ucr creative writing minor

Department of Creative Writing

The Department of Creative Writing at UCR offers the only Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing in the University of California system and the MFA in Creative Writing and Writing for the Performing Arts . It is a growing and dynamic program made up entirely of established writers and poets. Courses at UCR are designed for all students in the language arts, and they emphasize developing each student's skills and talents. Through writing fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and/or drama, students examine language and meaning both as practitioners and as readers as they develop and hone essential writing techniques.

Every writer needs to develop a critical sense to augment creative ability. For this reason, the Creative Writing Department offers two types of courses. Workshop courses are seminars that focus on writing and on the discussion of student work. Reading courses for writers focus on aspects of literature presented from a writer's point of view. Frequently, they employ writing in imitation as one of several approaches to understanding the craft of writing. Upper-division workshop courses are offered at the beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels in poetry, nonfiction, and fiction. Several reading courses link two genres such as fiction and poetry, and poetry and drama.

Give to Creative Writing Department

Announcements

Katie Ford 's sequence of poems The Anchoress — set as a monodrama by composer David Serkin Ludwig — was performed this summer at Chamber Music Northwest.

Laila Lalami published the New York Times Magazine cover story “A State of Uncertainty” and was named a Radcliffe Fellow at Harvard for 2023-2024.

Charmaine Craig ’s  My Nemesis  has been published this year by Grove Press.

Thalia Williamson ’s “The Silent Part” was published this summer in Joyland .

Quyen Pham ’s “Such Good Girls” was published this past spring in Room .

Emily Doyle  published “Thursdays for Haru” earlier this year in the Sun.

Tom Lutz 's  1925 A Literary Encyclopedia  is being published by Rare Bird Lit, and his novel  Archipelago  is coming out from Red Hen Press. His essay "Gravy Donuts" was published in Iowa Review .

Reza Aslan 's  An American Martyr in Persia was longlisted for the PEN/Jacqueline Beograd Weld Award.

Allison Benis White won the 2022 Pushcart Prize and the Lucille Medwick Memorial Award.

Allison Hedge Coke  was a 2022  National Book Award finalist for  Look at This Blue ,  a 2023 finalist for  CLMP Firecracker Award  and  ASLE Best Creative Book of the Year .   Look at This Blue , was awarded the  Emory Elliott Book Award  by CHASS Center for Ideas and Society and Hedge Coke was awarded the  2023 Thomas Wolfe Prize & Lecture  by the University of North Carolina and the [http://Thomas Wolfe Endowment Fund]Thomas Wolfe Society in  fall 2023 .

Susan Straight 's  Mecca was a finalist for the Kirkus Prize and named a Top Ten California Book of the Year by the New York Times and one of the best books of 2022 by NPR, the Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times.

Juan Felipe Herrera  was a recent recipient of the Poetry Foundation’s Pegasus Award and the LARB/UCR lifetime achievement award. The Fresno Unified School District named its latest school Juan Felipe Herrera Elementary.

Conversations With Steve Erickson has been published by the University Press of Mississippi as part of a series that includes Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner, James Baldwin, William Burroughs and Toni Morrison.

Employment Opportunities

None at this time.

Statement of Solidarity with the Asian American Pacific Islander Community

We are grieved by the recent killings in Atlanta, as well as by all other anti-Asian bigotry and violence, and stand in solidarity with our AAPI colleagues, students, and, more broadly, all AAPI across the nation. We stand against all anti-AAPI hate crimes, discrimination, and dehumanization, knowing that the group Stop AAPI Hate has reported 3,975 hate incidents against Asian Americans between March 19, 2020 and February 28, 2021.

To take action:

• Educational resources and petitions to sign: HERE .
• Report hate incidents HERE and HERE .
• Attend a bystander intervention training to learn ways to stop anti-Asian American and xenophobic harassment.  [ March 29 at 3 p.m. ] [ April 20 at 2 p.m. ]
• Send a message to elected officials.

To learn more:

• The New Yorker : Ed Park, "Confronting Anti-Asian Discrimination During the Coronavirus Crisis"
• The House Judiciary Committee held a hearing on Discrimination and Violence Against Asian Americans

Statement of Solidarity with Black Lives Matter

We stand in solidarity with Black Lives Matter. The brutal killings of George Floyd in Minnesota, Breonna Taylor in Kentucky, and Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia are part of a pattern of state violence against Black people, which too often remains invisible and unpunished when it is not blamed on the victims themselves.

