Campus-Based Creative Writing Major

Program Overview

Southern New Hampshire University's Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing and English equips students with writing skills, creativity, and a deep understanding of English language and literature. The program offers a blend of general education and degree-specific courses, taught by experienced faculty and industry professionals. Students have opportunities for individualized support, workshops, and networking events, preparing them for careers in writing, publishing, journalism, and more.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

Southern New Hampshire University's Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing and English program equips students with the skills necessary for careers in creative writing, publishing, journalism, communications, law, and graduate programs such as the university's low-residency Master of Fine Arts in Fiction and Nonfiction Writing. The program provides students with the opportunity to develop their creativity, hone their writing abilities, and gain a deep understanding of the English language and literature.

Outline:

• General Education Courses: SNHU's general education program, known as The Commons, aims to guide students towards success in their academic, personal, and professional lives.
Through courses in research, communication, critical thinking, leadership, emotional intelligence, and collaboration, students develop in-demand skills valuable for their future careers and personal growth.
• Degree-specific Courses:
• Introduction to Creative Writing: This introductory course provides students with the foundational skills and knowledge necessary for successful creative writing.
• Context of Writing: Writers/Publishing: Students gain insights into the workings of the American publishing industry, the roles of literary agents and editors, and the analysis of contemporary American literature from a writer's perspective.
• The English Language: This course introduces students to the history, etymology, vocabulary, phonology, syntax, semantics, dialects, discourse analysis, and child language acquisition of the English language.
It provides students with a comprehensive understanding of the English language, preparing them for teaching, writing, or literary studies.
• Advanced Creative Writing: This course allows students to delve into a specific genre (fiction, poetry, scriptwriting, or nonfiction) beyond the introductory workshops.
Through extensive reading and writing within the chosen genre, students develop their writing skills, engage in class discussions, and receive individualized support from the instructor.
• Literary Theory: This course introduces students to the major schools of contemporary critical theory and the examination of principal exponents of these theories.
Students become familiar with psychoanalytic criticism, Marxism, feminism, structuralism, and post-structuralism and apply these theories to specific literary texts.
• Popular and Contemporary Fiction: This course analyzes contemporary and popular fiction, exploring the factors that contribute to bestsellers and examining the conventions, themes, and styles that resonate with readers.

Assessment:

• Written assignments and creative writing portfolios
• Class participation
• Presentations
• Exams (in some courses)

Teaching:

• The program is taught by experienced faculty who are critically acclaimed writers and industry professionals.
• Students have access to workshops, readings, book-signings, and networking events with bestselling authors and poets.
• Individualized support is provided through one-on-one time with faculty members.

Careers:

• The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 9% growth in employment for writers and authors through 2030.
• Potential job titles include:
• Writer/Author
• Literary Agent
• Publisher
• Manuscript Reader
• Editor