creative writing major fsu

Florida State University

FSU | The Career Center

The Career Center

Creative writing.

FSU students have designed a variety of blueprints to design their careers when engaging in the Creative Writing major. There are some commonalities with career design blueprints, which are the foundation building blocks of Self-Knowledge and Options Knowledge. Whether you are just beginning to design your career or updating your design, the information, tools, and materials below will provide you with a solid foundation to design your career.

Self-Knowledge

To help you explore, here are interests, values, and skills commonly associated with common career fields related to Creative Writing. This list is not exhaustive yet gives you a starting point for your Career Design.

Enterprising

Conventional

Achievement

Working Conditions

Key Transferrable Skills

Communication

Critical Thinking

Research & Innovation

Teamwork & Cross-cultural Collaboration

Key Technical Skills

Desktop publishing software

Graphics or photo imaging software

Presentation software

Word processing software

Learn More about You

The Career Center provides assessments that can help you explore and identify your interests, values, and skills. Utilize the Computer Assisted Career Guidance Systems and virtual values activity to see how your interest, values, and skills match those that are closely correlated with this major and compare occupation options that develop from your assessment results to those found in this blueprint.

Focus2Career    My Next Move    SIGI3    Virtual Values Card Sort

Options Knowledge

Exploring occupations is an important step in your career design. Finding occupation options that match your interest, values, and skills create a solid foundation for your career design. Additional information that will help you design your career is job titles, typical work duties, training and education required, industry growth and projected growth, and salary data based on geographical areas.

General Information and Resources

Access valid and reliable occupation information through the resources below and compare the occupations you explore to your self-knowledge.

The Occupational Outlook Handbook O*Net CareerOneStop

Sample Occupations

Research Assistant, Librarian , Law librarian, Legislative aide, Congressional researcher, Convention planner, Bookstore manager, Buyer, retail store, Market researcher, Psychometrician, Patient education officer, HMO, Program coordinator, Programmer / Analyst  Attorney, Counselor / Psychologist, Social worker, Foreign Service officer, Curriculum planner, Industrial analyst, City manager, Creative writer, Technical writer,  Speech writer, Journalist, Drama, art, music critic,  Web writer, Newsletter writer, Editor, Publications coordinator, Editorial assistant, Web designer, Advertising copywriter, Reading specialist, K-12 teacher,  College instructor, Peace Corps / Teach for America teacher, Speech Therapist, Sales manager, Training consultant, Public relations representative, Politician,  Lobbyist

Salary Range Based on Sample Occupations

Introductory Range: $30,380 - $35,880

Mid-Career Range: $63,400 – $67,120

Experienced Range: $126,800 - $133,460

Additional salary information: FSU Graduating Senior Survey Dashboard Board of Governors Dashboard

Explore the FSU Community to Find Opportunities that Match You

To see your major's tailored CandidCareer playlist click  here 

Connect with The Career Center

Drop-in to Career Advising with the Career Center and meet with a Career Advisor to explore and build your Individual Action Plan.

Drop-in Career Advising Options

Connect with your Career Liaison who specializes in supporting students in this major and related industries.

Meet Your Liaison

Sample Registered Student Organizations

FSU Society for Collegiate Journalists

FSU Film Club

Kudzu Review FSU

Phi Alpha Delta Pre-Law

Explore NoleCentral for Additional Options

Research Graduate and Professional School Options

Depending on your long-term goals, graduate school might be part of you career design. Utilize these resources using the keyword "Creative Writing" to research your options.

Career Cornerstone      Petersons      US News & World Report      Grad Schools.com      Study.com

Career, Internship and Graduate School Fairs

Each year the Career Center hosts career, internship and graduate school fairs to help students connect with employers. These events and more can be found in NoleNetwork, the centralized job board and connection to career events and opportunities at FSU.

Engage with the people and opportunities to learn more about yourself and career options. Career Advisors, Career Liaisons, Alumni, ProfessioNole Mentors, employers and other people you meet through involvement on and off campus will help you refine your career design.

After finding a Registered Student Organization to engage with, engage with Career Center and FSU Campus events and Programs to help you connect and build your network while also developing ProfessioNole Competencies.

Career Center Events and Programs

Connect with professionals and FSU Alumni who are in careers that you want to learn more about or tryout a career to see how it matches your interest, values, and skills.

FSU Events and Programs

Division of student affairs programs.

At FSU there is a program for everyone. Engage with one of the many programs that will help you develop, academically, personally, socially, and help you design your career.

Division of Student Affairs Program Connection

Student Government Association

Build Your Skills and Earn Badges

Earn badges and develop your ProfessioNole Competencies. From Financial Success options to learning how to build an App, there is a badging pathway for you. Pathways allow you to enhance your skills while working autonomously and alongside your peers, industry experts, and other ProfessioNoles. While you are earning badges, be sure to engage in ProfessioNole Ready so you are prepared to seek new experiences that will help you in your career design.

Prepare to Connect

As you design your career, the Career Center can help you prepare to connect with employers and graduate and professional school programs through services, programs, and events.

Career Advising Mock Interviews

Grad School Boot Camp ProfessioNole Ready

Resume Cafés Information Sessions

Build Your Network

FSU is here to help you build your network. However, you can also get engaged with opportunities and groups outside of the FSU community by getting involved with professional associations and engaging in or following groups on LinkedIn.

Engage in Professional Organizations

National Association of Independent Writers & Editors

The International Women's Writing Guild

American Society of Journalists and Authors

Society for American Travel Writers

Society for Children's Book Writers and Illustrators  

Asian American Journalists Association

Native American Journalists Association

Writers Guild of America West

Engage in LinkedIn Groups

To search for LinkedIn Groups you can use the names of the associations above in the linked in search box and set your filter to groups or companies. You can then generate a list of LinkedIn Groups to explore and join or connect. Additionally, try some of the following keywords:

Creative Writing      Fiction Writing     Story-Telling    Journalism    Journalist    Non-Fiction 

Experiences like internships, leadership, research, creative works and global engagement, also known as experiential learning or formative experience, are a key part of determining your interests, values, and skills and developing competencies for career success. Experiential learning provides the opportunity to apply the knowledge you have gained in the classroom to a real-world experience while enhancing your transferrable and industry specific skills. By engaging in these types of experiences, you can “try on” the various work environments within your aspirational career field.

Experience Essentials

Many FSU Students engage in experiences throughout the year, however it is important to know when application deadlines occur and that majority of employer recruit heavily in the Fall semester to hire interns for the upcoming summer. Below are some sample of possible experiences related to this major.

Types of Experiences

Internships.

Editing Writing and Media Academic Internship

Florida Press Foundation Internships

Book Jobs Internships (Publishing)

Florida House of Representatives Internship

U.S. State Department Virtual Student Federal Service Internships

The Southeast Review (Internships and Submissions)

WFSU Public Media Internships and Volunteering

FSU Honors in the Major Research

FSU Digital Humanities Research

Florida Association of Museums

FSU Leadership Programs

Global Engagement

U.S. Fulbright Program

FSU Global Exchanges

Literacy Volunteers of Leon County

Junior Achievement of the Big Bend (Youth Education)

Idealist Internship Database

Find Experiences

FSU provides or connects students with experiences every day. For internships, the Career Center's NoleNetwork connects students to internship opportunities on campus, across the country, and even globally. The Career Center's "Gain Experience" webpage also connects you with opportunities and other FSU departments. Other departments and programs on campus can also help connect with an experience that matches your career design.

Experiences Through FSU

Center for Undergraduate Research and Academic Engagement

The Center for Global Engagement

FSU International Programs

Innovation Hub

The Center for Leadership and Social Change

Sample Employers

• City of Tallahassee
• Defense Intelligence
• Department of State
• Deutsche Bank
• Fasig Brooks
• Florida Board of Governors
• Florida Department of Environmental Protection
• Harris Corporation
• Teach for America
• U.S. Department of State
• Zimmerman Agency

Sample Work Settings

• Advertising Agencies
• Archives Art Galleries
• Banks or Investment Firms
• Colleges/Universities
• Consulting Firms
• International Business Organizations
• Professional and Technical Journals
• Radio/TV Industry Research Departments
• Social Service Agencies
• Agency for International Development

Earn Recognition for Your Experience

Get recognized for your experiences. Whether it is one experience or a combination of various types of experiences that you engage in and complete during your time at FSU, there is a recognition program for you. Checkout the Experience Recognition Program options through the FSU Career Center and the Garnet and Gold Scholar Society, which is the highest experience recognition and honor offered at FSU.

