English (BA) with emphasis in Creative Writing Lindenwood University

A Creative Writing Emphasis at Lindenwood University requires 36 credit hours of coursework in a range of courses including study in fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. You will have the opportunity to write both long and short-form original creative texts and to workshop them with your professors and peers. With course options that include both writing workshops and literary study, our program allows students and aspiring authors to engage in intensive creative growth as both writers and readers. You also have the option to expand your study beyond traditional creative and literary texts to include courses in technical writing, grammar, and rhetoric. You will even get the chance to work on the student-run literary magazine Arrow Rock and to learn about how to publish your own work professionally.

Like every Lindenwood student, you will complete the General Education requirements of the Bachelor of Arts. You are also required to be proficient in at least one foreign language up to and including the Elementary II level, which can be fulfilled by coursework, a placement test, or a combination of the two.

Graduating with an English Studies degree with a Creative Writing emphasis opens up your professional options to a wide variety of careers. Careers in publishing, mass media, education, law, marketing, copywriting, editing, and technical writing—one of the fastest-growing fields in the country—are common for graduates with this degree. In fact, the in-depth writing preparation you get in writing workshops is directly applicable to communication skills essential in any career choice. Whether you intend to pursue a writing-focused career or not, employers will be impressed with the level of polish and control you bring to your workplace writing.

The Bachelor of Arts in English with an emphasis in Creative Writing prepares you to use the language both persuasively and creatively and to read, think, and write critically in any setting. Graduates pursue a variety of professional objectives and career paths, including graduate school in literature and creative writing, law school, teaching at the secondary level, journalism, technical and business writing, copywriting, editing, and proofreading.

A major in English with Creative Writing Emphasis requires 36 credit hours of coursework through the English program (or courses approved by the department) plus the foreign language requirement listed below.

The major is structured to provide you with the flexibility to craft the program of study most suitable to your goals (in consultation with your advisor).

Major Coursework

12 credit hours of coursework from the following options:

• ENGL 21100 Introduction to Creative Writing
• ENGL 30100 Methods of Literary Study
• ENGL 31100 Advanced Creative Writing
• ENGL 45400 Senior Capstone in English

Elective Coursework

24 credit hours of coursework from the following options or from all other ENGL 30000- or 40000-level courses:

• ENGL 20800 Introduction to Writing and Rhetoric
• ENGL 20900 Writing for Game Design
• ENGL 22200 Writing about Reality
• ENGL 23000 Professional Communications
• ENGL 25000/SPA 25000 Multiculturalism and Multilingualism
• ENGL 30700 The Teaching of Writing
• ENGL 31200 Technical Writing
• ENGL 31500 Arrow Rock Literary Journal
• ENGL 34000 Stranger than Fiction – Writing Advanced Nonfiction
• ENGL 35800 Getting Published – Tips for Writers
• ENGL 36300 Philosophy of Language: Secrets, Symbols, and the Literary Mind
• ENGL 36500 Digital Humanities
• ENGL 36700 World-Building
• ENGL 37100 Reading and Writing of the Young Adult Novel
• ENGL 37200 Grammar and Writing
• ENGL 38200-38299 Topics in English

Substitute Coursework

Students may substitute up to 6 credit hours of the elective coursework above with courses from the following list. Other courses not on this list may be accepted for credit toward the degree with permission of the department head. Some of the courses listed have prerequisites that may be waived after consultation with the department head.

• CINE 35000 Screenwriting
• COM 24200 Basic Reporting
• COM 38200 Feature Writing
• DCS 35000 Personal Branding and Content Creation
• MGMT 36015 International Business and Cross-Cultural Communications
• MRKT 35040 Advertising and Promotional Strategy
• NPA 37100 Grantwriting
• PS 30700 Public Affairs: Writing and Reporting

No duplication of coursework is permitted within the program.

ENG courses may satisfy program requirements at the discretion of the advisor.

English majors must demonstrate proficiency in one foreign language equivalent to Lindenwood University’s Elementary II level. Students who transfer in at least six college credit hours in such a language or who have a sufficient AP exam score in such a language are considered to have demonstrated proficiency. Students who have studied a language offered by Lindenwood University but who do not have sufficient college course credit in the language may consult with the program chair about having their proficiency tested by the faculty in our non-English language programs to determine which courses, if any, they must take to fulfill the requirement. Students who have studied a language not offered by Lindenwood University and who do not have sufficient college course credit in the language may consult with the program about taking an online proficiency test to determine whether they will need to undertake further language study at Lindenwood. (Note: Not all languages are available for testing.)

English majors should take ENGL 30100 as soon as possible after completing ENGL 17000.