Creative Writing
Catalog pages 204-205
Subject abbreviation: CRWT College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences
Andrew Winer, M.F.A., Chair Department Office, ARTS 129
- (951) 827-5424; creativewriting.ucr.edu
Professors Mike Davis, C.Phil. Juan Felipe Herrera, M.F.A. Tom Lutz, Ph.D. Susan C. Straight, M.F.A. Professors Emeriti Steve Minot, Ph.D. Eliud Martínez, Ph.D. D. Chuck Whitney, Ph.D. Associate Professors Reza Aslan, Ph.D. Nalo Hopkinson, M.A. Michael Jayme, M.F.A. Laila Lalami, Ph.D. Andrew Winer, M.F.A. Assistant Professor Charmaine Craig, M.F.A. Goldberry Long, M.F.A. Cooperating Faculty Stephanie Hammer, Ph.D.
Major
The Creative Writing major offers a series of workshop courses in poetry, fiction, playwriting, screenwriting, and nonfiction as well as reading courses in poetry and fiction presented from a writer’s point of view. They are taught for the most part by poets, fiction writers, and playwrights.
The writing courses are taught as workshops, so that the subject matter (the students’ stories, poems, and plays) is different each time the course is offered.
Incoming freshmen and transfer students can apply for a Chancellor’s Performance Award, for up to $4,500. Contact the department office for more information.
University Requirements
See Undergraduate Studies section.
College Requirements
See College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences, Colleges and Programs section.
Major Requirements
The major requirements for the B.A. degree in Creative Writing are as follows:
Prerequisite courses: CRWT 056 or equivalent, and ENGL 001A or equivalent.
- 1. Lower-division requirements (20 units;
five courses) Two Creative Writing survey courses from CRWT 046A, CRWT 046B, or CRWT 046C
and
Two Creative Writing introductory courses from CRWT 057A, CRWT 057B, or CRWT 057C
and
One literature survey course from CRWT 012/ CPLT 012, CRWT 040, CRWT 041, CRWT 042, CRWT 043, CRWT 044, CRWT 045, CRWT 076, ENGL 014, ENGL 015, ENGL 017, CRWT 097H
- 2. Upper-division requirements (60 units)
- a) Three workshop courses in primary genre:
Creative Nonfiction CRWT 130, CRWT 132, CRWT 134
or
Poetry CRWT 150, CRWT 160, CRWT 170
or
Fiction CRWT 152, CRWT 162, CRWT 172
CRWT 152, CRWT 160, CRWT 162*, CRWT 164A/THEA 164A, CRWT 164B/ THEA 164B, CRWT 164C/THEA 164C, CRWT 166A/MCS 166A/THEA 166A, CRWT 166B/MCS 166B/THEA 166B, CRWT 166C/MCS 166C/THEA 166C series, CRWT 170*, CRWT 172*
*These workshops may be repeated; however, only 4 units total can be applied to the major.
- c) One workshop in third genre: CRWT 130,
CRWT 132, CRWT 134, CRWT 150, CRWT 152, CRWT 160, CRWT 162*, CRWT 164A/THEA 164A, CRWT 164B/ THEA 164B, CRWT 164C/THEA 164C, CRWT 166A/MCS 166A/THEA 166A, CRWT 166B/MCS 166B/THEA 166B, CRWT 166C/MCS 166C/THEA 166C series, CRWT 170*, CRWT 172*
*These workshops may be repeated; however, only 4 units total can be applied to the major.
- d) Three upper-division courses in Creative
Writing: CRWT 136, CRWT 143, CRWT 146 (E-Z), CRWT 151, CRWT 155, CRWT 165, CRWT 171, CRWT 173, CRWT 174, CRWT 175, CRWT 176 (E-Z), CRWT 180, CRWT 182, CRWT 185 (E-Z), CRWT 187/ CPLT 187, CRWT 191 (may be taken twice but used only once for major credit), CRWT 198I (may be taken only once, for 4 units)
- e) One upper-division course in Art, Art
History, Music, Dance, or Theatre (must be a 4-unit course)
upper division course with term paper
- g) Four upper-division courses of
concentration in another discipline or set of disciplines approved by advisor
Minor
- 1. Lower-division requirements (9 units)
- a) One introductory writing workshop: CRWT 056
- 2. Upper-division requirements (20 units)
- a) Four (4) units from
- (1) CRWT 176 (E-Z)
- (2) Any upper-division course in English,
Comparative Literature and Foreign Languages, or Theatre (except ENGL 101, ENGL 103; FREN 100, FREN 101A, FREN 101B, FREN 101C; GER 101, GER 103A, GER 103B; RUSN 103; SPN 101A, SPN 101B, SPN 101C, SPN 105, SPN 106A, SPN 106B)
- b) Sixteen (16) units in one of the following
emphases:
Nonfiction Emphasis
- (2) Four (4) units from CRWT 150,
CRWT 152, CRWT 164A/THEA 164A, CRWT 165, CRWT 166A/ MCS 166A/THEA 166A, CRWT 171, CRWT 187/CPLT 187
Poetry Emphasis
- (2) Four (4) units from CRWT 130,
CRWT 152, CRWT 164A/THEA 164A, CRWT 165, CRWT 166A/ MCS 166A/THEA 166A, CRWT 171, CRWT 187/CPLT 187
Fiction Emphasis
- (2) Four (4) units from CRWT 130,
CRWT 150, CRWT 164A/THEA 164A, CRWT 165, CRWT 166A/MCS 166A/THEA 166A, CRWT 187/CPLT 187
Drama Emphasis
- (2) Four (4) units from CRWT 130,
CRWT 150, CRWT 152, CRWT 165, CRWT 166A/MCS 166A/THEA 166A, CRWT 166B/MCS 166B/THEA 166B, CRWT 166C/MCS 166C/ THEA 166C, CRWT 187/CPLT 187, THEA 121
See Minors under the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences in the Colleges and Programs section of this catalog for additional information on minors. See also Journalism minor.
Education Abroad Program
The EAP is an excellent opportunity to travel and learn more about another country and its culture while taking courses to earn units toward graduation. Students should plan study abroad well in advance to ensure that the courses taken fit with their overall program at UCR. Consult the departmental student affairs officer for assistance. For further details, visit UCR’s Off Campus Academic Experiences at eapoap.ucr.edu or call (951) 827-2508.
See Education Abroad Program in the Educational Opportunities section of this catalog. A list of participating countries is found under Education Abroad Program in the Programs and Courses section. Search for programs by specific areas at eap.ucop.edu/ ourprograms.