Construct Your Blueprint

Now that you have the tools and basic concepts to being building your career. Start designing your custom blueprint.

NoleNetwork is the not just your connect to Career Center events, but your connection to employment opportunities. Below are opportunities related to this major that you may be interested in pursuing.

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Individual Learning Plan

As you design your career and build your blueprint create overarching goals with smaller smart goals that create the building blocks of your blueprint. Revisit and revise your plan as you meet your goals. If you get stuck, visit the FSU Career Center.

• Customized Individual Action Plan

Career Center part of the Division of Student Affairs 100 South Woodward Avenue Tallahassee, FL 32306 Hours: M - F  8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

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FSU | University Registrar

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University registrar, 2024-2025 undergraduate bulletin.

• General Bulletins
• Undergraduate Departments

Undergraduate Department of English

College of arts and sciences.

Website :  https://english.fsu.edu

Chair and Professor: Andrew Epstein; Robert O. Lawton Professors: S. E. Gontarski, David Kirby, Maxine Montgomery, Gary Taylor; Krafft Professors: Robert Olen Butler; Janet Burroway Professor: Mark Winegardner; George Mills Harper Professor: Judith Pascoe; Frances Cushing Ervin Professor: Aaron Jaffe; University Alumni Distinguished Writer and Professor: Diane Roberts; Professors: Terri Bourus, Celia Caputi, Leigh Edwards, Andrew Epstein, Barry Faulk, Jami Fumo, Robin Goodman, Jimmy Kimbrell, Christopher Okonkwo, Elizabeth Stuckey-French, Virgil Suarez, Candace Ward; Timothy Gannon Associate Professor: Alisha Gaines; Associate Professors: Elias Dominguez Barajas, Lindsey Eckert, Tarez Graban, Skip Horack, Meegan Kennedy, John Mac Kilgore, Rhea Lathan, Pablo Maurette, Michael Neal, Christina Parker-Flynn, Robert Stilling, Cy Weise; Assistant Professors: Mais Al-Khateeb, Rebecca McWilliams Ojala Ballard, Ronisha Browdy, Jaclyn Fiscus-Cannady, Ravi Howard, Trinyan Mariano, John Ribó, Alison Sperling, L. Lamar Wilson; Distinguished University Scholar and Senior Lecturers: Barbara Hamby; Associate Lecturers: Russ Franklin, Molly Hand, Perry Howell; Professors Emeriti: Ralph Berry, Bruce Bickley, Bruce Boehrer, Helen Burke, Janet Burroway, A. E. B. Coldiron, Eugene Crook, John Fenstermaker, David Gants, Joann Gardner, W. T. Lhamon, Joseph McElrath, Jerrilyn McGregory, Jim O'Rourke, Sheila Ortiz-Taylor, Ann Rowe, Eric Walker, Kathleen Yancey

The Department of English offers students a curriculum that is central to the modern liberal arts education. One of the largest degree programs in the College of Arts and Sciences, the undergraduate major in English allows students to emphasize literature, media, and culture; creative writing; or editing, writing, and media. Students may also pursue other specialized programs such as honors in the major, an English major with an emphasis in business, or Directed Independent Studies. In addition to its primary benefits to intellectual growth, the English major also offers practical preparation for professional careers in teaching, professional writing, law, business, religious affairs, and all levels of government service: local, state, and federal.

The study of literature, media, and culture includes not only contemporary texts but also all the historical periods of British, American, and other literature. In addition to familiar period or major authors courses such as the Victorian novel or Chaucer, students will also find courses in related subjects such as linguistics, popular culture, gender studies, multiethnic literature, folklore, postcolonial literature, modern European fiction, and literary theory. Courses will endeavor as well to broaden students' conceptualization of the close relationship between literary texts as cultural artifacts to include other forms of writing and media.

The study of creative writing allows students to work not only in the familiar genres of poetry, fiction, drama, and the essay, but also to study related subjects such as rhetoric and composition theory. Students may also study the editorial and publishing process and take up internships in editing and publishing in a variety of settings.

The study of editing, writing, and media engages students in the history, theories, and practices of textual formation. It provides writing-intensive courses focusing on the practical aspects of new media and print composition. Students also study the history of textuality as well as hands-on courses in visual rhetoric, editing, and publishing.

The English honors program, traditionally the largest in the University, invites the very best students to supplement regular major work with specialized seminars and independent thesis work.

A variety of activities and facilities are available to all majors. Two literary magazines, Kudzu Review and The Southeast Review , are published in the department. Many students gain journalistic experience by writing for the independent campus newspaper, the FSView & Florida Flambeau . The department sponsors a year-long visiting writers series that brings twelve to fourteen writers and scholars to campus each year. The English department, in conjunction with the campus-wide Opening Nights arts program, also promotes headline writers, such as John Updike and Amy Tan. There are two computer classrooms that house computer-assisted writing instruction, and seminar rooms that are equipped with smartboards. The English Department also hosts the Reading-Writing Center, an inclusive resource for FSU students of all majors, programs, and backgrounds, as well as the Digital Studio, which facilitates the development of digital project content and design. All majors with a GPA above 3.0 are eligible to apply for membership in Sigma Tau Delta , the local chapter of a national literary honor society, which sponsors a variety of social events and career programs.

The department annually recognizes outstanding achievement with the following awards and honors: the Fred L. Standley Award for Undergraduate Excellence in English, the George Harper Award for Outstanding Essay Writing, the Betty Corry Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Creative Writing, the Cody Harris Allen Undergraduate Writing Award, the John MacKay Shaw Academy of American Poets Award, the George Yost Essay Award, and the Mart P. and Louis Hill English Honors Thesis Award.

Digital Literacy Requirement

Students must complete at least one course designated as meeting the Digital Literacy Requirement with a grade of “C–” or higher. Courses fulfilling the Digital Literacy Requirement must accomplish at least three of the following outcomes:

• Evaluate and interpret the accuracy, credibility, and relevance of digital information
• Evaluate and interpret digital data and their implications
• Discuss the ways in which society and/or culture interact with digital technology
• Discuss digital technology trends and their professional implications
• Demonstrate the ability to use digital technology effectively
• Demonstrate the knowledge to use digital technology safely and ethically

Each academic major has determined the courses that fulfill the Digital Literacy requirement for that major. Students should contact their major department(s) to determine which courses will fulfill their Digital Literacy requirement.

Undergraduate majors in English satisfy this requirement by earning a grade of “C–” or higher in CGS 2060, CGS 2100, CGS 2518, or EME 2040.

State of Florida Common Program Prerequisites for English

The Florida Virtual Campus (FLVC) houses the statewide, internet-based catalog of distance learning courses, degree programs, and resources offered by Florida's public colleges and universities, and they have developed operational procedures and technical guidelines for the catalog that all institutions must follow. The statute governing this policy can be reviewed by visiting https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2021/1006.73 .

FLVC has identified common program prerequisites for the degree program in English. To obtain the most up-to-date, state-approved prerequisites for this degree, visit: https://cpm.flvc.org/programs/331/275 .

Specific prerequisites are required for admission into the upper-division program and must be completed by the student at either a community college or a state university prior to being admitted to this program. Students may be admitted into the University without completing the prerequisites but may not be admitted into the program.

College Requirements

Please review all college-wide degree requirements summarized in the “College of Arts and Sciences” chapter of this General Bulletin .

Prerequisites for the Major

In order to satisfy prerequisites for the English major, students must accomplish the following:

• Completion of at least fifty-two semester hours of acceptable college credit with an overall GPA of at least 2.0
• Satisfactory completion (“C–” or better) of all courses necessary for the writing requirement (State Board of Education Rule 6A-10.030).

Requirements for a Major in English

General Requirements: Thirty-six semester hours of English in courses at the 2000 level and above. At least twenty-one semester hours must be in courses at the 3000 and 4000 levels, including at least nine semester hours at the 4000 level. Honors thesis hours may be applied toward the Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree, but only three semester hours will be accepted for major credit. One English course used to satisfy the humanities requirement for CoreFSU Curriculum may be counted as part of the major. All courses counted toward the major must carry the grade of “C–” or better. A minor in another department is also required ; all courses counted toward the minor also must carry the grade of “C–” or better.

