Creative Writing Concentration

As an English major, you design your own concentration — a program of study based on your areas of interest, organized around a controlling theme or topic — with the help of your advisor. Below are some recommendations for students interested in this area.

Download PDF  About Creative Writing

Recommended Courses

  • ENGL 170: Beginning Creative Writing
  • ENGL 202A: Intro to Poetry
  • ENGL 205: 20th Century Fiction
  • ENGL 252, 352, 452: Fiction Writing
  • ENGL 253, 353, 453: Poetry Writing
  • ENGL 302A: Poetry Since 1945
  • ENGL 302B: Contemporary Poetry
  • ENGL 303: Short Story
  • ENGL 402: Poetry
  • ENGL 405E: Modern Fiction
  • ENGL 410: Studies in Literary Movements

Note: Students are strongly encouraged to develop a solid reading foundation by taking additional literature courses.

Recommended Experiences

  • Submit work to Laurus undergraduate literary journal or apply to become an editor
  • Seek volunteer opportunities with Prairie Schooner and Plains Song Review
  • Blog and tweet about your favorite writers and books
  • Follow the blogs/feeds of authors, publishers, agents, and lit journals
  • Attend literary readings and panels

Recommended Reading

Career Opportunities

  • Editor (magazines, book publishers, literary and trade journals, professional publications, web)
  • Writer/copywriter (magazine, newspaper, advertising, business)
  • Commercial, independent, and university publishing (editing, marketing, literary agent, sales)
  • Teaching (following a graduate degree)
  • Management/directing of nonprofit organizations (which might include your own magazine, literary centers, a lecture series, etc.)

Professors to Know