The Creative Writing Program is a rigorous program for student writers of serious purpose who want to develop their potential through a series of workshops and individual projects. Students work through a syllabus of reading, exercises, and assignments in classes that divide their time between presentations of assignments and discussions of student work.
Most advanced work is accomplished through individual projects.
There is a large demand for writing courses at all levels. Most courses and all individual projects require submissions and application forms that are designed to assess students' serious commitment to the nature and structure of the classes. Students who receive a grade of B- or lower in CRWR 201 are normally discouraged from pursuing the major. Seniors in advanced projects will work on projects of substantial quality, and will normally give a reading during their final semester. Film, theory, and other courses that do not focus primarily on written literature will not count toward this requirement, even if they are offered by the English Department.