Creative Writing BA
About BA in Creative Writing
The BA in creative writing offers wonderful opportunities for emerging writers as they prepare for careers in a variety of fields.
Students have the chance to study with nationally celebrated professional authors and editors and to play a valued role in a vital community of writers and readers. The distribution of course requirements provides students with a solid background in literary studies, an introduction to creative writing in a number of genres, an advanced focus in a particular genre and an opportunity to choose from dozens of complementary minors to tailor the major to the student’s particular interests and needs.
Career Paths
The program is devoted to providing students with the best possible foundation for careers both in and out of the creative writing field. The program’s graduates have gained positions as:
- Editors
- Lawyers
- Writers
- Teachers
- Professors
- Advertising/Marketing Professionals
In addition, many of our graduates choose to go on to graduate school in creative writing or literature.
Experiential Learning Opportunities
Students will have many opportunities to volunteer in the community and discover just how much their particular talents are valued in the world while making a significant contribution to it.
Notably, our students have the chance to work as interns at The Literary Review, one of the most prestigious literary magazines in the country heading into its 61st year of publishing important writers from around the world. FDU’s online student magazine, Sphere, offers students the chance to work in all aspects of publishing as they collaborate to create the world’s first international student literary journal while making friends and growing professional networks here and around the world.
Learning Outcomes
Graduates of this program will be able to:
- Evaluate how craft, style, and technique in creative writing influence the writing process and strategies for revision.
- Create a unique approach to crafting poetry, fiction, or nonfiction with a distinct voice, style, faith and/or worldview.
- Effectively use grammar, syntax, and mechanics.
- Incorporate scholarly research in the appropriate literary and theoretical fields into well-organized and revised essays.
- Develop textually grounded interpretations of the content, form, aesthetics, genre, historical significance, themes, and relevant topics in literary texts.
- Understand the role of feedback in the process of revision.
About the Creative Writing Degree
Students majoring in creative writing must complete 30 to 36 credits of writing courses and 9 credits in literature courses. An internship in an appropriate setting can be used as a writing elective.
Major Requirements (39-45 credits plus 3 cognate credits)
6 credits from the Major may be applied towards Gen Ed.
6 credits from the Minor may be applied towards Gen Ed.
Required Major Courses (24 Credits)
- CREW 1001 Introduction to Creative Writing
- CREW 2002 Creative Writing: Fiction
- CREW 2003 Creative Writing: Poetry
- CREW 2016 Creative Writing: Personal essay
- CREWH 2255 Creative Writing: Playwriting and Dramatic Structure OR
- FILM 2250 Screenwriting I
- CREW 3020 Reading As Writers (by spring of junior year) [to be completed end of third year]
- CREW 4001 Senior Writing Project I (by fall of senior year) [must be taken fall of senior year]
- CREW 4002 Senior Writing Project II (by spring of senior year) [must be taken spring of senior year]
Required Electives (6-12 credits)
Students must take an advanced (3000-level) course in at least two of the four genres; students must have completed the 2000-level course before enrolling in the 3000-level course.
Students may elect other CREW 3000-level courses.
- CREW 2016 CNF: What’s Your Real Story
- CREW 3010 Special Topics: Invented Worlds — Speculative and Fantastic Fiction
- CREW 3011 Advanced Fiction Writing
- CREW 3012 Advanced Poetry Writing
- CREW 3013 Advanced Dramatic Writing
- CREW 3023 Special Topics: Telling the Truth
Additional Electives:
- CREW 4498 Internship in Creative Writing
Literature Electives (9 Credits)
Select one of the following:
Select 6 additional credits in LITS at the 2000 to 4000 level. Wroxton ENGL courses may be applied to these electives