Major

In the Creative Writing Major, students inaugurate a life-long apprenticeship in the literary arts. Creative Writing majors study classic and contemporary literature and learn the fundamentals of narrative, poetic, and dramatic craft. Students learn the following:

  • effective use of the writing process
  • use and ethos of the workshop class
  • devices of narrative technical craft
  • devices of poetic technical craft
  • close reading skills

Creative Writing Majors are urged to participate in International Education Programs such as the London Study Centre and our programs in China and Latin America. Students may also wish to supplement course work by undertaking internships.

Students are required to take CW 200A Poetry and CW 201A Short Story, and CW204A Creative Nonfiction at Eckerd College.

For a minor in Creative Writing students take five courses which bear the CW designation. Three must be Eckerd College courses, and two CW courses must be 300 level or higher. A Literature course may be substituted for one of these courses.

Students wishing to double major in creative writing and literature must take nine literature courses and fulfill all other requirements for both majors. Literature courses taken for a major in literature may be counted for a minor in creative writing.

For the B.A. and B.F.A. in Creative Writing, majors must complete the following course work.

Majors must complete the following 100 level course:

  • CW 100A Introduction to Creative Writing

Majors must complete the following 200 level courses:

  • CW 200A Poetry
  • CW 201A Short Story
  • CW 204A Creative Nonfiction

Majors must select TWO of the following 300 level courses:

  • CW 306 Intermediate Poetry or CW 340 Avant-Garde Poetry
  • CW 303 Intermediate Fiction
  • CW 301 The Memoir as Story or CW 348A Feature Writing

Majors must follow one of their two intermediate courses from the above list with ONE advanced course in their principle genre from the list below:

  • CW 435 Advanced Poetry
  • CW 433 Advanced Fiction
  • CW 407 Lyric Essay or CW 450A The Personal Essay

Majors must take FIVE literature courses that meet the distribution requirement below. At least two LI courses must be 300 level or higher, and at least three courses must be taken at Eckerd College. The categories are determined by the literature discipline and published in the college catalogue:

  • TWO courses in American literature
  • ONE course in English literature before 1800
  • ONE course in comparative literature
  • ONE literature elective

Majors must take CW 498: Creative Writing Capstone

NOTE: Majors must complete a sequence (200, 300, 400) in at least one genre.

For the B.F.A. in Creative Writing, majors must also complete the following three requirements:

  • CW 310 Craft of Writing
  • CW 401 Publishing and Writing Career
  • A for-credit practicum with The Current, The Eckerd Review, or an off-campus internship, pending faculty approval


Creative Writing major Mackenna Cummings '15

“I was able to grow and take risks with my writing that I don’t believe I would have done at another college. I spent months in different countries studying subjects that were not my major and each of these trips impacted me as a student and as a writer. Whether you write for the award-winning newspaper, study abroad, mentor other students, or volunteer at local schools, Eckerd can help you achieve goals you were unaware you even had.”
—Mackenna Cummings ’15