Creative Writing BFA

The Creative Writing (BFA) program will afford students opportunities to work with many genres of writing: poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and screenwriting in studio/workshop settings. Students will also study literature, language, and fine & performing arts as part of the curriculum. Coursework will expose students to a wide array of writing and will engender critical discussion on content and the specific ways that craft can enhance or resolve problems in their work. These classes are taught in a supportive, yet constructively critical workshop format that builds the kind of community conducive to a successful learning and writing experience. The BFA program and faculty will prepare and mentor graduates in the pursuit of serious writing careers and/or postgraduate study. In addition to coursework, students will have the opportunity to share and perfect their craft in reading groups, open mic forums, internship/editing experiences with the Talking River Review (a literary magazine), internships at the Writing Center, and/or as writers/editors for the campus newspaper (The Pathfinder).

All BFA in Creative Writing graduates are required to complete:

  • An exit interview and
  • A senior research project with accompanying symposium presentation.

General Education Requirements

Written Communication
Select one of the following:6.00
WRITING AND RHETORIC I
and WRITING AND RHETORIC II
COLLEGE WRITING AND RESEARCH
Oral Communication
COMM-204PUBLIC SPEAKING3.00
Mathematical Ways of Knowing
Select one of the following:3.00-5.00
MATH IN MODERN SOCIETY
FINITE MATHEMATICS
PRECALCULUS I: ALGEBRA
PRECALCULUS
STATISTICAL REASONING
CALCULUS I
STATISTICAL METHODS FOR THE SCIENCES
MATHEMATICS FOR ELEMENTARY TEACHERS II
FINITE MATHEMATICS
MATH FOR TECHNOLOGY
STATISTICAL REASONING
Humanistic & Artistic Ways of Knowing
Select one course from two categories:6.00-8.00
Literature
LITERATURE AND IDEAS
WORLD CLASSICS
INTERNATIONAL LITERATURE
NATIVE AMERICAN LITERATURE
MYTHOLOGIES
Arts
INTRODUCTION TO ART
THE ART AND HISTORY OF THE MOTION PICTURE
INTRODUCTION TO THE ARTS
SURVEY OF MUSIC
MUSIC IN AMERICA
WORLD MUSIC
HISTORY OF MUSICAL THEATER
HISTORY OF JAZZ AND POPULAR MUSIC STYLES
SURVEY OF THE THEATER
Language
NEZ PERCE LANGUAGE AND CULTURE
NEZ PERCE LANGUAGE AND HISTORY
ELEMENTARY SPANISH I
ELEMENTARY SPANISH II
Scientific Ways of Knowing
Select one course from two disciplines; one lab7.00-8.00
INTRODUCTION TO BIOINFORMATICS
CONCEPTS OF BIOLOGY
PLANTS AND PEOPLE
BIOLOGY IN FILM
HUMAN BIOLOGY
HUMAN ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY I
CONCEPTS OF CHEMISTRY
GENERAL, ORGANIC AND BIOCHEMISTRY
PRINCIPLES OF CHEMISTRY I
INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER SCIENCE
INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER SCIENCE
INTRODUCTION TO FORENSIC SCIENCE
PHYSICAL GEOLOGY
INTRODUCTION TO EARTH SYSTEMS
GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS
INTEGRATED SCIENCE II
INTEGRATED SCIENCE I
INTRODUCTION TO NATURAL SCIENCES 1
NATURAL SCIENCE FOR ELEMENTARY EDUCATOR
GENERAL PHYSICS I
GENERAL PHYSICS II
PHYS SCIENCES FOR ELEMENTARY EDUCATORS
DESCRIPTIVE ASTRONOMY
PHYSICS FOR SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS I
Social & Behavioral Ways of Knowing
Select from two disciplines:6.00
CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY
WORLD PREHISTORY
INTRODUCTION TO NATIVE AMERICAN STUDIES
PRINCIPLES OF MACROECONOMICS
PRINCIPLES OF MICROECONOMICS
INTRODUCTION TO GEOGRAPHY
WORLD HISTORY I
WORLD HISTORY II
UNITED STATES HISTORY I
UNITED STATES HISTORY II
DIVERSITY IN ORGANIZATIONS
HUMAN RELATIONS IN ORGANIZATIONS
AMERICAN NATIONAL GOVERNMENT
INTERNATIONAL POLITICS
COMPARATIVE GOVERNMENT
INTRODUCTION TO GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY
LIFESPAN DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY
INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY
SOCIAL PROBLEMS
DIVERSITY IN ORGANIZATIONS
HUMAN RELATIONS IN ORGANIZATIONS
Global Perspectives
Select one of the following:4.00
NEZ PERCE LANGUAGE AND CULTURE
NEZ PERCE LANGUAGE AND HISTORY
ELEMENTARY SPANISH I
ELEMENTARY SPANISH II
INTERMEDIATE SPANISH I
INTERMEDIATE SPANISH II
Integrative Seminar: Ethics & Values
Select one of the following:3.00
ID 300A - 300Z (see course descriptions for options)
HELLS CANYON INSTITUTE
Foreign/Heritage Language
Select courses in the chosen foreign/heritage language numbering 101, 102, 201, and 20212.00
Total Credits50.00-55.00

