Sep 12, 2023 · UCLA’s new creative writing minor will open applications this fall. The minor will require students to take two courses in a core genre – either short story or poetry – after completing two ... ... UCLA offers more than 90 minors, many of which you can pair in unexpected ways with majors. For instance, the food studies minor can be a nice complement to majors in chemistry, biology, communication and many more things. Following is a list of all the minors offered to undergraduates at UCLA. Click on any minor for more information. ... Oct 31, 2023 · The minor is quite simple: practically the only non-creative writing course necessary is an English 4 course (which is basically an introductory, lower-division critical writing course), and the rest are elective courses and creative writing workshops in your chosen “core” genre, either poetry or short story. ... Requirements for the Professional Writing Minor . Students seeking to declare the minor in Professional Writing must: (1) be in good academic standing (overall grade-point average of C or better); (2) have satisfied the Writing II requirement; and (3) submit a brief essay of application. Students will be asked to submit a copy of their transcripts for verification, to respond in an essay of ... ... Through courses that understand “writing” as encompassing written, oral, visual, and electronic multimodal communication, students in the Professional Writing Minor will acquire the intellectual and practical skills needed to perform well as strong writers and communicators in their working lives after UCLA. While the Professional Writing ... ... Students* can apply for the minor in Professional Writing if they have met the following requirements: (1) achieved an overall grade-point average of 2.0 or better, (2) completed the Writing II requirement, (3) submitted a 500-word application essay explaining why they want to enroll in this minor, and (4) submitted an additional writing sample that reflects their best work in college so far. ... ">

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Creative writing minor.

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A Closer Look

Applications for new creative writing minor to open in fall.

ucla creative writing minor

Pictured is Kaplan Hall. The new creative writing minor will begin taking applications from students this fall. (Daily Bruin file photo)

ucla creative writing minor

By Matthew Beymer

Sept. 12, 2023 1:01 p.m..

UCLA’s new creative writing minor will open applications this fall.

The minor will require students to take two courses in a core genre – either short story or poetry – after completing two lower-division English courses, according to the 2023-2024 course catalog . Creative writing students will also have the opportunity to explore classes in Asian American, African American, Chicana/Chicano and queer literature for two upper-division elective courses.

Students must also take an intermediate or advanced course and select one of four capstone courses to complete the program. The course catalog said the minor will prepare students for both academic and professional careers in writing.

The new program builds on the creative writing concentration offered through the English major, said Reed Wilson, the coordinator for the minor and a continuing lecturer in the English department. Wilson said the concentration only required students to take three classes and did not show up on student transcripts.

The minor will replace the concentration, and Wilson said current juniors and seniors already enrolled will be able to choose between finishing the old concentration or applying to the new minor. The program has already attracted significant interest from students, Wilson said, especially since it is one of the few minors on campus focused on artistic practice.

Wilson will teach English 136A : “Intermediate Poetry,” a core poetry course, this fall. Xuan Juliana Wang, an assistant English professor, said she will teach English 137A : “Intermediate Short Story,” a core short story course.

Students must complete an application for one of twelve spots in each of the core creative writing classes, which the English department said will be due Sept. 15. Completion of the core classes will not guarantee acceptance into the minor, Wilson said.

“It will be selective, but if students are really serious about it, if they listen carefully to what their peers and what their faculty have told them about their writing, and if they continue to grow as writers, I don’t think it will be any more difficult to do the minor than it has been to do the concentration,” he said.

Wang said students must be extremely attentive to understand the work of their peers. She said as part of English 137A, she will not only facilitate these conversations but also direct students to fictional pieces that may be difficult to access and teach them how to read like writers.

Wang said students in her short fiction writing class must provide a letter with brief feedback for each workshopped piece. She said she reads the letters and also writes one for each of her students.

“I find that sometimes when you’re maybe in a group of people, it’s hard to say what you truly want to say,” Wang said. “But there’s also written feedback, and that’s something that you can take with you.”

Beyond its core workshops, the creative writing minor will also offer opportunities for students to engage in seminars. Wang said she plans to offer seminars on memoir writing, writing about family and Asian American literature, but she added that she is also open to ideas for new classes.

“Personally, I really want to teach classes on television adaptation,” Wang said. “I think that would be really fun – writing for TV.”

Ava Alexander, a rising third-year English student who is interested in applying for the creative writing minor, said she took a lower-division course – English 20W: “Introduction to Creative Writing” – to create short stories, which will transfer to the minor.

“I would share it with my mom or some close friends,” Alexander said. “But then other people who write are finally reading my writing and telling me all their thoughts. It was really, really awesome.”

Alexander said she admires the creative writers Carmen Maria Machado and Mona Awad for their short story work. She added that she appreciates author Ali Hazelwood for how she combines creative writing with her scientific background, which Alexander said could inspire STEM students to pursue the creative writing minor.

Wilson said the creative writing minor has been in development for more than three years after being stalled by the COVID-19 pandemic and a flood in Kaplan Hall. However, Wilson said he hopes students enjoy the creative writing minor once it becomes available this fall.

Wilson also said even though application to the minor is competitive, students should not be afraid of applying.

“One of the first things you have to do, no matter what your art is, is learn to deal with the fact that you might not get what you apply for,” Wilson added. “The other piece of advice I would give students is that if they really want to write, they should be readers.”

Language switcher

If you have a lot of interests, want to enhance your major or want to focus on a second area of study, a minor might be the way to go. By declaring a minor, you can study things that interest you on a more personal level, broaden your skills and become more diverse. Minors can also give you a leg up on the competition when it comes time to look for a job.

UCLA offers more than 90 minors, many of which you can pair in unexpected ways with majors. For instance, the food studies minor can be a nice complement to majors in chemistry, biology, communication and many more things.