America’s institutionalized practice of settler colonialism, genocide, slavery, and segregation continues in the form of continued occupation, discrimination, mass incarceration, and racist policing.

The nationwide protests we are witnessing this week are an expression of anger at police violence, a rejection of white supremacy, and a call to our leaders that they live up to the nation's founding proclamation of equality. We demand accountability from the police, disinvestment from law enforcement in favor of education, housing, and community services, and, above all, justice for the victims.

Recognition of Native Lands Statement

We acknowledge that the land on which we gather is the original and traditional territory of Tongva people [ Tongva and Cahuilla people] and within Tongva, Cahuilla, Luiseño & Serrano original lands and contemporary territories.

In the spirit of Rupert and Jeanette Costo’s founding relationship to our campus, we would like to respectfully acknowledge and recognize our responsibility to the original and current caretakers of this land, water and air: the Cahuilla , Tongva , Luiseño , and Serrano peoples and all of their ancestors and descendants, past, present and future. Today this meeting place is home to many Indigenous peoples from all over the world, including UCR faculty, students, and staff, and we are grateful to have the opportunity to live and work on these homelands. Please also visit our university founder's  legacy page, Cahuilla Scholar Rupert Costo ,  California Indian Studies & Scholars Association , UCR's  California Center for Native Nations ,  Native American Student Programs  (NASP), and the page of UCR's  Rupert Costo Chair, Dr. Clifford Trafzer .

Download UCR Native American Student Programs Land Statement

Faculty Publications

Writers Week

College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences

Undergraduate Majors & Minors

M  = Academic minors are also available for these majors. T  = Transfer-selecting major. If applying as a transfer student, specific prerequisite courses must be completed.

• Art (Studio)  T

History of Art

• Art History  M
• Art History/Administrative Studies
• Art History/Religious Studies

Creative Writing

• Creative Writing  M
• Dance  M
• Music  M
• Music and Culture

Theatre, Film, and Digital Production

• Theatre, Film, and Digital Production  M

Comparative Literature and Languages

• Languages and Literatures/Chinese  M
• Languages and Literatures/Classical Studies  M
• Languages and Literatures/Comparative Ancient Civilizations
• Languages and Literatures/Comparative Literature
• Languages and Literatures/French  M
• Languages and Literatures/Germanic Studies  M
• Languages and Literatures/Japanese  M
• Languages and Literatures/Languages
• Languages and Literatures/Russian Studies  M
• Linguistics
• English  M
• Gender and Sexuality Studies
• Sustainability Studies

Hispanic Studies

• Spanish  M
• History  M
• History/Administrative Studies
• History/Law and Society

Media and Cultural Studies

• Media and Cultural Studies  M
• Philosophy  M
• Philosophy/Law and Society

Study of Religion

• Study of Religion  M

Anthropology

• Anthropology  M
• Anthropology/Law and Society 
• Business Economics
• Economics  M T
• Economics/Administrative Studies
• Economics/Law and Society

Ethnic Studies

• African American Studies  M
• Asian American Studies  M
• Chicano Studies  M
• Ethnic Studies  M
• Native American Studies  M

Political Science

• Political Science  M
• Political Science/Administrative Studies
• Political Science/International Affairs
• Political Science/Law and Society
• Political Science/Public Service
• Neuroscience  M T
• Psychology  M T
• Psychology/Law and Society
• Sociology  M
• Sociology/Administrative Studies
• Sociology/Law and Society
• Asian Studies M
• Global Studies M
• Latin American Studies
• Liberal Studies
• Middle East and Islamic Studies M

CHASS Student Affairs

• Undeclared Program
• Feminist Studies
• International Relations
• Labor Studies
• Languages and Literatures/Arabic
• Languages and Literatures/Italian Studies
• Languages and Literatures/Korean
• Law and Society
• Medical and Health Humanities (coming soon)
• Marxist Studies
• Queer Studies
• Speculative Fictions and Cultures of Science
• Southeast Asian Studies
• Urban Studies
• Western American Studies

CHASS Student Academic Affairs

Guiding Your Academic Success

Department of Creative Writing

Academic advising.

