Department of English
Undergraduate Programs
Whether you are considering a major in English, or study as a part of another Macquarie program, or just looking for something interesting to do, English Department units will offer you a wide range of choices. Formal study of English units begins with reading and considering the stories, poems, films, essays, and so on, which people produce in order to express themselves and their feelings about what it is to be human, and what it means to live in a society and a culture. In this way, the study of English begins with creative work in a very broad sense. We are interested in literature and criticism as products of society - which in turn engage their readers in a dialogue about societies and social practices.
The study of literature extends horizons. It should enable you to approach any book from a wide range of genres, or a film you've never encountered before, and be able to understand where it belongs, what the author was trying to do, and to judge how well it succeeds. In doing that you also engage with some of the big human and cultural ideas, such as how do people live their lives? Very importantly, it asks how writers use language to express these ideas.
Students study English units in a Bachelor of Arts (B.A), Bachelor of Creative Arts, B.A. (Media and Cultural Studies) and the B.A. Dip Ed.
Students may study English as coherent study patterns in:
- English Literature (ENG01)
- English and Cultural Studies (ENG02)
- English Interdisciplinary (ENG03)
- Australian Studies (ENG05)
- English + Modern History (ENG06)
- Performance Drama (ENG07)
English units are also part of coherent study areas in Creative Arts (CRE02, CRE03) and Cultural Studies (CUL04, CUL05, CUL06).
Students studying English begin their study with the English foundation unit, ENGL 120, Approaches to English Literature. This is the prerequisite for most 200 level units in the Department.