Major in Creative Writing

Students who graduate with the Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing will be skilled writers in a major literary genre and have a theoretically informed understanding of the aesthetic, historical, social, and political context of a range of contemporary writing. Students in the major will focus their studies on a primary genre: fiction, poetry, or nonfiction.

The organization of the major incorporates the writing workshop model into a broader education that furthers students’ knowledge of historical and contemporary literary practice, sharpens their critical attention, and fosters their creative enthusiasm.

• 1 Fundamentals in Creative Writing Seminar
• 2 Technical Seminars (in primary genre)
• 3 Advanced Workshops (at least 2 in primary genre)
• 4 literature courses
  • 1 literary genre course (in primary genre)
  • 1 literary theory course
  • 1 pre-20th-century literature course
  • 1 general literature course
• 2 Research Background Electives
• 1 Thesis/Major Projects Workshop (Winter Quarter of fourth year)
• BA Thesis (due in Spring Quarter; requires work with Writing and Research Advisor over fourth year)

= 13 Courses and a Thesis

Creative Writing courses give priority to students who have declared the major with Julie Iromuanya, the Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUS). In instances where a class has many more applications than it has spots, priority is determined first by degree program and then by class year.

Fundamentals in Creative Writing Seminar

The Fundamentals in Creative Writing course is an introductory multi-genre seminar to be taken by all students in the major and minor. Each section of the course focuses on a theme that is relevant to all forms of literary practice and introduces students to a group of core texts from the genres of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.

Technical Seminars (in Poetry, Fiction, or Nonfiction)

Technical Seminars are designed to give students a deep grounding in core technical elements of their primary genre. Coursework may involve creative exercises, but papers will focus on analysis of assigned readings.

Advanced Workshops

Critique is the core value and activity of the workshop environment. Students in Advanced Workshops will practice critique under the guidance of the workshop instructor. Advanced Workshops typically focus on original student work. All students are strongly discouraged from taking an Advanced Workshop as their first course from the Program.

Literary Genre Courses

This requirement can be met using a cross-listed English course or an eligible literature course offered by another department. For a list of eligible courses, please visit this page.

Literature Courses

A substantial proportion of one of these courses must involve the study of literature written before the twentieth century, and one must fulfill a theory requirement. For a list of eligible courses, please visit this page.

Research Background Electives

Students take two courses outside of the Creative Writing program, selected in consultation with the DUS, to support the student’s individual interests and thesis project.

BA Thesis & Workshop

Students work on their BA project over four quarters. In Winter Quarter of their fourth year, students enroll in one of the Thesis/Major Projects Workshops in their genre.
 

Students in the major receive priority in Advanced Workshops, Technical Seminars, and Fundamentals Seminars.

There are two steps to declaring a major in Creative Writing:

1. Meet with the DUS, Julie Iromuanya, to start a major worksheet.
2. Confirm program approval with your College Advisor, so the major can be added to your my.uchicago account.

Students who have completed both steps are considered officially declared at the department level and therefore eligible for priority in major courses.