3033A Interdisciplinary Building-North https://creativewriting.ucr.edu

Make an Appointment with an advisor

Areas of Study

• Screenwriting and Playwriting
• Literary Analysis

Minimum Criteria to Declare

• Good Academic Standing
• Ability to complete the degree within 216 units
• If upper-division courses have been taken, a minimum upper-division GPA of 2.0
• Completion of all lower-division in the minor and the minor must be declared at least two quarters prior to graduation
• A minimum upper-division minor GPA of 2.0

Requirement Worksheet

Please select the major or minor you are interested in

• Chancellor’s Message

Print Options

2023-24 edition, creative writing, minor.

The Department of English offers a minor in Creative Writing open to undergraduates across the UCI campus, giving them the opportunity to receive instruction and practice in the craft of prose fiction and poetry, and to learn the literary tradition of these art forms in English. The minor consists of workshop courses, writing courses, and literature courses, which serve to provide a foundation for students who wish to pursue creative writing professionally, as well as for those who have an amateur interest in the art.

Majors and non-majors should contact the Department in order to receive further information about its requirements and schedules.

Residence Requirement for the Minor : Four upper-division courses must be completed successfully at UCI. By petition, two of the four may be taken through the UC Education Abroad Program, providing course content is approved in advance by the department undergraduate chair.

• English, B.A.
• English, M.F.A.
• English, Minor
• English, Ph.D.
• Literary Journalism, B.A.
• Literary Journalism, Minor
• Master of English

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2023-2024 Catalogue

A PDF of the entire 2023-2024 catalogue.

MFA in Creative Writing and Writing for the Performing Arts

World-Renowned Faculty & Excellent Funding Opportunities

How to Apply

When to apply.

• Applications are accepted for fall quarter only. 
• Applications for Fall 2024 entry will open around October 1, 2023. The deadline to apply with fellowship consideration will be January 5, 2024. There is no benefit in applying early, as the faculty will not begin review of applications until after January 5.
• If you are submitting your application close to the deadline, please be sure to notify your recommenders well in advance so that they may have their letters ready to submit immediately. Review of applications will begin very shortly after the deadline, and while missing letters of recommendation will not disqualify your application, it may put it at a disadvantage.

To apply for our program,  complete the Graduate Division Application .

You must submit: 

• 10-15 pages of poetry
• A maximum of 25 pages of nonfiction
• A maximum of 20 pages or 5000 words of fiction
• The first act or a maximum of 25 pages of a screenplay or play

Include your writing sample in the Additional Information section at the bottom of the Statement of Purpose/Personal History Statement page in your Graduate Division application.

Transcripts demonstrating a B.A. or B.S. degree from an accredited institution, and transcripts from all other colleges attended. Unofficial transcripts can be uploaded to the "Additional Information" section at the bottom of the Statement of Purpose/Personal History Statement page in the Graduate Division website's application form. If admitted, official transcripts will be required from all colleges attended.

• Three letters of recommendation These letters should be provided by instructors or professional contacts who can speak to your ability to succeed in a rigorous graduate program. When you submit your application, your recommenders will receive an email containing a link to upload their letter. Please give them advance notice so that their letters arrive on time and do not delay the review of your application.   
• A personal history statement  Use the personal history statement to tell us about who you are. Use it to give us a sense of where you come from and what has shaped you, particularly as a writer.  
• A statement of purpose and project proposal  In contrast to the personal history statement's look to the past, the statement of purpose is a look to the future. Tell us why you want to study in our MFA program and what you hope to accomplish with a graduate degree in creative writing. You should write it specifically for this application (it cannot be a copied and pasted resume).  Include your project proposal in your statement of purpose, either within the body of the statement or as a separate section. The project proposal should be a brief description of a full-length book, screenplay or play that you anticipate working on if you are accepted into our program.   
• CV A brief outline of your educational and professional history  
• TOEFL or IELTS scores  If you are an international student and your degree is not from a university where the primary language of instruction is English, you must submit either TOEFL or IELTS scores. More admission information for  international students can be found here .  
• The GRE is not required . 

Fee Waivers

The Graduate Division waives a limited number of application fees for applicants who are experiencing financial distress. Graduate Division typically issues all of its waivers one to two months after applications open in October, so interested applicants should submit a request as early as possible in the application period. Learn how to request a fee waiver . 

The CWPA program is unable to offer fee waivers.

Frequently Asked Questions   

Getting accepted.

While all application materials are important, the Admissions Committee gives the most weight to the writing sample. You must submit a polished, effective writing sample to be considered for admission.

