Program Details
Study Creative Writing
Our students write fiction, poetry and creative nonfiction. (We don’t follow specialty tracks.) We use variations of the traditional workshop model, in which students and professors provide constructive responses to classmates’ stories, poems and essays. The department also has classes in reading for craft, research for creative writers, grammar and mechanics, and the psychology of the creative process.
Advanced writing classes concentrate on special topics, such as writing dialogue, ekphrastic poetry, the personal essay, songwriting, ghost stories, writing for the public good, young adult writing, the study of the image in poetry and the graphic novel.
BFA students should show a dedication to their craft through a strong work ethic, a willingness to strengthen the fundamentals, and an openness to apply their skills in a wide variety of creative works. We seek promise, not perfection. Most students have personal interests for their writing, but we challenge them to explore beyond that. We believe broader study in creative writing results in the deepest learning and most beneficial artistic development.
Undergraduates in creative writing also benefit from the department’s Publishing Laboratory and its classes in publishing, editing and design. This hands-on curriculum prepares students for the publishing industry, graduate study in publishing or simply broader knowledge of the literary profession. Creative writing majors who complete the optional 15-credit-hour program may earn the Certificate in Publishing, a designation added to the BFA degree, making UNCW’s undergraduate creative writing program unique nationwide.
Beyond the classroom, creative writing majors have opportunities to learn through internships, most of which involve professional training and nonfiction writing in marketing and promotions, journalism and event planning. Nearly all of our internships require in-person commitments, though we do have limited online internships. Interns must be juniors or seniors and earn qualifying grade-point averages.
Our minor in creative writing attracts students from across the university, and our minor in coastal and environmental writing combines classes in writing and the earth sciences. Both minors require 21 credit hours of study.
Our majors and minors are bright, capable, ambitious, writers who bring energy to the classroom and a sense of belonging to our writing community. We’re proud of our students for their commitment to writing, reading, learning and growing as artists.
The Department of Creative Writing offers a minor, which emphasizes development in the craft of writing. The 21-hour minor in creative writing provides students with a foundation in creative writing classes, including an introductory course and a course in the historical development of the discipline.
Minors in creative writing also take first-level workshops in the department’s three writing genres:
- fiction
- poetry
- and creative nonfiction.
The minor helps students develop basic proficiencies in creative writing, while allowing them to focus their interests through appropriate electives in related study. 21 hours: 15 core, six related study electives. The minor requires at least six credit hours of course work at the 300–400 level.
Requirements for a Minor in Creative Writing
More Information
We offer a broad liberal arts education that fosters creativity, exercises communication skills, sharpens analytical perception, and encourages informed, integrated cultural viewpoints.
Our Bachelor of Fine Arts Program provides aspiring writers an apprenticeship in writing, informed by the close study of literature among a community of professional writers. As a studio-academic experience in writing fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction, our program unites passionate people who believe the creation of art is a pursuit valuable to self and culture.
What We Do
We think you'll find we are an open-minded and big-hearted group. Our faculty encourages a rigorous yet safe, supportive environment in which diverse writers can grow as artists and as individuals. We believe excellence starts with an informed application of craft and we encourage writers to explore aesthetics and methods across genre lines.
Whether you are an undergraduate writer just starting down the path, or a more experienced one looking for support and guidance in the mastery of your art, we have a program that will work for you. We invite you to explore the pages of this site.
Earning the BFA Degree
BFA students must complete 63 hours in the creative writing major, along with UNCW's University Studies (general education) requirements.
Academic Advising in Creative Writing
All majors in creative writing receive individual academic advising each semester, with written plans of action for course registration. For majors and minors, an advisor is available to respond to questions or academic concerns.
Declaring Pre-Creative Writing, Applying to the Full Major
First, declare the pre-CRW major with the help of your academic advisor. You will then be assigned to the Department of Creative Writing and your advisor will become Tim Bass, the coordinator of the Bachelor of Fine Arts Program.
Earning the BFA Degree
BFA candidates must complete a minimum of 124 hours of undergraduate study. In addition to meeting UNCW's Basic Studies requirements, the students must complete 54 hours toward the major in creative writing.
Grading Guidelines in Creative Writing
While a grade of C is considered average campus-wide, the department expects students in the major to earn grades of B or higher in major courses. For classes in the creative writing major and minors, grades below C- do not count.
Internships
Internships in creative writing offer students several important learning opportunities: gaining essential work experience, applying creative writing in the working world, using editing skills, and preparing for life after college.
Policies for Undergraduate Creative Writing Students
The Department of Creative Writing recognizes and implements some policies and guidelines in addition to the rights, responsibilities and expected levels of student conduct listed in the UNCW Code of Student Life.
Campus, Writing & Cultural Resources
We've compiled a list of helpful resources for your time with the Creative Writing Department.
Earning the BFA Degree
In addition to meeting UNCW's University Studies requirements for general education, candidates for the Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in creative writing also must complete 63 credit hours for the major. The specific courses may vary by catalogue year (the year of your enrollment at UNCW).
Students will find their specific degree requirements in the degree audit, accessed in Degree Works via mySeaport. For students who are accepted to the Certificate in Publishing program and for students who declare a minor, those classes also will show in the audit.
Certificate in Publishing
The Certificate in Publishing is available to majors in creative writing. This hands-on publishing program enhances professional credentials for students interested in pursuing careers in book or journal publishing, or those planning to attend graduate school in a related field.
The certificate is optional. Only creative writing majors may complete the certificate, but most publishing classes are open to all UNCW students who complete the prerequisite classes (beginning with Creative Writing 201: Introduction to Creative Writing). The final class for the certificate, Creative Writing 460: Publishing Practicum, is open only to students who have been admitted to the full creative writing major.
Honors
UNCW’s Honors Scholars College provides opportunities for undergraduates to engage in independent and creative scholarly activity. The Honors Scholars College directs the four-year honors curriculum and departmental honors, offers opportunities to develop a global perspective, supports undergraduate research for all UNCW graduates, and mentors UNCW students through the application process for national scholarships and fellowships.
Contact Us
Department of Creative Writing
Phone: (910) 962-7063
Fax: (910) 962-7461
Hours:
Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Summer hours:
Monday-Thursday, 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
Friday, 7:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.