Creative Writing Minor Requirements (Starting Fall 2025)
These requirements apply to students matriculating at NU in Summer 2025 or later. Students matriculating before that date can also choose to opt into these requirements if desired. Students are not allowed to mix and match old and new minor requirements.
The requirements for the minor prior to fall 2025 can be found HERE.
The application for the sequence-based creative writing minor is available HERE until May 6, 2025.
Declaring the Creative Writing Minor
The creative writing minor has four tracks: poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and cross-genre.
Students in the poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction tracks focus their advanced coursework on a single genre, taking an intensive, yearlong sequence of courses in either poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction. These courses cannot be deferred and must be taken in the same year.
Students in the cross-genre track have more flexibility, choosing among advanced courses in poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and other creative genres. These courses are offered at a variety of times and can be taken in any order.
There are no prerequisites to declaring the cross-genre track within the creative writing minor. Interested students should follow the steps to declaring a minor found HERE. Students who are subsequently admitted to the poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction tracks can simply switch tracks within the minor. Declaring the minor allows students to preregister for up to two English department courses per quarter.
Admission to the poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction tracks is by application only and can be competitive. Students must satisfy the following prerequisites before applying:
- You must be a sophomore, junior, or senior to apply. Freshmen are not eligible to apply. Seniors may apply as long as they plan to continue taking classes the following academic year.
- 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 major or minor track 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.
- Prepare 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.
- Fill out and submit your application here. See application site for specific instructions. Students applying in multiple genres must submit an application for each genre in which they're applying.
The application for the sequence-track creative writing minor is open until May 6, 2025. You can apply HERE.