The Program in Creative Writing allows undergraduates to work with practicing writers while pursuing a regular liberal arts course of study.  Students develop their writing skills, become familiar with the possibilities of modern poetry and fiction, and gain a special access to the critical understanding of literature through their involvement in the creative process.

Small workshop courses in poetry, fiction and translation are taught by the program faculty, members of the Department of English, and visiting writers.  These courses are limited in enrollment to ensure the benefits of working closely with faculty.  Students begin the creative writing course sequence in either the fall or spring with 201, 202, 203, 204, 205 or 206. (Any creative writing course may be repeated for credit with a different instructor).  Students who have taken two 200- level courses may apply for the 300- level.

Each workshop focuses on one genre only (poetry, fiction or translation).  Workshops meet for two hours weekly and are primarily devoted to the discussion of student work.

All creative writing program courses are graded pass/D/fail, but are not counted in the pass/D/fail budget.

Creative Writing Concentration

Students may earn a certificate in creative writing by successfully completing all requirements listed below.

Certificate Requirements:

•    Students may earn a Certificate in Creative Writing by writing a creative senior thesis (e.g. a novel, a collection of poems or stories, or a translation project) under the direction of Program faculty.

•    Candidates for the Certificate normally take two 200-level courses in creative writing by the end of sophomore year and two 300-level courses by the end of junior year, though a portion of this requirement may be waived in unusual circumstances.   The courses need not be in a single genre; students are encouraged to experiment with kinds of writing new to them.

•    During the spring term of junior year, candidates for the Certificate apply to the Program in Creative Writing for permission to write a creative thesis.  The application consists of a short form and an extensive portfolio of work in the relevant genre.  Successful applicants are assigned an adviser they meet with weekly (poetry, translation) or every other week (fiction) throughout senior year.

•    Accepted students seek the permission from their home departments to use the creative thesis to satisfy departmental thesis requirements.  For students in English Program 4 and Comparative Literature Program D approval is routine, and several other departments have welcomed creative theses, but some students undertake the creative thesis as a "second thesis."  Unlike creative writing workshops, which are p/D/f, theses receive letter grades.  Students who successfully complete the creative thesis will receive a Certificate in Creative Writing in addition to an A. B. in their major.