No. The faculty do not review applications until after the January 5 deadline, so applying early offers no advantage.

No. We only accept applications for fall quarter enrollment.

No. GRE scores are not reviewed by the Admissions Committee.

We typically issue offers of admission via phone and/or email by mid-March. Refusals of admission are submitted to the Graduate Division soon after admission offers are made, but it can take some time for the Graduate Division to process the refusals and send the official email notification.

Your Writing Sample

No. The admissions committee cannot consider you for admission if you do not submit a writing sample in the primary genre you wish to study.

For prose submissions, please double-space the manuscript.

Please attach it in the Additional Information section at the bottom of the page where you attach the Statement of Purpose and Personal History Statement.

Transcripts and Letters of Recommendation 

No, but they should be submitted as soon as possible after the deadline. Your application will be accepted and reviewed even if all the letters aren't submitted before faculty begin reviewing applications; however, the lack of letters could put your application at a disadvantage. If you plan to submit an application on or near the deadline, notify your letter writers in advance so that will have the letters ready to upload as soon as you submit your application.

Yes, but we will need a copy of your transcript before we are able to make an offer of admission.

You should submit a current, incomplete transcript from your school at the time you submit your application. If you are offered admission and accept, you will resubmit your transcript after your degree has been posted to it.

Letters of recommendation will only be accepted via electronic submission.

After you submit your online application, each of your letter writers will receive an email with a link through which they can upload their letters of recommendation to your file. It is not possible to submit the letters of recommendation before the application is submitted.

Email spam filters will sometimes cull the automated email, so ask your letter writer to check their junk mail folder. If it isn't there, you can log in and resend the letter request email through the application.

Yes. The online application contains instructions on how to submit letters from Interfolio.

Your Personal History Statement and Project Proposal

Generally speaking, use the personal history statement to tell us about who you are. Use it to give us a sense of where you come from and what has shaped you, particularly as a writer. In contrast to the personal history statement's look to the past, the statement of purpose should be more of a look to the future. Tell us why you want to study in our MFA program and what you hope to accomplish with a graduate degree in creative writing.

The project proposal should be a brief description of a full-length book, screenplay, or play that you anticipate working on if you are accepted to our program. The proposal can be as long or short as it needs to be to adequately describe your project. It can either be embedded in the body of the statement of purpose or included in a separate section.

We have no minimum or maximum length requirements, but one to two pages for each document is standard.

If you choose to type the personal history statement and statement of purpose into the text box provided in the online application, you will be limited to 3000 characters. However, if you upload the documents as a Word doc or PDF, there is no limit.

Visit the UCR Graduate Division  for more information about admission.

Questions? Contact us .

University Writing Program

Our Programs

General Catalog

Creative writing minor.

Students minoring in Creative Writing can take classes in writing fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, screenwriting, and editing/publishing. The Minor in Creative Writing prepares students who seek to publish their creative work in professional venues, and/or pursue graduate study in creative writing. The minor also offers skills useful to students seeking a career in mainstream editing/publishing, as well as other fields in which creative communication is valued: marketing, advertising, nonprofit/political work, and law, among others.

In general, students will not be allowed to major AND minor in English. However, certain exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis. These must be officially approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies in English, in accordance with the following strictly predetermined list of combinations.

The minors the department offers can be grouped into “English” (all literature and writing) and “Linguistics” (Language and Linguistics and TESOL). Students may combine a major/minor in “English” and “Linguistics,” but cannot combine majors/minors from within either of these groups.

Students cannot apply any courses fulfilling major requirements toward the minor. Instead, they must complete 18 units of additional upper-division electives in English for their minor.

Contact Information

122A Frandsen Humanities (775) 784-6689 College of Liberal Arts Advising: ​http://www.unr.edu/liberal-arts/student-resources/academic-advising

I. Program Requirements (18 units)

Students minoring in Creative Writing can take classes in writing fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, screenwriting, and editing/publishing. The Minor in Creative Writing prepares students who seek to publish their creative work in professional venues, and/or pursue graduate study in creative writing. The minor also offers skills useful to students seeking a career in mainstream editing/publishing, as well as other fields in which creative communication is valued: marketing, advertising, nonprofit/political work, law, and etc.

