Requirements for Creative Writing Concentration
Course Requirements for the Concentration/Minor:
The Creative Writing Concentration/Minor requires a total of seven courses, including:
1. At least four courses in creative writing, only one of which may be at the 200 level, and at least two of which must be advanced workshops, from the following list:
200-level courses:
•ENGL 210: Intro to Creative Writing
•ENGL 211: Creative Writing: Poetry
•ENGL 212: Creative Writing: Fiction
•ThrArt 250: Intro to Playwriting
•ThrArt 275: Intro to Screen and TV Writing
300- and 400-level courses:
•ENGL 300: Intermediate Creative Writing Workshop
•ENGL 301: Advanced Poetry Workshop (may be taken 3 times for credit; enrollment requires permission of the instructor)
•ENGL 302: Advanced Fiction Workshop (may be taken 3 times for credit; enrollment requires permission of the instructor)
•ENGL 306: Advanced Nonfiction Writing
•ENGL 496: Creative Writing Honors I (open only to seniors admitted to Honors
in Creative Writing; counts as advanced workshop)
•ENGL 497: Creative Writing Honors II (open only to students who have completed
ENGL 496)
•ThrArt 251: Playwriting I (counts as 300-level course)
•ThrArt 351: Playwriting II
•Other writing-intensive courses at the 300- or 400-level may qualify as electives, at the discretion of the Director of Creative Writing.
•ENGL 455/456: Independent Study can count for credit towards this requirement only with permission of the Director of Creative Writing.
2. At least three ENGL 300- or ENGL 400-level courses in English, American or Transnational Literature. These three courses also fulfill English Major requirements.
3. A portfolio of creative work reviewed and approved by the Director of Creative Writing.
4. Advising from the Director of Creative Writing.
Students must plan their course of study in consultation with the Director of Creative Writing. Non-English Majors pursuing a Minor in Creative Writing will need assistance with negotiating English course prerequisites and planning an appropriate sequence of Creative Writing courses.
5. Consideration for Honors in Creative Writing.
A small number of seniors are selected each year to pursue Honors in Creative Writing. This year-long program allows the student to create a collection of poems or stories. The program connects each senior student to a faulty member thesis advisor for one-on-one mentoring.
Grade Requirements for the Concentration/Minor:
•Grade requirement: Courses must receive a 'minimum' grade of C- (C minus)
•Pass/Fail restriction: Courses can NOT be taken pass/fail
Residency Requirements for the Concentration/Minor:
•Six courses must be completed “in residence” at UMass Boston.
•One course can be transferred in towards the minor with permission of the
Director of the Undergraduate Major
Director of the Creative Writing Concentration
Nadia Nurhussein; nadia.nurhussein@umb.edu
