In the 2011 QS World University Rankings, UBC English ranks at 13, ahead of Duke and Cornell. The department has over 60 tenure-track professors, 700 undergraduates and 100 graduate students.

What makes UBC English stand apart?  To borrow from the UBC Arts chant, bigger is better. “There are clusters of people in each branch of literary studies, as opposed to a handful of experts,” said Dr.Echard. “The diversity of study reflects the large range of research supported by UBC.”

UBC English is home to scholars in Canadian, British, American and world literatures in English, as well as to specialists in language. "We've hired most years in the Department, which means there's a constant renewal that isn't typical for most universities. We've kept it healthy and vibrant,” said Dr.Echard.