Concentration in Creative Writing

The creative writing concentration prepares you to be a versatile writer in a variety of business or nonprofit careers.

Preparing You for Success

You explore authors from the past to sharpen your analysis of the present and future. Courses give you a foundation in fiction, poetry, nonfiction and screenwriting. All creative writing courses are limited to 15 students to foster relationships, collaboration and constructive criticism. The major is structured to enable you to add another major or minor of your choice.

By the time you graduate, your experiences include:

• Internships to explore grant writing, corporate communications, nonprofits, publishing, editing, marketing and design
• Research opportunities with faculty
• On-campus and national writing competitions
• A senior career exploration project
• Opportunities to write for the student newspaper, literary magazine and National Novel Writing Month
• Networking and career development through the English club and Sigma Tau Delta honor society

Making Your Mark

Creative writing graduates are in demand as copywriters, journalists, medical writers and nonprofit organization leaders, as well as advertising, marketing and public relations professionals. Recent graduates are working for organizations such as Caterpillar Inc., ConAgra Foods, State Farm, McGraw-Hill Education, University of Kentucky Press and United Way. Others have pursued graduate degrees in writing, literature, library science and other fields at the University of Chicago, George Mason University, University of Illinois and Ohio State University.

Concentration Requirements

Required Courses - 6 hrs.

• ENG 207: Creative Writing I - 3 hrs.
• ENG 310: Readings for Creative Writers - 3 hrs.

Writing Workshops (choose three) - 9 hrs.

• ENG 307: Intermediate Poetry Workshop - 3 hrs.
• ENG 308: Intermediate Fiction Workshop - 3 hrs.
• ENG 403: Advanced Creative Nonfiction Workshop - 3 hrs.
• ENG 407: Advanced Poetry Workshop - 3 hrs.
• ENG 408: Advanced Fiction Workshop - 3 hrs.
• ENG 409: Advanced Screenwriting Workshop - 3 hrs.
• ENG 495: Independent Study - 1-6 hrs.
• ENG 503: Intensive Creative Nonfiction Workshop - 3 hrs.
• ENG 507: Intensive Poetry Workshop - 3 hrs.
• ENG 509: Intensive Screenwriting Workshop - 3 hrs.
• ENG 510: Intensive Fiction Workshop - 3 hrs.

Note: 3 hrs. must be at the 400 level.