About the Program
The Bachelor’s of Arts in Creative Writing and Literature is a 36-credit major with a curriculum that balances writing workshops and literary studies. This balance reflects the school’s conviction that creative writing, reading, and critical analysis cultivate a writer’s growth. In addition to the practice and study of writing, Creative Writing and Literature students can acquire professional skills in letterpress printing through the Harry Smith Print Shop, and publishing experience with Bombay Gin literary journal. Through Project Outreach, students develop teaching skills in local schools and institutions.
The goals of the program include guiding students throughout the process of crafting creative work—from generation to revision—and presenting students with opportunities to interpret and respond to a variety of poetic situations. The program promotes contemplative practice to develop students’ insight regarding their academic and creative work, as well as their overall well-being, and encourages students to evaluate their own assumptions and the assumptions of the discourse community through critical and creative engagement with a diversity of values. Finally, the program prepares students for potential careers as artists and thinkers by exposing them to professionals in the field and offering them guidance toward envisioning and meeting their goals.
Capstone
As the culminating requirement of the degree, each BA candidate completes a BA thesis, which includes a creative manuscript and a critical research essay of original scholarly research. The creative manuscript represents the student’s best work, with a sense of progressive movement and arrangement. The critical research essay includes creative thought and a clearly articulated argument with references to authoritative secondary critical sources. The thesis examines aspects of a particular work or works of literature, using literary theory and criticism to inform and deepen the study.
Special Opportunities
In addition to publishing and teaching opportunities, students are encouraged to participate in the Summer Writing Program—a convocation of writers, scholars, translators, performance artists, activists, Buddhist teachers, musicians, printers, editors, and others working in small press publishing. In dialogue with renowned practitioners, students engage in the composition of poetry, prose, and cross-genre, as well as interarts and writing for performance. Participants work in daily contact with some of the most accomplished and provocative writers of our time, meeting individually and in small groups. The Summer Writing Program may count as 300-level or 400-level workshops.
Students may deepen their learning by designing an independent study. An independent study can fulfill a literature seminar requirement only and must be supervised by a JKS core or frequent adjunct faculty member. All independent study proposals must include a minimum of five pages of critical work for each credit earned and may include a creative writing element.
Departmental Policies
Program learning outcomes
1
Students demonstrate skill in writing as a creative art.
2
Students critically analyze literary works.
3
Students engage writing as a contemplative mode of inquiry.
4
Students demonstrate the role of intersectionality in the literary arts.
5
Students generate a professional dossier.
