English - Drama and Theatre Joint Honours Component (B.A.) (36 credits)
Offered by: English (Faculty of Arts)
Degree: Bachelor of Arts; Bachelor of Arts and Science
Program credit weight: 36
Program Description
Students who wish to study at the Honours level in two Arts disciplines may apply to combine Joint Honours program components from two Arts disciplines. For a list of available Joint Honours programs, see "Overview of Programs Offered" and "Joint Honours Programs." Applications to do a Joint Honours program in English and another subject in the Faculty of Arts should be submitted once a minimum of 9 credits, and no more than 18 credits, have been completed in English. There are normally two possible application dates for Joint Honours in English: either by the end of January (by which time first-term courses are completed and the grades are available), or at the same time as the Honours application date, typically in mid-April. (Only students who will have completed more than 18 credits in English by the end of January may apply in the Fall.) The minimum CGPA for application to the Joint Honours program is 3.30. Students with a CGPA lower than 3.3 and at or above 3.0 (but with the requisite 3.5 program GPA) may consult the Director of the Honours program for special permission to apply. Students with a program GPA lower than 3.5 and at or above 3.3 (but with the requisite CGPA of 3.3) may also consult the Director of the Honours program for special permission to apply. The application form is available in the Department's General Office (Arts 155), and the specific submission requirements are described by that form.
The maintenance of a 3.50 program GPA is required for continuation in Joint Honours. Graduation with Joint Honours requires a minimum CGPA of 3.00, a minimum program GPA of 3.50, and a minimum mark of B+ on the Honours Essay. Graduation with First Class Joint Honours in English requires a minimum CGPA of 3.50, a minimum program GPA of 3.70, and a minimum mark of A on the Honours Essay.
Each academic year, there is a special adviser for Joint Honours students, and the receptionist in the General Office can provide their name and contact information. The Department's website http://www.mcgill.ca/english/ provides additional information on the Joint Honours program and applications, and this website should also be consulted prior to contacting the Adviser.
Degree Requirements — B.A. students
To be eligible for a B.A. degree, a student must fulfil all Faculty and program requirements as indicated in Degree Requirements for the Faculty of Arts.
We recommend that students consult an Arts OASIS advisor for degree planning.
Degree Requirements — B.A. & Sc. students
This program is offered as part of a Bachelor of Arts & Science (B.A. & Sc.) degree.
To graduate, students must satisfy both their program requirements and their degree requirements.
- The program requirements (i.e., the specific courses that make up this program) are listed under the Course Tab (above).
- The degree requirements—including the mandatory Foundation program, appropriate degree structure, and any additional components—are outlined on the Degree Requirements page.
Students are responsible for ensuring that this program fits within the overall structure of their degree and that all degree requirements are met. Consult the Degree Planning Guide on the SOUSA website for additional guidance.
Note: For information about Fall 2025 and Winter 2026 course offerings, please check back on May 8, 2025. Until then, the "Terms offered" field will appear blank for most courses while the class schedule is being finalized.
Note: For information about Fall 2025 and Winter 2026 course offerings, please check back on May 8, 2025. Until then, the "Terms offered" field will appear blank for most courses while the class schedule is being finalized.
Required Courses (6 credits)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENGL 230 | Introduction to Theatre Studies. | 3 |
Introduction to Theatre Studies. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to dramatic literature, text analysis, textual and performance theory, and theatre history. | ||
| ENGL 355 | The Poetics of Performance. | 3 |
The Poetics of Performance. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. This course, normally taken in tandem with ENGL 230, examines and tests theories of acting, directing, and design through scene work and practical exercises. | ||
Complementary Courses (30 credits)
30 credits selected as described below. In addition to the 6-credit requirement for Advanced Study described below, all Joint Honours students' programs of study shall include 6 credits of study at the 400 level or above. In addition to the Advanced Study requirement, 3 of the remaining 24 Complementary Course credits must be completed at the 500 level. A maximum of 9 of the 30 credits are allowed at the 200 level, none in the final year of the program.