Program Requirements

Major Courses
ENGL-210LITERARY ANALYSIS3.00
ENGL-267BRITISH LITERATURE I3.00
ENGL-277AMERICAN LITERATURE I3.00
Select one from the following:3.00
BRITISH LITERATURE II
AMERICAN LITERATURE II
Select one from the following:3.00
INTERNSHIP IN PUBLISHING
JOURNAL & MANUSCRIPT EDITING
Upper Division Courses
ENGL-320SHAKESPEARE3.00
ENGL-431HISTORY & STRUCTURE/ENGLISH LANGUAGE3.00
ENGL-498SENIOR PROJECT SEMINAR2.00
ENGL-499SENIOR PROJECT: ORAL DEFENSE AND PRESENTATION1.00
Select one from the following:3.00
POETIC FORM
TECHNIQUES OF CREATIVE NONFICTION
TECHNIQUES OF FICTION
English Electives
Select 12 credits from the following:12.00
CREATIVE WRITING:NON-FICTION
CREATIVE WRITING POETRY
CREATIVE WRITING:FICTION
SCREENWRITING
PLAYWRITING
CREATIVE WRITING:NON-FICTION
CREATIVE WRITING:POETRY
CREATIVE WRITING:FICTION
ADVANCED SCREENWRITING
ADVANCED PLAYWRITING
CREATIVE WRITING:NON-FICTION
CREATIVE WRITING:POETRY
CREATIVE WRITING:FICTION
Select one from the following:3.00
STUDIES IN MEDIEVAL LITERATURE
CLASSICISM AND ROMANTICISM
RENAISSANCE LITERATURE
ANCIENT LITERATURE
Select two from the following:6.00
DEVELOPMENT OF THE NOVEL
MODERNISM
WOMEN, GENDER, AND SEXUALITY IN LITERATURE
CONTEMPORARY LITERATURE
POETIC FORM
TECHNIQUES OF CREATIVE NONFICTION
TECHNIQUES OF FICTION
DRAMATIC LITERATURE
LITERARY THEORY
STUDIES IN MEDIEVAL LITERATURE
CLASSICISM AND ROMANTICISM
RENAISSANCE LITERATURE
ANCIENT LITERATURE
NINETEENTH CENTURY AMERICAN LITERATURE: ROMANTICISM AND REALISM
NATIVE AMERICAN ORAL LITERATURE
NATIVE AMERICAN WRITTEN LITERATURE
WESTERN AMERICAN LITERATURE
AFRICAN AMERICAN LITERATURE
NINETEENTH-CENTURY BRITISH LITERATURE
Fine & Performing Arts Requirements
Select two from the following:6.00
ART 200/300/400 level
DRAWING I
VISUAL COMMUNICATION/DESIGN PROCESS
VISUAL COMMUNICATION/DESIGN PROCESS
DRAWING II
PAINTING 1
DRAWING III
PAINTING II
PAINTING III
DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY
MUS 200/300/400 level
CONCERT CHOIR
JAZZ BAND
APPLIED MUSIC: PIANO
APPLIED MUSIC: VOICE
APPLIED MUSIC: GUITAR
APPLIED MUSIC: STRINGS
APPLIED MUSIC: BRASS
THEA 200/300/400 level
Electives
Select 16 elective credits16.00
Total Credits70.00

Sequential Plan of Study

Plan of Study Grid
First Year
FallCredits
ENGL-101 WRITING AND RHETORIC I 3.00
COMM-204 PUBLIC SPEAKING 3.00
COREScientific Ways of Knowing 3.00
CORESocial & Behavioral Ways of Knowing 3.00
COREForeign/Heritage Language 4.00
 Credits16.00
Spring
ENGL-102 WRITING AND RHETORIC II 3.00
COREHumanistic & Artistic Ways of Knowing 3.00
COREHumanistic & Artistic Ways of Knowing 3.00
CORESocial & Behavioral Ways of Knowing 3.00
COREForeign/Heritage Language 4.00
 Credits16.00
Second Year
Fall
COREMathematical Ways of Knowing 3.00
ENGL-267 BRITISH LITERATURE I 3.00
Program RequirementsENGL-360, ENGL-361 or ENGL-362 3.00
COREForeign/Heritage Language 4.00
ElectiveElective Credits 2.00
 Credits15.00
Spring
COREScientific Ways of Knowing 4.00
COREIntegrative Seminar: Ethics & Values 3.00
ENGL-210 LITERARY ANALYSIS 3.00
COREForeign/Heritage Language 4.00
ElectiveElective Credits 1.00
 Credits15.00
Third Year
Fall
ENGL-277 AMERICAN LITERATURE I 3.00
ENGL-320 SHAKESPEARE 3.00
Program RequirementSelect English Elective course 3.00
Program RequirementSelect English Elective course 3.00
Program RequirementSelect English Elective course 3.00
 Credits15.00
Spring
ENGL-215
INTERNSHIP IN PUBLISHING
or JOURNAL & MANUSCRIPT EDITING
3.00
ENGL-268
BRITISH LITERATURE II
or AMERICAN LITERATURE II
3.00
ENGL-431 HISTORY & STRUCTURE/ENGLISH LANGUAGE 3.00
Program RequirementSelect English Elective course 3.00
Program RequirementSelect English Elective course 3.00
 Credits15.00
Fourth Year
Fall
ENGL-498 SENIOR PROJECT SEMINAR 2.00
Program RequirementSelect Fine & Performing Arts course 3.00
Program RequirementSelect Fine & Performing Arts course 3.00
ElectiveElective Credits 3.00
ElectiveElective Credits 3.00
 Credits14.00
Spring
ENGL-499 SENIOR PROJECT: ORAL DEFENSE AND PRESENTATION 1.00
Program RequirementSelect English Elective course 3.00
Program RequirementSelect English Elective course 3.00
ElectiveElective Credits 4.00
ElectiveElective Credits 3.00
 Credits14.00
 Total Credits120.00

Graduates with BFA in Creative Writing go on to obtain careers in a variety of fields:

  • Fiction and Non-Fiction Author
  • Journalism
  • Marketing/Advertising
  • Editorial Assistant
  • Web Content Editor