Majoring in Creative Writing

MAJORING IN CREATIVE WRITING
HIRAM COLLEGE
The major in Creative Writing allows students an opportunity to explore their talent as writers of poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and drama or screenplays. The major places emphasis on reading, craft and technique, genre study, workshops, and revision. Although the major requires exposure to multiple genres, the 400-level advanced workshops offer students an opportunity to concentrate on forms of their choosing and to begin to specialize. The major in Creative Writing is carefully sequenced to insure the progress and development of writers. It is also designed to help writers learn about professional opportunities in the field. The major emphasizes literary writing and encourages emerging writers to locate themselves within a literary tradition. This degree is one of only five majors in Creative Writing in the state of Ohio.

(12 courses required for classes of 2009 and 2010; 13 required for 2011 and later)

Note
The Major in Creative Writing will become effective in the 2007-2008 academic year. It will be available to students in the class of 2009 and later.

Introductory Course in Creative Writing (1)
The following introductory course in writing is a prerequisite to all other writing courses:

WRIT 221: Basics of Creative Writing (3 hours)

Students from the Classes of 2008 and 2009 may substitute WRIT 220: Introduction to Creative Writing.

Genre Courses in Writing (3)
Three 300-level genre courses (students must have WRIT 220 or 221 to begin this sequence):

WRIT 304 Craft and Technique: Poetry (4 hours)
WRIT 305 Craft and Technique: Creative Nonfiction (4 hours)
WRIT 306 Craft and Technique: Fiction (4 hours)
WRIT 307 Craft and Technique: Playwriting (4 hours)
WRIT 309 Craft and Technique: Screenwriting (4 hours)

Electives in Writing (2)
Two electives. We recommend that students select electives that complement their professional or academic goals. Elective clusters might include concentrations in the following areas:

Professional Writing (e.g., WRIT 240, WRIT 243, WRIT 246, WRIT 311, WRIT 312, WRIT 319, WRIT 320, WRIT 321,WRIT 345, WRIT 498)
Writing Instruction and Pedagogy (WRIT 313, WRIT 205, WRIT 333)
MFA/Graduate School Preparation (additional genre courses in fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, playwriting, and screenwriting)

Students may choose electives from the 300-level genre courses and 400-level advanced workshops or from the following courses:

WRIT 205 Style and Grammar for Writers (3 hours)
WRIT 231 The Art of Poetry (3 hours)
WRIT 240 Survey of Journalism (4 hours)
WRIT 243 Photojournalism (3 hours)
WRIT 246 Sports Journalism (3 hours)
WRIT 280 Special Topics (1-4 hours)
WRIT 310 Travel Writing (1-4 hours)
WRIT 311 Writing for Business (4 hours)
WRIT 312 Technical Writing (4 hours)
WRIT 313 Teaching and Supervising of Writing (4 hours)
WRIT 314 Writing About Science and Nature (3 hours)
WRIT 316 Metafiction (3 hours)
WRIT 318 Memoir (3 hours)
WRIT 319 Literary Journalism (3 hours)
WRIT 320 Professional Editing (3 hours)
WRIT 321 Literary Journalism (4 hours)
WRIT 322 Memoir (4 hours)
WRIT 324 Writing about Science and Nature (4 hours)
WRIT 333 Rhetorical Criticism (4 hours)
WRIT 345 Writing for Publication (3 hours)
WRIT 380 Special Topics (1-4 hours)
WRIT 481 Independent Research (1-4 hours)
WRIT 498 Internship in Writing (1-4 hours)

Advanced Workshops in Writing (2)
Two 400-level workshops, designed to produce advanced work, from the following:

WRIT 404 Advanced Workshop in Poetry (4 hours)
WRIT 405 Advanced Workshop in Creative Nonfiction (4 hours)
WRIT 406 Advanced Workshop in Fiction (4 hours)

Senior Capstone (1)
Classes of 2009 and 2010
A capstone course will not be required. However, a capstone experience will be structured by the English department and detailed at a later date.

Class of 2011 and later
In their senior year, students must complete WRIT 4XX: Senior Seminar (3 hours). This 3-week course allows students to revise promising work from their portfolio. They must also write a short essay reflecting on their experience as a major in writing. At the end of the course, students will do a public reading.

Introductory Course in Literature (1)
To begin the literature component, students must take ENGL 206.

ENGL 206: Introduction to Literary Studies (4 hours)

Literature Courses (3)
A minimum of three other courses in literature, at the 300- or 400-level. The combination of these courses must fulfill the following requirements:

American literature course
British literature course
World literature course
Literature course after 1900
Literature course before 1800

Foreign Language
A foreign language through 103 is required.

Majoring and Minoring in English
Students completing the major in Creative Writing may not combine it with a major or minor in English but should take additional literature courses within the major; students interested in taking the majority of their coursework in literature should consider the major in English.

AP Credit
Students who have received a 4 or 5 on the English Language and Composition Advanced Placement (AP) test receive credit for one of the required elective writing courses in the major (but not a course in the 300- or 400-level genre cycles). However, the English Department encourages students who are considering graduate work to take additional courses in the major.