Creative Writing Major (B.A.)
The creative writing major offers students the opportunity to learn the art and craft of poetry and fiction from faculty members who are widely published authors. Seeking a balance between literary scholarship and literary practice, the course of study aims to help students create their own works based on an understanding of the literary tradition. Creative writing majors will complete 36 credits, including Introduction to Literary Studies, 12 credits of creative writing workshops, and four survey courses selected from designated areas. They will also be expected to choose a concentration in either poetry or fiction for their advanced writing classes. Creative writing majors will be prepared for careers in writing, editing, teaching, public relations, law and media. They will also be prepared for master’s degree programs, Master of Fine Arts programs, and doctoral programs in creative writing.
Double Major: English and Creative Writing
Students interested in a double major in English and Creative Writing should contact the English Department Chairperson for additional information about a combined program of study. The double major is 60 credits.
English Departmental Honors
English majors and creative writing majors may qualify for departmental honors by fulfilling the following criteria:
- maintain a 3.33 GPA in the major.
- take an additional 6 credits in advanced electives, for a total of 42 credits, to complete the English major with honors.
- receive a Pass with honors on the English Major Assessment Portfolio.
- senior thesis (from ENGL 5011 Senior Seminar for Literature or ENGL 5012 Senior Sem - Creative Writing) must be included in the Assessment Portfolio (in addition to the two revised papers, see below). Writing majors must include an additional elective paper.
English Major Portfolio Assessment
English majors and creative writing majors should begin keeping an assessment portfolio as soon as they declare their major. The assessment portfolio is to be submitted in the final semester. Portfolios are reviewed by a rotating committee of Department of English faculty. The grading system is pass/fail and appears on the student’s transcript. Pass with honor is reserved for English Departmental Honors students. The assessment portfolio will be submitted through Blackboard. The assessment portfolio should include:
- two research papers reflecting the student’s best work in the English major from two of the advanced elective categories;
- a written self-assessment (criteria can be found in the English Majors Blackboard course); and
- the senior seminar paper if graduating with English Honors.
Writing majors graduating with English Honors must include an additional elective paper.
Major Requirements
To declare a creative writing major, students must have a 2.5 minimum GPA in ENGL 1201 Core English I and ENGL 1202 Core English II, or gain permission of the chair of the Department of English. Core English I and II are prerequisites for all advanced English courses.
Note: ENGL 2103 American Literature I - ENGL 2104 American Literature II can be used toward the Humanities requirement of the College of Arts and Sciences Core Curriculum as well as the requirements of the creative writing major.
Link to College Core requirement.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Introductory Requirements | ||
| ENGL 2103 | American Literature I * | 3 |
| ENGL 2104 | American Literature II * | 3 |
| ENGL 2111 | British Literature I | 3 |
| or ENGL 2112 | British Literature II | |
| ENGL 2204 | Introduction to Literary Studies | 3 |
| Advanced Requirements | ||
| Select one Genre Concentration: | 12 | |
| English Electives | ||
| Select 3 electives; at least one must be a writing course and at least one must be a literature course **,*** | 9 | |
| Senior Seminar | ||
| ENGL 5012 | Senior Sem - Creative Writing **** | 3 |
| Total Hours | 36 | |
- *
Both required; also count for the six-credit sequence in the A&S Humanities core.
- **
Students who take Introduction to Creative Writing may count that as a writing elective.
- ***
Taking an English department version of the university Core III (Engaging the World) requirement will count as a literature elective as well as toward the University Core. A list of these courses can be found in the Writing Majors Blackboard course.
- ****
Currently, the Creative Writing Senior Seminar is offered only in the spring semester.
Successful completion of a Department of English version of CORE 3XXX: Engaging the World will count as a literature elective as well as toward the University Core. A list of these courses can be found in the Writing Majors Blackboard course.
Poetry Concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ENGL 2510 | Introduction to Poetry Writing | 3 |
| ENGL 2513 | Creative Writing-Poetry * | 3 |
| ENGL 3516 | Contemporary Poetry | 3 |
| ENGL 3622 | Advanced Poetry Writing | 3 |
| Total Hours | 12 | |
- *
This course may be taken a second time for credit.
Fiction Concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ENGL 2509 | Introduction to Fiction Wrtng | 3 |
| ENGL 2512 | Creative Writing-Fiction * | 3 |
| ENGL 3414 | Contemporary Fiction | 3 |
| ENGL 3621 | Advanced Fiction Writing | 3 |
| Total Hours | 12 | |
- *
This course may be taken a second time for credit.
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