Following is a list of all the minors offered to undergraduates at UCLA. Click on any minor for more information.

African American Studies

African and Middle Eastern Studies

African Studies

American Indian Studies

Ancient Near East and Egyptology

Anthropology

Applied Developmental Psychology

Arabic and Islamic Studies

Armenian Studies

Art History

Asian American Studies

Asian Humanities

Asian Languages

Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences

Bioinformatics

Biomedical Research

Brain and Behavioral Health new

Central and East European Studies

Central American Studies   new

Chicana and Chicano Studies

Classical Civilization

Cognitive Science

Community Engagement and Social Change

Comparative Literature

Conservation Biology

Creative Writing   new

Data Science Engineering   new

Digital Humanities

Disability Studies

Earth and Environmental Science

East Asian Studies

Education Studies

Entrepreneurship

Environmental Engineering

Environmental Systems and Society

Ethnomusicology new

European Languages and Transcultural Studies new

European Languages and Transcultural Studies with French and Francophone

European Languages and Transcultural Studies with German

European Languages and Transcultural Studies with Italian

European Studies

Evolutionary Medicine

Film, Television and Digital Media

Food Studies new

Gender Studies

Geochemistry

Geography/Environmental Studies

Geophysics and Planetary Physics

Geospatial Information Systems and Technologies

Gerontology

Global Health

Global Studies

Greek Language and Culture

Hebrew and Jewish Studies

History new

History of Science, Technology and Medicine

Information and Media Literacy   new

International Migration Studies new

Iranian Music new

Iranian Studies

Israel Studies

Labor Studies

Latin American Studies

Latin Language and Culture

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Studies

Linguistics

Literature and the Environment

Mathematical Biology

Mathematics

Mathematics for Teaching

Mexican Studies

Middle Eastern Studies

Music Industry

Neuroscience

Pilipino Studies new

Portuguese and Brazilian Studies

Professional Writing new

Public Affairs

Public Health

Religion, Study of

Russian Language

Russian Literature

Russian Studies

Scandinavian

Science Education

Social Data Science   new

Social Thought

Society and Genetics

South Asian Studies

Southeast Asian Studies

Spanish Linguistics

Statistics and Data Science

Structural Biology

Systems Biology

Urban and Regional Studies

Visual and Performing Arts Education

Additional Links

  • UCLA General Catalog
  • UCLA Majors and Minors Brochure (PDF)

IMAGES

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COMMENTS

  1. Undergraduate Programs Creative Writing Minor - UCLA English

    Students seeking to declare the Minor in Creative Writing must: (1) be in good academic standing (overall grade-point average of C or better); (2) have completed the lower division requirements; (3) have completed at least one course 136 or 137; and (4) provide a PDF copy of their UCLA Degree Audit Report, a brief letter of application, and a ...

  2. Creative Writing Minor - University of California, Los Angeles

    Few universities in the world offer the extraordinary range and diversity of academic programs that students enjoy at UCLA. Leadership in education, research, and public service make UCLA a beacon of excellence in higher education, as students, faculty members, and staff come together in a true community of scholars to advance knowledge, address societal challenges, and pursue intellectual and ...

  3. UCLA CREATIVE WRITING MINOR

    UCLA CREATIVE WRITING MINOR (continued) Approved Electives • ASIA AM 112C – Asian American Creative Writing • CCAS CM135 – Bilingual Writing Workshop • ENGL M101B – Queer Literatures and Cultures, 1850 to 1970 • ENGL M101C – Queer Literatures and Cultures after 1970

  4. Creative Writing - Department of English UCLA

    English at UCLA; English Major; American Literature & Culture Major; Preparation for the Major; Declaring the Major; English Minor; Literature & the Environment Minor; Professional Writing Minor; Creative Writing Minor; Author in Residence; Critical Writing: English 110 Series; Capstone; Honors Program; Past Honors Theses; Opportunities ...

  5. Applications for new creative writing minor to open in fall

    Sep 12, 2023 · UCLA’s new creative writing minor will open applications this fall. The minor will require students to take two courses in a core genre – either short story or poetry – after completing two ...

  6. Minors | UCLA Undergraduate Admission

    UCLA offers more than 90 minors, many of which you can pair in unexpected ways with majors. For instance, the food studies minor can be a nice complement to majors in chemistry, biology, communication and many more things. Following is a list of all the minors offered to undergraduates at UCLA. Click on any minor for more information.

  7. The New Creative Writing Minor At UCLA: Here's Everything You ...

    Oct 31, 2023 · The minor is quite simple: practically the only non-creative writing course necessary is an English 4 course (which is basically an introductory, lower-division critical writing course), and the rest are elective courses and creative writing workshops in your chosen “core” genre, either poetry or short story.

  8. Requirements - Department of English UCLA

    Requirements for the Professional Writing Minor . Students seeking to declare the minor in Professional Writing must: (1) be in good academic standing (overall grade-point average of C or better); (2) have satisfied the Writing II requirement; and (3) submit a brief essay of application. Students will be asked to submit a copy of their transcripts for verification, to respond in an essay of ...

  9. Professional Writing Minor - UCLA English

    Through courses that understand “writing” as encompassing written, oral, visual, and electronic multimodal communication, students in the Professional Writing Minor will acquire the intellectual and practical skills needed to perform well as strong writers and communicators in their working lives after UCLA. While the Professional Writing ...

  10. How to Apply - Department of English UCLA

    Students* can apply for the minor in Professional Writing if they have met the following requirements: (1) achieved an overall grade-point average of 2.0 or better, (2) completed the Writing II requirement, (3) submitted a 500-word application essay explaining why they want to enroll in this minor, and (4) submitted an additional writing sample that reflects their best work in college so far.