Di Ponio View course outline 
ENG 2346F – American Coming of Age Novels and Films Since the Second World War Brooks View course outline 
ENG 2361E – World Literature Written in English Hubel View course outline
ENG 2372F – Shakespeare Schofield View course outline 
ENG 2551F – Gord Downie, The Tragically Hip, and Canadian Identity Robinet View course outline
ENG 2735G – Children's Culture and Literature DiPonio View course outline 
ENG 2824G – Heroes and Superheroes Mioc View course outline
ENG 3265G  – Advanced Theory Vanderheide  View course outline
ENG 3333E – Experiential Engagement with 
Literature and Culture: Forms of Adaptation a Critical Making Course		 Vanderheide/ Schofield  View course outline
ENG 4851F – 4th Year Seminar in Literary Studies: Creative Indigeneity: Indigenous Literature, Popular Culture, and Film from the Settler Colonies Hubel View course outline
ENG 4871G – 4th Year Seminar in Literary Studies: Version Control: Process, Variation and Flux in Literary Authorship Schofield View course outline
2017-2018 Courses

 

Course Instructor Course Outline
ENG 1027F – The Storyteller's Art I: Introduction to Narrative Schofield / Mioc 550 outline / 551 outline
ENG 1028G – The Storyteller's Art II: Topics in Narrative Donaldson/ Mioc 550 outline / 551outline
ENG 1042E – Literature and Cultural Representations Di Ponio/ Brooks 550 outline / 551 outline
ENG 2028G  – Topics in Literature and Film: Queer Futurity Intersections of Sexuality and Gender King View course outline
ENG 2033E – Children's Literature Herra View course outline
ENG 2230F – Studies in Poetics Brooks View course outline
ENG 2265F  – Introduction to Theory King View course outline
ENG 2306F – 17th Century Literature and Culture Di Ponio View course outline
ENG 2323F – Topics in Romantic Literature Donaldson View course outline
ENG 2325G – Victorian Literature: Major Authors "Global Victorians" King View course outline
ENG 2354E – Canadian Literature in English since 1914 Robinet View course outline
ENG 2695E – Backgrounds and Foundations in English Studies Schofield View course outline
ENG 2705F – Women and Literature: Special Topics: Indigenous Women & Orality Brunette View course outline
ENG 2824G – Special Topics in Cultural Studies: Cultures of Protest Herra View course outline
ENG 3265G – Advanced Theory: The Affective Turn: Literature Culture and Emotion Vanderheide View course outline
ENG 3333E – Experiential Engagement with 
Literature and Culture: Forms of Adaptation a Critical Making Course		 Vanderheide/ Schofield View course outline
ENG 3771E – Comedy: Cultural Forms, Modes and Genres Vanderheide View course outline
ENG 3913G – Special Topics: Late 20th Century/Contemporary Performance: Avant-Garde Revisited Di Ponio View course outline
ENG 4871F – 4th Year Seminar: African American Artists and Social Movements Brooks View course outline
ENG 4881G – 4th Year Seminar in Literary Studies: Music in Culture Vanderheide View course outline

English and Cultural Studies Careers

The question is not what can you do with an English degree - it's what can't you do! Students who take on the challenging subject matter of English & Culture Studies develop a breadth and depth of skills that catalyze their upward momentum in any number of careers, across countless sectors. Whether you want to pursue graduate studies or build brand awareness for a Fortune 500 company, your skills as a writer, researcher and presenter will set you apart and secure your position as a team leader who is looked to for imagination, empathy and motivational communication.

Where will a degree in English & Cultural Studies take you?
  • Copywriter 
  • Editor or Editorial assistant
  • Teacher
  • Journalist (digital or traditional)
  • Proofreader
  • Content strategist, manager and producer
  • Human resources specialist
  • Librarian 
  • Advertising account executive
  • Lawyer
  • Public relations specialist
  • Marketing communications maven
  • Technical writer and/or editor
  • Web content manager
  • SEO specialist
  • Social media manager
  • Author
  • Corporate communications director
  • Philanthropy/grant writer 
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Find a Mentor

More details

Key Contacts

alt text

Neil Brooks, PhD

Chair, Associate Professor, English and Cultural Studies
519.438.7224 ext. 240
nbrookshuron.uwo.ca
V123
Sahana Mazumder

Sahana Mazumder, MES

Program Assistant, Faculty of Arts and Social Science
519.438.7224 ext. 277
smazumd2uwo.ca
A116

 8:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.                  Monday - Friday