Creative Writing Minors
The department offers two minors in Creative Writing: the Sequence-based Minor in Creative Writing and the Cross-genre 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.
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. A Sequence-based Minor may be declared only after admission to the Creative Writing Program.
The Cross-genre Minor is a more recent addition to the Creative Writing curriculum. Students who would like latitude of choice in exploring all genres in advanced workshops will feel at home in this minor. A student may declare the Cross-genre Minor after having taken two prerequisite courses and one of the "core" courses listed below.
The Weinberg Dean's Office has created electronic major and minor declaration forms, available here. Once you have completed the form, e-mail it to the Director of Creative Writing (DCW). Once signed by the DCW, they will then submit the completed declaration form to the WCAS Office of Undergraduate Studies.
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Requirements for the Sequence-based Minor in Creative Writing
7 courses, as follows.
No writing course may be audited or taken pass/fail.
Two 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
The application is available here. Applications are currently CLOSED.
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.
Two Introductory Courses from the following list [1]
- ENG 206 - Reading & Writing Poetry
- ENG 207 - Reading & Writing Fiction
- ENG 208 - Reading & Writing Creative Nonfiction
Two Core Courses from the following list
These courses must both be in the same genre (i.e. two poetry courses)
- Poetry: ENG 306
- Fiction: ENG 307
- Creative Nonfiction: ENG 308
One Course in a different genre, chosen from the following list
- 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
The application is available here. Applications are currently CLOSED.
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.
