Creative Writing, B.F.A.

With its focus on the study of important works, this degree combines literature, rhetoric, and cultural studies courses with writing workshops to explore and develop students’ talents as creative writers. Students earning a B.F.A. in Creative Writing may not double major in the B.A. in English.

Program Learning Outcomes for B.F.A. in Creative Writing.

Students pursuing the B.F.A. in Creative Writing are required to:

Maintain at least a 2.000 grade point average in the major.
Complete 21 credits from upper-division courses in the major.
Complete the capstone requirement ENG 497 .

core creative writing (21 credits)

requirements (6 credits)
ENG 204 - Introduction to Creative Writing 3 credits
ENG 497 - Capstone Course in Creative Writing 3 credits
one of the following (3 credits)
ENG 304 - Creative Writing: Special Topics 3 credits
ENG 304A - Creative Writing Special Topics: Experimental Writing 3 credits
ENG 304B - Creative Writing Special Topics: Science or Speculative Fiction Writing 3 credits
ENG 304C - Creative Writing Special Topics: Writing Health, Disability, Science 3 credits
ENG 304D - Creative Writing Special Topics: Young Adult Writing 3 credits
one of the following (3 credits)
ENG 403 - Techniques in Poetry Writing 3 credits
ENG 404 - Techniques in Writing Fiction 3 credits
ENG 422 - Techniques in Creative Nonfiction 3 credits
nine credits from the following (9 credits)
ENG 405 - Advanced Workshop in Poetry Writing 3 credits *
ENG 406 - Advanced Workshop in Writing Fiction 3 credits *
ENG 419 - Advanced Workshop in Creative Nonfiction 3 credits *

elective creative writing courses (12 credits)

four of the following
ENG 227 - Writing the One-Act Play 3 credits
ENG 228 - Introduction to Screenwriting 3 credits
ENG 304 - Creative Writing: Special Topics 3 credits
ENG 304A - Creative Writing Special Topics: Experimental Writing 3 credits
ENG 304B - Creative Writing Special Topics: Science or Speculative Fiction Writing 3 credits
ENG 304C - Creative Writing Special Topics: Writing Health, Disability, Science 3 credits
ENG 304D - Creative Writing Special Topics: Young Adult Writing 3 credits
ENG 310 - Writing Creative Nonfiction 3 credits
ENG 312 - Writing the Short Story 3 credits
ENG 313 - Writing Southern California 3 credits
ENG 314 - Writing the Novel 3 credits
ENG 316 - Writing Poetry 3 credits
ENG 318 - Intermediate Screenwriting 3 credits
ENG 328 - Writing for Video Games 3 credits
ENG 351 - Writing the Graphic Novel 3 credits
ENG 405 - Advanced Workshop in Poetry Writing 3 credits
ENG 406 - Advanced Workshop in Writing Fiction 3 credits
ENG 414 - Narrative Nonfiction 3 credits
ENG 419 - Advanced Workshop in Creative Nonfiction 3 credits

core literature and theory (12 credits)

requirements (6 credits)
ENG 223 - Literature III (1800 CE-present) 3 credits
ENG 256 - Introduction to Literary Theory and Criticism 3 credits
one of the following (3 credits)
ENG 221 - Literature I (antiquity to 1400 CE) 3 credits
ENG 222 - Literature II (1400-1800 CE) 3 credits
ENG 270 - Foundations of Rhetorical Studies 3 credits
one of the following (3 credits)
ENG 250 - Introduction to Fiction 3 credits
ENG 252 - Introduction to Poetry 3 credits
ENG 407 - Literary Forum: Tabula Poetica Poetry Reading Series 3 credits
ENG 409 - Literary Forum: John Fowles Center Contemporary Writers Core 3 credits

elective literature/rhetoric upper-division courses (9 credits)

