Creative Writing Program — The Program
Director
, Assistant Professor
The Program
The Program in Creative Writing is designed for matriculated and non-matriculated students with special interests in writing poems, stories, and novels, and/or plays. The program can be taken independently or in conjunction with other degree programs. It can be completed comfortably in four to six semesters. For matriculated students, successful completion of the program is recorded on official University transcripts. Non-matriculated students receive a certificate of completion.
Requirements and Recommendations
Admission
Although creative writing courses are open to all students (subject, in some cases, to permission of the instructor), the program is designed for those students with special interests in writing. Students seeking further information should consult with the program director.
Requirements
- At least four courses in creative writing, only one of which may be a 200-level course, and at least two of which must meet as workshops, from the following list.
- ENGL 210 (Introduction to Creative Writing)
- ENGL 211 (Writing and Reading Poetry)
- ENGL 212 (Writing and Reading Fiction)
- ENGL 301 (Advanced Poetry Workshop)
- ENGL 302 (Advanced Fiction Workshop)
- ENGL 303 (Creative Writing Workshop)
- ENGL 496 (Creative Writing Honors I)
- ENGL 497 (Creative Writing Honors II)
- THRART 250 (Introduction to Playwriting)
- THRART 251 (Playwriting I)*
- THRART 275 (Introduction to Screen and TV Writing)
- THRART 351 (Playwriting II)
*Counts as a 300-level course. Students are advised to take ENGL 210, 211, or 212 as sophomores, or, if exempted from ENGL 102, as freshmen. Other courses may be taken in any sequence, and ENGL 301, 302 and 303 may be repeated for credit. ENGL 496 and 497 are open only to senior degree students admitted to the Honors in Creative Writing Program.
Students wishing to take more than one creative writing course per semester must receive permission from the instructors involved and the program director.
Students may not take ENGL 455-456 for credit toward this requirement without permission from the program director.
- Three additional literature courses are required. At least two must be genre courses or major author courses, and at least one must be an upper-level course. These courses should, generally, be English courses; but relevant theatre arts and literature-in-translation courses may be allowed, in certain cases, with permission of the program director.
Note: Students majoring in English may count English courses toward both the major and the creative writing program.
- A portfolio of course work must be reviewed and approved by the director of the Creative Writing Program in consultation with members of the creative writing faculty.
Honors in Creative Writing
A few outstanding seniors are invited to work for honors in creative writing by completing an intensive workshop with the director of creative writing in the fall, and working with an individual faculty advisor on a collection of poetry, fiction, or drama in the spring. Requirements for admission are a 3.0 cumulative average, a 3.5 average in English and creative writing courses prior to the fall, and approval by a committee of creative writing faculty. Qualified students should see the Director of the Creative Writing Program in April for details.
Transfer Credit Policy
With the permission of a program director, up to two courses taken at another college or university may be applied toward completion of the program.
Information
Further information is available from the Office of Creative Writing (617.287.6761) or the English Department (617.287.6700).