creative writing track nyu

The Blotter

The english department's student-written news blog, the english department’s new creative writing track (by cynthia de luna).

NYU’s English Department has churned out numerous talented writers over the years. This year, however, the program has taken up a new commitment to integrating students’ specifically creative interests into the current English major through its new Creative Writing Track. While students have often turned to the Creative Writing minor outside the English Department to develop their creative talents, current English students can now also foster those talents through the English Department’s offerings.

The Creative Writing Track within the English Department extends the now-named Literary Studies Track in a way that allows students to approach literature and writing from a new perspective, one that asks them to consider the relationship between critical and analytical thinking and creative practices. Like the Literary Studies Track, the Creative Writing Track requires the four core courses (Introduction to the Study of Literature, formerly called Literary Interpretation, British Literature I, British Literature II, and American Literature I). The Creative Writing Track also requires a fifth course alongside these four, the Reading as a Writer course, which debuted this semester in two sections: Faculty Coordinator Professor Nicholas Boggs’ “Queer Literature” and Professor Maureen McLane’s “Poetry, Hybrid Genre, Creative Encounter.” Reading as a Writer acts as a gateway course in which students approach reading with an emphasis on questions of craft, and it will be offered once again next year.

The Creative Writing Track gives students the choice to take either a pre-1800s course or a critical theories course rather than both, and the track requires students to take two creative writing workshops through the Creative Writing Department, an introductory workshop and a second workshop. (Courses taken towards the Creative Writing minor can count for the Track as well.) While the Literary Studies Track allows students three English electives, the Creative Writing Track requires two; the third elective is replaced by a workshop-based colloquium that students take while they work on an independent capstone writing project. “[The] Creative Writing Track colloquium, much like the honors colloquium, provides students with a rigorous and community-building context in which to develop their capstone projects,” Professor Boggs explains. The capstone project is ultimately a culmination of students’ work in the track, and can take various forms—a collection of poems, a novella, or a play, for example—depending on what students decide on with the help of a faculty adviser. Each student will work with a faculty adviser over the course of the semester, and interested students are encouraged to approach possible advisers as soon as their ideas have begun to develop; members of the faculty who are active creative writers include Professors Boggs and McLane as well as Professors Julia Jarcho, Tomas Urayoán Noel, and Lytle Shaw. “We are especially pleased,” adds Professor Boggs, “that Jess Row, a notable fiction writer who was just awarded a Guggenheim, will be joining us for the 2016-2017 academic year, during which he will teach a section of Reading as a Writer and serve as adviser for a number of capstone projects.”

The return of a creative writing track within NYU’s English Department offers current and prospective English students a chance to take on literary studies in a way that allows them to use and hone their critical, analytical, and creative skills concurrently. It will provide students with a new way of looking at texts, one that pushes the English program further and challenges students to take on literature with a different set of skills.

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Program of Study (CAS Bulletin)

English (2022 - 2024), advisement and general information.

Students interested in declaring the major in English should visit the department or contact either the director of undergraduate studies or the undergraduate administrator, Ms. Mary Mezzano ( [email protected] ). 

To declare the major, students should access the declaration form at the departmental website.

Major in English and American Literature

A minimum of ten 4-point courses (40 points), completed with a grade of C or better and distributed as follows:

• Introduction to the Study of Literature (ENGL-UA 101)
• Literatures in English I: Medieval and Early Modern Literatures (ENGL-UA 111)
• Literatures in English II: Literatures of the British Isles and British Empire 1660-1900 (ENGL-UA 112)
• Literatures in English III: American Literatures to 1900 (ENGL-UA 113)
• Literatures in English IV: Twentieth and Twenty-first Century Literatures (ENGL-UA 114)
• One course in critical theories and methods. The following courses are typically used to fulfill this requirement: ENGL-UA 712, ENGL-UA 735.
• One course in British literature before 1800. The following courses are typically used to fulfill this requirement: ENGL-UA 143, ENGL-UA 310, ENGL-UA 320, ENGL-UA 410, ENGL-UA 445, ENGL-UA 450, ENGL-UA 512.
• One senior seminar. Students must complete the first four courses above (ENGL-UA 101, and three chosen from ENGL-UA 111-114) to be eligible to enroll in seminars. The following courses are used to fulfill this requirement: ENGL-UA 950-955; 960-965; and 970-976.
• Three additional ENGL-UA courses drawn from any combination of intermediate courses, advanced courses, or seminars.

