First-year English is the gateway to brilliant courses in English literature and language, whether you are getting ready for an English major or meeting a degree requirement at the University of British Columbia.
The Department of English Language and Literatures offers an exciting variety of first-year English courses in literature and writing, including a unique course for students who think they might want to major in English.
Most UBC faculties require students to take 3 or 6 credits of first-year English. Check your Faculty requirements before registering to ensure that you are taking the right course(s) for your program.
For Students in the Faculty of Arts
You can choose between four 100-level English courses: ENGL 100, ENGL 110, ENGL 111, and ENGL 140.
ENGL 100 (Reading and Writing About Language and Literatures) is a writing-intensive introduction to language and literary studies through the exploration of texts in their critical and theoretical contexts. Fulfills the first-year component of the Faculty of Arts Writing and Research Requirement. Open only to students in the Faculty of Arts. Recommended for students intending to become English majors. Essays are required. As each section of this course covers different topics and texts, we recommend that you consult the course listings.
ENGL 110 (Approaches to Literature and Culture) is a study of selected examples of literary and cultural expression: examples may include poetry, fiction, drama, life narratives, essays, graphic novels, screenplays, and narrative adaptations in film and other media. Essays are required. As each section of these courses covers different topics and texts, we recommend that you consult the course listings to find a section that aligns with your interests.
ENGL 111 (Approaches to Language and Communication) is a study of selected communication genres from a language-based perspective: examples may include non-fiction, science writing, business discourse, journalism, language of the internet, podcasts, and other media. Essays are required. As each section of these courses covers different topics and texts, we recommend that you consult the course listings to find a section that aligns with your interests.
For Students in Other Faculties
You can choose between two 100-level English courses to fulfill your literature or communications requirement: ENGL 110 or ENGL 111.
First-Year Requirements for English Degrees
Please review the program requirements for each of our undergraduate programs if you are considering taking a major, minor or honours degree in English language, English literature, or English language and literature.
Faculty of Arts English Courses Requirements
As an Arts student, you are required to fulfill the faculty-wide requirements for your degree, as well as the requirements for your specific program. Learn how you can take courses from the Department of English Language and Literatures to complete the Faculty of Arts requirements.
The English Exemption Examination (no longer offered)
Previously, the department offered an “English Exemption Examination” for eligible students. However, we no longer offer this exam. If you have an interest or requirement to take a course in English, we invite you to look at our first-year ENGL listings.
Exchange Students
First-year (100-level) courses are not available for exchange students. Please see the Go Global website for more information.
Frequently Asked Questions
Inform yourself about your Faculty's communication requirements and find out which courses are required or recommended for your degree program.
Check the sections and schedules for the first-year English courses being offered in the term(s) for which you are registering
Register for your first-year English course(s) on your registration date. If you would like to register for 6 credits of first-year English in the winter session, be sure to register for one course in term 1 and one course in term 2. You are only permitted to register for one first-year English course per term.
Students may only take 1 100-level English course per term, but can choose to take them in any order they wish. It is recommended that students take these courses during their first year at UBC, as the pattern of registration priority by year-level makes it more difficult for students to register in first-year courses after being promoted out of first year.
If you find that the course you want is full, you may want to consider:
- Switching the order of your courses to see if there might be space in the other term. Remember: you can take First-Year English courses in any order, as long as you only take one at a time.
- Whether a different First-Year English course or format might meet your needs. English 110 and 111 are both options as First-Year courses.
- Confirming with your Faculty’s website or advising office whether they require specific English courses, or if they allow any combination of English courses adding up to the correct number of credits.
- Confirming that you are registering in the correct course.
- Try registering in a waiting list: most students who register in a time-specific waiting list are eventually placed in a course. Our office monitors these waiting lists and will move students into courses as space becomes available (usually in the final week before term begins and during the first week of class).
Remember: students in the Faculty of Arts are required to take ENGL 100 or WRDS 150 to fulfill their Writing Requirement.
Students with an AP English mark of 4 OR 5, a Higher-Level IB English mark of 5, 6, or 7, or an Advanced-Level English literature mark of "B" or "A" from the British system are eligible for advanced credit in first-year English. Advanced credit for AP, IB and British-system Advanced-level courses is assigned by Enrollment Services.
If you receive AP or IB credit, you are eligible to skip over 100-level English courses and jump into our exciting 200-level offerings (though if you are in Arts, you may still have to take a Writing Requirement course in one term, so do double-check!). You’ll need a bit of technical help registering, email english.undergraduate@ubc.ca for registration help!
For further inquiries, please contact the Admissions Office at 604-822-3014 or at admissions.inquiry@ubc.ca. AP, IB and British-system A-level credits are based upon final grades only; predicted grades cannot be considered.