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

Coronavirus (COVID-19)   information and resources .  

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

University Writing Program

Our Programs

In remembrance of University Writing Program Continuing Lecturer Robert Jones

Ian Terpin | University Communications

Creative Writing Minor

Linda A. Cicero | Stanford News Service

The Creative Writing minor offers a structured environment to explore your writing interests, develop your skills, and receive an introduction to literary forms.

Requirements

• The Creative Writing minor is 6 courses (26-30 units total), compatible with most majors on campus

Fiction into Film

• All courses must be taken for letter grades only
• All courses must be taken as 5 units, with the exception of English 160: Poetry and Poetics, the Short Story Literature course, and the English Literature elective
• Must be a LEC or SEM course
• Must be taken as 3-5 units
• If the course is an English course that is LEC or SEM and is 3-5 units, then it will satisfy this requirement
• If the course is  not  an English course but it is LEC or SEM and is 3-5 units, then submit a Course Substitution for review
• Subject to approval, the English Literature elective course may be taken at another institution
• Workshop courses taken abroad or at other institutions may not count towards the minor

For a full breakdown of the minor's requirements, visit the Stanford Bulletin .

• Any ENGLISH 90 series course
• Any ENGLISH 91 series course
• List of approved courses
• Any ENGLISH 92 series course  (5 units)
• Any ENGLISH 190 series course
• Any ENGLISH 191 series course
• ENGLISH 290: Advanced Fiction Writing
• ENGLISH 291: Advanced Creative Nonfiction
• One elective course in English Literature (3-5 units)

Total Units: 26-30

• Any ENGLISH 92 series course (5 units)
• Any ENGLISH 90 series course
• ENGLISH 160: Poetry and Poetics (3-5 units)
• Any ENGLISH 192 series course
• ENGLISH 292: Advanced Poetry Writing
• ENGLISH 90: Fiction Writing  (5 units)
• ENGLISH 190F: Fiction into Film (5 units)
• ENGLISH 190SW: Screenwriting Intensive (5 units)

How to Declare

Declare the Creative Writing minor no later than the deadline for your application to graduate. To declare, visit the Student page in Axess .

Students may not double-count courses for their major and/or minor requirements.

If pursuing a minor, you must complete a  Major-Minor and Multiple Major Course Approval Form  through the eForms portal in Axess . On the form, indicate which courses you plan to apply toward each major and any minor(s). Our program and your major department will certify your plan of study meets all major and any minor(s) requirements.

Substitutions may be necessary to successfully meet the minor's requirements. To request a substitution for a Creative Writing course, fill out the Course Substitution Form below. The program will notify you once your request is reviewed.

For general information about undergraduate minors, visit the Registrar's website .

Course Substitution Form

• Request Info

• James C. Kirkpatrick Library
• Campus Maps
• University Calendars

Hands-on literary internships

Pleiades Visiting Writers Series

Small class sizes capped at 12 students

Networking opportunities

Some online classes available

What you will study

Whether you’re drawn to popular fiction or slam poetry, graphic novels or creative non-fiction, you can explore any written form of expression at the University of Central Missouri. Our minor in Creative Writing serves as your creative outlet, allowing you to complete courses in our English program without committing to the full major.

UCM’s creative writing classes run as supportive workshops. You’ll share your writing in small groups with classmates and get helpful feedback from professors — accomplished, published writers in their own right.

Improve your ability to compose with clarity, originality and accuracy through classes such as:

• The Art of Poetry
• Screenwriting
• Writing Genre Fiction
• Writing Fiction for Publication

Excellence in Creative Writing

• A Best Value Bachelor’s Degree College for General English Literature (College Factual, 2022)

Unique learning opportunities in creative writing

Enrich your writing experience outside the classroom with fun activities and interactive events. The University of Central Missouri offers many ways for Creative Writing minors to get inspired:

• Internships: Gain professional experience as a writer, editor or publisher by interning for Pleiades: Literature in Context . Help with each phase of production, from screening submissions to printing and distributing.
• Student life: Exercise your writing skills through student organizations. Get involved with Arcade , a literary journal written and edited entirely by UCM undergraduates. Meet fellow writing students and support each other's work through the Creative Writing Club. You can also join many other groups just for fun.
• Campus events: Attend readings by nationally acclaimed authors through the Pleiades Visiting Writers Series. Meet the writer through a Q&A session or share a meal and gather tips about their writing process.

What you can do with a minor in Creative Writing from UCM?

Are you hoping to publish the next Great American novel? Take on a side gig as an editor? Pitch products to major corporations? No matter your dream, you’ll be armed to articulate your vision as an effective communicator with a Creative Writing minor.

Ways to use your creative writing skills

The skills you gain in this undergraduate program can help you write everything from research papers to your final thesis — and beyond. Many undergraduate students pursuing a BA in English - Literature use the Creative Writing minor to complement their analytical work. Some add this minor to their bachelor’s in Business, Nursing, Psychology or even Music. Others pair Creative Writing with a second minor such as History or Communication.

In short, Creative Writing helps in any field by teaching you to communicate more effectively. With so many practical applications, our minor in Creative Writing is a beneficial companion to any bachelor’s degree. 

The skills you gain by minoring in Creative Writing can benefit everything you do. Use the helpful tool below to explore all of your career options.

Financial assistance options for your Creative Writing minor

The University of Central Missouri offers a variety of ways to finance your college education , including grants, scholarships and other financial aid resources to help make earning your undergraduate degree both achievable and affordable. 

Scholarships are also available for students in Creative Writing, including:

• Robert C. Jones Scholarship

You can learn more about program-specific scholarships at the UCM Scholarship Finder .

Meet Joshua C.

BS Criminal Justice, Creative Writing Minor ’19

“The creative writing program consistently brought me joy during my time at UCM. Every class felt unique and attracted talented students from all backgrounds. Because of the amazing faculty, I find myself using the skills I learned from the program in both my professional career as a public servant and in my personal, more creative endeavors.”

Have Your Talent Recognized

Alumni awards support student writers

Each year, the Baker-Starzinger Writing Awards select outstanding works by students in poetry and short fiction. Submissions are judged by prominent authors, poets and creative writers. As a Creative Writing minor at UCM, you’ll be invited to submit your work in this prestigious annual competition.

Watch the 2021 Awards Ceremony

Meet Creative Writing Faculty Member Jenny Molberg

Published poet and editor

Jenny Molberg is an award-winning author of three poetry collections: “Marvels of the Invisible” (Tupelo Press, 2017), “Refusal” (LSU Press, 2020) and “The Court of No Record” (forthcoming from LSU Press, 2023). She also edited the book, “Adelaide Crapsey: On the Life & Work of an American Master,” and has received a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Meet the Faculty

Gain Hands-on Publishing Experience

Help run a major literary journal

Sign up for the Practicum on Editing and Publishing to gain real-world experience with a highly respected journal that is produced at UCM. The literary biannual, “Pleiades,” features poetry, fiction, essays and reviews by authors from around the world. UCM juniors and seniors can submit their work and also help to produce each issue.

Visit Pleiades Magazine

Make yourself more marketable.

A minor in Creative Writing pairs well with any discipline. Consider also completing an undergraduate certificate or doubling in another minor to enhance your expertise in a second area, such as:

• Corporate Communication Minor
• Sport Communication Minor
• Technical Writing Minor
• Professional and Technical Writing Certificate

Explore programs related to creative writing.

If you’re interested in other UCM programs to develop your writing skills, you may want to explore these options:

• Communication Minor
• History Minor
• Gender & Sexuality Studies Minor
• Africana Studies Minor

Request Info     Visit     Apply Today!

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Creative Writing Minor

Study Book Arts & the Publishing Industry

Among Public National Universities, U.S. News & World Report

Award-Winning Faculty & Staff Members

Alumni work as:

Creative Writing minors apply their training in positions that call for writing and editing. This includes options in digital/tech fields.

Students who earn the Certificate in Publishing are equipped to move into careers in the publishing industry.

Creative Writing students are qualified to move into fields of professional communication, including those with government agencies and marketing firms.

Participate in a rigorous apprenticeship in the art and craft of creating literature

Develop critical faculties, understanding of literary forms, and aesthetic judgment

Build a strong foundation in the historical literary tradition and a grounding practice of the art of writing

Construct a thoughtful interdisciplinary foundation for understanding the relationship of creative writing to other arts and scholarly areas

“ I admire the energy, artistic nuance, and emotion with which a writer can carry a story. This is what I love about reading what other writers have created: discovering the heart of a story. ”

Liberal Arts Foundation

We encourage our students to become people of letters, and our goals for undergraduate students are no less ambitious. We offer a broad liberal arts education that fosters creativity, exercises communication skills, sharpens analytical perception, and encourages informed, integrated cultural viewpoints.

Studio-academic Experience

Our program provides aspiring writers an apprenticeship in writing, informed by the close study of literature among a community of professional writers. As a studio-academic experience in writing fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction, our program unites passionate people who believe the creation of art is a pursuit valuable to self and culture.

Faculty member lectures

Sample Courses

How do i minor in creative writing.

A grade of ‘C-’ or better is required in each course counted toward the minor, and a grade point average of ‘C’ (2.00) or better for all courses counted toward the minor.

See Everything happening in the department

Related Programs

Coastal & environmental writing minor.

The interdisciplinary minor in coastal and environmental writing will give you the opportunity to develop skills in environmental writing that is informed by the study of relevant science and literature.

English, B.A.

Provides an exceptional academic experience grounded in critical inquiry, creativity, and application through three robust curriculum tracks in literary studies, professional writing and teacher licensure.

History, B.A.

Teach, research and write about the history of just about everywhere.

Certificate & Graduate Programs

Publishing certificate.

Certificate graduates are prepared to work in fields in and related to publishing, including editing and copyediting, publicity, marketing, advertising, book and magazine design and production, and graphic design. You will learn skills that are beneficial in a variety of outside fields from public relations to business to journalism to entrepreneurship.

Creative Writing, MFA

Our MFA program - an intensive, three-year studio-academic experience in the writing of fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction - joins students who share a common passion and faculty members who provide critical support of their work.

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.

General Catalog

Creative writing minor.

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

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 .

CRWR Creative Writing Program

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Creative Writing Minor

Part of the media, arts, and expression Flight Path .

Students receiving a minor in Creative Writing will successfully complete at least six (6) CRWR courses in a staged sequence (introduction, intermediate, advanced courses and, for some students, the yearlong intensive Kidd Workshop sequence).

The backbone of the Creative Writing minor is a progressive sequence of writing classes/workshops:  intro, intermediate and advanced courses in poetry and fiction. Additional course offerings may include literature for poets/fiction writers, advanced fiction and poetry seminars, and nonfiction workshops. Together your six (6) minor courses will give you a broad range of experience in approaches to writing fiction and poetry. The table below shows the requirements—and flexibility—of our minor sequence. Students complete the minor with a varying array of courses, selected according to their own interests.

In addition, all students in our Creative Writing courses are invited to our visiting writer events—a fiction and poetry craft talk and reading each term. Recent visitors have included Robin Coste-Lewis, Mia Alvar, Mary Jo Salter, Andre Dubus III, Charles Wright and many others.

Alongside major degrees in English or History, Romance Languages or Psychology, a minor in Creative Writing will signal students’ expertise in written expression and imaginative thinking no matter what field they enter after graduation. For those interested in pursuing an MFA in Creative Writing, the CRWR Minor will offer a significant credential of their focused study in poetry, fiction, and/or nonfiction in the undergraduate curriculum.

In order to be eligible for the Minor, students must complete all degree requirements and a major in another academic department.

24 credit hours from the following (2 courses at each level)*

Introductory

CRWR 230: Intro to Poetry Writing … and CRWR 240: Intro to Fiction Writing …… or CRWR 244: Intro to Creative Nonfiction

Intermediate

CRWR 330: Interm Poetry Writing (R) CRWR 336: Interm Creative Nonfiction (R) CRWR 340: Interm Fiction Writing (R) CRWR 399: Reading Poems (R) CRWR 399: Reading Fiction (R)

CRWR 407: Adv Poetry Seminar (R) CRWR 407: Adv Fiction Seminar (R) CRWR 413: Lit for Poets (R) CRWR 414: Lit for Fiction Writers (R) CRWR 435: Adv Poetry Workshop (R) CRWR 445: Adv Fiction Workshop (R)

(R) = repeatable

_______________

* Kidd Workshops — Students completing the Kidd Workshops (our by-application–only yearlong intensive writing sequence) will receive credit toward the minor for three courses: two introductory and one intermediate.

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Creative writing minor.

Students who are not majoring English, and who have an interest in writing poetry or fiction, may enroll in the creative writing minor. The minor gives students the opportunity to complement their area of major study with experience writing and reading poetry or fiction.

General Requirements 

Students minoring in creative writing must complete a minimum of 15 ENGL credit hours. Students must complete a minimum of  6 upper-division (3000-level and above) ENGL credit hoursNone of the required courses may be taken pass/fail. Only courses completed with a grade of C- (1.7) or better may be counted toward the minor. Students must complete a minimum of 9 credit hours with CU Denver faculty. Students should take ENGL 1020 before beginning the minor. 

I. Required Courses: (9 credit hours)

• ENGL 2156 Introduction to Creative Writing  
• ENGL 2450 Introduction to Literature and FIlm
• ENGL 3020 Poetry Workshop OR
• ENGL 3050, Fiction Workshop

II. Area Requirements: (3 credit hours)

     choose 1 corresponding poetry or fiction course:.

• ENGL 4025 Advanced Poetry Workshop OR
• ENGL 4055 Advanced Fiction Workshop OR
• ENGL 3020 or 3050 Writing Workshop (not previously taken)

III. Elective in Genre of Specialization: (3 credit hours)

      poetry: students who have taken engl 3020 choose one: .

• ENGL 4160 Poetics 
• ENGL 4166 History of American Poetry 
• ENGL 4320 History of Poetry in English
• ENGL 4800-4805 Special Topics in Creative Writing (poetry emphasis)

      Fiction: Students who have taken ENGL 3050 choose one: 

• ENGL 4200/4210 Survey of the English Novel to 1900
• ENGL 4230 The American Novel 
• ENGL 4236 The American Short Story 
• ENGL 4800-4805 Special Topics in Creative Writing (fiction emphasis)

15 Hours to Complete Minor

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This program was approved for students entering the university in the Summer 2023–Spring 2024 catalog year. For more information about catalog year, go to Catalog Year Information .

Minor in English Creative Writing Unit: College of Arts and Sciences (AS) Department: English   Academic Plan Code(s): ENGCMINOR

Program Requirements

Students wishing to major in English and minor in Creative Writing will have to earn a minimum of 126 credits to complete both the major and the minor.

At least three (3) semester hours of the requirements for a minor must be successfully completed while enrolled in the University of Louisville.

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Every effort has been made to make the catalog accurate as of the date of publication. However, the University of Louisville reserves the right to change programs of study, academic policies, academic requirements, fees, course information, procedures for the confirmation of degrees, or the announced academic calendar and related deadlines without prior notice. Copyright © 2023-2024, University of Louisville. All rights reserved.

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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.

• 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.
• Completion of L&S Minor Form – Must complete during EGT.

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