Minor in Creative Writing
Program Learning Outcomes for the Minor in Creative Writing
Upon completing the minor in Creative Writing, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of the relationship of literature and literary production to their historical and socio-cultural contexts.
- Provide concrete and constructive editorial critiques with an emphasis on craft, form, and genre – aligned with an author’s perspective and purpose.
- Produce original creative works – including but not limited to fictional prose, literary essays, cultural criticism, poetry, plays, translation, screenplays, and other media.
Requirements for the Minor in Creative Writing
Students pursuing the minor in Creative Writing must complete:
- A minimum of 6 courses (18 credit hours) to satisfy minor requirements.
- A minimum of 3 courses (9 credit hours) taken at the 300-level or above.
- A minimum of 1 course (3 credit hours) at the 400-level.
- A minimum of 1 course (3 credit hours) in a second genre or form.
- A maximum of 2 courses (6 credit hours) from study abroad or transfer credit. For departmental guidelines regarding transfer credit, see the Policies tab.
The courses listed below satisfy the requirements for this minor. In certain instances, courses not on this official list may be substituted upon approval of the minor’s academic advisor or, where applicable, the Program Director. (Course substitutions must be formally applied and entered into Degree Works by the minor's Official Certifier). Students and their academic advisors should identify and clearly document the courses to be taken.
Summary
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Total Credit Hours Required for the Minor in Creative Writing | 18 | |
Minor Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirement 1, 2 | ||
| Select 1 course from the following: | 3 | |
| INTRODUCTION TO LITERARY EDITING & PUBLISHING | ||
| LITERARY EDITING & PUBLISHING / THE RICE REVIEW | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO CREATIVE WRITING | ||
| WRITERS ON WRITING | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO FICTION WRITING | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO POETRY WRITING | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO CREATIVE NONFICTION WRITING | ||
| Advanced Workshop Requirement 1 | ||
| Select 1 course from the following: | 3 | |
| ADVANCED FICTION WRITING | ||
| WRITING LONGER FICTION: NARRATIVE DESIGN | ||
| CRAFT OF THE NOVELLA | ||
| ADVANCED POETRY WRITING | ||
| ADVANCED CREATIVE NONFICTION WRITING | ||
| Elective Requirements 1, 2 | ||
| Select 4 courses from department approved electives (see course list below) 3 | 12 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 18 | |
Footnotes and Additional Information
| 1 | Of the 6 required courses (18 credit hours) for the minor: at least 3 creative writing courses must be at the 300-level or above, at least one course must be at the 400-level, and at least one course must be in a second genre or form (such as poetry, non-fiction, screenwriting, translation, publishing, etc.). Students should select Elective coursework with an advisor. |
| 2 | Students may take additional Core Requirements to fulfill Elective Requirements, but the course(s) will not count toward both requirements. |
| 3 | Up to 1 course (3 credit hours) from departments other than English (ENGL) course offerings may be chosen to fulfill Elective Requirements. (See course list below). However, other courses may be approved by an advisor. |
Course Lists to Satisfy Requirements
Elective Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Elective Requirements | ||
| Select 4 courses from the following department approved electives: | 12 | |
| ENGL 113 | INTRODUCTION TO LITERARY EDITING & PUBLISHING | 3 |
| ENGL 114 | LITERARY EDITING & PUBLISHING / THE RICE REVIEW | 3 |
| ENGL 203 | TOPICS IN CREATIVE WRITING | 3 |
| ENGL 204 | FORMS OF POETRY | 3 |
| ENGL 205 | WRITERS ON WRITING | 3 |
| ENGL 301 | INTRODUCTION TO FICTION WRITING | 3 |
| ENGL 302 | SCREENWRITING | 3 |
| ENGL 303 | PLAYWRITING | 3 |
| ENGL 304 | INTRODUCTION TO POETRY WRITING | 3 |
| ENGL 305 | INTRODUCTION TO CREATIVE NONFICTION WRITING | 3 |
| ENGL 306 | TOPICS IN FICTION WRITING | 3 |
| ENGL 307 | TOPICS IN POETRY WRITING | 3 |
| ENGL 308 | INTRODUCTION TO PODCASTING | 3 |
| ENGL 309 | TOPICS IN CREATIVE NONFICTION WRITING | 3 |
| ENGL 310 | NONFICTION NATURE WRITING | 3 |
| ENGL 315 | INTRODUCTION TO LITERARY TRANSLATION | 3 |
| ENGL 318 | FAIRY TALES AND FEAR TALES WRITING | 3 |
| ENGL 327 | GRAPHIC NOVEL | 3 |
| ENGL 377 | WRITING ON ART AND LITERATURE | 3 |
| ENGL 493 | INDEPENDENT STUDY/DIRECTED READING | 1-6 |
Approved Electives outside English (ENGL)
Up to 1 course (3 credit hours) from departments other than English (ENGL) course offerings may be chosen to fulfill Elective Requirements. However, other courses not on this list may be approved by an advisor.