Major in English and American Literature, Track with a Specialization in Creative Writing

A minimum of eleven 4-point courses and two 2-point courses (48 points), completed with a grade of C or better and distributed as follows:

• Reading as a Writer (ENGL-UA 201)
• Either one course in critical theories and methods (typically chosen from ENGL-UA 712, ENGL-UA 735), or one course in British literature before 1800 (typically chosen from ENGL-UA 143, ENGL-UA 310, ENGL-UA 320, ENGL-UA 410, ENGL-UA 445, ENGL-UA 450, ENGL-UA 512).
• One senior seminar. Students must complete the first five courses listed above (ENGL-UA 101, three chosen from ENGL-UA 111-114, and ENGL-UA 201) to be eligible to enroll in seminars. The following courses are used to fulfill this requirement: ENGL-UA 950-955; 960-965; and 970-976.
• Two additional ENGL-UA courses, drawn from any combination of intermediate courses, advanced courses, or seminars.
• A creative capstone project with a Department of English faculty member (a creative writing project in poetry, prose, or a hybrid genre). Students enroll in both ENGL-UA 910 and 911 (2 points each).
• Two courses in Creative Writing. Creative Writing: Introduction to Fiction and Poetry (CRWRI-UA 815) is required, followed by one intermediate CRWRI-UA course.

Minor in English and American Literature

This is a five-course (20-point) minor. The requirements, all to be completed with a grade of C or better, are:

• Plus any three additional ENGL-UA courses.

Policies Applying to the Major and Minor

Courses used to satisfy requirements for the English major or minor may not be used to satisfy the requirements of any other major or minor. The only exception is for students in the creative writing major track who also have a minor in creative writing (they may double-count two courses between the major and minor). Independent study courses and internships do not count toward any of the department's major or minor programs. Transfer students must complete at least half of the required courses for the major and minor programs at the College. All courses for the major must be completed with a C or better (Pass/Fail does not count).

ENGL-UA 101 is a prerequisite for ENGL-UA 111, 112, 113, and 114, but may be taken as a corequisite with permission of the department and/or instructor.

Honors Program

The requirements for graduating with honors in the major in English consist of:

• A 3.65 GPA, both overall and in the major.
• A senior capstone seminar chosen from ENGL-UA 950-955, ENGL-UA 960-965, and ENGL-UA 970-976, which serves as a prerequisite to both the Honors Thesis and Colloquium).
• Enrollment for two consecutive terms in Seniors Honors Thesis (ENGL-UA 925) and completion of a thesis (on a topic of the student's choice) under the direction of departmental faculty.
• Concurrently with ENGL-UA 925: enrollment for two consecutive terms in the Senior Honors Colloquium for thesis writers (ENGL-UA 926).

December graduates begin the concurrent ENGL-UA 925 and 926 sequences in the spring term and complete them in the fall; May graduates begin the sequences in the fall and complete them in the spring. Applications and deadlines are available on the department's undergraduate website and at the department offices.

The Department of English encourages its majors to take advantage of NYU's many opportunities for study away. NYU London offers courses that may be used to fulfill major requirements, as well as courses in British politics, creative writing, and the history of British art and architecture. A list of both ENGL-UA and non-ENGL-UA courses offered by the various NYU study away programs that may be counted toward specific requirements for the major can be found on the department's website each term. English majors should consult a departmental adviser before making plans to study away.

Creative Writing (CWRG1-UC)

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Published September 14, 2021

5 Things You Didnʼt Know About Being an NYU English Major

Staff Writer

With over 170,000 words in the English language, it makes sense that being an NYU English major opens up an array of academic opportunities and a world of career options. “If you want to major in English at NYU, my advice is to go for it,” says Elena Guerra, an English major on the creative writing track. “With the incredible flexibility of the program and the diverse classes that are available, you can personalize your English major to be exactly how you want it.” So, whether you’re studying African feminist writing in Accra or delving into the history of cinema as a Dramatic Literature major, the English department will expose you to great books, great minds, and great possibilities.

