English

Creative Writing

The Creative Writing Option provides students with the opportunity to develop narrative, verse or playwriting skills while building a solid background of study in the literatures of Britain and America. For further information, contact:

Rick Mitchell 
Creative Writing Advisor

Email: rick.mitchell@csun.edu

Careers

English studies provides a good academic foundation for radio and television broadcasting, editing, writing, politics, film and library work, journalism, criticism, advertising, public information, public relations, teaching and technical writing. Studies show that English as a pre-professional major is valuable preparation for future careers in law, medicine, business, and federal service.

Resources for Writers

Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts Degree

In pursuing their major students are encouraged to follow our Degree Maps:

Lower Division Required Courses (6 units)

A. Creative Writing (3 units)

B. Literature (3 units)

Select one of the following:

Upper Division Required Courses (33 units)

A. Critical Writing (3 units)

B. Literary Theory (3 units)

C. Literatures of Cultural Diversity (3 units)

Select one of the following:

*Consult an adviser for current courses in other areas such as Asian American literature, Central American literature, Chicana and Chicano literature, and Pan African or African American literature that may also satisfy this requirement. For the English major, you may not double-count these courses for upper division or Subject Exploration requirements in General Education.

D. British Literature Before 1900 (3 units)

Select one of the following:

E. American Literature (3 units)

Select one course from the following:

F. Twentieth Century Literature (3 units)

Select one course from the following:

G. Creative Writing (9 units)

Select three of the following (course may be repeated one time for credit):

H. Creative Writing Theory (3 units)

Select one of the following:

I. Senior Seminar (3 units)

Select one of the following:

Upper Division Electives (6 units)

Select any upper division courses except ENGL 305.

General Education (48 units)

Undergraduate students must complete 48 units of General Education as described in this Catalog, including 3 units of coursework meeting the Ethnic Studies (ES) graduation requirement.

6 units are satisfied by the following courses in the major: ENGL 208 satisfies C1 Arts; ENGL 258ENGL 259 or ENGL 275 satisfies C2 Humanities.

If taken, ENGL 306ENGL 313 or ENGL 315 satisfies E Lifelong Learning; ENGL 311 or ENGL 371 satisfies 3 units of F Comparative Cultural Studies and fulfills the Information Competence requirement.

Students majoring in English are encouraged to take a foreign language as part of their college program.

Total Units in Major/Option: 45

General Education Units: 42

Additional Units: 33

Total Units Required for the B.A. Degree: 120

Updated July 2021