BA in English with an emphasis in Creative Writing

• Program Description
• Learning Objectives and Intended Outcomes
• Degree Requirements
• Special Requirements
• Portfolio Review
• Required Courses
• Course Descriptions

Program Description

The primary focus of the program is on learning the art of reading as a writer: opening up influences, gathering strategies, widening the range of what's possible in a student's own writing. Small classes, high standards, and a congenial atmosphere combine to foster each student's individual growth as a writer.

The attendant Visiting Writers Series brings nationally prominent writers to campus for public readings and colloquia. Each year students in the program edit and publish a literary magazine, The Green Fuse . Playwrights have the opportunity to see their own work produced in the annual spring festival of student plays, Surfacing: The Emerging Playwrights Festival.

Learning Objectives and Intended Outcomes for the English Major

Upon completion of the program, students should:

• Read critically, think critically, and write critically.
• Have read widely while in the department. They will have a foundation in the canonical works of literature, as well as newer works that challenge or expand the canon. Students are expected to read widely both in and outside their areas of emphasis.
• Have an understanding of and appreciation for the various periods, genres, and styles of literature. They should be able to see and appreciate the thematic links and influences between works within and across genres. They are encouraged to attend live theatre performances and to review film critically.
• Have an appreciation for the role of literature and the arts in society and culture. They should appreciate the key role the written word plays in human expression and the search for meaning.
• Have developed an awareness of historical context and the particular perspective of the work as it speaks from inside or outside the mainstream culture.
• Have acquired the skills to perform close readings/explications of complex literary texts. They will learn the specific language, beyond jargon, to articulate clearly aesthetic concerns and insights and will pursue a facility and appreciation for the use of research to explore diverse critical responses to literature.
• Have become accomplished writers of analytical papers.   They will be able to provide evidence from the text to support arguments. They should have a strong competency in the use and conventions of the MLA (Modern Language Association) citation style.

Additional Objectives for Creative Writing Students

Upon completion of the program, students should:

• Be able to read as writers: opening up influences, gathering strategies, and widening the range of what is possible in a student's own writing.
• Appreciate the precarious balance between the solitary act of writing itself and the communal, public act of passing written work before the unblinking eye of the world.
• Have developed an appreciative comprehension of both the art and the craft of writing (and the significant abiding differences between the two).
• Have discovered and established a genuine self-discipline and a regular work regimen that is viable for the individual student.

Degree Requirements

• 42 required credit hours
• 27 general education credit hours
• 59 elective credit hours

Each English major must take ENGL 2020 and ENGL 2030 Major British Writers I and II and ENGL 2050 and ENGL 2070 Major U.S. Writers I and II, earning a grade of at least C- in each course. In addition, each student must select 33 additional credit hours, 24 from the list or lists specific to his or her emphasis (below) and 6 electives from the emphasis lists or other English courses. Of the 24 credit hours required in any one emphasis, 12 must be taken at Webster University. In the final semester of study, each student must register for ENGL 4600 Portfolio Review (0 credit hours).

Special Requirements

1. No more than two courses, not to exceed a maximum of 6 credit hours, completed with a grade of D may count toward fulfilling the specific course requirements of the major.
2. Students must complete ENGL 2020 and ENGL 2030 Major British Writers I and II and ENGL 2050 and ENGL 2070 Major U.S. Writers I and II with grades of C- or better.
3. At least 21 credit hours within the major must be completed at Webster University.
4. Each student must complete at least 12 credit hours of courses for the major at the 3000 or 4000 level.

Portfolio Review for English Majors

Students who begin the English major in Fall 2005 or later must submit a Portfolio as a requirement for the English major. Students will enroll in English 4600: Portfolio Review (0 credit hours) in their final semester of undergraduate study. Students must pass English 4600: Portfolio Review in order to graduate.

Required Courses

15 credit hours from the following:

9 credit hours from the following:

An additional 6 credit hours of ENGL electives.

Note: Students with an emphasis in creative writing must successfully complete at least one section of ENGL 4400.