A. Required Courses (6 units)

• ENG 205 - Introduction to Creative Writing (3 units) CO7
• ENG 298 - Writing about Literature (3 units)

B. Select at least four courses from the following (12 units)

• ENG 305 - Intermediate Creative Writing: Fiction I (3 units)
• ENG 306 - Intermediate Creative Writing: Fiction II (3 units)
• ENG 307 - Intermediate Creative Writing: Poetry I (3 units)
• ENG 308 - Intermediate Creative Writing: Poetry II (3 units)
• ENG 309 - Intermediate Creative Writing: Nonfiction (3 units)
• ENG 314 - Screenwriting for Film and Television (3 units)
• ENG 402B - Advanced Creative Writing: Creative Nonfiction (3 units)
• ENG 403A - Advanced Creative Writing: Fiction I (3 units)
• ENG 403B - Advanced Creative Writing: Fiction II (3 units)
• ENG 404A - Advanced Creative Writing: Poetry I (3 units)
• ENG 404B - Advanced Creative Writing: Poetry II (3 units)
• ENG 405A - Professional Editing and Publishing (3 units)
• ENG 407E - Craft and Forms of Creative Writing (3 units)
• ENG 439 - Topics in Creative Writing (3 units)
• ENG 498A - Internship in English (3 units) CO14

• Our History
• Writers House
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• Resources and links
• Introduction to Undergraduate Programs
• Current and previous semester course descriptions
• General Curriculum
• Major in English
• Major in English with Concentration in Film
• Minor in English
• Minor in Film Studies

Minor in Creative Writing

• Admission Requirements
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Writers Resource Center
• Student Profiles
• Scholarships, Prizes, Fellowships
• Careers for English majors
• Undergraduate Alumni
• Graduate Study
• International students
• The English Graduate Student Association (EGSA)
• Graduate Student Publications
• MA in English
• PhD in English
• Writing History and Theory (WHiT) Project Emphasis
• Creative Writing Coursework Practicum
• Theses and Dissertations
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College of Arts and Sciences

Department of english.

The minor in creative writing requires 15 credit hours. Students will take courses in two genres—poetry and fiction—and will be required to have an intro/intermediate sequence in one of those genres (e.g., ENGL 213 and ENGL 303 ).

Requirements:

15 credit hours, which includes the following:

• 9 credit hours in creative writing courses (at least 6 credit hours in one genre)
• 6 credit hours in any 200- or 300-level ENGL courses

Students should take two 200- or 300-level ENGL classes . These courses may be in other disciplines if cross-listed with English (e.g., World Literature). Up to 6 credit hours may count toward either the English major or another minor (but not both).

In addition to the required coursework, students must submit a creative writing portfolio.

(For a downloadable minor declaration form, go here .)

The Portfolio

We require the assembly of a creative writing portfolio as the cornerstone of a student’s academic and post-academic career. It would include

• A selection of the student’s best creative work at CWRU. (Fiction: Two short stories or an excerpt from a novel that have been workshopped in class, between 20-30 pages. Poetry: 15-20 pages that have been workshopped in class.)
• The critical introduction to the creative writing portfolio should be 8-10 pages (double-spaced) in length. It should introduce a reader to the work in the portfolio by framing its major aims, themes, technical strategies, and so on. The introduction is “critical” in the sense that it asks the writer to put her/his work in the context of other writers. The writer should cite 3-5 texts (craft essays, and/or works of fiction or poetry) that have had some bearing on her/his practice. These citations should be done in MLA style, with a corresponding Works Cited at the conclusion of the introduction.

The portfolio should be submitted electronically to both the student’s creative writing minor advisor and Susan Grimm ( [email protected] ) in the department office by the Monday after classes end in the term in which you plan to graduate.

English – Creative Writing Minor

Program at a glance.

• In State Tuition
• Out of State Tuition

Learn more about the cost to attend UCF.

Minor Admission Requirements

Minor requirements, prerequisite courses, university of central florida colleges.

Degree Requirements

Required courses.