1. You Can Choose Your Own Adventure

English majors have their choice of three paths at NYU: English with a literary studies concentration, English with a creative writing concentration , and Dramatic Literature . But how do you decide which route to take? Students on the creative writing track study literature with a focus on the craft of writing, including analysis and revision. On the other hand, the interdisciplinary Dramatic Literature major unites literature, performance, and playwriting. “The creative writing track is great for anyone who wants to explore their options,” affirms Elena. “You get to play around with writing, discover some new styles, and learn from some fantastic professors while doing so.”

2. You Can Study with Honors

As an NYU student, you’ll take rigorous, exciting classes no matter what you study. But for those particularly ambitious—and exceptionally talented—English majors, there’s the English Honors program . In addition to the standard 10 English course requirements, honors students take the Senior Honors Thesis and Senior Honors Colloquium. These small classes focus on scholarly conversation, research, and methodology and include guest speakers and presentations. The competitive program culminates in writing a 40- to 60-page thesis during your senior year.

“Being a part of the English Honors program was, without a doubt, my favorite aspect of my NYU experience,” says Hanna Saadat Khosravi, an English and History double major. “Like many avid readers, I spent years amassing texts and ideas that I hoped to write about one day. The program grants students the opportunity to dedicate a year to pursuing their personal, carefully honed literary interests. Additionally, the opportunity to learn from a professor one-on-one is like attending a personal seminar every week. It’s a truly remarkable academic experience.”

3. You Can Take Your Talents Abroad

The best cure for writer’s block is a change in perspective. And the best way to do that is to see the world while you study abroad . NYU English majors can follow in the footsteps of literary giants, studying Nietzsche in Berlin or Kafka in Prague. NYU London offers a number of courses on literature and theatre, with a side of Shakespeare, complemented by excursions to plays, museums, and galleries. There are also a variety of other study away sites that are eligible for credit toward the major. These include Abu Dhabi, Accra, Buenos Aires, Florence, Paris, Madrid, Sydney, and Tel Aviv.

4. You Can Save Lives and Deliver Justice

College is a time of exploration, and one of the many benefits of a liberal arts education is that you’re not limited to one field of study. At NYU, we encourage undergraduates to keep their academic and professional options open and engage with the world around them. That’s why prelaw and prehealth aren’t majors. Instead, any aspiring lawyer can self-identify as prelaw while majoring in the subject of their choice . Likewise, as a prehealth English major, you can prep for med school while honing your craft as a writer. After all, the best lawyers and doctors come from a variety of backgrounds and bring a wealth of knowledge to their practice.

5. Your Degree Can Open Doors and Turn Pages

In addition to journalists and authors, NYU English alums have become professors, judges, CEOs, doctors, and architects. That’s because English majors develop the skills to be exceptional writers, problem solvers, and collaborators, making them prime candidates for pretty much any job. “I selected English as my major because it would allow me to read and write bountifully for four years. But what I quickly realized was that my English major would also teach me how to read. That means learning how to think, analyze, critique, empathize, and interpret not only literature but also the world around us. It is the greatest gift that my time at NYU gave me,” attests Hanna.

Postgraduation, Hanna will work as a researcher and assistant editorial producer, focusing on research for visual storytelling projects. “While working on my thesis, I realized how fulfilled I felt by my research. Telling human stories is essential to building a more just and compassionate future, and that is always my goal,” she explains. So whether you want to use your words to change the world or just hone your writing skills, an English major will allow you to turn the page and start your next chapter.

This or That: English vs Comparative Literature

Have a deep-rooted belief that the book is always better than the movie but not sure what to study? Learn the differences between two majors that might be of interest.

A Creative Writing Minor Complements Any Major

Across majors and around the world, NYU students find the value in a Creative Writing minor.

Navigating Study Away

Interested in study away opportunities? Learn about all of the different programs and the benefits of each.

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Intensive Workshop in Creative Writing