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Approved Electives outside English (ENGL) | ||
| Select up to 1 course from the following: 1 | 0-1 | |
| AAAS 300 | CONTEMPORARY BLACK FICTION | 3 |
| ARTS 230 / FILM 275 | COMICS AND SEQUENTIAL ART | 3 |
| EURO 320 | TELL-ALL: SAYING “I” IN CONTEMPORARY LITERATURE | 3 |
| FILM 327 / ANTH 324 / ARTS 327 | DOCUMENTARY PRODUCTION | 3 |
| FILM 328 / ARTS 328 | FILMMAKING I | 3 |
| FILM 444 / ARTS 444 | HANDMADE FILM | 3 |
| FREN 302 | WRITING WORKSHOP | 3 |
| FREN 401 | TRANSLATION | 3 |
| GERM 402 | GERMAN TRANSLATION | 3 |
| SPAN 383 | SPANISH CREATIVE WRITING | 3 |
Footnotes and Additional Information
| 1 | Of the 6 required courses (18 credit hours) for the minor: at least 3 creative writing courses must be at the 300-level or above, at least one course must be at the 400-level, at least one course must be in a second genre or form (such as poetry, non-fiction, screenwriting, translation, publishing, etc.). |
Policies for the Minor in Creative Writing
Program Restrictions and Exclusions
Students pursuing the minor in Creative Writing should be aware of the following program restrictions:
- As noted in Majors, Minors, and Certificates, i.) students may declare their intent to pursue a minor only after they have first declared a major, and ii.) students may not major and minor in the same subject.
- Students pursuing the major in English and a major concentration in Creative Writing may not additionally declare the minor in Creative Writing.
- Students pursuing the major in English may also declare the minor in Creative Writing, provided that: i.) the student is not pursuing the major concentration in Creative Writing, and ii.) there is no course overlap between the respective major in English and minor in Creative Writing.
Transfer Credit
For Rice University’s policy regarding transfer credit, see Transfer Credit. Some departments and programs have additional restrictions on transfer credit. Requests for transfer credit must be approved for Rice equivalency by the designated transfer credit advisor for the appropriate academic department offering the Rice equivalent course (corresponding to the subject code of the course content). The Office of Academic Advising maintains the university’s official list of transfer credit advisors on their website: https://oaa.rice.edu. Students are encouraged to meet with the applicable transfer credit advisor as well as their academic program director when considering transfer credit possibilities.
Departmental Transfer Credit Guidelines
Students pursuing the minor in Creative Writing should be aware of the following departmental transfer credit guideline:
- No more than 2 courses (6 credit hours) of transfer credit from U.S. or international universities of similar standing as Rice may apply towards the minor.
Additional Information
For additional information, please see the English website: https://english.rice.edu/.
Opportunities for the Minor in Creative Writing
Academic Honors
The university recognizes academic excellence achieved over an undergraduate’s academic history at Rice. For information on university honors, please see Latin Honors (summa cum laude, magna cum laude, and cum laude) and Distinction in Research and Creative Work. Some departments have department-specific Honors awards or designations.
Additional Information
For additional information, please see the English website: https://english.rice.edu/.