Bachelor of Arts in English: Emphasis in Creative Writing

Allegheny’s English Department prepares students for an unknown future through the study of literary citizenship. Our program is oriented on flexibility and deep thinking, dedicated to the analysis and production of texts that mediate our relationship to the world, and committed to the cultivation of the uniqueness of human intellect, creativity, and communication. As readers and writers, we explore how literature and language shape, have shaped and will shape the world within which we live.

At a glance

• 89% English students report employment within the first eights months of graduation

What makes English-Literary studies at Allegheny different?

• The Allegheny Review — a nationwide undergraduate literary magazine. One of America's few dedicated exclusively to undergraduate works of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. Students from all over the nation have the option to submit their prose and hope to have it selected for publication.
• Student-Faculty Collaboration. Many English majors carry out independent humanities research or collaborative research with faculty in addition to the Senior Project.
• The Kirk and Caroselli Support Fund. This fund offers English majors support for academic conference attendance, professional presentations, summer writing workshops, Senior Project research, and materials.

In creative writing courses, students examine and describe choices writers make to construct meaning and express human experience. These classes introduce the traditions, controversies, vocabulary, and conventions pertinent to the craft of poetry, fiction, professional communication, or literary nonfiction. Creative writing classes require:

• Original writing that demonstrates an awareness of the relationship between form and subject
• Revision of original writing based on feedback
• Development of the ability to offer constructive and informed feedback on peer writing