Art is beholden to the kiln in which the artist was fired.”
undergraduate
Classes
Writing majors must choose a concentration in at least one of the three program tracks—fiction, poetry, or nonfiction—but, in most cases, will take other writing courses as well. This concentration consists of at least 5 or 6 courses: a 0500-level course, several 1000-level courses, and a Senior Seminar or Internship. A listing of specific requirements in each of the tracks follows.
Note: Even though a specific track may require only 5 or 6 writing courses, every Writing MAJOR must earn 21 credits in writing (7 courses).
First Course: Writing 0400, Introduction to Creative Writing
This course is optional and may be taken during the second year by students who have recently declared a major in writing and who are seriously considering writing as a major, or are taking their first 0500-level course. It may not be taken after W0520 or W0530 has been completed.
Fiction Track
Writing majors concentrating in fiction must take: L0325 Short Story in Context; W0520; W1010; W1020; W1094; and W1710. A topics course is also strongly recommended.
The following is a listing of all courses offered in the Fiction track:
| Course # | Title | Prerequisite |
|---|---|---|
| 0520 | Introduction to Fiction Writing | |
| 1010 | Intermediate Fiction | W 0520 |
| 1020 | Advanced Fiction | W 1010 |
| 1090 | Mastering Point of View | W 1010 |
| 1091 | Autobiography and the Creative Impulse | W 1010 |
| 1092 | Writer's Journal | W 1010 |
| 1093 | Development of a Writer | W 1010 |
| 1094 | Readings in Contemporary Fiction | W 1010 |
| 1095 | Topics in Fiction Writing | W 1010 |
| 1710 | Senior Seminar in Fiction | 1010 and 1020 |
Core Literature Requirements for Fiction and Poetry Majors (Choose one from the following list):
| Course # | Title |
|---|---|
| 0500 | Introduction to Critical Reading |
| 1100 | Medieval Imagination |
| 1125 | Renaissance in England |
| 1150 | Enlightenment to Revolution |
| 1175 | 19th Century British Literature |
| 1200 | American Literature to 1860 |
| 1220 | Emergence of Modern America |
| 1325 | The Modernist Tradition |
| 1380 | World Literature in English |
Literature Electives for Fiction and Poetry Majors (Choose two literature electives from the following list):
| Course # | Title |
|---|---|
| 0500 | Introduction to Critical Reading |
| 0505 | Lectures in Literature |
| 0560 | Children and Culture |
| 0562 | Childhood's Books |
| 0570 | American Literary Traditions |
| 0573 | Literature of the Americas |
| 0580 | Introduction to Shakespeare |
| 0590 | Formative Masterpieces |
| 0597 | Literature and Race |
| 0616 | Literature and Migration |
| 0625 | Detective Fiction |
| 0626 | Science Fiction |
| 0627 | Literature of Sports |
| 0628 | Working Class Literature |
| 0629 | The Wild West |
| 0630 | Sexuality and Representation |
| 0635 | New Literature |
| 0636 | Gothic Imagination |
| 0640 | Allegory |
| 0641 | Tragedy |
| 0642 | Comedy |
| 0643 | Satire |
| 0644 | Myth and Folktale |
| 0645 | Fantasy and Romance |
| 0655 | Representing Adolescence |
| 1020 | History of Literary Criticism |
| 1023 | Contemporary Critical Theory |
| 1028 | Literature and Psychoanalysis |
| 1100 | Medieval Imagination |
| 1105 | Middle English Literature |
| 1115 | Chaucer |
| 1125 | Renaissance in England |
| 1126 | Advanced Shakespeare |
| 1127 | Shakespeare on Film |
| 1128 | Women in Shakespeare |
| 1132 | Elizabethan and Jacobean Drama |
| 1135 | Early Modern Literature in English |
| 1150 | Enlightenment to Revolution |
| 1170 | The Romantic Period |
| 1175 | 19th Century British Literature |
| 1180 | Victorian Literature |
| 1181 | Victorian Novel |
| 1200 | American Literature to 1860 |
| 1210 | American Renaissance |
| 1220 | Emergence of Modern America |
| 1250 | 20th Century American Literature |
| 1255 | American Theatre |
| 1272 | Roaring 20s |
| 1280 | Contemporary American Women Writers |
| 1325 | Modernist Tradition |
| 1360 | Topics in 20th Century Literature |
| 1370 | Makers of Modern Drama |
| 1372 | Contemporary Drama |
| 1380 | World of Literature in English |
| 1551 | Introduction to the English Language |
| 1587 | Utopian Literature |
| 1607 | Advanced Short Story |
| 1645 | Critical Approaches to Children's Literature |
| 1704 | Women Novelists |
| 1738 | Irish Literature |
| 1772 | Adoption Literature |
Chinese and Western Poetry, Irish Literature, Africana Literature, and Literature classes listed for the nonfiction and Journalism tracks are acceptable as well.
