Undergraduate Curriculum

The Undergraduate Curriculum

The following is the undergraduate program which includes the general requirements for a Bachelors of Arts degree in Creative Writing.

OVERVIEW

General Education Core (69-74 hours)

For the University Core Curriculum (42 hours) students should refer to the University Core Curriculum section of this Catalog.

1. Required Creative Writing Courses: (30 hours)

See below for greater detail.

2.      Creative Writing Junior-Senior Block: (12 hours)
         Take a total of four courses selected from the categories below, beginning in junior year, after
         pre-requisites are fulfilled. No more than two may be taken in a single category.

3.      Literature Courses: (3 or 6 hours)
         Choose any four junior or senior-level literature courses (3 courses for those pursuing
         Honors).

4.      Capstone Course: (3 hours)
         Senior Seminar: Focuses on some aspect of literature that is an outgrowth of their study
         within the major. Culminates in a senior paper-not a creative project (see Honors below for the
         creative project). Offered in Spring of the senior year.

*Honors Thesis Sequence Students

After completion of the Creative Writing sequence courses, students may apply for acceptance into the honors thesis program. Requires a 3.0 minimum GPA in the major. If accepted, students will replace one upper-division literature course with an Honors Thesis course, to be taken in their final semester as an undergraduate. They will be required to produce a creative thesis manuscript. Qualified students who are accepted into the honors option may choose to write a thesis in Spanish. The instructor of the Honors Seminar will be the first reader of all theses for that year, and will enlist a second reader for each from the remaining faculty.

CRW 4306 Honors Seminar

*Minor in Creative Writing (18 hours, at least nine in upper-division)

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DETAILED

Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing

The following is the detailed undergraduate program for a Bachelors of Arts degree in Creative Writing.

General Education Core (69-74 hours)

For the University Core Curriculum (42 hours) students should refer to the University Core Curriculum section of this Catalog. For the Liberal Arts General Education Requirements (27-32 hours) students should refer to that section found under the College of Liberal Arts.

Creative Writing

Major Requirements

1. Required Creative Writing Gateway Courses: (6 hours)

CRW 3363 Foundational Techniques (3 hours)

Taken in the sophomore year

Prerequisite for CRW 3362

CRW 3362 Introduction to Creative Writing

Taken in Spring of Sophomore year

Prerequisite for Creative Writing Junior-Senior Block

2. Creative Writing Junior-Senior Block (15 hours)

Take a total of five courses selected from the categories below, beginning in junior year, after pre-requisites are fulfilled. No more than two may be taken in a single category.

CRW 3371 Reading and Writing Fiction

CRW 3372 Reading and Writing Poetry

CRW 3373 Writing and Society

CRW 3374 Narrative Technique

CRW 3375 Poetics

CRW 3376 Teaching Creative Writing

CRW 4301 Playwriting

CRW   4302    Screenwriting
CRW   4303    Non-Fiction
CRW   4304    Literary Translation

CRW 4307 Poetics & Performance

CRW 4308 Oral History, Ethnography & Field Techniques

3. Literature Courses (6 or 3 hours*)

Choose any four junior or senior-level literature courses (3 hours for those pursuing Honors*).

4. Capstone Course (3 hours)

CRW 4305 Senior Seminar

The Senior Seminar focuses on some aspect of literature that is an outgrowth of their study within the major. Culminates in a senior paper-not a creative project (see Honors below for the creative project).

Offered in Spring of the senior year.

* Honors Thesis Sequence Students (3 hours)

Total Major Hours: 36 (sophomore and upper-level)

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vMinor Requirements

*Minor in Creative Writing (18 hours, at least nine in upper-division)

1. Required Creative Writing Courses: (all 3 hours)

CRW 3363 Foundational Techniques

CRW 3362 Introduction to Creative Writing

2. Any four other CRW courses taken from the following list (all 3 hours):

CRW 3371 Reading and Writing Fiction

CRW 3372 Reading and Writing Poetry

CRW 3373 Writing in Society

CRW 3374 Narrative Technique

CRW 3375 Poetics

CRW 3376 Teaching Creative Writing

CRW 4301 Playwriting

CRW 4302 Screenwriting

CRW 4303 Non-Fiction

CRW 4303 Literary Translation

CRW 4305 Senior Seminar

CRW 4307 Poetics & Performance

CRW 4308 Oral History, Ethnography & Field Techniques

Total Minor Hours: 18

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Creative Writing (CRW) COURSES

3362 Introduction to Creative Writing (3-0)

Study and practice of essential techniques of creative writing in at least two genres. Prerequisite: ENGL 2300 with a grade of “C” or better.

3371 Reading and Writing Fiction (3-0)

Intensive study, reading and practice in the various forms and approaches of fiction writing, including workshop discussion and individual student manuscripts. Prerequisite: CRW 3362 with a grade of “C” or better.

3372 Reading and Writing Poetry (3-0)

Intensive study, reading and practice in the various forms and approaches within poetry writing, including workshop discussion and individual student poems. Prerequisite: CRW 3362 with a grade of “C” or better.

3373 Writing in Society (3-0)

Study of the creation of literature and literary movements as responses to historical moments and societal changes, e.g. war poetry, the development of literary magazines, the Harlem Renaissance, the Latin American Boom. Prerequisite: CRW 3362 with a grade of “C” or better.

3374 Narrative Techniques (3-0)

Analysis of techniques, methods, and theories employed in the making of fiction and/or non-fiction. Writings may include critical reflections and short exercises in style. Prerequisite: CRW 3362 with a grade of “C” or better.

3375 Poetics (3-0)

Analysis of techniques, methods, and theories employed in the making of poetry. Writings may include critical reflections and short exercises in style. Prerequisite: CRW 3362 with a grade of “C” or better.

4301 Playwriting (3-0)

Intensive study, reading and practice in the various forms and approaches of playwriting, including workshop discussion of individual student plays. Prerequisite: CRW 3362 with a grade of “C” or better.

4302 Screenwriting (3-0)

Intensive study, reading and practice in various forms and approaches of screenwriting, including workshop discussion of individual student screenplays. Prerequisite: CRW 3362 with a grade of “C” or better.

4303 Non-Fiction (3-0)

Intensive study, reading and practice in the various forms and approaches of non-fiction, including workshop discussion of individual student non-fiction. Prerequisite: CRW 3362 with a grade of “C” or better.

4304 Literary Translation (3-0)

Theoretical consideration, reading and practice in various forms and approaches to literary translation, including individual projects. Prerequisite: CRW 3362 with a grade of “C” or better.

4305 Senior Seminar (3-0)

Small-group focus on a specific literary topic of relevance to creative writers, alongside individual projects leading to a senior research paper. Prerequisite: Department approval.

4306 Honors Seminar (3-0)

Individual creative manuscript projects under the direction and structured guidance of the honors instructor, including weekly meetings with the other seminar students. Prerequisite: Department approval.

4307 Poetics & Performance (3-0)

4308 Oral History, Ethnography & Field Techniques (3-0)