COURSE CURRICULUM

The Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Creative Writing at Wichita State University requires a minimum of 120 credit hours for graduation. Students must complete the university’s General Education requirements, Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences requirements, and specific Creative Writing major courses. The program begins with foundational English courses, including ENGL 101 (College English I), ENGL 102 (College English II), ENGL 198 (English Career Seminar), ENGL 323 (World Literature), ENGL 310 (Nature of Poetry), and either ENGL 320 (Nature of Drama) or ENGL 330 (Nature of Fiction), along with an upper-division English literature course. Students must also complete ENGL 285 (Introduction to Creative Writing), which serves as the gateway to the major. To develop writing skills, at least 12 credit hours must be selected from advanced creative writing courses such as Fiction Writing, Poetry Writing, Creative Nonfiction Writing, Fiction and Poetry Workshops, Scriptwriting, and Writer’s Tutorials. In addition, students must complete at least 6 upper-division credit hours from other areas within the English department to broaden their literary and analytical knowledge. A minimum of 24 credit hours in the major must be taken at the 300 level or above, ensuring advanced study and specialization. The remaining credit hours are fulfilled through open electives, allowing students to explore other academic interests while reaching the 120-credit requirement. The curriculum is designed to build strong writing, literary analysis, communication, and creative thinking skills, preparing graduates for careers in writing, publishing, editing, media, education, communications, and related fields, while also providing a solid foundation for graduate studies in creative writing, literature, journalism, or other humanities disciplines.