The Department of Creative Writing B.A. in Fiction program offers a variety of workshops, critical reading and writing classes, and elective specialty writing courses on a level and scope unequaled in undergraduate programs across the country. The breadth of course offerings in the Fiction program helps prepare students to be competitive for an expansive range of careers, both in creative writing and in fields where effective communication, creative problem-solving, critical analysis, editing, and group relationship skills are crucial factors. As stated in its mission, this preparation is one of the primary goals of the Department of Creative Writing.

The Fiction program introduces students to a variety of forms in fiction and helps them explore the history of the genre and find ways of creating fiction that is individual and original. The foundation of the major is a series of workshops in fiction, which include Fiction Writing I and II, Prose Forms, and Fiction Writing: Advanced. In these workshops, students develop a writing process that includes methods for generating material as well as strategies for revising fiction of increasing quality. Students will also take Critical Reading and Writing courses, which combine the study of craft with readings in the theoretical underpinnings of fiction (sample Critical Reading and Writing offerings include courses in Short Story Writers, Novelists, Women Writers, Gender & Difference, Fiction Writers & Censorship, and The Novel in Stories, among others). Elective specialty writing courses include workshops in genres as diverse as Young Adult, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Historical Fiction, Graphic Forms, and others, as well as courses that focus on professional development for writers in topics such as Tutoring/Teaching, Publishing, and professional portfolio development. Students also are encouraged to take elective courses in the visual and performing arts, and in New Media.

Upon successful completion of the BA program in Fiction, students will be able to:

• Demonstrate a familiarity with the common language of the discipline of fiction writing.
• Use a variety of narrative techniques, written forms, and revision strategies to create effective fiction.
• Demonstrate a familiarity with how open fiction is to new modes of expression.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between effective reading and effective writing.
• Perform reasonably close readings of works of fiction by 1) analyzing relevant literary elements in fiction (narrative techniques, themes, forms/subgenres, stylistic choices, or other literary devices common to fiction), and 2) making appropriate reference to relevant texts and contexts.
• Demonstrate a meaningful ability to participate in contemporary conversations on social and cultural change.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the literary marketplace and processes crucial to publishing their writing.
• Apply creative problem-solving, effective written and oral communications, and critical thinking to their preparation for graduate studies, writing-related careers, and other professions.

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