Apr 19, 2025

DRAFT 2025-2026 Academic Catalog

English, Creative Writing Concentration, BA

The undergraduate concentration in Creative Writing, offered by the Department of English and Comparative Literature , invites students to become involved in the creation of new literary art. Like all English majors, Creative Writing concentrators begin their studies with the three-course Transatlantic survey sequence, giving them a solid grounding in literary history. Later, they take writing workshops in various genres, including fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, and scriptwriting. They are encouraged to work on the Department’s 150-year-old literary magazine, Reed, and to participate in other literary programming on campus, for example the readings and conversations with visiting authors sponsored by SJSU’s Center for Literary Arts.

Program Learning Outcomes

Program Roadmaps

The 4-Year Roadmap is available online. Roadmaps should be used in consultation with the catalog and your advisor to identify additional requirements for completing the major (for example, course grade minimums). Associate Degrees (ADT) Pathways are also available online.

1. Complete the Baccalaureate Degree Requirements

Students must satisfy the specific degree requirements for their undergraduate major and fulfill the following University degree requirements:

Academic (program total units with an average 2.0 GPA - “C” or better)
General Education (GE) (34 Lower Division + 9 Upper Division)
American Institutions (AI) (0-6 units) (may be satisfied in GE Areas 3A, 3B, 4, UD 3, or UD 4)
Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR) 3 units (see Writing in the Disciplines)
Physical Education (PE) (0-2 units)
Units in Residence (30 units, including 24 upper division and 12 in major)
Upper Division Units (40 units, including 12 upper div in major for BA, 18 upper div in major for BS)
Undergraduate Policies & Procedures

Apply for Graduation
Information about the Commencement Ceremony and Conferral of the Degree

Summary of Degree Units

Core Lower Division General Education: 19 (9 units may be satisfied by major coursework)

American Institutions/ US123 Requirements: 6 (Note: may be satisfied by GE coursework)

Upper Division General Education: 3 (6 units may be satisfied by major coursework)

Physical Education: 2

Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (GWAR): 0 (3 units may be satisfied by ENGL 100W)

Lower Division Humanities & the Arts College Requirement: 3

Upper Division Humanities & the Arts College Requirement: 2-4

Major Preparation: 9-19

Major Requirements: 43-45

University Electives or Minor: 16-30

Total: 120

2. Lower Division College of Humanities & the Arts Requirement (3 units):

3. Upper Division College of Humanities & the Arts Requirement (2-4 units):

Complete a course offered by the College of Humanities & the Arts in a discipline other than your major.

4. Major Preparation (9-19 units)

ENGL 71 - Creative Writing 3 unit(s) (GE Area 3A / Formerly Area C1)
One year of foreign language study at the college level or equivalency through examination 0-10 unit(s)
ENGL 2 - Critical Thinking and Writing 3 unit(s) (GE Area 1B / Formerly Area A3)

Complete one course (3 units):

ENGL 1A - First Year Writing 3 unit(s) (GE Area 1A / Formerly Area A2)
ENGL 1AS - First-Year Writing: Stretch English II 3 unit(s) (GE Area 1A / Formerly Area A2)

5. Major Requirements (43-45 units)

Core Courses (24-25 units)

ENGL 50 - Beginnings to the American Experiment 3 unit(s)
ENGL 60 - Literatures of the Atlantic World, 1680‐1860 4 unit(s)
ENGL 70 - Emerging Modernisms and Beyond 3 unit(s)
ENGL 100W - Writing Workshop 4 unit(s) (WID)

Literature for Global Understanding (3 units)

Complete one course:

ENGL 117B - Global Film, Literature, and Cultures 3 unit(s) (GE UD Area 3 / Formerly Area V)
ENGL 122 - Topics in Comparative World Literature 4 unit(s)
ENGL 123A - Literatures of the Americas 3 unit(s) (GE UD Area 3 / Formerly Area V)
ENGL 123B - Literatures of Africa 3 unit(s) (GE UD Area 3 / Formerly Area V)
ENGL 123C - Literatures of the Pacific 3 unit(s) (GE UD Area 3 / Formerly Area V)
ENGL 123D - Literatures of Asia 3 unit(s) (GE UD Area 3 / Formerly Area V)

Shakespeare (4 units)

Complete one course:

ENGL 144 - Shakespeare I 4 unit(s)
ENGL 145 - Shakespeare and Performance 4 unit(s)

American Literature & Ethnicity (3-4 units)

Complete one course:

ENGL 117A - American Literature, Film, & Culture 3 unit(s) (GE UD Area 4 / Formerly Area S)
ENGL 162 - Indigenous American Literatures 4 unit(s)
ENGL 163 - Asian American Literatures 4 unit(s)
ENGL 165 - Black American Literatures 4 unit(s)
ENGL 166 - Latinx Literatures 4 unit(s)
ENGL 169 - Ethnicity in American Literature 3 unit(s) (GE UD Area 4 / Formerly Area S)

Creative Writing Concentration (16 units)

Courses may be repeated a maximum of 2 times. Complete four courses from:

ENGL 130 - Writing Fiction 4 unit(s)
ENGL 131 - Writing Poetry 4 unit(s)
ENGL 133 - Reed Magazine 4 unit(s)
ENGL 135 - Writing Nonfiction 4 unit(s)
ENGL 178 - Creative Nonfiction 4 unit(s)

Major Elective (3-4 units)

Any one upper division English Course 3-4 unit(s)

About

English, Creative Writing Concentration, BA

1. Complete the Baccalaureate Degree Requirements

Summary of Degree Units

2. Lower Division College of Humanities & the Arts Requirement (3 units):

3. Upper Division College of Humanities & the Arts Requirement (2-4 units):

4. Major Preparation (9-19 units)

Complete one course (3 units):

5. Major Requirements (43-45 units)

Core Courses (24-25 units)

Literature for Global Understanding (3 units)

Shakespeare (4 units)

American Literature & Ethnicity (3-4 units)

Creative Writing Concentration (16 units)

Major Elective (3-4 units)

6. University Electives or Minor (16-30 units)

Total Units Required (120 units)