Creative Writing, BA
As part of a close-knit community of literary artists, Saint Mary's Creative Writing majors study the art and craft of poetry, fiction, nonfiction and drama, learning how to generate, polish and publish original work that captures the diversity and complexity of our world.
As a Creative Writing major, you will study and receive mentorship from nationally recognized writers—including the College's permanent faculty, was well as Distinguished Visiting Writers—producing and discussing poems, stories, essays and plays in workshops, studying classic and contemporary literature, and honing the professional skills and knowledge necessary to lead a life of letters.
Creative Writing majors will graduate prepared for careers wherever memorable storytelling and attention to language are in demand: writing, publishing, film and television, creative agency work, graduate study in the literary arts, and more.
Learn More About Our Program
Get to know our well-respected faculty and their specialties, as writers and scholars. Or explore scholarship opportunities and an array of internship possibilities.
Curriculum
Earn an Creative Writing, BA and a Single-Subject Teaching Credential at Saint Mary's in just four years through our Single Subject Teaching Credential Integrated Pathway!
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the Creative Writing BA, students will be able to...
- TECHNIQUE: Students will identify, analyze, and use the elements of literary craft in various genres. Students will develop a personal style, apply craft techniques that they learn during workshops, and choose from several strategies to revise written work.
- WORKSHOP: Students will identify and learn to use the most effective workshop practices. They will learn how to critique the written work of their peers, both orally and in writing, in constructive and mutually beneficial ways. As students learn to critique written work, they will encounter various perspectives, and learn to appreciate the value of diverse lived realities.
- MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES: Students will understand the value of different experiences, especially from traditionally marginalized and underrepresented groups, and of their own voices. Students will learn to understand their positionality in relation to texts and their own creative work.
- LITERARY EXPERTISE AND KNOWLEDGE: Students will read, analyze, and evaluate contemporary and other literature, and learn techniques and concepts of literary analysis. While the emphasis will be on studying literature from the perspective of creative writing, this study will also prepare them as readers, writers, critics, editors, and scholars. There will be a particular focus on diversity and a variety of lived realities.
- PROFESSIONAL EXPERTISE AND KNOWLEDGE: Students will learn to evaluate, discuss, and research contemporary literary publishing and editing.
Career Options
An English degree will equip you for any profession that requires research, analyzing texts, thinking critically and creatively, reading closely, making oral arguments, and writing persuasively.
Saint Mary's Testimonials
The English major at Saint Mary’s taught me to read and listen closely, to form arguments and express my ideas clearly and carefully. I grew to appreciate the importance of both the stories we hold dear, and the stories we take for granted. I gained analytic and expressive skills valuable in any field. I attended readings of renowned authors the department brought to campus and cautiously began to consider the writing life.
Mary Volmer '01 '05
Average Undergraduate Class Size 2021