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Creative Writing Minors

The application for the sequence-based creative writing minor is available HERE until May 6, 2025.

The department offers two minors in Creative Writing: the Cross-genre Minor in Creative Writing and the Sequence-based Minor in Creative Writing. Both offer experience in reading literary texts and writing critical analysis. Students pursuing either minor will be permitted to pre-register for English department courses.

The cross-genre minor is open to all and can be declared as soon as a single introductory course has been taken. Admission to the creative writing sequence-based minor can be competitive.

If you want to pursue the cross-genre minor:

  1. You can declare the minor after you have completed one of our introductory courses (English 206, English 207, or English 208).
  2. Fill out the form available here to declare the cross-genre minor.
  3. Once you have completed this form, you should e-mail it to the current Director of Undergraduate Studies: Creative Writing. The DUS will then sign the form and submit it to the WCAS Office of Undergraduate Studies on your behalf.

Students must fulfill the following prerequisites before applying to the sequence-based minor:

  1. Be a sophomore, junior, or senior. Freshmen are not eligible to apply. Seniors may apply, provided they plan to continue taking classes the following academic year. 
  2. Take at least one 200-level genre-based creative writing course and be enrolled in another. You must complete the 200-level course in your chosen genre (poetry, fiction, or creative non-fiction) before applying to the minor in that genre. You must also have either completed or be enrolled in another 200-level genre-based course (ENG 206, 207, or 208) by the time you apply. For example, a prospective poetry student must have taken ENG 206 and have taken or be enrolled in either ENG 207 or ENG 208 at the time of application.
  3. Prepare and submit a writing sample. You will need to submit a sample of your writing in your chosen genre with your creative writing application. Students often submit work from their 200-level creative writing classes, and are in fact encouraged to do so. This sample should be 7-15 pages for fiction or creative nonfiction, 4-5 poems for poetry.
  4. Applications close on April 29th, 2024 at 11:59pm. See application site for specific instructions. Students applying in multiple genres must submit an application in each genre in which they're applying.
What is the difference between the two Creative Writing Minors?

The Sequence-based Minor provides an apprenticeship in one genre of writing, and admission is through the same application process as that for the Creative Writing Major. 

The Cross-genre Minor offers students the opportunity to explore all genres of creative writing (poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction) in advanced workshops. It is open to all interested students.

The Weinberg Dean's Office has created electronic major and minor declaration forms, available here. Use this form to declare a Cross-genre Minor.

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Requirements for the Sequence-based Minor in Creative Writing

8 courses, as follows. 
No writing course may be audited or taken pass/fail.

Three Introductory Courses [1]

  • ENG 206 - Reading & Writing Poetry
  • ENG 207 - Reading & Writing Fiction
  • ENG 208 - Reading & Writing Creative Nonfiction

Year-long Writing Sequence [2]
One of the following three credit courses:

  • ENG 393 - Theory & Practice of Poetry 
  • ENG 394 - Theory & Practice of Fiction 
  • ENG 395 - Theory & Practice of Creative Nonfiction

Two 300-level literature classes [3]
These courses must be “pure literature”; that is, courses in which the bulk of the reading is literature and not criticism or theory. They must be selected from English Department offerings ONLY:  

  • One on material written prior to 1830 
  • One on material written after 1830

 

Notes:
[1] The School of Professional Studies also offers courses under the listings English 206, 207, and 208. These courses do not count toward the Sequence-based Minor.

[2] First year students may not apply to the creative writing sequence, even if they complete both pre-requisite classes in the first year.

[3] Students who have completed both parts of either British Literary Traditions (210-1 and 210-2) or American Literary Traditions (270-1 and 270-2) can use these two courses to count as ONE of these literature courses.

Requirements for the Cross-genre Minor in Creative Writing

7 courses, as follows. 
No writing course may be audited or taken pass/fail.

Three Introductory Courses  [1]

  • ENG 206 - Reading & Writing Poetry
  • ENG 207 - Reading & Writing Fiction
  • ENG 208 - Reading & Writing Creative Nonfiction

Any Two Core Courses from the following list
You may take any two of these courses, in any combination, including two in the same genre (ie, two ENG 306s offered during different quarters).

  • Poetry: ENG 306
  • Fiction: ENG 307
  • Creative Nonfiction: ENG 308
  • Mixed-genre: ENG 309

Two 300-level literature classes [2]
These courses must be “pure literature”; that is, courses in which the bulk of the reading is literature and not criticism or theory. They must be selected from English Department offerings ONLY: 

  • One on material written prior to 1830 
  • One on material written after 1830

You may declare any time after you have completed the pre-requisites.

 

Notes:

[1] The School of Professional Studies also offers courses under the listings English 206, 207, and 208. These courses do not count toward the Creative Writing Major.

[2] Students who have completed two parts of either British Literary Traditions (210-1 or 210-2) or American Literary Traditions (270-1 or 270-2) can use these two courses to count as ONE of these literature courses.