Each student will choose one of the following areas:

• Twelve semester hours in four core courses: ENG 2012 Introduction to English Studies; LIT 3112 History I; LIT 3124 History II; and ENG 3014 Understanding Theory and Criticism (must be taken before student reaches ninety semester hours)
• Twelve semester hours of Distribution Electives: Six hours of Diversity courses; three hours of Pre-1800 courses; and three hours of Understanding Genres
• Electives: Nine semester hours in other English courses at the 2000 level and above
• Literature Capstone: Three semester hours in ENG 4934 Senior Literature Seminar (must be taken after student reaches ninety semester hours)
• Twelve semester hours in four core Writing Courses: ENG 2012 Introduction to English Studies; ENC 3310 Article and Essay Technique; CRW 3110 Fiction Technique; CRW 3311 Poetic Technique
• Advanced Writing Workshops: Six hours of Advanced Writing Workshops, any combination of two (six hours) required. ENC 4311 Advanced Article and Essay Workshop; CRW 4120 Advanced Fiction Workshop; CRW 4320 Advanced Poetry Workshop. Advanced workshops are repeatable for up to nine credit hours.
• Literature Courses: Fifteen semester hours of literature, of which at least three semester hours shall be in British literature before 1900 at the 3000 or 4000 level
• Electives: Three semester hours in other English courses at the 2000 level and above
• Twelve semester hours in four core courses: ENG 2012 Introduction to English Studies; ENC 3021 Rhetoric; ENC 3416 Writing and Editing in Print and Online; ENG 3803 History of Text Technologies
• ENC 4218: Visual Rhetoric
• ENG 4834: Issues in Publishing
• ENC 4212: Editing: Manuscripts, Documents, Reports
• ENG 4020: Rhetorical Theory and Practice
• ENG 3804: History of Illustrated Texts
• ENC 4404: Advanced Writing and Editing
• ENG 4615: Media: Innovation, Theory, and Practice
• ENG 4815: What is a Text?
• Three hours Internship in Editing (ENC 4942)
• Twelve credit hours of completed core courses are required to apply and register for ENC 4942.
• Twelve hours English electives, at the 3000 or 4000 level

Transient Students

Students may take a maximum of three courses (maximum of nine credit hours) in the major at another institution, excluding foreign language. Applicable to electives only.

Honors in the Major

The Department of English offers honors in the major to encourage talented students to undertake independent research through two special seminars (or one special seminar and one honors course in the major) and two semesters of thesis work. For requirements and other information, see the “University Honors Office and Honor Societies” chapter of this General Bulletin and the Director of Undergraduate Studies in English. Contact [email protected] .

Requirements for a Minor in English

At least twelve semester hours in English courses numbered above 1999. Students must have at least a “C–” average in the minor.

Definition of Prefixes

AML —American Literature

CRW —Creative Writing

ENC —English Composition

ENG —English: General

ENL —English Literature

HUM —Humanities

IDH —Interdisciplinary Honors

IDS —Interdisciplinary Studies

LAE —Language Arts and English Education

LIN —Linguistics

LIT —Literature

REA —Reading

Undergraduate Courses

AML 2010. American Authors to 1875 (3) . This course covers important writings by representative American authors from the colonial period through the post-Civil War era. Typically included are Franklin, Irving, Emerson, Thoreau, Poe, Hawthorne, Melville, Whitman, Douglass, and Emily Dickinson.

AML 2600. Introduction to African-American Literature (3) . This course offers a survey of the canonical works of African-Americans, typically including Douglass, Chesnutt, Hurston, Wright, Ellison, Baldwin, Morrison, and Walker.

AML 3041. American Authors Since 1875 (3) . This course covers significant works by representative Realists, Literary Naturalists, Modernists, and contemporary writers. Authors typically covered include Twain, James, Crane, Chopin, Eliot, Hemingway, Frost, Fitzgerald, Faulkner, Wright, Baldwin, Morrison, and O'Connor.

AML 3311. Major Figures in American Literature (3) . This course examines selected works of major American writers.

AML 3630. Latino/a Literature in English (3) . This course offers an introduction to landmark Latino/a works written in English.

AML 3673. Asian American Literature (3) . This course introduces students to selected works of Asian American literature, focusing on Asian Indian, Pacific Islander, Filipino, Chinese, Japanese, Cambodian, and Vietnamese American writers. Common topics include issues of diaspora, dislocation, and cross-culturality.

AML 3682. American Multi-Ethnic Literature (3) . This course introduces cross-cultural literary traditions, looking at historical rationales and interconnections among communities as well as vital differences.

AML 4111. The 19th-Century American Novel (3) . This course covers from Brown and Cooper to Hawthorne, Melville, Twain, and Crane.

AML 4121. The 20th-Century American Novel (3) . This course typically covers Dreiser, Dos Passos, Fitzgerald, Hemingway, Faulkner, Bellow, and Wright.

AML 4213. Early American Literature and Culture before 1800 (3) . Suggested prerequisite: AML 2010. This course focuses on varying topics in pre-1800 American literature and culture, such as exploration and captivity narratives, Native American literature, the Puritan tradition, the enlightenment and revolutionary eras in America, the trans- and circum-Atlantic world, the slave trade, early-American print culture (including the novel), gender studies, and/or selected authors.

AML 4261. Literature of the South (3) . This course offers a survey from Colonial times to the present, including Byrd, Poe, Simms, Cable, Faulkner, Warren, O'Connor, and others.

AML 4604. The African-American Literary Tradition (3) . This course examines selected works by African-American writers in their social, historical, and cultural contexts.

AML 4680r. Studies in Ethnic Literature (3) . This course is an advanced study offering a survey of a particular ethnic literary tradition and adopting a cultural studies model. May be repeated up to a maximum of twenty-four semester hours.

CRW 3110. Fiction Technique (3) . This course is an analysis of and exercises in the elements of fiction: point of view, conflict, characterization, tone, and image.

CRW 3311. Poetic Technique (3) . This course is for aspiring poets and critics. The course studies the elements of poetry with some practice in writing poetry.

CRW 3410. Dramatic Technique (3) . This course is an introduction to playwriting, with emphasis on the relation of the written drama to production. Both published plays and student work are analyzed.

CRW 4120r. Fiction Workshop (3) . Prerequisite: CRW 3310. This course enables practice in short story, novella, or novel. Students are expected to work toward submission and publication of manuscripts. May be repeated to a maximum of nine credit hours.

CRW 4320r. Poetry Workshop (3) . Prerequisite: CRW 3311. This course is for poets who approach excellence and aspire toward publication. May be repeated to a maximum of nine credit hours.

CRW 4420r. Drama Workshop (3) . Prerequisite: Instructor permission. This course allows students to write, revise, and prepare for submission a one to three-act play; playing time: not less than one hour. May be repeated to a maximum of twenty-four semester hours.

ENC 1101. Freshman Composition and Rhetoric (3) . This course stresses the importance of critical reading, writing, and thinking skills, as well as the importance of using writing as a recursive process involving invention, drafting, collaboration, revision, rereading, and editing to clearly and effectively communicate ideas for specific purposes, occasions, and audiences. No auditors.

ENC 1102. Freshman Writing, Reading, and Research (3) . Prerequisite: ENC 1101 or ENC 1149. This course includes reading, research, drafting, and writing of essays and a journal for a total of 7,000 words. No auditors.

ENC 1905r. Improving College-Level Writing (1–3) . (S/U grade only.) This course is an individualized program of instruction in writing, including CLAS skills. Open to students from all levels and major areas. May be repeated to a maximum of three semester hours.

ENC 2135. Research, Genre, and Context (3) . Prerequisite: ENC 1101. This course emphasizes writing as a recursive process involving invention, drafting, collaboration, rereading, revision, and editing to compose in a variety of genres clearly and effectively for specific contexts, purposes, occasions, and audiences. The course teaches research skills that allow students to effectively incorporate outside sources in their writing.

ENC 3021. Rhetoric (3) . This course introduces students to key concepts in the study of rhetoric: to frameworks useful for the analysis of texts, events, communication, and other phenomena, and to the principles of rhetoric in the contexts of many media and cultures.

