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B.A. DEGREE WITH A MAJOR IN ENGLISH, CREATIVE WRITING CONCENTRATION

Introduction: All students (new, current, and transfer students) who wish to major in English with a concentration in Creative Writing are first classified as pre-majors. Entering first-year students wishing to pursue pre-major status when they POUNCE will be registered for the fall section of Freshman Seminar established for the English/Creative Writing pre-major. Current and transfer students do not have to take this section of Freshman Seminar, but they still must establish their pre-major and major status according to the procedures described below.

Pre-major application procedure: Students establish their pre-major status by completing an application form (available from the Freshman Seminar instructor or from the English and Rhetoric Department Office, Arts & Sciences Building, Room 3-03). It is important to complete and turn in this form at least two weeks before registration prior to the semester the student wishes to enroll in ENGL 2208 Introduction to Creative Writing.

Major application procedure: To be considered for major status, students will submit to the Department of English and Rhetoric Office the following:

1. An application form (available from the department office) and Writing sample: Up to 5 pages of poetry (poetry may be single-spaced; one poem per page) OR up to 10 pages for one work of fiction, creative nonfiction, or a dramatic script, typed and double-spaced.
2. Statement of Purpose: 2-3 page essay, typed and double-spaced, expressing the student's reasons for wishing to pursue the English/Creative Writing Major.
3. A printed copy of the student's current Tranguide (available on MyCATS).

A faculty committee will evaluate applications based on the aesthetic quality and artistic potential of the student's writing; the student's stated purpose for pursuing this degree; and the student's prior academic record (a 2.00 minimum GPA is required). It is important to submit these materials at least two weeks before registration prior to the semester the student wishes to enroll in ENGL 3008 Intermediate Creative Writing. Before the start of registration, the committee will notify applicants whether or not they have been accepted to the major. (NOTE: Students will still need to earn a "C" or better in ENGL 2208 before they are eligible to take ENGL 3008; majors must earn a "C" or better in all English required courses in order to receive credit towards the degree). Students not accepted may re-submit new application materials for consideration the following semester, but again, must do so two weeks prior to registration. Students not accepted to the major who believe they will re-apply the following semester may (space permitting) register for ENGL 3008 but only with the permission of the Creative Writing Program Coordinator and the instructor.

Procedure for current students who have already had ENGL 2208 (or transfer students who have taken its equivalent elsewhere, as approved by the Creative Writing Program): Students in this category may apply simultaneously for pre-major/major status. However, as with other applicants, students must turn in all materials (application forms, writing sample, statement of purpose, tranguide) at least two weeks before registration prior to the semester the student wishes to enroll in ENGL 3008. Students not accepted to the major who believe they will re-apply the following semester may (space permitting) register for ENGL 3008 but only with the permission of the Creative Writing Program Coordinator and the instructor.

Also, students in this major not enrolled for two consecutive semesters (fall-spring or spring-fall) must re-apply to be re-admitted to the major.

About the Major: As with other Liberal Arts majors in the Fine Arts, the study and practice of Creative Writing require significant time for imaginative creation, reflective revision, and intellectual engagement with both published literary works and the works of one's peers. English majors in the Creative Writing concentration develop not only the critical skills of the traditional English/Literature major but also the creative, artistic skills of the literary author. It is important, therefore, that students understand the time commitment required of this major's sequence of courses and prerequisites. A minimum of four semesters in the program's Major Requirements are necessary to complete this degree (five semesters, counting the Area F requirement, ENGL 2208 Introduction to Creative Writing, which may have been completed at another college or university). Current or transfer students should consider this sequence of courses and the time commitment required before applying for admission to the major, as a late application may mean that a student will need more time in order to complete this major. Although many of our students choose to pursue graduate studies in Creative Writing (recent graduates have continued their Master of Fine Arts degrees at the University of Wisconsin, New Mexico State University, and the University of South Carolina), many of our students pursue different careers, including public school teaching, film and television work, business, library science, and teaching ESL (English as a Second Language). But our goal for all students pursuing this major is that they learn the discipline of writing and that they eventually strive to publish their work.

Prerequisite Sequence: Please note carefully the sequence for Creative Writing courses. Some students actually begin with ENGL 0001 Freshman Seminar, but while this course is helpful to pre-majors, it is not required for admission to the major. Here is the required sequence of courses in the English/Creative Writing concentration Pre-Major and Major:

1. ENGL 2208: Introduction to Creative Writing (Pre-Major, Area F); prerequisite to…

2. ENGL 3008: Intermediate Creative Writing (Major); prerequisite to…

3. Two Genre Specific Workshops, either focusing on one genre or on two different genres:

ENGL 4011: Scriptwriting (offered fall semester)

ENGL 4012: Creative Nonfiction Writing (offered fall semester)

ENGL 4021: Poetry Workshop (offered spring semester)

ENGL 4022: Fiction Workshop (offered fall and spring semesters)

Permission of the Department (in consultation with the faculty instructor) is required to begin a Senior Capstone Project (see below); students should take at least one 4000-level workshop in the genre of their Senior Capstone projects prior to starting ENGL 4999 Research hours for the project (see above when workshops are offered). Students should confer with their advisors and instructors about which genre(s) may be most appropriate for their Senior Capstone project. Students must be in residence to complete the Capstone project.

