Creative Writing, Minor

The minor in Creative Writing allows students to develop their skills in writing fiction, poetry, and/or creative nonfiction, through an offering of workshops that focus on form, narrative design, and the harnessing of imagination. By practicing the various crafts of imaginative writing, students gain insights into literature, providing a useful adjunct to majors such as English, Theater, and Modern Languages and Literature. Creative writing courses are centered on the workshop, where students share and discuss their work with their peers as they develop a shared set of skills and vocabulary necessary to the writing profession.

Students work directly with our published, award-winning writing faculty, as well as regular Writers in Residence and various authors visiting campus through the Patrick Hayes Writers Series. The Creative Writing minor provides an opportunity for students to develop and hone their writing skills in multiple genres, exploring their craft in wide-ranging introductory courses through more focused upper-level topics courses.

Creative Writing Minor

Before declaring a minor in Creative Writing, a student must have successfully completed at least two 300-level (or higher) creative writing courses.

English majors who choose to do a Creative Writing minor can only count two creative writing courses toward the major, and only two courses total can be counted toward both a major and minor.  The Declaration of Minor form should be signed by the Director of Creative Writing.

Signing up for CRWR courses

The gateway course for the CRWR minor is CRWR 212: Introduction to Creative Writing. It introduces students to writing in multiple genres (poetry, fiction, nonfiction) and to the practices of workshop, and it serves as the prerequisite for 300-level intermediate workshops (CRWR 368, 369, & 372). 

However, if you do not have the CRWR 212 prerequisite and are still interested in taking one of the intermediate workshops, you can seek instructor approval to place the course in your cart during registration. To seek instructor approval send the instructor an email with a writing sample and a request specifying the course and section you seek approval for at least one week prior to the deadline for completing your registration cart. (Please note: Receiving instructor approval does not guarantee a spot in a course; rather, it overrides the requirement for the prerequisite and makes it possible that you can be registered for spot in the course during the registration optimization process.)

400-level courses in CRWR have as a prerequisite related coursework at the 300-level. For example, CRWR 369: Creative Writing: Poetry is the prerequisite for CRWR 469: Advanced Workshop in Poetry Writing.

If you have questions about the Creative Writing minor or classes, reach out to the director of Creative Writing. 

Required Credit Hours: 20

Core Requirements

Two 300 or 400 level literature courses (6-8 credits) are required. The two literature courses can be taken in the English Department, or outside the English Department (for example in a Modern Language) at the discretion of the Director of Creative Writing. 

Other credits toward the minor may be earned in the following courses: