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The Minor in Creative Writing

A minor in creative writing provides the opportunity to study the tradition and craft of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction in writing workshops and modern literature classes. In writing workshop classes, students critique and revise their creative work and study modern literature from a writer's perspective. The minor prepares students to write creative work independently and to understand their work in the context of contemporary literary practices.

Course Requirements for the Minor: 26 units

The following courses, or their approved transfer equivalents, are required of all candidates for this minor.

Writing Course Requirements

1 course required:

SUBJ NUM Title Sustainable Units Semester Offered Course Flags
ENGL 220W Beginning Creative Writing (W)   4.0 FS  GE  W
Workshop for beginning writers of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. 3 hours discussion, 2 hours activity. This is an approved Writing Course. This is an approved General Education course. (003399)

3 courses selected from:

SUBJ NUM Title Sustainable Units Semester Offered Course Flags
ENGL 320W Poetry Writing (W)   4.0 FS  GW  W
Prerequisites: Completion of GE Written Communication (A2) requirement; ENGL 220W for English Educ students only.
Instruction in the writing of poetry at an intermediate level. 3 hours discussion, 2 hours activity. You may take this course more than once for a maximum of 8.0 units. This is an approved Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement course; a grade of C- or higher certifies writing proficiency for majors. This is an approved Writing Course. (003443)
ENGL 321W Fiction Writing (W)   4.0 FS  GW  W
Prerequisites: Completion of GE Written Communication (A2) requirement; ENGL 220W for English Educ students only.
Instruction in the writing of fiction at an intermediate level. 3 hours discussion, 2 hours activity. You may take this course more than once for a maximum of 8.0 units. This is an approved Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement course; a grade of C- or higher certifies writing proficiency for majors. This is an approved Writing Course. (003446)
ENGL 327W Creative Nonfiction Writing (W)   4.0 FS  GW  W
Prerequisites: Completion of GE Written Communication (A2) requirement; ENGL 220W for English Educ students only.
Instruction in the writing of fact-based prose (i.e., nonfiction) that acknowledges the presence and creative imagination of the writer at an intermediate level. 3 hours discussion, 2 hours activity. You may take this course more than once for a maximum of 8.0 units. This is an approved Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement course; a grade of C- or higher certifies writing proficiency for majors. This is an approved Writing Course. (003438)
ENGL 415 Editing Literary Magazines   4.0 FS  
Prerequisite: ENGL 220W (may be taken concurrently).
Study of and workshop in the editing of literary magazines, manuscripts, and other literary materials. Practice in selection, evaluation, copy editing, and production. Class publishes Watershed Review literary magazine. 3 hours discussion, 2 hours activity. You may take this course more than once for a maximum of 8.0 units. (003581)
ENGL 420 Advanced Poetry Writing   4.0 SP  
Prerequisite: ENGL 320W or instructor permission.
Instruction in the writing of poetry at an advanced level. 3 hours discussion, 2 hours activity. You may take this course more than once for a maximum of 8.0 units. (003519)
ENGL 421 Advanced Fiction and Nonfiction Writing   4.0 SP  
Prerequisite: ENGL 321W or 327W or faculty permission.
Instruction in the writing of fiction and/or creative nonfiction at an advanced level. 3 hours discussion, 2 hours activity. You may take this course more than once for a maximum of 8.0 units. (003521)

English (ENGL) 320, 321, 420, and 421, may be taken two semesters for credit.

1 course selected from:

SUBJ NUM Title Sustainable Units Semester Offered Course Flags
ENGL 420 Advanced Poetry Writing   4.0 SP  
Prerequisite: ENGL 320W or instructor permission.
Instruction in the writing of poetry at an advanced level. 3 hours discussion, 2 hours activity. You may take this course more than once for a maximum of 8.0 units. (003519)
ENGL 421 Advanced Fiction and Nonfiction Writing   4.0 SP  
Prerequisite: ENGL 321W or 327W or faculty permission.
Instruction in the writing of fiction and/or creative nonfiction at an advanced level. 3 hours discussion, 2 hours activity. You may take this course more than once for a maximum of 8.0 units. (003521)

Literature Course Requirements

1 course required:

SUBJ NUM Title Sustainable Units Semester Offered Course Flags
ENGL 279 Survey of Later American Literature   3.0 FS  
A survey of American literature from the 1850s to 1945. 3 hours lecture. (003476)

1 course selected from:

SUBJ NUM Title Sustainable Units Semester Offered Course Flags
ENGL 451 Modern Poetry   3.0 FA  
Study of twentieth-century British, American, Continental, and Latin American poetry. 3 hours seminar. (003543)
ENGL 453 Modern Drama   3.0 FS  
British, Continental, and American drama from Ibsen to the present. Topics vary from semester to semester. 3 hours seminar. (003549)
ENGL 461 The Modern Novel   3.0 FS  
British, American, Continental, and Latin American novels in the twentieth century. 3 hours seminar. (003562)

Note: ENGL 465 may, in some semesters, satisfy the 3-unit genre requirement. Consult with the Creative Writing Coordinator.

Catalog Cycle:19