Mar 28, 2024  
2017-2018 University Catalog 
    
2017-2018 University Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Creative Writing, BA


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About the Program

Creative writing majors focus on writing poetry, fiction, or drama. In addition to the required five courses in writing, students take six or more courses in either literature or linguistics. Creative writing is appropriate for students who love to write and who do so no matter what. Many students choose to double major in creative writing and professional writing. Most students in this major want to pursue a career as a writer of poetry, drama, or fiction. Many plan to attend graduate school to hone their skill and further develop their art. Other students will take jobs in industry while pursuing their writing as an avocation. A student with an English major (including the creative writing major) learns many skills that employers find desirable, which may lead them to jobs in publishing, marketing, management, etc.

Sycamore Review, a nonprofit journal for the arts, was founded in 1988 and is published twice annually by Purdue University’s Department of English.

Books and Coffee talks (hosted by the Department of English) are held several times throughout the school year. Coffee and tea are available, followed by a half-hour talk about a selected work. The series is popular with faculty, staff, and students.

Please visit Creative Writing for more information.

Degree Requirements


120 Credits Required

Liberal Arts Core Curriculum


Each liberal arts major is designed as a four-year plan of study and includes three types of courses: Major, Core, and Elective. Most students take five courses per semester, with some of each type.

Professional academic advisors meet individually with each of our students on a regular basis to help with course selection, academic planning, and career development, as well as to help students find additional resources on campus.

For the Liberal Arts Core Curriculum click here .

Departmental/Program Major Courses (30 credits)


English majors must take ENGL 10600 - First-Year Composition  or ENGL 10800 - Accelerated First-Year Composition  to fulfill the requirements for the CLA Core areas Written Communication.

Required Course (3 credits)


A grade of “B-” or better is required before attempting courses in Area A.

A. Creative Writing Courses (12 credits)


Choose four courses from the following list.

All Creative Writing courses except 20500, 31600, and 31700 may be repeated once by Creative Writing majors for credit. (The 40000 and 50000 level courses should be taken in order in any given genre; exceptions are granted by the permission of instructor.)

B. Engaging English (3 credits)


May be taken concurrently with ENGL 20500.

C. Literature/Linguistics/English Education (12 credits)


At least 9 credit hours must be at the 30000 level or above.

Other Departmental/Program Course Requirements (57 credits)


  • (UCC: Written Communication)
  • or

  • (UCC: Written Communication)
  •  

  • (UCC: Oral Communication)  
  • Other Languages (Proficiency through Level IV in one language) (UCC: Humanities) - Credits Hours: 12.00
  • Mathematics (UCC: Quantitative Reasoning) - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Statistics (UCC: Quantitative Reasoning) - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Western Heritage - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • United States Tradition (UCC: Behavioral Social Science - if POL 10100  was taken) - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Other Cultures (UCC: Behavioral Social Science - if ANTH 20500 was taken) - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Aesthetic Awareness - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Racial and Ethnic Diversity - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Gender Issues - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Social Ethics (UCC: Science, Technology & Society - if PHIL 27000  or POL 22300  was taken) - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Individual and Society - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Global Perspective (UCC: Science, Technology & Society - if HIST 38400  or HIST 38700  was taken) - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Natural Sciences (UCC: Science - requires 6 credits) - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Natural Sciences Lab - Credit Hours: 3.00

Electives (33 credits)


University Core Requirements


  • Human Cultures Humanities
  • Human Cultures Behavioral/Social Science
  • Information Literacy
  • Science #1
  • Science #2
  • Science, Technology, and Society
  • Written Communication
  • Oral Communication
  • Quantitative Reasoning
  • For a complete listing of course selectives, visit the Provost’s Website.

Prerequisite Information:


For current pre-requisites for courses, click here.

Program Requirements


Fall 1st Year


15 Credits


Spring 1st Year


15 Credits


Fall 2nd Year


15 Credits


Spring 2nd Year


  • Area A - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • SLC 20200 - Credit Hours: 3.00 
  • Natural Science - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Racial & Ethnic Diversity - Credit Hours: 3.00

15 Credits


Fall 3rd Year


  • Area A - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Area C- Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Elective - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Global Perspectives - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Gender Issues - Credit Hours: 3.00

15 Credits


Spring 3rd Year


  • Area A - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Area C - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Social Ethics - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Elective - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Elective - Credit Hours: 3.00

15 Credits


Fall 4th Year


  • Area A - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Area C - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Other Cultures - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Elective - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Elective - Credit Hours: 3.00

15 Credits


Spring 4th Year


  • Area C - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Elective- Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Elective - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Elective - Credit Hours: 3.00
  • Aesthetic Awareness - Credit Hours: 3.00

15 Credits


Notes


2.0 Graduation GPA required for Bachelor of Arts degree.

32 credit hours at 30000 level or higher required for Bachelor of Arts degree.

Foreign Language Courses


Foreign Language proficiency requirements vary by program.  For acceptable languages and proficiency levels, see your advisor:

American Sign Language, Arabic, Chinese, French, German, (ancient) Greek, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish

Critical Course


The ♦ course is considered critical. A Critical Course is one that a student must be able to pass to persist and succeed in a particular major.

Disclaimer


The student is ultimately responsible for knowing and completing all degree requirements.

The myPurduePlan powered by DegreeWorks is the knowledge source for specific requirements and completion.

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