• CRW3013 - Creative Writing for English Majors (3)
• CRW3053 - Theory & Practice of Creative Writing (3)

Restricted Electives

• A list of approved restricted elective courses is found in the myKnight audit.
• Please note that students will be allowed to take only one course in each of the below categories. Students wishing to take more workshop courses should consider a double major.
• CRW3120 - Fiction Writing Workshop (3)
• CRW3211 - Creative Nonfiction Writing (3)
• CRW3310 - Poetry Writing Workshop (3)
• CRW3610 - Writing Scripts (3)
• CRW4122 - Advanced Fiction Writing Workshop (3)
• CRW4224 - Advanced Nonfiction Workshop (3)
• CRW4320 - Advanced Poetry Writing Workshop (3)
• CRW4616 - Advanced Scriptwriting Workshop (3)

Restricted Upper Division Electives

• CRW3311 - Readings in Poetry for Creative Writing (3)
• CRW3540 - Literary Magazines (3)
• CRW4114 - History of Prose Style (3)
• CRW4722 - Editing for Creative Writers (3)
• CRW4724 - The Florida Review (3)
• ENC3310 - Magazine Writing I (3)
• ENC4360 - Nature Writing (3)
• LIT3607 - Mad, Bad, and Dangerous: Roles and Images of Writers in Society (3)
• CRW6806C - Teaching Creative Writing (3)
• Any other CRW elective or Special Topics course Credit Hours: 3

Foreign Language Requirements

Grand total credits: 18.

Other Requirements

• A grade of "C" (2.0) or better is required in each course used to satisfy the minor.
• At least 12 hours used in the minor must be earned at UCF within the department.
• No credit by exam (TSD, Military credit) may be used.
• Internship, Co-op, or Independent Study credit cannot be used toward the minor.
• No more than 6 hours of overlap allowed between programs when multiple English programs are declared.

Undergraduate Minor in Creative Writing

The creative writing minor emphasizes the craft of writing and revision and the creation of imaginative literary work via a sequence of multi-­genre courses. It requires close reading and discussion of published works, including completion of a pre-­20th-­century literature class, which provides a foundation in non-­contemporary fiction, nonfiction, and/or poetry.

• UC Berkeley
• Letters & Science

Creative Writing Minor

The Creative Writing Minor Program at the University of California, Berkeley is offered by the Office of Undergraduate and Interdisciplinary Studies in the Division of Undergraduate Studies of the College of Letters and Science. The approved courses students take to satisfy the minor course requirements are offered by over thirty departments on campus. Interested undergraduate students in any major may earn an interdepartmental minor in Creative Writing by completing three approved upper-division creative writing courses and two approved upper-division literature courses from any department that offers them, satisfying the minor requirements, and declaring the minor.

Find out about our Requirements

Announcements.

• Fall 2024 Course List
• Summer 2024 Course List
• Spring 2024 Course List
• Berkeley Holloway Poetry Series – Spring 2024
• UC Berkeley Lunch Poems 2023-24
• Minor Declaration Form – Must declare no later than term before EGT.

Give to Creative Writing

Forms and downloads, student academic advising.

Get in touch

Administrative office.

Laura Demir 235 Evans Hall [email protected]

UGIS Office

231 Evans Hall

The Creative Writing minor is designed for aspiring writers of fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, comics, and many other genres. Students learn to read others’ work and produce their own with attention to cultural and philosophical contexts. As they explore their individual interests in small, workshop-oriented classes, they also gain valuable career competencies and skills necessary to enter multiple graduate programs.

TOTAL MINOR HOURS: 15

Minor Requirements

Courses used to satisfy concentration requirements cannot be used to satisfy minor requirements. Any course appearing in both the Creatuve Writing Minor and the Creative Writing Concentration will be manually removed by your advisor.

Minor Core (9 Credit Hours)

• CRW 3311 - Form and Technique of Poetry Credit(s): 3
• CRW 3111 - Form and Technique of Fiction Credit(s): 3
• CRW 3211 - Form and Technique of Nonfiction Credit(s): 3
• Any major course listed in the Literary Studies concentration including a 2000-level LIT course

Any two of the following:

• CRW 3112 - Fiction I Credit(s): 3
• CRW 3121 - Fiction II Credit(s): 3
• CRW 3212 - Nonfiction I Credit(s): 3
• CRW 3221 - Nonfiction II Credit(s): 3
• CRW 3312 - Poetry I Credit(s): 3
• CRW 3321 - Poetry II Credit(s): 3
• CRW 4930 - Selected Topics in Creative Writing Credit(s): 1-3

GPA Requirements

Grading requirement.

A grade of below C- will not be counted toward fulfilling the minor requirements.

Advising Information - College of Arts and Sciences

Undergraduate Advising Information

The College of Arts & Sciences (CAS) Advising Team provides students with support to create timely graduation plans that will integrate both their academic and professional goals.  Each of our undergraduate programs has dedicated professional advisors with specialized knowledge and understanding of the major requirements, course offerings, undergraduate research, and career opportunities in their field.  Additionally, we have dedicated pre-health and prelaw advisors to help students prepare for admission to professional graduate programs.