ENC 3310. Article and Essay Technique (3) . This course introduces students to the study and writing of nonfiction prose in a variety of modes, with emphasis on studying the elements of nonfiction prose and practice in the craft of writing.

ENC 3416. Writing and Editing in Print and Online (3) . This course focuses on the principles of composing, especially across different composing spaces. Students create works in several different media, including (1) in print, (2) on the screen, and (3) for the network, while also learning how to edit the works deployed in each medium appropriately. In addition, students repurpose at least one of these works for another medium. Students conclude the course by creating a digital portfolio.

ENC 3493. Peer Tutoring in the Reading-Writing Center and Digital Studio (3) . This course explores acts of reading, writing, and composing: the people who do it, how they do it, and how to help others do it. Students are trained to tutor in the Reading-Writing Center and/or Digital Studio and actively work in those spaces. Completion of the course allows students to apply for openings in the RWC/DS staff.

ENC 4212. Editing: Manuscripts, Documents, Reports (3) . This course involves the actual editing of another's work, synthesizing another's ideas and data, structuring and clarifying.

ENC 4218. Visual Rhetoric (3) . This course introduces students to the principles of visual rhetoric, especially as it is enacted across diverse media, shaped by multiple genres, and designed to achieve different goals with different audiences. Students will learn to analyze the rhetorical function of imagery, to use images to respond to and organize arguments, and to create images that operate rhetorically.

ENC 4311r. Advanced Article and Essay Workshop (3) . Prerequisite: ENC 3310. This course covers the craft and art of creative nonfiction writing. Course content is mainly practical and craft-based, and explores where authors wish to go with a particular draft, and how readers and writers engaged in a common cause might help the author get there. May be repeated to a maximum of nine semester hours.

ENC 4352. Editing Workshop (3) . This course explores the newsletter genre through analysis and production. Students read, respond to, and analyze a range of newsletter samples before engaging in the process of collaboratively designing, writing, and editing a newsletter that is disseminated digitally to its intended audience.

ENC 4404. Advanced Writing and Editing (3) . This course provides advanced level work in diverse forms of writing and editing. Students read, write, and theorize about what it means to compose in multiple contexts: handwriting, print, and on the Web. Students compose and edit a diversity of texts to be shared with a wide range of audiences, the academic as well as the public.

ENC 4500. Theories of Composition (3) . Prerequisites: ENC 3310 and instructor permission. This course is an examination of topics in the teaching of composition, including theories of the composing process, invention, revision, assigning, and evaluating student writing, and the relationship between writing and reading.

ENC 4942r. Internship in Editing (1–6) . (S/U grade only.) Recommended prerequisite: ENC 4212. This course provides practical experience in editing, public relations, and other forms of written communications. May be repeated to a maximum of six semester hours; only three hours apply to majors.

ENG 2012. Introduction to English Studies (3) . This course prepares students to be English majors, shows how English studies can be used both in college and in the students' career choices, and exposes students to the pleasure of reading, writing, and using language to its best effect.

ENG 2610. Graphic Novel (3) . This course examines comics, graphic novels, words-and-pictures as an imaginative art from the lat 19th century to early 21st century.

ENG 2827. Making Words Work (3) . This course is relevant to students whose aspirations and ambitions require significant, advanced proficiency in writing and English, and introduces students to approaches to English studies. Equal time is dedicated to each of the four concentrations in the English major.

ENG 3014. Understanding Theory and Criticism (3) . This course is an introduction to the issues and debates that inform contemporary literary studies. Required course for English Literature concentration.

ENG 3114. Film Adaptation (3) . This course will study classic and contemporary theories of film adaptation, borrowing as well as breaking from the concept of fidelity to create a space to explore how the cinema engages with literature, and how literary stories are deformed and reformed through the medium of film.

ENG 3116. The Documentary Film (3) . This course offers students the opportunity to study cinema's ability to use documentary form to question the nature of truth, the politics of representation, the construction of the real, and the sociology of the image.

ENG 3310. Film Genres (3) . This course discusses film as a means of exploring the problems of genre studies: relationship to literary genres, historical continuity, transformation of genre in the film medium.

ENG 3600. Hollywood Cinema (3) . This course surveys central problems in the study of mainstream U.S. cinema. Topics include major historical developments, arguments over social and aesthetic value, and close examination of critically important films.

ENG 3803. History of Text Technologies (3) . This course introduces the history of the changing technologies that humans have used to record and transmit their experiences across time and space. It surveys the variety of forms this effort has taken, from tattoo to TikTok, and from papyrus scrolls to iPads. Students investigate how culturally diverse technologies have shaped the way we produce, transmit, and receive texts.

ENG 3804. History of Illustrated Texts (3) . This course explores the relationship between image and word in different historical eras by examining various texts and media. Students read, respond to, and analyze a range of materials, which may include Medieval manuscripts and graphic novels. Finally, students produce an original composition involving the interplay of image and language.

ENG 3931r. Topics in English (1–3) . May be repeated to a maximum of twenty-four semester hours.

ENG 3943r. Kudzu Review Undergraduate Magazine (0–3) . (S/U grade only.) Prerequisite: Instructor permission. This course is a practicum intended to provide each student with practical experience in the field of literary editing. Students work under the direction of the Senior Editor throughout the process of soliciting, judging, and editing manuscripts for the Kudzu Review. Students also work together throughout the process of magazine lay-out as well as magazine printing and distribution. May be repeated to a maximum of six semester hours.

ENG 4020. Rhetorical Theory and Practice (3) . Prerequisites: ENC 3310 and instructor permission. This course emphasizes contemporary developments in rhetoric and their applicability to writing. For upper-division students who intend to teach English composition.

ENG 4043. Contemporary Critical Theory (3) . Prerequisite: Instructor permission. This course is an advanced study of crosscurrents in later 20th-century critical theory.

ENG 4115. Film Theory (3) . This course considers centrally important theories of film from the 1920s work of Eisenstein through the 1970s “gaze” theories of Metz and Mulvey, to the present. The course emphasizes what distinguishes film from other arts as well as its socio-historical causes and consequences.

ENG 4615. Media: Innovation, Theory, and Practice (3) . This course examines the limits and potentialities of media, new media, and media theory in contemporary culture.

ENG 4815. What is a Text? (3) . Prerequisites: 3000-level core courses in major and 4000-level coursework recommended. This course investigates the nature of textuality and its relationship to various media and technologies, while also exploring theoretical and practical questions related to the production and reception of texts in a variety of different forms and media. Students read works in which textuality is broached as a topic, including multimedia texts, and also produce a final project in at least two different media.

ENG 4816. Introduction to Digital Humanities (3) . This course gives students an introduction to the ongoing digital transformation of humanities scholarship, as well as applied introductory skills in the practice of digital humanities. Particular topics may vary, but each course taught under this number explores critically and practically one of several configurations of digital scholarship in the humanities today, including digital literary studies, humanities computing, digital cultural history, new media and network culture, virtuality and games, and digital curation. Students are introduced to the critical issues shaping any of the concentrations, and learn technical skills to interact with and produce work within the particular field.

ENG 4834. Issues in Publishing (3) . Prerequisite: 3000-level core courses in the major recommended. This course explores a wide range of issues in the history and practice of publishing, editing, and the production and distribution of texts from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries as well as from earlier historical periods. These issues include the book as object, the ethics of publishing, the history of reading, and censorship, as well as the rise of print culture. It also includes practical training, introducing students to the work that editors currently perform in magazine and book publishing.

ENG 4905r. Directed Individual Study (1–3) . Topic to be approved by the director of undergraduate English studies. May be repeated to a maximum of twenty-four semester hours.

ENG 4932r. Studies in English (1–3) . Topics vary. For senior majors and qualified students. May be repeated to a maximum of twenty-four semester hours.

ENG 4934. Senior Seminar Capstone in English (3) . Prerequisites: Ninety semester hours of college work. This seminar functions as a senior capstone course for the various majors within the English degree program at FSU. Topics vary.

ENG 4936r. Honors in the Major Research (1–6) . Prerequisite: Instructor permission and admission to the department's honors-in-the-major program. In this course, students accepted into the Honors in the Major program complete an original research or creative project in their major area of study. This course must be repeated at least twice to complete a minimum of six (6) credit hours total but may be repeated up to a maximum of twelve credit hours in total.

ENG 4938r. Advanced Seminar in English (3) . Prerequisite: Admission to the department's honors-in-the-major program. The honors student takes two seminars. Permission required. May be repeated to a maximum of six semester hours.

ENL 2022. British Authors: Early Romantics to the Present (3) . This course is a survey of English masterworks intended for students in liberal studies and those exploring a literature major. Among the authors typically considered are Wordsworth, Dickens, and Conrad.

ENL 3184. British Drama: History, Text and Criticism (3) . This course is an introduction to the history of the British drama and its current representation on the London stage. Students read and attend performances of plays from the major periods of British literary and dramatic history, from the Renaissance to the modern period.

ENL 3210. Medieval Literature in Translation (3) . This course explores literature of the Anglo-Saxon and Anglo-Norman periods: Beowulf, Romance of the Rose, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, and others.

ENL 3334. Introduction to Shakespeare (3) . This course is an introduction to the study of Shakespeare at the college level. Consideration of representative works of comedy, history, tragedy, tragic-comedy drawn from throughout the playwright's career.

ENL 4112. The 18th-Century British Novel (3) . This course typically includes Defoe, Richardson, Fielding, Sterne, Burney, and Radcliffe.

ENL 4122. The 19th-Century British Novel (3) . This course typically includes Scott, Thackeray, Dickens, Trollope, Eliot, and Hardy.

ENL 4132. The Modern British Novel (3) . This course typically includes Conrad, Lawrence, Joyce, Woolf, Greene, Spark, and Lessing.

ENL 4161. Renaissance Drama (3) . This course focuses on the English drama by Shakespeare's contemporaries and successors from Marlowe until the closing of the theatres in 1642.

ENL 4218. Middle English Romance (3) . This course is an introduction to the Medieval English romance tradition from its beginning with Geoffrey of Monmouth to Malory's Morte d'Arthur.

ENL 4220. Renaissance Poetry and Prose (3) . This course examines lyric poetry and prose from Wyatt and Spenser to Shakespeare and the metaphysicals: Donne, Herbert, Marvell, and Vaughan.

ENL 4230. Restoration and 18th-Century British Literature (3) . This course studies British poetry and prose from 1660 to 1800.

ENL 4240. British Romantic Literature (3) . This course studies British poetry and prose from 1785 to 1832.

ENL 4273. Modern British Literature (3) . This course explores British poetry, fiction, and essays since 1900. Typically includes Hardy, Conrad, Joyce, Yeats, Lawrence, Woolf, Auden, and Lessing.

ENL 4311. Chaucer (3) . This course focuses on the High Middle Ages in England seen through the perspective of the Canterbury Tales read in Middle English.

ENL 4333. Shakespeare (3) . This course is a study of representative Shakespearean dramas and their relationship to the Renaissance. Typically may include attention to relevant contemporary intellectual, historical, and political movements.

ENL 4341. Milton (3) . This course focuses on Milton's life and works; emphasis on Lycidas, Paradise Lost, Paradise Regained, Samson Agonistes, and Milton's important libertarian prose.

HUM 3123. Irish Culture: An Introduction (3) . This course introduces students to the rich traditions and culture of Ireland. The course acquaints students with the cultural factors that have shaped Ireland in general and Dublin in particular.

IDH 3109. Sustainability in Public Discourse (3) . This course focuses on sustainability in public discourse with particular attention to three different spheres: scientific and technical writing, environmental rhetoric, and public policy. Students develop expertise in analyzing public genres for hidden and explicit sociocultural agendas, in order to construct effective arguments for various public audiences.

IDS 2160. The Tourist Trap: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (3) . This course is designed to help students think critically about cultures with which they are familiar, to learn about cultures with which they are less familiar, and to navigate the complex ways they perceive and participate in and with multiple cultures. Through an exploration of travel writing, journalism, literature, film, and music, students explore, discuss, and respond to in writing questions about the good, the bad, and the ugly of tourism and tourists.

IDS 2194. The Immigrant Experience in Contemporary America (3) . This course explores essential questions of the “immigrant experience” in contemporary American literature. Students engage a variety of texts, including novels, films, memoirs, essays and historical/documentary materials.

IDS 2335. Central American Cinema (3) . This course gives an overview of Central American Cinema and provides the student with an opportunity to understand and apply basic film analysis tools as well as to understand the socio-political and cultural contexts under which films from six different countries of the region were produced. This course is taught in English.

IDS 2375. Third World Cinema (3) . This course works from films that engage the third world to address how colonialism and postcolonialism are shaped and mediated through images and the gaze. The dynamics of colonial history motivate and shape colonial and postcolonial perceptions and influence their patterns of global circulation when the boundary between the world out there and the nation at home is increasingly blurred. This course also seeks to think about what kinds of responsibility we have for our involvement in politics elsewhere.

IDS 2455. The Role of the Public Intellectual (3) . This course examines the role of the public intellectual. Students read, discuss, and write about texts by, typically, George Orwell, Albert Camus, Susan Sontag, Camille Paglia, Greil Marcus, and Cornell West, in order to: (1) Encounter ideas to which they have not yet been exposed, (2) Become aware of their own heightened ability to work with big ideas and communicate them, and (3) Identify a road map for their own progress toward becoming a public intellectual.

IDS 2465. To Work, Learn, or Play? The Role of the Child in British Fiction 1830-1914 (3) . This course focuses on the role of the child as demonstrated in 19th and early 20th century British fiction with child protagonists and on the social and cultural forces that shaped these depictions, such as the changing landscape of legislation governing child labor, orphanages, and education. Discussions of stories and novels about children are put into perspective by comparing them to poems, paintings, popular songs, magic lantern shows, and advertisements featuring child protagonists.

IDS 2673. Popular Music in Literature (3) . This course surveys the literature and criticism concerning American popular music in the 20th and 21st centuries. The focus is on the relation between popular music and literature.

IDS 2676. Understanding America: Hemingway in a World of Discredited Values and Traditions (3) . In this course, students investigate numerous cultural and political issues and defining moments in 20th-century America through the lenses of Hemingway biography, texts, and audience.

IDS 2680. Reading, Writing, and Speaking in the Digital Age (3) . This course explores the implications of the digital revolution: what it means for the publishing industry, books, magazines, copyright, libraries, how we read and write, and how we organize ourselves as a society.

IDS 3457. The Reel Middle Ages: Medieval Literature and Film (3) . This is a course about adaptation, medievalism, and the Middle Ages. Students examine a body of medieval texts in their literary and cultural contexts, analyzing their reception and re-interpretation through the contemporary medium of film. Students also learn about the theory and practice of film adaptation in general, and the transformation of medieval texts to film in particular.

LIT 2000. Introduction to Literature (3) . This course introduces students to key terminology, concepts, and methodologies for the study of complex literature. The course provides a groundwork in literary types for non-majors and is also strongly recommended as preparation for upper-level (3000- or 4000-level) coursework in the field.

LIT 2010. Introduction to Fiction (3) . This course introduces students to such narrative elements as point of view, characterization, setting, theme, and symbolism in the works of longer prose fiction and provides an introduction to the basic interpretive skills necessary to conduct literary analysis.

LIT 2030. Introduction to Poetry (3) . This course engages students in the art of understanding and analyzing poetry as a genre by looking closely and critically at the forms, themes, techniques, and devices in selected poems from a variety of historical periods.

LIT 2081. Contemporary Literature (3) . This course covers poetry, fiction, drama from WWI to the present. For beginning students.

LIT 2230. Introduction to Global Literature in English (3) . This course is an introduction to English-language literature from countries that were former British colonies in Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean.

LIT 3002. Topics in Genre and Form (3) . A consideration of a representative selection of works relating to a theme, form, or literary genre.

LIT 3024. Perspectives on the Short Story (3) . This course introduces students to the critical reading of short stories dating from the nineteenth through the twenty-first century. This course teaches students to identify tone, narration, form, theme, characterization, and other formal aspects of short fiction. Students are encouraged to formulate their own interpretation of the works read, based on their developing ability to recognize the decisions each author has made in constructing the text.