Advanced Study
6 credits of advanced study, in one of the following two forms A or B, in order of preference:
A) 6 credits of honours essay:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENGL 491D1 | Honours Essay. | 3 |
Honours Essay. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Supervised research essay on an approved topic. | ||
| ENGL 491D2 | Honours Essay. | 3 |
Honours Essay. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Supervised research essay on an approved topic. | ||
OR
B) Two 3-credit 500-level courses selected in consultation with the student's adviser(s).
(In very rare cases, a third alternative may be approved at the discretion of the Joint Honours Adviser, but only when it is formally recommended for the joint subject according to the description of that Joint Honours program found in the Arts section of the Course Catalogue. For example, Joint Honours with Anthropology allows the option of combining 3 credits of essay work with 3 credits in the joint subject to create a joint essay.)
3 credits from the following practice-based courses:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENGL 269 | Introduction to Performance. | 3 |
Introduction to Performance. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The focus of this course is on the actor as communicator, and on those things (material, physical, and textual) which are inescapably central to the theatrical performance. | ||
| ENGL 365 | Costuming for the Theatre 1. | 3 |
Costuming for the Theatre 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to costume-making for the theatre, covering fabrics, textiles and costume decoration. | ||
| ENGL 368 | Stage Scenery and Lighting 1. | 3 |
Stage Scenery and Lighting 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to the technical aspects of stage settings and theatrical lighting. | ||
| ENGL 372 | Stage Scenery and Lighting 2. | 3 |
Stage Scenery and Lighting 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Aspects of stage scenery and theatrical lighting. | ||
| ENGL 377 | Costuming for the Theatre 2. | 3 |
Costuming for the Theatre 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Advanced topics in costume-making for the theatre, including millinery, dyeing, costume breakdown, and silk painting techniques. | ||
| ENGL 396 | Theatre Practicum 1. | 3 |
Theatre Practicum 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Training in acting and other on-stage roles in theatrical performance. | ||
| ENGL 397 | Theatre Practicum 2. | 3 |
Theatre Practicum 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Training in acting and other on-stage roles in theatrical performance. | ||
Theory Courses
3 credits from a list of theory courses:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENGL 317 | Theory of English Studies 1. | 3 |
Theory of English Studies 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Philosophical approaches. | ||
| ENGL 318 | Theory of English Studies 2. | 3 |
Theory of English Studies 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Socio-Historical approaches. | ||
| ENGL 319 | Theory of English Studies 3. | 3 |
Theory of English Studies 3. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Cultural theory now. | ||
| ENGL 322 | Theories of the Text. | 3 |
Theories of the Text. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A course focusing on textuality (as opposed to, say, intentionality and interpretation) and on how specific effects are made - how texts work and produce meaning, including rhetoric and form. | ||
| ENGL 346 | Materiality and Sociology of Text. | 3 |
Materiality and Sociology of Text. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Writing, printing, distribution, marketing, and placement within canon-making institutions; the influence of material forms of production and transmission on the creation and reception of literature, film, and theatre. | ||
| ENGL 352 | Theories of Difference. | 3 |
Theories of Difference. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to a selection of theories that have influenced thinking about difference across the humanities and social sciences, including gender, sexuality, race, class and hierarchical structures, language, religion, ethnicity, and personal identity. | ||
Dramatic Literature
3 credits in Dramatic Literature:
For a list of courses for the current academic year, please consult the Department of English web page http://www.mcgill.ca/english/.
