Concentration in Creative Writing

B.A. with Concentration in Creative Writing

Students majoring in English may select an optional concentration in creative writing by completing the following courses within their major requirements.

Students may also begin with ENGL 152, an optional introductory class which can be taken instead of ENGL 100.

The Creative Writing Concentration allows students to take classes with a mix of creative and critical elements—the cornerstone of our Creative Writing program. They can attend workshops, receive feedback on their creative material, and also engage with literature and scholarship that pertains to the art and business of writing. This experience will allow students to reflect on their own writing, and learn how to evaluate the work of their peers, all within a supportive environment. Upon completion of the program, students will field a broad knowledge of different creative genres. They will also develop a body of creative work that they can revise and submit for publication.

ENGL 252 and 352-4 can include a broad range of genres, including but not limited to: poetry, short fiction, memoir, experimental fiction, fantasy, speculative fiction, romance, and creative nonfiction.

B.A. Honors with Concentration in Creative Writing

A Concentration in Creative Writing option can be selected by completing four courses within the honours requirements from the list below.

Upon completion of their course requirements, students will then embark upon an extended creative project, under the guidance of an honors supervisor. They will enrol in ENGL 490 [Project Proposal] for one semester while crafting a proposal for their honours project. This proposal will describe the rationale for the project while also locating it within a particular genre. Once this has been approved, they will then register in ENGL 491 [Honors Project], and spend a semester writing and revising their creative project. They will submit the completed project to their honors supervisor, and discuss their manuscript with an examiner (either a creative writing faculty member, or an external writer). By the end of the process, students will have a polished manuscript—with professional feedback—that they can continue to revise for publication.

Previous honors projects have engaged with the following genres: literary fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, fantasy and speculative fiction, horror, children’s and YA literature, historical fiction, short fiction/flash fiction.