LIT 3043. Modern Drama (3) . This course covers from O'Neill, Pirandello, Miller, and Theatre of the Absurd to the present.

LIT 3112. Understanding Literary History I (3) . This course is a survey of literature composed in English from the Anglo-Saxon period to 1800, focusing on characteristics of artistic movements or social practices important to Anglophone literacy development in the British Isles and the New World.

LIT 3313. Science Fiction (3) . This course explores the historical, cultural, and critical genealogies of science fiction.

LIT 3124. Understanding Literary History II (3) . This course is a survey of literature from the 19th through the late 20th centuries. Special emphasis is given to close reading skills and to discussions of the overarching social and historical movements surrounding the assigned works.

LIT 3313. Science Fiction (3) . This course explores the historical, cultural and critical genealogies of science fiction.

LIT 3383. Women in Literature (3) . In this course, students study texts that consider women's roles in society. The course focuses on women's gender roles and legal status during the Victorian period. What kinds of political and literary power did women have? What did women have to say about social and political matters? How did women use literary forms to communicate their arguments?

LIT 3438r. Literature and Medicine (3) . This course studies how literary texts address questions in medical ethics and public health. Each topic examined is paired with a set of readings that addresses similar concerns in the contemporary setting. May be repeated to a maximum of nine semester hours.

LIT 3524. LGBTQ Drama (3) . This course considers the genre of LGBTQ Theatre that encompasses dramatic literature, theatre, performance sites, theory, narrative traditions, and themes.

LIT 3622. Eco-Literature and Ecocriticism (3) . This course considers what literature and literary criticism respond to ecological and climatological change, its history, and politics.

LIT 3822. Latinx Drama (3) . This course explores how Latinx identities, inclusive of Afro-Latinidad and indigeneity, are depicted in dramatic literature and performed onstage.

LIT 4013r. Studies in the Novel (3) . This course focuses on varying topics in the novel as a genre from the beginnings of print culture through the contemporary period, with attention to texts of diverse national origins from the major traditions of the genre. This course also includes attention to both the history and theory of the genre. Authors studied may include: Cervantes, Diderot, Sterne, Flaubert, Tolstoy, Bely, Kafka, Woolf, Tomasi di Lampedusa, and Garcia Marquez, among others. May be repeated when topics vary to a maximum of six semester hours.

LIT 4033. Modern Poetry (3) . This course is an introductory analysis of techniques and meanings. Typically includes Whitman, Dickinson, Yeats, Frost, Stevens, Eliot, Auden, Thomas, and Plath.

LIT 4034. Postmodern and Contemporary Poetry (3) . Prerequisites: ENC 1102 and ENC 1122 or equivalents. This course allows students to analyze themes and techniques associated with poetry in English from the end of World War II to the present. Poets studied typically include Olson, Ginsberg, Baraka, Clifton, Bishop, Lowell, Plath, Heaney, and Rich.

LIT 4044r. Readings in Dramatic Literature (3–6) . This course covers specific topics in the study of British, American, or Continental drama. May be repeated to a maximum of six hours credit.

LIT 4093. Currents in Contemporary Literature (3) . This course covers diverse, resurgent, and oppositional trends in literature since 1945; Mailer, Brautigan, Bellow, and others.

LIT 4103. World Literature (3) . This course will delve into histories and movements for global social justice, while discussing the relationship between language, aesthetics, politics, and power.

LIT 4184. Irish Literature (3) . This course covers Synge, Yeats, Shaw, O'Casey, Joyce, Beckett, and others.

LIT 4205. Literature of Human Rights (3) . This course is a study of literature in English and related materials relevant to the issue of human rights.

LIT 4233. Anglophone Postcolonial Literature (3) . This course is an advanced study of literature written in English in former colonies in Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean.

LIT 4304. The Literary Expression of American Popular Culture (3) . This course is an introductory course treating the wide variety of literary manifestations of American popular culture as reflections and symptoms of the concerns of modern American society.

LIT 4322. Folklore (3) . This course is an introduction to myth, legend, tale, song, ballad, beliefs, and customs.

LIT 4329. African-American Folklore (3) . This course provides an overview of the major forms of cultural expression developed by African-Americans. The focus will be on African-American folklore as a living tradition to be understood and interpreted.

LIT 4385. Major Women Writers (3) . This course is an examination of selected works by significant women writers.

LIT 4534. Early Feminisms (3) . This course introduces students to key concepts, issues, and debates that shaped societal attitudes toward women prior to the emergence of “first wave feminism” in the later eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Topics may include women's education, rights to participate in the public sphere, roles in marriage, the nature of women's work, and women's right to citizenship.

LIT 4554. Feminist Theory (3) . This course introduces students to the basic concepts and issues in feminist thought through reading some of the major feminist theorists.

LIT 4608. Law and Literature (3) . In this course students study some of the most influential approaches to law and literature, with the aim of recognizing how issues of literary style, theory, and history compare to the areas of legal style, theory, and history.

LIT 4714. Modernism (3) . This course explores how modernist authors and artists engaged with new ideas emerging from modern philosophy, psychology, and non-literary arts; from transformations in technologies and cultural institutions; from large-scale movements of people and popular cultures; and from new forms of identity and agency.

REA 1905r. Improving College-Level Reading (1–3) . (S/U grade only.) This course is an individualized program of instruction in critical and comprehensive reading skills. Open to students from all levels and major areas. May be repeated to a maximum of three semester hours.

For listings relating to graduate coursework, consult the Graduate Bulletin .

Looking for something else?

Graduate bulletin, undergraduate bulletin, mailing address.

A3900 University Center 282 Champions Way Tallahassee, FL 32306-2480

Staff Email: [email protected]

Monday - Friday 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM Eastern Time

Florida State University

FSU | Writing Resources

Writing Resources

The English Department

• Reading-Writing Center

The Writing Center |   We work best when we work with others.

The Florida State University Reading-Writing Center (RWC) is an inclusive resource for FSU students of all majors, programs, and backgrounds. Whether you are working on a paper or larger writing project, the RWC-DS can assist you during any stage of your work process.

In the RWC, our consultants act as practice audiences for ideas and projects. Here are some of the ways we can work with you:  

• You are working on a research essay that calls for using scholarly articles and synthesizing sources.
• You are writing a personal statement for different graduate programs.
• You are writing a piece of fiction, creative nonfiction, and/or poetry and would like feedback.
• You are putting together a conference article or research presentation.
• You are revising a thesis or dissertation section.

Whether in person or online, we're committed to providing sessions that help you to express your ideas in academics and beyond. 

Schedule a Meeting

During summer B, fall, and spring semesters, the Writing Center offers in-person and Zoom meetings.  If you have not used the writing center before, learn how to make an appointment .

631 University Way

Located in the English department on the second floor (room 222) , our main writing center holds sessions Monday through Friday.

Please note: the Williams building is  NOT  the William-Johnston building! This location is on the east side of campus near Westcott Fountain between Dodd Hall and Diffenbaugh Building. 

143 Honors Way

The RWC has a satellite location in the Johnston (William-Johnston) building on the ground floor platform area Monday through Friday.

The Johnston location is in the center of campus next to Landis Green and the Honors College. Look for the large writing center sign across from the main staircase in the lobby.

116 Honors Way

Looking for later times? The RWC is in Strozier library Monday through Thursday from 5-8pm. We are located on the first floor near the circulation desk.

Look for the writing center signs on the small kidney bean tables, in-between the computers and lounge area. Can't find us? Visit the circulation desk for assistance.

Make Your Appointment Here

You can view a map of our campus locations here .

Hours of Operation

Summer b 2024 (june 24 - august 2).

We offer in-person and Zoom appointments across all locations. Please note our operating hours are in Eastern Standard Time (EST).

Writing Center @ Williams (English Building, Room 222)

To make an appointment or to see our availability, go to  fsu.mywconline.com    

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Reading-Writing Center (RWC)? 

The Reading-Writing Center is a writing resource for FSU students of all majors, programs, and backgrounds. In the RWC, consultants act as practice audiences for ideas and writing projects. 

What projects can I work on at the RWC?

The RWC welcomes all writing projects. We work with students on writing such as critical essays, research papers, theses and dissertation drafts, creative writing, and professional job documents. When you schedule a meeting, our consultants will discuss your writing goals and areas of focus (brainstorming, organization, formatting, etc.) with you. 