History of the Theatre
3 credits in History of the Theatre:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENGL 306 | Theatre History: Medieval and Early Modern. | 3 |
Theatre History: Medieval and Early Modern. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A study of works of Mediaeval and Tudor drama. | ||
| ENGL 308 | English Renaissance Drama 1. | 3 |
English Renaissance Drama 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An overview of some major authors and issues in English Renaissance Drama. | ||
| ENGL 310 | Restoration and 18th Century Drama. | 3 |
Restoration and 18th Century Drama. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A study of works of Restoration and 18th century drama. | ||
| ENGL 312 | Victorian and Edwardian Drama 1. | 3 |
Victorian and Edwardian Drama 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. | ||
| ENGL 314 | 20th Century Drama. | 3 |
20th Century Drama. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A study of selected representative works in modern drama and theatre. | ||
| ENGL 315 | Shakespeare. | 3 |
Shakespeare. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A study of the major works of Shakespeare. | ||
| ENGL 370 | Theatre History: The Long Eighteenth Century. | 3 |
Theatre History: The Long Eighteenth Century. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A survey of dramatic forms and genres and theatrical practices from the Restoration through the 18th century to the Romantic period. | ||
| ENGL 371 | Theatre History: 19th to 21st Centuries. | 3 |
Theatre History: 19th to 21st Centuries. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. History of predominantly Western theatre practices from circa 1830 to the present. | ||
| ENGL 416 | Studies in Shakespeare. | 3 |
Studies in Shakespeare. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A study of the works of Shakespeare. | ||
| ENGL 444 | Studies in Women Authors. | 3 |
Studies in Women Authors. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Study of a particular topic related to literary, dramatic, or cultural productions by female-identified authors. | ||
| ENGL 467 | Advanced Studies in Theatre History. | 3 |
Advanced Studies in Theatre History. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Advanced study focused on a period or issue in Theatre history. | ||
| ENGL 486 | Special Topics in Theatre History . | 3 |
Special Topics in Theatre History . Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A research seminar on selected topics in theatre history and theatre historiography. | ||
| ENGL 516 | Shakespeare. | 3 |
Shakespeare. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A seminar on the works of Shakespeare. | ||
| ENGL 566 | Special Studies in Drama 1. | 3 |
Special Studies in Drama 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. A seminar on drama. Topic varies by year. | ||
Performance-Oriented Courses
3 credits from the list of Performance-Oriented courses:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENGL 365 | Costuming for the Theatre 1. | 3 |
Costuming for the Theatre 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Introduction to costume-making for the theatre, covering fabrics, textiles and costume decoration. | ||
| ENGL 367 | Acting 2. | 3 |
Acting 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The actor as analyzer of scripts and characters; textual analysis, practice in character development through improvisations, mask work and physical training. | ||
| ENGL 368 | Stage Scenery and Lighting 1. | 3 |
Stage Scenery and Lighting 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. An introduction to the technical aspects of stage settings and theatrical lighting. | ||
| ENGL 372 | Stage Scenery and Lighting 2. | 3 |
Stage Scenery and Lighting 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Aspects of stage scenery and theatrical lighting. | ||
| ENGL 376 | Scene Study. | 3 |
Scene Study. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Scene study for the theatre. | ||
| ENGL 377 | Costuming for the Theatre 2. | 3 |
Costuming for the Theatre 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Advanced topics in costume-making for the theatre, including millinery, dyeing, costume breakdown, and silk painting techniques. | ||
| ENGL 396 | Theatre Practicum 1. | 3 |
Theatre Practicum 1. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Training in acting and other on-stage roles in theatrical performance. | ||
| ENGL 397 | Theatre Practicum 2. | 3 |
Theatre Practicum 2. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Training in acting and other on-stage roles in theatrical performance. | ||
| ENGL 465D1 | Theatre Laboratory. 1 | 4.5 |
Theatre Laboratory. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Workshop in theatre practice and drama interpretation. | ||
| ENGL 465D2 | Theatre Laboratory. 1 | 4.5 |
Theatre Laboratory. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Workshop in theatre practice and drama interpretation. | ||
| ENGL 466D1 | Directing for the Theatre. 2 | 3 |
Directing for the Theatre. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. The direction of a theatrical performance: preparation, casting, rehearsal, and performance are the areas of concentration. | ||
| ENGL 466D2 | Directing for the Theatre. 2 | 3 |
Directing for the Theatre. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. See ENGL 466D1 for course description. | ||
| ENGL 469 | Acting 3. | 3 |
Acting 3. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Advanced training in acting involving study of some of the major European and North American acting theories and practices. | ||
| ENGL 565 | Drama Workshop. | 3 |
Drama Workshop. Terms offered: this course is not currently offered. Practical aspects of theatre studies. | ||
- 1
Note: Spanned credits.
- 2
The amount over 3 credits can be attributed to Departmental Offerings credits.
Departmental Offerings
9 additional credits of English (ENGL) courses, preferably courses at the 300 level or above.