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 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: Literature and Creative Writing
Students interested in a double major in literature and creative writing should contact the English department chairperson, Dr. Donovan Sherman, for additional information about a combined program of study. The double major is 60 credits.
English Departmental Honors
Literature and creative writing majors may qualify for departmental honors by fulfilling the following criteria:
- maintain a 3.67 GPA in the major.
- taking an additional six credits in advanced electives (3000-level or higher for literature, 2000-level or higher for creative writing), for a total of 42 credits, to complete the English major with honors.
- receive "pass with honors" on the English major assessment portfolio.
- including a longer (15-20 page) senior thesis (from ENGL 5011 Senior Seminar for Literature or ENGL 5012 Senior Sem - Creative Writing) in their assessment portfolio (in addition to the paper from an earlier class, see below).
English Major Portfolio Assessment
All English majors should begin keeping an assessment portfolio as soon as they declare their major. The assessment portfolio is to be submitted on Sharepoint in their 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. The assessment portfolio should include:
- two research papers, one from a 2000-level class taken soon after declaring the English major, ideally ENGL 2204 Introduction to Literary Studies; and one from ENGL 5011 Senior Seminar for Literature or ENGL 5012 Senior Sem - Creative Writing; and
- a three-page self-assessment that also includes an assessment of the English major (criteria can be found in Sharepoint).
Transfer students who cannot meet these requirements should consult with the department chair and director of the undergraduate major.
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 three 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.
- ****
Currently, the Creative Writing Senior Seminar is offered only in the spring semester.
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.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| First Semester | Hours | |
| CORE 1001 | University Life | 1 |
| CORE 1101 | Journey of Transformation | 3 |
| ENGL 1201 | Core English I | 3 |
| COST 1500 or COST 1600 |
Foundations in Oral Rhetoric or Speaking and Listening in a Digital and Global Age |
2 |
| MATH 1102 | Mathematical Perspective (Or A&S Requirement ) | 3 |
| AS Core | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| ENGL 1202 | Core English II | 3 |
| AS Core | 3 | |
| AS Core | 3 | |
| AS Core | 3 | |
| General Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Second Year | ||
| First Semester | ||
| ENGL 2103 | American Literature I | 3 |
| ENGL 2204 | Introduction to Literary Studies | 3 |
| ENGL 2111 or ENGL 2112 |
British Literature I or British Literature II |
3 |
| AS Core | 3 | |
| General Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| ENGL 2510 or ENGL 2509 |
Introduction to Poetry Writing or Introduction to Fiction Wrtng |
3 |
| ENGL 2104 | American Literature II | 3 |
| CORE 2101 | Christianity and Cult in Dial. | 3 |
| AS Core | 3 | |
| General Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Third Year | ||
| First Semester | ||
| ENGL 2512 or ENGL 2513 |
Creative Writing-Fiction or Creative Writing-Poetry |
3 |
| AS Core | 3 | |
| AS Core | 3 | |
| CORE 3XXX: Engaging the World | 3 | |
| General Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| ENGL 3621 or ENGL 3622 |
Advanced Fiction Writing or Advanced Poetry Writing |
3 |
| English (ENGL) Advanced Elective | 3 | |
| AS Core | 3 | |
| AS Core | 3 | |
| General Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| First Semester | ||
| ENGL 3414 or ENGL 3516 |
Contemporary Fiction or Contemporary Poetry |
3 |
| English (ENGL) Advanced Elective | 3 | |
| AS Core | 3 | |
| General Elective | 3 | |
| General Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| ENGL 5012 | Senior Sem - Creative Writing | 3 |
| English (ENGL) Advanced Elective | 3 | |
| AS Core | 3 | |
| General Elective | 3 | |
| General Elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
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