Who can I work with and how can they help me?

Our consultants are undergraduate and graduate students. Read their bios and learn more about their specialty areas: https://wr.english.fsu.edu/Reading-Writing-Center/Meet-the-Staff  

Whether the session is in-person or online, our consultants can work with students on any stage of the writing process from brainstorming to revising. They can work with you as you develop ideas or revise aspects of your writing, but please note that consultants cannot line edit for students. Our goal is to work with students and offer strategies or approaches for their writing projects. 

What should I bring to my appointment?

Please bring a laptop or have two paper copies of your writing ready at the start of the consultation. If you are working on a draft or have written ideas, you can upload the file(s) to your appointment form. 

How do I make an appointment? 

If you haven't used our service before, register for an account here .

Log in at fsu.mywconline.com , select a schedule, and make an appointment by selecting an available time. You will receive an email confirmation indicating your appointment has been made. You can log back into the system at any time to change or cancel your appointment.

What if I need to cancel my appointment? 

If you can’t attend your in-person or Zoom meeting, please cancel your appointment at https://fsu.mywconline.com . 

There is no penalty for a cancellation. However, if you miss your meeting and don't cancel, we will mark you as a no-show. After three no-shows, your account will automatically be deactivated until you contact the RWC Director ( [email protected] ). 

Will the RWC proofread or edit my work? 

The RWC will not proofread or line edit for students. Instead, a consultant will work with you to learn skills and strategies that will help you proofread and edit more effectively. 

If you are a graduate student who needs assistance with Electronic Thesis & Dissertation (ETD) formatting, please consult the Graduate School’s formatting guidelines.

Do I need to bring a draft to my session? 

No. You are not required to bring any writing to the RWC. Consultants can assist you at any stage of the writing process including the early idea stages. Simply make an appointment and note brainstorming as one of your goals in the form. 

What is the Digital Studio (DS)? 

The Digital Studio is a learning facility for digital and multimedia projects. Consultants in the DS can help students with digital projects such as websites, video editing, or layout design.

Digital Studio computers all have access to the Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere). For more information, visit: https://wr.english.fsu.edu/digital-studio-home . 

I am an undergraduate. How can I get more involved in the Reading-Writing Center and Digital Studio? Do I need to be an English major? 

The RWC hires undergraduate interns from any major who have taken ENC 3493: Peer Tutoring in the Reading-Writing Center and Digital Studio. This prerequisite course explores how learners approach writing and why these approaches are highly individualized. ENC 3493 is an experiential learning course that includes observation and co-consulting with current RWC consultants.  

Stay in Touch

[email protected]  |  @fsurwc         .

Creative Writing at Florida State University

Creative writing degrees available at florida state, florida state creative writing rankings, popularity of creative writing at florida state, creative writing student diversity at florida state, florida state creative writing master’s program.

In the 2020-2021 academic year, 4 students earned a master's degree in creative writing from Florida State. About 50% of these graduates were women and the other 50% were men.

The following table and chart show the ethnic background for students who recently graduated from Florida State University with a master's in creative writing.

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Florida State University

FSU | Arts and Sciences

Arts and Sciences

Creative writing major daniel ruiz finds his voice in poetry.

Daniel Ruiz sees the beauty in words and in life. The Florida State University creative writing major studies the implications and uses of words in everything from classic poetry to modern rap music. Quotes from them are sprinkled throughout his conversations and he constantly has a song "stuck in his head." A veritable walking encyclopedia of poetry, he expresses his contagious optimism through snippets of famous and obscure works.

Daniel Ruiz

His love of words goes back to elementary school, where he used to write stories using the weekly vocabulary word lists. However, it was an over achieving friend in high school that made Ruiz get serious about his writing. While discussing the future, his friend "chewed him out" over his complacent attitude toward school and challenged him to prove his mettle. Over the next six months, Ruiz read scores of books on writing and worked continuously on a book of his own. At the end of the six months he had two things, an 80,000-word book and a renewed love and interest in writing.

At FSU, his love of writing has found the best possible home, the Creative Writing Program .

"All of my professors have been very helpful and generous with their time. They are honest about my work," Ruiz said. "All of them are great writers and great teachers. It's tough to find that."

One of his professors, David Kirby, associate director of the Creative Writing Program and Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor of English, inspired a love of poetry in Ruiz, and has high praise for his student. Ruiz won a Literati Undergraduate Creative Writing Award in 2012 from the department.

"Daniel Ruiz has more smarts and ambition than three ordinary people; more than that, he has a king-sized love of nonsense. Some days, I'm convinced that he's been sent from the future to save mankind from itself. He's the kind of person people expect a lot out of, but I just enjoy him in the here and now," Kirby said.

That sentiment is echoed by the director of the Creative Wring Program, James Kimbrell.

"What I had suspected from his comments during and after class was confirmed when he began showing me his poems: he is exuberant, intelligent, funny, ambitious and provocative both on and off the page. He just returned today from South America and came right to my office with a batch of his own translations of Jorge Luis Borges, Jose Marti, Octavio Paz and Cristina Peri Rossi. He makes this work fun and his excitement is contagious. It's a real pleasure watching Daniel develop as a poet and a translator," Kimbrell said.

Ruiz studied in Uruguay and Argentina, South America thanks to an Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity Award . Although Ruiz's first language is Spanish, he moved to the United States at an early age and lost much of his Spanish. His opportunity in Uruguay was a chance to reconnect with his first language and study and translate the greats of Latin American literature.

This fall, Ruiz will be sharing what he has learned as he teaches a Creative Writing Freshman Interest Group ( FIG ). A FIG is a pre-packaged cluster of high-demand freshman courses linked by a theme or academic program, in this case, creative writing. He also will help fellow writers as the poetry editor of the Kudzu Review , a student-produced literary journal that gives the undergraduate students of Florida State a place to share their creative works.

As for the future, Ruiz hopes to receive a Fulbright Scholarship in order to study poetry at Queens University in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and by "sharing all of the wonderful things I've found at FSU with as many people as possible" as he continues his studies in graduate school. Whatever his future holds, he will retain his love of words and life. A line from one of his favorite poems, "Steps" by Frank O'Hara, seems to sum up his attitude:

"the Pittsburgh Pirates shout because they won  and in a sense we're all winning  we're alive."

College of Arts and Sciences

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List of All U.S. Colleges with a Creative Writing Major

Writing has been my passion practically since I learned to read in kindergarten. I would write stories about princesses and my family dog, Gansett. When it came time to look at colleges, I was set on attending one with a strong creative writing program. Ultimately, I graduated from Johns Hopkins University with a B.A. in Writing Seminars.

Today, colleges across the country offer creative writing as a major. Because writing skills are essential for a wide range of careers, and because most curricula emphasize broad liberal arts competencies, a degree in creative writing can set you up for success in numerous fields, whether you want to be an editor or a lawyer.

Interested in majoring in creative writing? Learn which schools offer the major and what to look for in a program.

Overview of the Creative Writing Major

Creative writing is about more than spinning tales. For your major, you’ll generally need to pursue a curriculum grounded in literature, history, foreign language, and other humanities courses, along with distribution courses, if the college requires them.

Most creative writing majors must participate in workshops, in which students present their work and listen to peer critiques, usually with a certain number of advanced courses in the mix. In some cases, colleges will ask you to specialize in a particular genre, such as fiction, poetry, or playwriting. 

To succeed in creative writing, you’ll need to have a tough spine, in order to open yourself up to feedback from your classmates and instructors. You may need to give readings in public — if not as an undergraduate, certainly during your career. Of course, a passion for creating is essential, too, as is a willingness to revise your work and learn from the greats and your peers.

A creative writing major opens up doors to many careers, including journalism, content marketing, copywriting, teaching, and others. Even careers that don’t center around writing often have a strong writing component: you’ll need to write reports, deliver presentations, and so on.

Some writers go on to earn an MFA, which will help you hone your craft. It’s also often a prerequisite for teaching creative writing at the college level.

What to Look for in a College as a Creative Writing Major

Published authors on faculty.

