Undergraduate Creative Writing

Creative Writing Option Requirements
Pre-English Major Requirements

To be admitted to any option of the English major, a student must complete a total of 24 credits overall with a minimum 2.5 GPA. These credits must include:

1. Completion of at least nine credits in English (excluding ENEX-composition courses) with a minimum GPA of 2.5 and no grade lower than a C.

2. Completion of 15 additional credits with a minimum of a 2.5 GPA (may include ENEX).

Students who intend to major in English, but who have not yet met the above requirements are admitted to the program as Pre-English majors. Pre-English majors will be assigned an English department advisor.

All transfer students are admitted as Pre-English majors and must meet with an English advisor for review of their transcripts before being admitted to the program.

Before a student can graduate with a major in English, she/he must meet the requirements to become an English major.

Students can pick up Pre-English and English major option advising checklists in the English Department Office, LA 133. New students and transfer students meet with our Advising Director, Laura Wright. Her office is LA 133-C and her phone is (406) 243-6976.

Creative Writing Option Degree Requirements

All English majors with literature or creative writing options must complete a minimum of 42 credits in English.

In addition, all English majors who select literature or creative writing options must complete four semesters of the same foreign language, through the 202-level, or demonstrate equivalent competency on a Foreign Language Placement Exam.

The English Department requires the following courses for majors with a creative writing option: Four courses from ENLT 121L, 222L, 223L, 224L, 225L; ENLT 301; ENLT 320; three 300-level ENLT courses; three upper-division creative writing courses; two English electives; two years of a foreign language.

Important Note:

Entry into 300-400 level Creative Writing classes is by consent of instructor only. Creative Writing majors must submit samples of their work to the instructors of individual classes the week before advising begins in order to be considered for the next semester's workshops. Submission guidelines are posted in the English Department in LA 133.

First Year	Autumn	Spring
ENEX 101 Composition	3	-
ENLT 210A or 211A Introduction to Creative Writing	-	3
ENLT 121L Poetry or ENLT 222L British Literature	-	3
ENLT 223L British Literature	3	-
Foreign language	5	5
Electives or General Education	4	4
Total	15	15

Second Year	Autumn	Spring
ENLT 224L and 225L American Literature	3	3
ENLT 301 Applied Literary Criticism	-	3
ENCR or ENLT Elective	3	-
Foreign language	4	4
Electives or General Education	5	5
Total	15	15

Third Year	Autumn	Spring
ENLT 320 Shakespeare	3	-
Two 300-level ENLT courses	3	3
ENCR 310A or 311A Creative Writing: Fiction or Poetry	(3)	3
Electives or General Education	9	9
Total	15	15

Fourth Year	Autumn	Spring
One 300-level ENLT course	3	-
ENCR 310A, 311A, 410, 411 or 412 Advanced Creative Writing: Fiction, Poetry or Nonfiction	3	3
Electives & General Education	9	12
Total	15	15

Courses

U = for undergraduate credit only, UG = for undergraduate or graduate credit, G = for graduate credit. R after the credit indicates the course may be repeated for credit to the maximum indicated after the R.

Creative Writing classes

U 110 Independent Writing 1 cr. (R-6) Offered autumn and spring. Assistance with personal writing projects through the Writing Laboratory.

U 195 Special Topics Variable cr. (R-6) Offered intermittently. Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics.

U 210A Introduction to Creative Writing: Fiction 3 cr. Offered every term. An introductory writing workshop focused on the reading, discussion, and revision of students' short fiction. Students will also be introduced to models of fiction techniques. No prior experience in writing short fiction required.

U 211A Introduction to Creative Writing: Poetry 3 cr. Offered every term. An introductory writing workshop focused on the reading, discussion, and revision of students' poems. Students also will be introduced to models of poetic techniques. No prior experience in writing poetry required.

U 310A Creative Writing: Fiction 3 cr. (R-6) Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., consent of instr. An intermediate fiction writing workshop. Students will be expected to finish 3 or 4 substantial stories for the course. Although some outside material will be considered, the primary emphasis will be analysis and discussion of student work. Students are expected to have done promising work in ENCR 210A.

U 311A Creative Writing: Poetry 3 cr. (R-6) Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., consent of instr. An intermediate workshop involving critical analysis of students' work-in-progress as well as reading and discussion of poems in an anthology. Numerous directed writing assignments, experiments, exercises focused on technical considerations like diction, rhythm, rhyme, and imagery.

U 395 Special Topics Variable cr. (R-9) Offered intermittently. Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics.

UG 410 Advanced Creative Writing: Fiction Variable cr. (R-6) Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., consent of instr. An advanced writing workshop in which student manuscripts are read and criticized. Rewriting of work already begun (in ENCR 310 classes) will be encouraged.

UG 411 Advanced Creative Writing: Poetry Variable cr. (R-6) Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., Consent of instr. An advanced writing workshop involving critical analysis of students' work-in-progress, as well as reading and discussion of poems by "established" poets. Discussions will focus on structure and stylistic refinement, with emphasis on revision. Different techniques, schools and poetic voices will be encouraged. Frequent individual conferences.

UG 412 Creative Non-Fiction 3 cr. (R-6) Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., ENCR 310A and consent of instr. A creative writing workshop focused primarily on personal essay. Attention given to writing and publishing professional magazine essays. Students complete two substantial essays.

UG 495 Special Topics 1-6 cr. (R-6) Offered spring. Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics.

U 496 Independent Study 1-3 cr. (R-9) Offered every term. Prereq., Consent of instr. and chair, and junior or senior standing. Special projects in creative writing. Only one 496 may be taken per semester.

G 510 Fiction Workshop Variable cr. (R-15) Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., Consent of instr.

G 511 Poetry Workshop Variable cr. (R-15) Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., Consent of instr.

G 512 Nonfiction Workshop Variable cr. (R-15) Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., Consent of instr. A creative writing workshop focused primarily on personal essay. Attention given to writing and publishing professional magazine essays. Students complete two substantial essays.

G 514 Techniques of Modern Fiction Variable cr. (R-6) Offered autumn. Prereq., Consent of instr. Intensive reading of contemporary prose writers. Primarily for graduate students in creative writing.

G 515 Traditional Prosody 3 cr. Offered spring. Prereq., Consent of instr. Intensive practice and readings in prosodic and other poetic techniques.

G 515 Topics in Creative Writing 3 cr. (R-9) Offered autumn and spring. Prereq., graduate standing. Visting writers explore readings in their genres of specialty. Each writer chooses the focus, reading list, and assignments fot the course.

G 595 Special Topics Variable cr. (R-9) Offered intermittently. Experimental offerings of visiting professors, experimental offerings of new courses, or one-time offerings of current topics.

G 596 Graduate Independent Study 1-9 cr. (R-9) Offered every term. Prereq., Consent of instr. And chair. Special projects in creative writing. Only one 596 permitted per semester.

G 599 Thesis Creative Writing Variable cr. (R-10) Offered every term

 

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