Reading critically requires a methodology, a carefully thought-out approach to whatever it is you are reading. That methodology, in turn, needs to be informed by theory, that is, by ideas about how literature works. So any degree in English should include some training in theories and methods; it is even possible to build your degree around the study of literary theory.
If you are interested in ideas about how we approach literature, how literature shapes the world, and the specialized methods and techniques that literary analysis requires, consider including some of the following courses in your degree program:
ENGL 2001H: Critical Practice
ENGL 3400Y/3401H: Darwin and His Publics
ENGL 3600Y/3601H: Theory and Criticism
ENGL 3604Y/3605H: Theories of Race and Ethnicity
ENGL/WMST 3609H: Sick Lit
ENGL/WMST 3700Y/3701H: Writing the Body
ENGL 3707H: Literature and Globalization
ENGL 4600Y/4601H: Advanced Studies in Critical Approaches to Literature
Most graduate programs in English will expect to see at least one course in literary theory on your transcript. So, if you are considering graduate studies, plan to take one of ENGL 3600Y/3601H, ENGL 3604Y/3605H, 4600Y or 4601H.
Other Humanities departments that offer courses in theories and methods include Cultural Studies, Indigenous Studies and Gender and Women's Studies. Consider enriching your English degree with electives chosen from:
CUST 3050Y/3550H Studies in Cultural Theory
PHIL 3010H Philosophy and Literature
INDG 2300Y Introduction to Key Concepts in Issues in Post-Colonial Theory
WMST 2141H Discovering Feminist Thought
For more information about studying theories and methods, contact englishadvice@trentu.ca