Course Information Suite

Programs of Study: Undergrad

Creative Writing

Department of English
http://www.english.illinois.edu
Head of Department: Curtis Perry
Department Office: 208 English Building, 608 South Wright, Urbana, (217) 333-2391

The Creative Writing major, administered by the Department of English, combines small workshops (poetry, fiction, nonfiction) and a variety of literature courses.  The result is a strong but flexible program of study that develops students’ analytical and creative skills and prepares them for work of graduate study in any number of fields.

Major in Sciences and Letters Curriculum

E-mail: english@english.uiuc.edu

Degree title: Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts and Sciences

Minimum required core and supporting course work normally equates to 36 hours including 15 hours of Creative Writing and 15 hours of English and American Literature.

General education: Students must complete the Campus General Education requirements.

Minimum hours required for graduation: 120 hours

Departmental distinction: A student must enter the honors program with a 3.25 grade point average and complete two English honors seminars and a significant writing project in RHET 455. The level of distinction is assigned by the honors committee based on work in rhetoric courses and honors seminars and on the readers' evaluations of the writing project. Interested students should consult the departmental advisor for details.

Hours Requirements
3 One course in expository writing, choose from:
 
RHET 243 - Inter Expository Writing 1
 
CW 208 - Creative Nonfiction Writing
12 Creative Writing courses selected from: 2
 
CW 104 - Introductory Narrative Writing
 
CW 106 - Introductory Poetry Writing
 
CW 204 - Intermediate Narrative Writing
 
CW 208 - Creative Nonfiction Writing
 
CW 404 - Advanced Narrative Writing
 
CW 406 - Advanced Poetry Writing
 
CW 455 - Creative Writing Tutorial
3 One course in Shakespeare:
 
ENGL 300 - Writing About Literature (when offered on a Shakespeare topic)
 
ENGL 418 - Shakespeare
12 English and American literature courses selected from 200-, 300- and 400-level courses.
6 Six hours of supporting coursework
  History and Culture Coursework: Choose one of the following pairs:
 
HIST 141 - Western Civ to 1660 (or HIST 140), and
 
HIST 142 - Western Civ Since 1660 (or HIST 143)
  or
 
HIST 255 - British Isles to 1688, and
 
HIST 256 - Britain and World Since 1688
  or
 
CWL 241 - Lit Europe & the Americas I, and
 
CWL 242 - Lit Europe and the Americas, II
  or
 
HIST 171- US Hist to 1877 and
 
HIST 172-US Hist Since 1877

1. Credit is not given for both RHET 233 and RHET 243. Students who have received credit for RHET 233 must take CW 208. Other students should take RHET 243.

2. With the written permission of a Creative Writing adviser, 3 of these 12 hours may be selected from the following courses: ENGL 380, 401, 402, 403, 481; BTW 250, 261, 263, 271; CMN 310, 415, 416, 417, 423, 432; JOUR 475; and PHIL 102.

Twelve hours of 300- and 400-level courses in the major must be taken on this campus, of which at least three hours must be Creative Writing Courses (CW 404 or CW 406).  All Creative Writing courses must be taken in sequence (CW 104 before CW 204, etc.)

All foreign language requirements must be satisfied.