College of Liberal & Creative Arts
The B.A. Degree in English: Creative Writing
The undergraduate major in English: Creative Writing has been designed to recognize the difference between the educational objectives of students concentrating in Creative Writing and those concentrating in a traditional English program.
The English: Creative Writing major program emphasizes the primary importance of the study and practice of writing. In the writing courses offered by the Creative Writing Department, students learn how to communicate in the special language of fiction, drama, and poetry. In the creative process courses, topics such as Plays: Reading and Viewing, Personal Narrative, Contemporary World Poetry, and The Short-Short Story teach students to look at literature from the point of view of the writer through a study of technique, structure, and style. The craft courses introduce the basic elements of writing fiction, poetry, or plays.
The English: Creative Writing major program also requires a number of literature courses so that students will continue to be exposed to the best writing of the present and past, as well as courses in theory, language, and literary criticism.
A Creative Writing B.A. major may be taken in the genres of Fiction, Poetry and Playwriting or a blend of those genres.
Access the list of the major requirements to better understand the structure of the major.
The roadmap puts all of your graduation requirements into an easy-to-follow semester-by-semester plan so you know what to take to stay on track. Whether you are a freshman or a transfer student, you'll be able to find a roadmap that best fits you.
Besides your major requirements, students must complete their GE and University requirements. Be sure to make sure you've completed all of these requirements for graduation.
To learn more about this major, check out the major department’s website below. You can also find out how you can access their faculty advisors who can assist you not just with course choices, but also answer questions about the field and discuss your career plans.
Department of Creative Writing
Humanities (HUM) Building, Room 573
Phone: (415) 338-1891
Email: cwriting@sfsu.edu
Website: https://creativewriting.sfsu.edu/
Chair: Nona Caspers
Freshmen Student Advising Information
After choosing “Basic Subjects” GE courses in Steps 1-3 of your Orientation process (if you haven’t done so, log onto your Orientation Profile page to follow the “Pre-Orientation Advising Module”), STEP 4 Choosing Major Classes will show you if there are any classes you can take to satisfy major requirements for your first and/or second semester.
Once you have determined your Roadmap above, review the first section below and write down any course recommendations based on your corresponding major roadmap on your Freshmen Class Planner worksheet.
First Semester Course Recommendations — Roadmaps A, B, C & D
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Major Class & Title |
Units |
Other Requirement Area(s) Met |
|
No lower-division major classes
|
- |
- |
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Focus more on GE for your first semester |
|
|
If there are any course(s) listed above, please enter this information onto “Step 4” of your Freshmen Class Planner.
Transfer Student Advising Information
Please see the box above labeled “Major Curriculum/Roadmaps & GE/University Requirements” for information on what courses to take in your first semester at SF State. View our Frequently Asked Questions for Transfers for helpful tips and additional information.