Creative Writing Major

The major consists of a minimum of 10 full courses (or the equivalent).

Note: Students must earn minimum grades of C- or P for all courses that apply toward the major.

View the catalog page for the creative writing department.

Summary of Requirements

Two Full 200-Level Creative Writing Courses
Three Full 300-Level Creative Writing Workshop Courses
One Full 400-Level (or Equivalent) Elective Course
Four Full Literary Reading and Analysis Courses

Note(s) on Requirements

Only one cross-listed 300-level workshop course may apply to the major.
Only one practical studies course (e.g., CRWR 450) may apply to the major.
Students must complete creative writing courses in at least two genres.
Students must take courses at the 200- and 300-level with at least three different instructors.

Declaring the Major

Students may apply to the major in their second year or in the first semester of their third year, once they have, at minimum:

satisfactorily completed two 200-level courses, preferably in different genres, or
satisfactorily completed one 100-level course and one 200-level course, and are in the process of completing a second 200-level course in good standing, or
(for transfer students only) satisfactorily completed one 200-level course and have demonstrated that they have satisfactorily completed the equivalent of another 200-level creative writing course at another institution.

Students in the second semester of their third year may occasionally gain acceptance into the major, but this is rare. Students may not apply to the major in either their first or fourth year of study.

The department accepts applications to the major in the middle of each semester, typically due right after the given semester’s break. The application is both rigorous and holistic, assessing students’ development over three main areas: professionalism, workshop citizenship, and artistic commitment. The application requires a reflection on the student’s experiences in creative writing thus far, a proposed course of study in the major, an example of a workshop feedback letter written to a peer, and a portfolio. Applications are reviewed by all tenured and tenure-track creative writing faculty.

Students not accepted into the major may often still complete the creative writing minor.

Transfer of Credit Toward the Major

No more than two full courses of transfer credit may be applied toward the creative writing major. Of these, only one 300-level workshop course may be transferred to count toward the major.

Credit for creative writing courses taken elsewhere may, with chair approval, be applied toward the 200-level course requirement, the literary reading and analysis requirement, or the 300-level workshop requirement. Students planning to study away should contact the department chair before enrolling in classes to be certain their chosen courses will count. Students planning to study away should consider completing their 200-level coursework before leaving; few international programs offer intensive study of creative writing, and finding suitable 200-level courses can be difficult, which can delay students’ applications to the major.

Upon acceptance to the college, transfer students with an interest in creative writing should contact the department chair to discuss approval of previous coursework. Third-year transfer students will find it almost impossible to complete the major in four semesters and might consider the minor.

Course of Study

Students accepted to the major undertake a series of three intensive upper-level workshops: exacting, low-enrollment courses designed to test and refine the core skills and practices of maturing writers who are committed not only to their own development but also to that of their peers and to nurturing a vibrant, open-minded community of fellow craftspeople.

The major culminates in an upper-level elective of the student’s choosing, with input from their creative writing advisor. Such electives may include an upper-level course in any of the other practicing arts at Oberlin (cinema and media, dance, studio art, theater), a 300- or 400-level course in the literature of another language taught in that language, or a 400-level creative writing course. Students pursuing the BA/BFA in conjunction with the creative writing major may use PRAX 300 to fulfill this requirement. Students must have met the prerequisites of all language and practicing arts courses to be able to enroll in those courses.

Acknowledging that there is no good writing without good reading, students also consult with their advisors to select literary reading and analysis courses to cultivate the careful reading and interpretation of literature that is central to any vital studio practice.

Detailed Major Requirements

Creative Writing Major Course Lists

To complete the creative writing major, students must complete one 400-level (or equivalent) elective course. Depending on their interests, students may fulfill this requirement in one of three ways:

One 4-credit studio practice course in any of the other practicing arts (cinema and media, dance, studio art, and theater), at the 300- or 400-level (or its equivalent within that department’s curriculum). This also includes integrated arts practice (PRAX) courses associated with the BA/BFA degree program, including required courses such as PRAX 300 . Most courses at the intermediate/advanced level in other practicing arts departments have prerequisites. Students must have met those requirements in order to take those classes. Students should consult Degree Works for the complete list of practicing arts courses that can fulfill this requirement.
One 4-credit course in the literature of any language besides English, taught in that language, when possible, at the 300- or 400-level. Such courses can be found across many departments at Oberlin, including Hispanic studies, French and Italian, and East Asian studies. Students must have satisfied all necessary prerequisites in order to take these classes. Students should consult Degree Works for the complete list of non-English literature courses that can fulfill this requirement.
One 4-credit course in creative writing, at the 400-level. 400-level creative writing courses are typically available only to students in their fourth year. Nearly all are available to majors only. Students who wish to take their elective course within creative writing itself should complete all their 300-level work before proceeding to the 400-level course. Alternatively, should their schedule dictate this necessity, students may take the 400-level course concurrently with their final 300-level course. Students should consult the creative writing department catalog page for the complete list of available 400-level creative writing courses.

Literary Reading and Analysis Courses

Return to the summary of requirements.

Students should consult with their advisors when selecting literary reading and analysis courses.

Growing as a writer depends upon growing as a reader. The literary reading and analysis requirement asks students to deepen their knowledge of the traditions and current practices that shape the genres in which they write; in the most general sense, courses that count toward the literary reading and analysis requirement are those whose concern is the literary study of works of literature. The requirement may be met by courses in literature, narrative, or poetics (generally at the 200-level and above) offered by the departments of Africana studies, cinema and media, comparative literature, English, theater, and language departments such as French and Italian and East Asian studies. Literary reading and analysis credit may, in some cases, be considered for courses outside of these departments but within the arts and humanities (ARHU) division of the college. All such considerations and decisions are at the discretion of the department chair or a designated faculty member. The department maintains a form which may be filled out to nominate a course for consideration as a literary reading and analysis course.

Students in their fourth (and sometimes their third) year may choose to substitute one of the literary reading and analysis courses for a practical studies course such as CRWR 450 or various other practica.