Poetry Track
Writing majors concentrating in poetry must take Lit 0315 Reading Poetry; W 0530, W 1210, W 1290, W 1510, and W 1730.
The following is a listing of all courses offered in the Poetry Track:
| Course # | Title | Prerequisites |
|---|---|---|
| 0530 | Introduction to Poetry Writing | |
| 1210 | Poetry Workshop | W 0530 |
| 1290 | Readings in Contemporary Poetry | W 1210 |
| 1291 | Underground and Avant-Garde Poetry | W 1210 |
| 1292 | Contemporary Poetry in Translation | W 1210 |
| 1293 | Topics in Poetry | W 1210 |
| 1510 | Advanced Poetry | W 1210 |
| 1730 | Senior Seminar in Poetry | W 1210 and W 1510 |
Core Literature Requirements for Fiction and Poetry Majors (choose one from the following list):
| Course # | Title |
|---|---|
| 0500 | Introduction to Critical Reading |
| 0505 | Lectures in Literature |
| 1100 | Medieval Imagination |
| 1125 | Renaissance in England |
| 1150 | Enlightenment to Revolution |
| 1175 | 19th Century British Literature |
| 1200 | American Literature to 1860 |
| 1220 | Emergence of Modern America |
| 1325 | The Modernist Tradition |
| 1380 | World Literature in English |
Poetry Majors (choose two literature electives from the following list):
| Course # | Title |
|---|---|
| 0500 | Introduction to Critical Reading |
| 0505 | Lectures in Literature |
| 0560 | Children and Culture |
| 0562 | Childhood's Books |
| 0570 | American Literary Traditions |
| 0573 | Literature of the Americas |
| 0580 | Introduction to Shakespeare |
| 0590 | Formative Masterpieces |
| 0597 | Bible as Literature |
| 0610 | Women and Literature |
| 0615 | Literature and Race |
| 0616 | Literature and Migration |
| 0625 | Detective Fiction |
| 0626 | Science Fiction |
| 0627 | Literature of Sports |
| 0628 | Working Class Literature |
| 0629 | The Wild West |
| 0630 | Sexuality and Representation |
| 0635 | New Literature |
| 0636 | Gothic Imagination |
| 0640 | Allegory |
| 0641 | Tragedy |
| 0642 | Comedy |
| 0643 | Satire |
| 0644 | Myth and Folktale |
| 0645 | Fantasy and Romance |
| 0655 | Representing Adolescence |
| 1020 | History of Literary Criticism |
| 1023 | Contemporary Critical Theory |
| 1028 | Literature and Psychoanalysis |
| 1100 | Medieval Imagination |
| 1105 | Middle English Literature |
| 1115 | Chaucer |
| 1125 | Renaissance in England |
| 1126 | Advanced Shakespeare |
| 1127 | Shakespeare on Film |
| 1128 | Women in Shakespeare |
| 1132 | Elizabethan and Jacobean Drama |
| 1135 | Early Modern Literature in English |
| 1150 | Enlightenment to Revolution |
| 1170 | The Romantic Period |
| 1175 | 19th Century British Literature |
| 1180 | Victorian Literature |
| 1181 | Victorian Novel |
| 1200 | American Literature to 1860 |
| 1210 | American Renaissance |
| 1220 | Emergence of Modern America |
| 1250 | 20th Century American Literature |
| 1255 | American Theatre |
| 1272 | Roaring 20s |
| 1280 | Contemporary American Women Writers |
| 1325 | Modernist Tradition |
| 1360 | Topics in 20th Century Literature |