Many world-renowned authors have another claim to fame: professorships. Writers who have taught their craft include (among many others):

• Maya Angelou (Wake Forest University)
• Colson Whitehead (many colleges, including Vassar College and Columbia University)
• Stephen Dixon (Johns Hopkins University)
• Viet Thanh Nguyen (University of Southern California)
• Eula Biss (Northwestern University)
• Toni Morrison (Princeton University)

Be aware that as an undergraduate, you may not be able to learn from the greats. That’s why it’s important to look into which courses these faculty teach before you have dreams of being mentored by Salman Rushdie — who is a Distinguished Writer in Residence at NYU.

Genres Offered

While many schools that have creative writing majors offer fiction and poetry courses and tracks, there are some niche genres that could be more difficult to find. If you’re interested in playwriting, for example, you won’t find that at every school. Before you decide on a program, be sure it includes the genres you’d like to explore further, whether that’s flash fiction, creative nonfiction, or something else.

Workshopping Opportunities

The core of most quality creative writing curriculum is workshopping. This means sharing your work in your classes and listening to your peers discuss and critique it. While this may sound intimidating, it can do a lot to help you hone your work and become a better writer. Look for colleges that make this the bedrock of their curriculum.

Showcasing Opportunities

Are there opportunities to present your work, such as college-sponsored readings where undergraduates can participate? Or, perhaps the school has a great literary journal. At my school, students could submit their plays and have them performed by fellow students. 

List of All U.S. Colleges With a Creative Writing Major

What Are Your Chances of Acceptance?

No matter what major you’re considering, the first step is ensuring you’re academically comparable to students who were previously accepted to the college or university. Most selective schools use the Academic Index to filter out applicants who aren’t up to their standards.

You’ll also want to demonstrate your fit with the school and specific major with the qualitative components of your application, like your extracurriculars and essays. For a prospective creative writing major, the essay is particularly important because this is a way to demonstrate your writing prowess. Activities might include editing your school’s newspaper or literary journal, publishing your work, and participating in pre-college writing workshops.

Want to know your chances of being accepted to top creative writing schools? Try our Chancing Engine (it’s free). Unlike other calculators, it takes your individual profile into account, including academic stats and qualitative components like your activities. Give it a try and get a jumpstart on your journey as a creative writing major!

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Florida State University

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on the home page and on interior pages. --> Academic Program Guide Toggle navigation Site Menu Home Minors Major Comparisons Certificates/Specialized Studies Bachelors/Masters Programs (current) Liberal Studies A-Z List English (Literature, Media, and Culture)

College: Arts and Sciences Degree: BA Specialized Admission: No Contact: Hannah Beth Ragland Address: 457 Williams Building, FSU Tallahassee, FL 32306 Phone: (850) 644-4230 Email: [email protected]

Description of Major *Please Note: Face-to-face/in-person instruction of this program is available ONLY at the main campus in Tallahassee, FL. This program is NOT available via Online/Distance Learning.* The Department of English offers students a curriculum that is central to twenty-first century education. One of the largest degree programs within the College of Arts and Sciences, the major allows students to emphasize either "Literature, Media & Culture", or "Creative Writing" or "Editing, Writing & Media." Students may also pursue other specialized programs such as Honors in the Major, or independent courses of study. Undergraduate major coursework teaches students how to get more from what they read, and achieve more with what they write. It contributes to critical thinking, to the student's knowledge of human culture, to an understanding of poetry, fiction, drama, film, and non-fiction as cultural artifacts, fundamental to other bodies of human knowledge such as philosophy, history, religion, psychology, classics, and modern languages. In addition to its primary benefit of intellectual and empathetic growth, the English major also offers practical preparation for professional careers in teaching, professional writing, law, medicine , business, religious affairs, all levels of government service, and all aspects of the creative economy. Prospective transfer students should contact [email protected] (Arts & Sciences Admissions) with specific questions about admission and mapping requirements.

Prerequisite Coursework Complete the following with a C minus grade or higher: ENC X101 (3) Freshman Composition and ENC 2135 (3) Freshman Writing, Reading and Research Or six (6) semester hours of English (ENC) coursework in which the student is required to demonstrate college-level English skills through multiple assignments. Note: State-wide common prerequisites are always under review. For the most current information and for acceptable alternative courses, visit the “Common Prerequisites Manual.” This is available from the “Student Services” section of http://www.flvc.org .

Requirements Requirements for Progression to the Upper-Division Major: To be admitted, students must complete at least 52 hours of credit with an adjusted GPA of 2.00 on FSU coursework, and at least half the required hours in General Studies, including all freshman English and mathematics, or an AA degree. Requirements for graduation in the College of Arts and Sciences include: The College of Arts and Science requires proficiency in a foreign language through the intermediate (2220 or equivalent) level or sign language through the advanced (2614 or equivalent) level. Major Program of Studies at FSU: 36 hours Thirty-six semester hours of English in courses at the 2000 level and above. At least twenty-one semester hours must be in courses at the 3000 and 4000 levels, including at least nine semester hours at the 4000 level. Honors thesis hours may be applied toward the Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree, but only three semester hours will be accepted for major credit. One English course used to satisfy the humanities requirement for liberal studies may be counted as part of the major. All courses counted toward the major must carry the grade of "C minus" or better. A minor in another department is also required; all courses counted toward the minor also must carry the grade of "C minus" or better. Concentration in Literature: CORE REQUIREMENTS - 12 HOURS (Students must complete all four courses) · ENG2012: Intro to English Studies · LIT3112: Literary History I · LIT3124: Literary History II · ENG3014: Understanding Theory *Core courses should be taken before student reaches ninety (90) semester hours.* DISTRIBUTION REQUIREMENTS - 12 HOURS (Students must see an advisor for the list of approved courses) · Diversity (6 hours) · Pre-1800 (3 hours) · Understanding Genres (3 hours) LITERATURE CAPSTONE - 3 HOURS (Student must take the course after earning at least 90 credit hours) · ENG4934: Senior Literature Seminar ENGLISH ELECTIVES - 9 HOURS (Students must complete three courses at 2000+ level) · AML, ENL, LIT, CRW, ENG or ENC Prefix Minor Coursework: (12 hours minimum) At least 12 hours in an approved minor. Specific requirements are determined by the minor area. Digital Literacy: (0-3 hours) Undergraduate majors in English satisfy this requirement by earning a grade of "C minus" or higher in a University approved Digital Literacy course. Oral Communication Competency: (0-3 hours) Students must demonstrate the ability to orally transmit ideas and information clearly. This requirement may be met through with a University approved college-level course. Minimum Program Requirements - Summary Min. Hrs. Required 120 General Education 36* Major Coursework 36 Minor Coursework 12 minimum Other Coursework 0-12 (depending on foreign language placement) Digital Literacy 0-3 Oral Competency 0-3 Electives to bring total hours to 120 *Note: 3 hours of English may be used to meet both General Education and Major Coursework requirements.

Mapping Mapping is FSU’s academic advising and monitoring system. Academic progress is monitored each Fall and Spring semester to ensure that students are on course to earn their degree in a timely fashion. Transfer students must meet mapping guidelines to be accepted into their majors. You may view the map for this major at www.academic-guide.fsu.edu/.

Remarks 1. Students must complete a minimum of 45 hours at the 3000 level or above, 30 of which must be taken at this University. 2. Half of the major course semester hours must be completed in residence at this University. 3. The final 30 hours must be completed in residence at this University.

Employment Information Salary Information: For more information go to: National Association of Colleges and Employers (www.naceweb.org) or the Occupational Outlook Handbook (www.bls.gov/ooh/home.htm) provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Representative Job Titles Related to this Major: Writer, Press Relations, Teacher, Critic, Personnel Officer, Archivist, Lawyer, Editor/Editorial Assistant, Researcher, Investigator, Administrative Officer, Reporter, Technical Writer, Management Trainee, Public Relations Specialist, Speech Writer, Legislative Assistant, Trainee, Information Specialist. Representative Employers: Local School Boards; Universities, Colleges, Junior Colleges; Businesses; Publishers of Magazines, Newspapers, Books. An English major can qualify for a variety of positions in Education, State and Federal Government, and private industry and business. English majors are attractive to employers because of their classroom training in analysis, research, and interpretation, and because they are expected to be able to communicate effectively on paper or in public.

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Creative Writing @ FSU

Does anyone know of a good creative writing class/workshop for an enthusiastic, novice non-major?