Creative Writing

Creative writing is not for the weak. The major highly competitive and difficult to get into. Students must apply to all of their core courses even after declaring their major and cannot declare until having completed at least one 300 level course. The department is known to frown upon genre writing, and a fantasy or sci-fi heavy application is a particularly hard sell. Creative writing classes cannot be audited. In addition to being competitive, the major is also brutal: classes are held workshop style, with each individual member receiving written and verbal criticism--some constructive, some not--from all other members of the class on a semi-weekly basis.

[edit] Size

The major is small, with only 3 permanent faculty members; many courses are taught by visiting professors or professors from the English department. There are 60 students in the major as of 2007 and a given class will hold 12 to 16 people.

[edit] Writing is for the ladies

Male creative writing majors are rare and often lusted after by their straight female counter parts. The female-male ratio of a typical workshop is 11-1.

It is worth noting, however, that many male creative writing majors get no love. :(