| 1370 | Makers of Modern Drama |
| 1372 | Contemporary Drama |
| 1380 | World of Literature in English |
| 1551 | Introduction to the English Language |
| 1587 | Utopian Literature |
| 1607 | Advanced Short Story |
| 1645 | Critical Approaches to Children's Literature |
| 1704 | Women Novelists |
| 1738 | Irish Literature |
| 1772 | Adoption Literature |
Chinese and Western Poetry, Irish Literature, Africana Literature, and literature classes listed for the Nonfiction and Journalism tracks are acceptable as well.
Nonfiction Track
Writing majors concentrating in nonfiction writing must take: L0321/0399; W 0610; W 1330; W 1340; W 1390 a topics course (see list below); and W1750. A list of all courses offered in the Nonfiction Track follows:
| Course # | Title | Prerequisites |
|---|---|---|
| 0610 | Introduction to Nonfiction (0550 Introduction to Journalism can be substituted) | |
| 1330 | Nonfiction 1 | W 0550 |
| 1340 | Nonfiction 2 | W 1330 |
| 1390 | Readings in Contemporary Nonfiction | W 1330 |
| 1750 | Senior Seminar in Nonfiction | W 1340 |
Nonfiction majors concentrating on news writing must take W 0550, W 1310; W 1320; W 1760; a topics course (see list below); and W 1900. A list of courses offered in the concentration in news writing follows.
Topics in Nonfiction
Note: Topics courses have a minimum prerequisite of W 1310 or 1330. Some may have additional prerequisites.
| Course # | Title |
|---|---|
| ENGWRT 1391 | Writing the Review |
| 1392 | Documentary Film Writing |
| 1393 | Sports Writing |
| 1394 | Science Writing |
| 1395 | Public Relations Writing |
| 1397 | Creative Corporate Writing |
| 1398 | Corporate Speech Writing |
| 1399 | Topics in Nonfiction: Newspaper |
| 1401 | Topics in Nonfiction: Magazine |
| 1403 | Topics in Nonfiction: The Electronic Media |
| 1405 | Broadcast Writing |
| ENGCMP 1101 | Language of Science and Technology |
| 1103 | Public Relations Writing |
| 1104 | Creative Corporate Writing |
| 1200 | Topics in Composition |
| 1250 | Advanced Topics in Composition |
| 1400 | Grant and Proposal Writing |
| 1410 | Advanced Research/Documentary Writing |
Core Literature Requirements for Nonfiction majors
Courses in Literature Before 1800 (6 credits required)
| Course # | Title |
|---|---|
| 0500 | Introduction to Critical Reading |
| 1100 | Medieval Imagination |
| 1125 | Renaissance in England |
| 1150 | Enlightenment to Revolution |
| 1175 | 19th Century British Literature |
| 1200 | American Literature to 1860 |
| 1220 | Emergence of Modern America |
| 1325 | The Modernist Tradition |
| 1380 | World Literature in English |
Note: Additional courses may be added to these lists on a term-by-term basis. Consult the Department Advisers—Mark Kemp (4-6656), Lori Campbell (4-6559) or Jeff Aziz (4-6559) in room 501C, about such additions and other questions you may have about the writing major.
–
August Wilson, Pulitzer-prize winning playwright, born in Pittsburgh
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