BA/BS in English is a bachelor's degree in Literature programme offered by Saint Mary's University in Halifax, Canada. The programme is delivered on campus. Tuition for international students is CAD 3,301 per credit (CAD 920 per credit for local students).
At a glance
Degree:Bachelor's Degree
Field:Literature
Delivery: On Campus
Local tuition: CAD 920 / credit
International tuition: CAD 3,301 / credit
Last reviewed September 2026 ·
Program details
Overview
The Bachelor of Arts in English is offered by Saint Mary's University on its Halifax campus, covering literary genres such as fiction and poetry alongside society, culture, media, and gender studies across historical and contemporary periods. Students can pursue a major in English, minors in English or Creative Writing, or an honours degree; the curriculum combines traditional literary, historical, and genre-based courses with options cross-listed in Atlantic Canada Studies, Linguistics, Irish Studies, and Creative Writing. Sample courses include Introduction to Indigenous Literature and 20th Century European Drama. Instruction is delivered in person at the Robie Street campus, and the program includes a study-abroad option in Stratford-upon-Avon, UK, academic exchanges, visiting authors, and an annual writer-in-residence. The program suits students interested in literary analysis and interdisciplinary humanities study, with graduates going on to fields such as journalism, publishing, law, education, and library science.
Requirements
Minimum GPA:70.00 / %
Admission Requirements: Saint Mary's admits directly from Canadian high school for the English BA, following the university's general Bachelor of Arts requirements rather than a program-specific list: a minimum 70% average with no individual mark below 60%, English 12 academic (or the provincial equivalent, e.g. English 4U in Ontario, English Language Arts 30-1 in Alberta), and four further academic Grade 12 courses; a 70% average across five Grade 11 courses qualifies for early admission. Applicants educated outside an English-language system must meet Saint Mary's English proficiency requirement: IELTS Academic 6.5 with no band below 6.0 (IELTS Online Indicator accepted), TOEFL iBT 83 with no band below 20 (post-January-2026 scale: 4.5 listening, no other band below 4.0), Duolingo English Test 115 with no sub-score below 95, PTE Academic 58, CAEL 60 with no band below 50, Cambridge English 176, or Trinity ISE 96.
Application Details
Application Deadline:Saint Mary's University applies directly, not through a provincial service. For the currently posted cycle, Winter Term 2027 domestic applications close 1 December 2026 and international applications for the same term close 15 October 2026; Entrance Award and Admissions Scholarship consideration requires applying by 15 February 2027. Applications for the following 2027-2028 academic year (Fall 2027 and Winter 2028) opened 1 October 2026, but SMU has not yet published a Fall 2027 closing date for either domestic or international applicants -- the prior cycle's Fall Term domestic deadline was 1 August 2026. Admission is not described as rolling; each term carries a fixed posted deadline, released roughly a year ahead of the term. These are institution-wide dates; this programme publishes no deadline of its own.
