Ian Terpin | University Communications

Creative Writing Minor

Linda A. Cicero | Stanford News Service

The Creative Writing minor offers a structured environment to explore your writing interests, develop your skills, and receive an introduction to literary forms.

Requirements

 

  • The Creative Writing minor is 6 courses (26-30 units total), compatible with most majors on campus
  • Students must choose a subplan:
    • Prose
    • Poetry
    • Fiction into Film
  • All courses must be taken for letter grades only
  • All courses must be taken as 5 units, with the exception of English 160: Poetry and Poetics, the Short Story Literature course, and the English Literature elective
  • To satisfy the English Literature elective requirement:
    • Must be a LEC or SEM course
    • Must be taken as 3-5 units
    • If the course is an English course that is LEC or SEM and is 3-5 units, then it will satisfy this requirement
    • If the course is not an English course but it is LEC or SEM and is 3-5 units, then submit a Course Substitution for review
    • Subject to approval, the English Literature elective course may be taken at another institution
  • Workshop courses taken abroad or at other institutions may not count towards the minor

For a full breakdown of the minor's requirements, visit the Stanford Bulletin.

 

Subplans

Prose

  • Select one of the following Introductory Prose courses (5 units):
    • Any ENGLISH 90 series course
    • Any ENGLISH 91 series course
  • One Short Story Literature course (lecture or seminar) [3-5 units]
  • Any ENGLISH 92 series course (5 units)
  • Select two of the following Intermediate or Advanced Prose courses (10 units):
    • Any ENGLISH 190 series course
    • Any ENGLISH 191 series course
    • ENGLISH 290: Advanced Fiction Writing
    • ENGLISH 291: Advanced Creative Nonfiction
  • One elective course in English Literature (3-5 units)

Total Units: 26-30

Poetry

  • Any ENGLISH 92 series course (5 units)
  • Select one of the following Introductory Prose courses (5 units):
    • Any ENGLISH 90 series course
    • Any ENGLISH 91 series course
  • ENGLISH 160: Poetry and Poetics (3-5 units)
  • Select two of the following Intermediate or Advanced Poetry courses (10 units):
    • Any ENGLISH 192 series course
    • ENGLISH 292: Advanced Poetry Writing
  • One elective course in English Literature (3-5 units)

Total Units: 26-30

Fiction into Film

  • ENGLISH 90: Fiction Writing (5 units)
  • One Short Story Literature course (lecture or seminar) [3-5 units]
  • ENGLISH 190F: Fiction into Film (5 units)
  • Select one of the following Intermediate or Advanced Prose courses (5 units):
    • Any ENGLISH 190 series course
    • ENGLISH 290: Advanced Fiction Writing
  • ENGLISH 190SW: Screenwriting Intensive (5 units)
  • One elective course in English Literature (3-5 units)

Total Units: 26-30

 

How to Declare

Declare the Creative Writing minor no later than the deadline for your application to graduate. To declare, visit the Student page in Axess.

Students may not double-count courses for their major and/or minor requirements.

If pursuing a minor, you must complete a Major-Minor and Multiple Major Course Approval Form through the eForms portal in Axess. On the form, indicate which courses you plan to apply toward each major and any minor(s). Our program and your major department will certify your plan of study meets all major and any minor(s) requirements.

Substitutions may be necessary to successfully meet the minor's requirements. To request a substitution for a Creative Writing course, fill out the Course Substitution Form below. The program will notify you once your request is reviewed.

For general information about undergraduate minors, visit the Registrar's website.

Course Substitution Form