CAS Academic Advisor Contact information can be found here: CAS Advisors

To schedule an advising appointment: Advising Appointments

• Creative Writing Programs
• Opportunities
• Prospective Students
• MFA Program Options
• Optional Summer Residency
• How to Write a Novel
• Writing for Video Games
• Communications Support
• Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
• Indigenous Engagement
• Prize for Best New Fiction
• Job Opportunities

The BA Minor in Creative Writing allows you to pursue Creative Writing as a complement to your Major, and to receive a formal qualification in Creative Writing on your transcript.

From the start, you will learn by producing your own original writing, while experienced faculty — all practicing writers themselves – guide you in learning technique and craft.

With the single exception of translation, Minor students work in all the same genres we offer in our Major and graduate programs. We may not offer each genre every year, but our minor students have an unparalleled opportunity to explore Creative Writing in their undergraduate years.

You will benefit from one of the richest and deepest Creative Writing programs to be found anywhere in the world.

Program Requirements

CRWR 200 is foundational for the Minor; with that grounding, you will need to complete a further 9 credits in 200 level CRWR courses (i.e. 12 200 level CRWR credits in total) plus a further 18 credits in 300 level CRWR courses.

Currently, you can follow a path in four genres – poetry, fiction, screenwriting and children’s/YA fiction – that builds from introductory 200 to intermediate 300 and then on to 35* numbered courses. On this path, you build a solid base in technique and craft and then develop your writing in the 35* workshop setting. This is the same classroom environment as in the Major and graduate programs. Workshops (i.e. 35* courses) can be repeated for credit.

Interested in minoring in Creative Writing?

Add a minor to your degree through the student service centre or consult your faculty advising office..

2024-25 University Catalog

Creative writing undergraduate minor.

Creative Writing minors have a wide choice among courses offered in fulfilling the minimum of 18 credits. They are urged, however, to consult with the Director of Undergraduate Studies as early as possible for help in planning a program.

Program Requirements

• 18 credit hours as described below. No more than 6 credits at the 100 level and at least 6 credits at the 300 level or above. 

Programs and courses

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Minor in Creative Writing

Do you have a way with words? A powerful imagination? The Minor In Creative Writing provides an excellent opportunity for students to develop and hone their writing skills while experimenting in a variety of genres and styles. Guided by accomplished experts, students will learn to create, edit, and revise their creative writing in 3 of the following genres: poetry, fiction, creative-non-fiction, writing for stage and screen and graphic fiction and comics.

This program is offered in English only.

The table below includes only the discipline-specific courses. Please refer to the  Academic Regulations  for information on the Honours bachelor's with double major and the Honours bachelor's with major and minor.

Requirements for this program have been modified. Please consult the  2023-2024 calendars  for the previous requirements.

ENG 2105 , ENG 2106 ENG 2124 , ENG 2301 , ENG 2303 , ENG 2304 , ENG 2305 , ENG 2306 , and ENG 2307 cannot count towards this requirement.

ENG 3170 , ENG 3171 , ENG 3180 , ENG 3181 , ENG 3182 , ENG 3303 , ENG 3304 ,  ENG 3305 , ENG 3306 , ENG 3307 , ENG 4397 , ENG 4398 , and ENG 4399 cannot count towards this requirement.

Undergraduate Studies

For more information about undergraduate studies at the University of Ottawa, please refer to your faculty .

Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies

For more information about graduate studies at the University of Ottawa, please refer to your academic unit .

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Course Catalog

Creative writing minor.

for the Undergraduate Minor in Creative Writing

The Creative Writing minor, administered by the Department of English’s Creative Writing Program, is designed to augment majors from all over campus with a program of small workshops (poetry or fiction) and a variety of other writing, literature, and film courses. The result should be the development of a range of analytical and creative skills that will enrich the undergraduate experience and help prepare students for work in any number of fields.

department website: English

Creative writing website: creative writing, department faculty: english faculty, advising: english & creative writing advising, overview of college admissions & requirements: liberal arts & sciences, college website: https://las.illinois.edu, email: [email protected], print options.

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2024-2025 Catalog (PDF)

A copy of the full 2024-2025 catalog.