at least 3 credits of the following diversity courses** (3 credits)
ENG 224 - Introduction to Latinx Literature 3 credits
ENG 271 - Introduction to Linguistics 3 credits
ENG 302 - Writing About Diverse Cultures 3 credits
ENG 302A - Representing Self/Others 3 credits
ENG 302B - Disability and Creative Writing 3 credits
ENG 321A - African American Literature 1880s-1940s 3 credits
ENG 321B - African American Literature Post-1950 3 credits
ENG 327 - Multicultural Literatures of the U.S. 3 credits
ENG 339 - World Literature from 1900 to the Present 3 credits
ENG 345A - Gender in Victorian England 3 credits
ENG 347 - Topics in Literary and Cultural Studies 3 credits
ENG 380 - Latinx and Indigenous Rhetorics 3 credits
ENG 424 - Topics in Latinx Literature 3 credits
ENG 444 - Topics in Rhetoric 3 credits
ENG 444A - Feminist Rhetorics 3 credits
ENG 444B - Copyright/Copyleft: Sampling/Plagiarism/Appropriation/Reinvention? 3 credits
ENG 444C - Queer Rhetorics 3 credits
ENG 444D - Posthuman Rhetorics 3 credits
ENG 444E - Technical Communication and Social Justice 3 credits
ENG 444F - Pedagogies of Freedom: Paulo Freire and bell hooks 3 credits
ENG 444G - Seminar on Foucault 3 credits
ENG 449 - Literature in Translation 3 credits
ENG 472 - Film, Gender, Sexuality 3 credits
two of the following (6 credits)
ENG 224 - Introduction to Latinx Literature
ENG 302 - Writing About Diverse Cultures
ENG 302A - Representing Self/Others
ENG 302B - Disability and Creative Writing
ENG 320 - Topics in American Literature before 1870 3 credits
ENG 320A - Reinventing American Literature 3 credits
ENG 321 - Topics in American Literature after 1870 3 credits
ENG 321A - African American Literature 1880s-1940s
ENG 321B - African American Literature Post-1950
ENG 325 - Introduction to Shakespeare 3 credits
ENG 326 - Topics in American Literature 3 credits
ENG 329 - Experimental Course 3 credits
ENG 337 - Topics in British Literature 3 credits
ENG 340 - The Bible as Literature: The Hebrew Scriptures 3 credits
ENG 341 - The Bible as Literature: The Christian Scriptures 3 credits
ENG 344 - Topics in British Literature before 1850 3 credits
ENG 344A - The English Gothic Novel 3 credits
ENG 344B - The English Epic 3 credits
ENG 344C - Revenge Narratives 3 credits
ENG 345 - Topics in British Literature after 1850 3 credits
ENG 345A - Gender in Victorian England
ENG 346 - Special Studies in Literature 3 credits
ENG 447 - Advanced Topics in Literary and Cultural Studies 3 credits
ENG 347A - Cognition and the Novel 3 credits
ENG 355 - Theater in England 3 credits
ENG 357 - Topics in Humanomics 3 credits (With the approval of the English Department Chair)
ENG 360 - War, Memory, and Literature 3 credits
ENG 371 - Discourse Analysis 3 credits
ENG 372 - Language and Ideology 3 credits
ENG 380 - Latinx and Indigenous Rhetorics
ENG 407 - Literary Forum: Tabula Poetica Poetry Reading Series 3 credits
ENG 409 - Literary Forum: John Fowles Center Contemporary Writers Core 3 credits
ENG 430 - Shakespeare’s Comedies and Histories 3 credits
ENG 432 - Shakespeare’s Tragedies and Romances 3 credits
ENG 441 - Topics in Drama 3 credits
ENG 443 - Topics in Fiction 3 credits
ENG 443A - Topics in Fiction: American Fiction of the 1920s 3 credits
ENG 444 - Topics in Rhetoric
ENG 444A - Feminist Rhetorics
ENG 444B - Copyright/Copyleft: Sampling/Plagiarism/Appropriation/Reinvention?
ENG 444C - Queer Rhetorics
ENG 444D - Posthuman Rhetorics
ENG 444E - Technical Communication and Social Justice
ENG 444F - Pedagogies of Freedom: Paulo Freire and bell hooks
ENG 444G - Seminar on Foucault
ENG 445 - Major Author(s) 3 credits
ENG 445A - Flipping Jane Austen 3 credits
ENG 445B - Henry James and Edith Wharton 3 credits
ENG 447-IRE - The “Real” Westeros: Game of Thrones and Northern Ireland 3 credits
ENG 447A - Banned Books 3 credits
ENG 447B - Literature and Terror 3 credits
ENG 447C - The Harlem Renaissance 3 credits
ENG 456 - Topics in Literary Theory and Criticism 3 credits
ENG 471 - The Rhetoric of Fiction 3 credits

elective practice (6 credits)

two of the following
(at least 3 credits must be upper-division)
ENG 210 - News Reporting and Writing Workshop 3 credits
ENG 211 - Introduction to Digital Journalism Workshop 3 credits
ENG 214 - Digital Newsroom Workshop 1 credit
ENG 215 - Theory and Practice of Journalism and Reporting 3 credits
ENG 218 - Introduction to Digital Design for Journalists 3 credits
ENG 253 - Photojournalism 3 credits
ENG 271 - Introduction to Linguistics 3 credits
ENG 305 - Business Writing 3 credits
ENG 308 - Public Affairs Reporting 3 credits
ENG 311 - Podcasting: The Art of Storytelling 3 credits
ENG 319 - Digital Magazine Workshop for Journalists 3 credits
ENG 323 - Journalists as Historians 3 credits
ENG 356 - Literary Publishing Workshop 1 credit
ENG 370 - Technical Writing 3 credits
ENG 371 - Discourse Analysis 3 credits
ENG 373 - Rhetorical Criticism 3 credits
ENG 374 - Environmental Rhetoric 3 credits
ENG 375 - Composing New Media 3 credits
ENG 410 - Advanced Reporting and Editing Workshop for Journalists 3 credits
ENG 411 - Advanced Digital Journalism Workshop 3 credits
ENG 415 - Topics in Journalism 3 credits
ENG 418 - Advanced Digital Design for Journalists 3 credits
ENG 421 - Humanities Computing 3 credits
ENG 481 - Theory and Practice of Writing, Tutoring, and Conferencing 3 credits
ENG 491 - Student-Faculty Research/Creative Activity 1-3 credits
ENG 490 - Independent Internship ½-3 credits

total credits 60

*ENG 405 , ENG 406 and ENG 419 are repeatable for credit. Students must take a combination of ENG 405 , ENG 406 and ENG 419 for a total of nine credits.

**Other courses, such as special topics courses, may also be used to satisfy the diversity requirement, depending on their focus. Topics courses can be repeated for credit when they have a different focus.