Certificate in Creative Writing

Certificates may be earned by regularly matriculated or extended learning students and denote successful completion of a prescribed program of study designed to:

  1. impart specified professional/vocational/career competencies; or
  2. produce mastery of the content of a sub-field of an academic major (discipline); or
  3. provide exposure to the range of materials in a traditional or emerging interdisciplinary field.

Certain certificate programs contain 6000-level courses as requirements and/or electives. These 6000-level courses may not be taken by undergraduate students. Candidates must receive two-thirds of their certificate-applicable credit from the university. The transferring of credit or the substitution of courses may occur only after application to the appropriate campus authority.

Designed for non-English majors, the 18-unit Certificate in Creative Writing supports development of students' creative writing processes. In three required courses (foundations, workshop, and seminar) students draft, appreciate, and critique their original work and that of exemplary authors, working independently and collaboratively.  In three elective courses, students choose from a variety of creative writing practices, applications, and vocations, to gain hands-on experience teaching, editing, publishing, and/or performing.  Some examples of such experience include working with local K-12 students, editing a campus literary magazine, working with the campus radio station, performing at open mics on and off campus, and using creative writing approaches, pedagogies, and processes toward other forms of community outreach.  Students will gain expertise relevant to a wide range of careers such as those in other arts, communications, science, business, government, and health and human services.  

Certificate Requirements (18 Units)

ENG 3500Literary Movements: Aesthetics and Craft3
One workshop chosen from: 3
Poetry Writing Workshop
Fiction Writing Workshop
Creative Nonfiction
ENG 5130Advanced Creative Writing in Specialized Genres3
One Creative Writing elective chosen from: 3
Writing for Performance
Poetry Writing Workshop
Fiction Writing Workshop
Media Performance Practicum
Creative Writing in the Secondary Classroom
Creative Writing in the Secondary Classroom B
Advanced Creative Writing in Specialized Genres
Creative Nonfiction
Literary Production I
Literary Production II
Two English electives chosen from any upper-division English courses.6
Please note: ENG 5300 can only be taken once for credit; ENG 4170 and ENG 4180 can each be taken for up to 6 units of credit; and ENG 5130 may be taken again for credit as topics change.
Total Units18