Undergraduate programs

The study of English has long been considered one of the best ways to obtain a liberal education. Courses are designed to develop students’ critical capabilities, to deepen their understanding of diverse cultural issues, and to improve their abilities to analyze and produce complex texts. The department prepares its majors for careers in writing and teaching, as well as for a variety of professions in which high levels of literacy and critical thought are required. Indeed, the breadth of knowledge and the communication skills that English majors typically acquire make them attractive to many potential employers and prepare them for graduate work leading to professions in fields such as law, public policy, administration, and business. For those who wish to teach, the English Department prepares majors for graduate work leading to teaching certification or for entry into graduate master’s or doctoral programs in English.

Degree Maps and Learning Outcomes

Admission requirements

English B.A./B.S.

Creative Writing B.F.A.

English Minor

Writing Minor

Film Studies Minor

Creative Writing B.F.A.

Admission Requirements

Admission to the degree program is based on (a) general admission to the university (see University Admissions for more information) and (b) admission to the Creative Writing program, which includes submission of a Statement of Purpose and a writing sample (10-15 pages of poetry or 15-25 pages of prose).

Requirements

In addition to meeting university B.A. degree requirements, the Creative Writing major must meet the following requirements for the B.F.A. degree: Literature Courses, Writing Courses, Fine Art Electives, English Electives, Writing Electives, and a Graduation Requirement (Senior Portfolio).

Fine Art Electives (8 credits)

Two courses in arts appreciation, theory, or performance (8 credits).

This requirement is fulfilled through courses in the College of the Arts prefixed Arch, ArH, Art, D, FILM, Mus, and TA.

English Electives (12 credits)

12 upper division Eng credits (With adviser approval, one upper-division WLL literature course may be applied to this requirement.)

Required Literature Courses

Historical Literacy (8 credits)

These courses provide students with the opportunity to explore different historical periods, regions, and genres, thus enabling them to find connections between multiple topics and cultural moments.

Take two courses from the following list.
Eng 301UTopics in Shakespearean Genre

4

Eng 320UThe English Novel I

4

Eng 340UMedieval Literature

4

Eng 341URenaissance Literature

4

Eng 342UEighteenth Century Literature

4

Eng 343URomanticism

4

Eng 351U/BSt 351UAfrican American Literature I

4

Eng 360UAmerican Literature and Culture I

4

Eng 416History of Rhetoric

4

Eng 426Advanced Topics in Medieval Literature

4

Eng 441Advanced Topics in Renaissance Literature

4

Eng 450Advanced Topics in Eighteenth-Century Literature

4

Eng 458Advanced Topics in Romanticism

4

Eng 460Advanced Topics in American Literature to 1800

4

Eng 491History of Literary Criticism and Theory I

4

Culture, Difference, and Representation (4 credits)

These courses explore the politics of representation in the contexts of identity and subject formation, cultural encounter and domination, and canon formation and contestation.

Take one course from the following list.
Eng 326Literature, Community, and Difference

4

Eng 327Culture, Imperialism, and Globalization

4

Eng 428Canons and Canonicity

4

Required Writing Courses (12 credits)

Wr 212Introductory Fiction Writing

4

Wr 213Introductory Poetry Writing

4

Wr 214Introductory Nonfiction Writing

4

Writing Electives (32 credits)

16 credits in the genre of portfolio (fiction, nonfiction, or poetry), at least 8 of which must be at the 400-level:

Wr 312Intermediate Fiction Writing

4

Wr 313Intermediate Poetry Writing

4

Wr 328Media Editing

4

Wr 399Special Studies

1-5

Wr 407Writing Seminar

1-6

Wr 412Advanced Fiction Writing

4

Wr 413Advanced Poetry Writing

4

Wr 428Advanced Media Writing

4

Wr 456Forms of Nonfiction

4

Wr 457Personal Essay Writing

4

Wr 458Magazine Writing

4

Wr 459Memoir Writing

4

16 credits of additional upper-division WR courses, 8 of which must be 400-level.

Note: Wr 312, Wr 313, Wr 407, Wr 412, and Wr 413 may be repeated for credit.

Graduation Requirement: The Senior Portfolio

The Senior Portfolio is submitted for approval by the end of the third week of the term in which a student intends to graduate. For summer graduates, note that portfolios must be turned in by the end of the third week of spring term. Portfolios will not be accepted over the summer. The portfolio showcases the clean revised copy of the student's creative writing in a chosen genre (i.e., fiction, nonfiction, or poetry) and should contain: (a) An introductory statement of artistic intent (6-10 pages), which provides an overview and analysis of the development and revision of their portfolio work; and (b) Writing within a genre: 30-50 pages (fiction or nonfiction), or 20-30 pages (poetry). Email the portfolio and introductory statement in a DOC format to grdstudy@pdx.edu; it will be forwarded to a departmental committee for review.

The portfolio consists of a Title Page, a Table of Contents, a Statement of Artistic Intent, and your Writing. All pages must be proofread and properly formatted with 1-inch margins, and double-spaced in a readable standard 12-point font. (There are no spacing instructions for poems.) All pages except the Title Page should be numbered.

  • Title page must include name, date, student ID #, email address, BFA genre (fiction, nonfiction, poetry), and identify itself as the BFA in Creative Writing Portfolio.  Students may additionally title or subtitle the collection if desired.
  • Table of Contents must include page numbers, and titles for each piece in your Writing section.
    Statement of Artistic Intent will address a set of prompts available from the Program Coordinator and Undergraduate Advisor.  
  • Writing section may consist of a single or multiple works within BFA genre; they may be thematically connected, but this is not required. Pieces written within courses may be used, and this is indeed encouraged, but they must be clean revised copies. Each piece within the Writing section should be numbered and titled.
  • Work will not be judged by its subgenre or subject matter per se, or on its experimental or conventional nature; however, students are expected to carefully analyze and contextualize their artistry in the Statement of Artistic Intent.
  • The Statement and Writing will be expected to meet a high standard of aesthetic achievement and writing craft, and to observe University standards of academic honesty. 

Additional Information on Requirements

  • Creative Writing majors in upper-division English courses are expected to be able to write a research paper when required. The department recommends that majors without prior training in research paper writing enroll in Wr 222.
  • Only courses in which a student receives a C or above can count for the Creative Writing major.
  • Only courses taken for a letter grade can count toward the Creative Writing major.
  • No more than 12 credits taken for the Minor in English may be applied to the Creative Writing major.
  • A minimum of 24 credits in English and/or Writing at PSU is required to graduate from PSU with a major in Creative Writing.

Total Credit Hours: 76