Portland-State-University 2019-2020 Bulletin

Creative Writing B.F.A.


Admission Requirements

Admission to the degree program is based on (a) general admission to the university (see University Admissions for more information) and (b) admission to the Creative Writing program, which includes submission of a Statement of Purpose and a writing sample (10-15 pages of poetry, or 15-25 pages of prose).

Requirements

In addition to meeting university B.A. degree requirements, the Creative Writing major must meet the following requirements for the B.F.A. degree: Literature Courses, Writing Courses, Fine Art Electives, English Electives, Writing Electives, and a Graduation Requirement (Senior Portfolio).

Literature Courses (16 credits)

Eng 204Survey of British Literature I

4
Eng 205Survey of British Literature II

4
Eng 253Survey of American Literature I

4
Eng 254Survey of American Literature II

4

Writing Courses (12 credits)

Wr 212Introductory Fiction Writing

4
Wr 213Introductory Poetry Writing

4
Wr 214Introductory Nonfiction Writing

4

Fine Art Electives (8 credits)

Two courses in arts appreciation, theory, or performance (8 credits).

This requirement is fulfilled through courses in the College of the Arts prefixed Arch, ArH, Art, D, FILM, Mus, and TA.

English Electives (12 credits)

12 upper division Eng credits (With adviser approval, one upper-division WLL literature course may be applied to this requirement.)

Writing Electives (28 credits)

16 credits in the genre of portfolio (fiction, nonfiction, or poetry), at least 8 of which must be at the 400-level:

Wr 312Intermediate Fiction Writing

4
Wr 313Intermediate Poetry Writing

4
Wr 328Media Editing

4
Wr 399Special Studies

1-5
Wr 407Writing Seminar

1-6
Wr 412Advanced Fiction Writing

4
Wr 413Advanced Poetry Writing

4
Wr 428Advanced Media Writing

4
Wr 456Forms of Nonfiction

4
Wr 457Personal Essay Writing

4
Wr 458Magazine Writing

4
Wr 459Memoir Writing

4

12 credits of additional upper-division WR courses, 8 of which must be 400-level.

Note: Wr 312, Wr 313, Wr 412, Wr 413 may be repeated for credit.

Graduation Requirement

The Senior Portfolio is submitted for approval by the end of the third week of the quarter of graduation. This portfolio showcases the clean revised copy of the student's creative writing in a chosen genre (i.e., fiction, nonfiction, or poetry), and should contain: (a) An introductory statement of artistic intent, which is a formal statement of the student’s goals and craft and a critical assessment of the work (6-10 pages); and (b) Writing within a genre: 30-50 pages of fiction or nonfiction, or 20-30 pages of poetry.

Additional Information on Requirements

  • Creative Writing majors in upper-division English courses are expected to be able to write a library research paper when required. The department recommends that majors without prior training in research paper writing enroll in Wr 222.
  • Only courses in which a student receives a C or above can count for the Creative Writing major.
  • Only courses taken for a letter grade can count toward the Creative Writing major.
  • No more than 12 credits taken for the Minor in English may be applied to the Creative Writing major.
  • A minimum of 24 credits in English and/or Writing at PSU is required to graduate from PSU with a major in Creative Writing.

Total Credit Hours: 76