Contact
Katherine Kidd, Director of Undergraduate Studies
kakidd@syr.edu
401 Hall of Languages
The Creative Writing Major in the English Department is designed for students who have an intense interest in developing their skills as writers and readers of creative nonfiction, fiction, and poetry. Students need to read widely and critically in order to write well and will be well served by a study of contemporary writing practices and the influences, precedents, and roots of literature. Students will be expected to read contemporary and historical works from a range of aesthetic credos that will provide a context to their development as artists. Students will begin to think as writers do and to understand the aesthetic and moral choices writers confront as they write. In addition, students will have ample opportunity for frequent and extensive writing and rewriting as they read, critique, and support each other’s work under the guidance of the distinguished faculty of the MFA in Creative Writing, a nationally ranked program.
Students who wish to major in Creative Writing should consult the Department of English Director of Undergraduate Studies to be assigned an appropriate advisor, who helps plan the course of study.
Some students majoring in Creative Writing may wish to apply for a dual enrollment with another school or college within the University, such as the School of Information Studies, College of Visual and Performing Arts, the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, or the School of Education. For more information, see the web site at english.syr.edu.
Major Requirements
To qualify for a B.A. degree in Creative Writing, students complete a total of 30 credits of coursework. Students must attain a grade of C- or better in order to count a course toward their major credits. These credits include:
Course List | Code | Title | Credits |
| 3 |
| Introduction to Creative Writing | |
| Living Writers | |
| Introduction to Shakespeare | |
| Introduction to the Novel | |
| Interpretation of Poetry | |
| Interpretation of Fiction | |
| Interpretation of Nonfiction | |
| 3 |
| Introductory Poetry Workshop | |
| Introductory Literary Nonfiction Workshop | |
| Introductory Fiction Workshop | |
| ENG 242 | Reading and Interpretation (Required) | 3 |
| 21 |
| Selected Topics (Creative Writing (3 credits)) | |
| Topics in Experiential Learning (Creative Writing) |
| |
| |
| |
| Practicum in Reading and Writing Prose | |
| Practicum in Reading and Writing Fiction | |
| Practicum in Reading and Writing Poetry | |
| |
| Introductory Poetry Workshop | |
| Introductory Literary Nonfiction Workshop | |
| Introductory Fiction Workshop | |
| |
| Advanced Writing Workshop: Poetry | |
| Advanced Workshop: Literary Nonfiction | |
| Advanced Writing Workshop: Fiction | |
| Total Credits | 30 |
Note: WRT 422 Studies in Creative Nonfiction may be substituted for ENG 402 Advanced Workshop: Literary Nonfiction.
Before 1900
Courses fulfilling the “before 1900” requirement have titles that end in the phrase “Before 1900.”
Course List | Code | Title | Credits |
| ENG 311 | Literary Periods before 1900 | 3 |
| ENG 313 | Race & Literary Periods Before 1900 | 3 |
| ENG 321 | Authors before 1900 | 3 |
| ENG 341 | Theorizing Forms and Genres before 1900 | 3 |
| ENG 353 | Race, Nation, and Empire before 1900 | 3 |
| ENG 361 | Reading Gender and Sexuality before 1900 | 3 |
| ENG 363 | Race, Empire, and Sexuality Before 1900 | 3 |
| ENG 407 | Advanced Critical Writing, Topics Before 1900 | 3 |
| ENG 411 | Forms and Genres before 1900 | 3 |
| ENG 413 | Race, Forms & Genres Before 1900 | 3 |
| ENG 421 | Cultural Production and Reception before 1900 | 3 |
| ENG 423 | Race, Cultural Production and Reception Before 1900 | 3 |
| ENG 441 | Theorizing History and Culture before 1900 | 3 |
| ENG 453 | Reading Race and Ethnicity Before 1900 | 3 |
College of Arts and Sciences Requirements
For all Arts and Sciences|Maxwell students, successful completion of a bachelor’s degree in this major requires a minimum of 120 credits, 96 of which must be Arts and Sciences|Maxwell credits, completion of the Liberal Arts Core requirements, and the requirements for this major (30 credits) that are listed above.
Dual Enrollments:
Students dually enrolled in Newhouse* and Arts and Sciences|Maxwell will complete a minimum of 122 credits, with at least 90 credits in Arts and Sciences|Maxwell coursework and an Arts and Sciences|Maxwell major.
*Students dually enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences|Maxwell as first year students must complete the Liberal Arts Core. Students who transfer to the dual program after their first year as singly enrolled students in the Newhouse School will satisfy general requirements for the dual degree program by completing the Newhouse Core Requirements.
Undergraduate University Requirements
The following requirements and experiences apply to all Syracuse University Undergraduate matriculated degree programs.
