Minor in Creative Writing
THE WRITING MINOR
The English Department offers a Minor in Writing for both English majors and non-majors. The minor consists of tracks in poetry, fiction, non-fiction, and journalism. The goal of the Writing Minor is to direct student attention to writing offerings while recommending a productive sequence of writing courses and collateral craft-oriented textual studies courses.
The minimum number of credits (exclusive of the University’s Core curriculum) required for the writing minor: 19.
Students enter the writing minor by meeting with the Department’s coordinator of advising. Candidates must be eligible for pre-registration and/or admission to upper-level workshops and should have completed six hours of 200- or 300-level writing classes. Approximately 45 students will be writing minors during any given year. Students who are writing minors or English majors will have priority for registration in writing classes.
Courses & Requirements
Writing Minors must meet the following specific requirements beyond ENG 100/101/104 and ENG 120 or waivers:
I. Creative Writing (3 credit hours)
- ENG 201 Creative Writing
II. One of the following: (3 credit hours)
- ENG 245 Introduction to Literary Studies
or one 200 level course from one of the following categories: Genre and Form or Interdisciplinary and Cultural Studies
III. One of the following: (3 credit hours)
(Note: These courses are required for admission to writing workshops.)
- ENG 202 Memoir and Autobiography
- ENG 300 Fiction Writing
- ENG 301 Poetry Writing
- ENG 305 Rhetoric, Syntax and Style
- ENG 309 Newswriting
IV. Workshop Classes (6 credit hours*)
- ENG 302 Fiction Workshop
- ENG 303 Poetry Workshop
- ENG 304 Advanced Memoir
- ENG 306 Writing the Novel
* Workshops may be repeated once for credit.
V. Elective Courses (3 credit hours)
- Selected from English department offerings. Courses selected must be 300 or 400 level.
VI. Creative Writing Thesis (1 credit hour)
The minor requires a thesis comparable to an M.F.A. application portfolio. Before enrolling in Thesis for the Writing Minor (ENG 401), students must get permission from a thesis advisor with whom they wish to work. During the course, students will produce 10 to 15 poems or 25 to 50 pages of fiction or non-fiction. The thesis may be completed during the second upper-level workshop.
VII. Optional Internship (3 credit hours)
Internships provide students the opportunity to earn course credit through professional experience in writing or editing for an organization, primarily in journalism or the arts. The English Department currently offers the Internship in Professional Writing (ENG 409).
Students wishing to declare the Writing Minor must meet with Professor Justin Tussing for more information. Minor Declaration Forms are available in the English Department office or on the Registrar’s website under forms http://www.usm.maine.edu/reg.
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