4. ENGL 4999: Undergraduate Research. Taken the fall or spring semester that the student begins the Senior Capstone Project.

5. ENGL 4031 Creative Writing Seminar and ENGL 4970 Thesis. Taken concurrently in the fall or spring semester after completing ENGL 4999. In ENGL 4970 and ENGL 4031, students complete the Senior Capstone Project and prepare for their Capstone presentations. ENGL 4031 fulfills the English/Creative Writing Major's Senior Exit examination requirement.

Extracurricular Opportunities: Many of our students serve as editors on the undergraduate art and literary magazine The Peacock's Feet or as mentors in our program's "Writing in the Schools" project, working with seventh graders in Georgia College's innovative Early College program. Each year, our program hosts 10-12 distinguished visiting writers, who visit classes, meet with students, and present readings and other programs on campus. Students may also participate in the spring "24-Hour Plays" project, in our chapter of the Sigma Tau Delta International English Honor Society, and in the Red Earth student reading series. Students who have started their Senior Capstone projects are eligible to submit work to our program's fall AWP Intro Awards and spring Academy of American Poets University Prize competitions.

Collaborative Learning with graduate students in our MFA program: Our program offers the unique opportunity to work not only with outstanding senior faculty but also with graduate students in our nationally distinguished Master of Fine Arts (MFA) program. Graduate and undergraduate students develop strong mentoring relationships in both curricular and extracurricular activities. (See also "Opportunities for Outstanding Majors" below).

Opportunities for Outstanding Majors: Each spring semester, our program selects one or two "Outstanding Majors." Also, in their senior years, exceptional students may be invited by the Creative Writing Program faculty to participate in ENGL 4950 Special Topics: Advanced Studies in Poetry or in graduate-level workshops, either for undergraduate credit or for graduate credit (if taken for graduate credit, hours will not count towards the B.A. degree). Outstanding senior majors may also be invited by the Creative Writing faculty to serve as editorial interns with the department's award-winning national journal Arts & Letters.

and either

3. One of the following:

If a student places out of any language at the 2002 level, area F.3 may be replaced by any 1000-2000 level AFST, ARTS, BLST, COMM, HIST, IDST, LING, MSCM, MUSC, PHIL, RELI, THEA, or WMST course not used to fulfill areas B, C, & E (3 hours).

Creative Writing Seminar is usually taken in the student's final semester

Students may take either two different workshops or repeat the same workshop

One course from the following (3 hours):

Students are also encouraged to take the following as electives:

Students must show competence in a foreign language at the level of the fourth university course (2002). Students do not get credit for the first level of the language they took in high school. (0-12 semester hours)

NOTE: English majors may count only one foreign language course (3 hours) in Area F.

English majors in the Creative Writing concentration may meet the GCSU Senior Capstone Experience requirement as follows:

1. The Capstone involves the completion of a polished, substantial creative work, which may be a collection of poetry, short stories, short plays, or essays; a novella; a full-length play; or a memoir. The Capstone Project may also be created in conjunction with a Study Abroad program undertaken after completion of at least 72 hours of course work.
2. The student will begin the Capstone with ENGL 4999, Undergraduate Research (2 hours), under the guidance of a faculty member and a Master of Fine Arts graduate student mentor. In the following term, the student will finish the Capstone with ENGL 4970, Thesis (1 hour), and ENGL 4031, Creative Writing Seminar (3 hours). The Capstone concludes with an oral presentation, summarizing research and offering a sample of the final project. The Creative Writing Capstone is normally a two-semester process.

Other Requirements

• Completion of the First-Year Academic Seminar with a passing grade. Students who transfer to GCSU after the first term are exempt from the requirement, but need to be aware that timely placement in creative writing courses cannot be guaranteed.
• A grade of C or better is required in all English courses; more than one grade of D or below may disqualify a student from continuing in the major.
• A minimum of 39 semester hours overall must be at the 3000-4000 level.
• Fulfillment of University-wide Senior Capstone Experience requirement, as explained above.

English majors who need more than one language course to meet the Modern Foreign Language (2002) will have fewer elective hours while others, depending on how they meet the language requirement, will have more elective hours. For example, many students need to take as electives all three language courses (1001, 1002, 2001) before they are prepared to take the required 2002-level course, which means that they would have 24 elective hours to fulfill.

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