Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree for Creative Writing Major

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College of Arts and Sciences

Each student must complete the degree requirements listed below, preferably in the freshman and sophomore years, and must satisfy the requirements for a major in creative writing and a minor in an area of specialization. Major and minor courses may not be taken “S/U.” Courses counted in the major may not also be counted in the minor. A portfolio and interviews are required to continue into the 3000-and 4000-level workshop classes. Creative writing majors are required to produce a senior thesis and give a senior reading of the thesis work.

(University degree requirements and the BG Perspective curriculum are explained elsewhere in the catalog.)

COLLEGE of ARTS and SCIENCES DEGREE REQUIREMENTS for the BFA in CREATIVE WRITING

Foreign language. Each student is required to demonstrate proficiency in a language area by one of the options listed below:

Graduating from a high school where all instruction was conducted in a language other than English;
Demonstrating proficiency in the language at the 2020 course level;
Having completed four years of one language in high school (student must have completed the fourth full year, for example, Spanish IV, and received credit for these courses);
Having completed one of the departmental options listed below (12-24 hours minimum in the same language area, or fewer by advanced placement and high school experience).

German

Plus Six Additional Hours From:

Chinese

Japanese

Plus Six Additional Hours From:

Russian

Plus Six Additional Hours From:

Arabic

Romance and Classical Studies

French

And Either

Greek

Plus Six Additional Hours From:

Italian

Latin

Plus Six Additional Hours From:

Spanish

And Either

American Sign Language

EDIS 3240
EDIS 3250
EDIS 3260
EDIS 3270

Additional Requirements

Completion of 2020 or comparable proficiency is required for admission to 3000-level language skills courses. Credit toward a degree is not granted for foreign language courses that duplicate more than two units of high school study.

Lab Science. One course. If approved for BGP, this course may also count in the appropriate BGP domain. It may fulfill a major requirement as well.

Arts and Sciences Multidisciplinary Component. The Arts and Sciences Multidisciplinary Component is grounded in the conviction that acquiring proficiency in multiple modes of thought and communication, referred to as habits of mind, is the defining characteristic of a liberal arts education. This four-course component will enhance students’ ability to see things from multiple perspectives, solve problems both analytically and creatively, and communicate effectively both within and across cultural boundaries.

As a college anchored in the tradition of liberal arts and sciences, we believe that acquiring multiple habits of mind is valuable both in its own right and as a way to promote lifelong learning. As the largest college in a comprehensive regional institution serving the state and nation, we also believe that the intellectual and personal growth that students achieve in a 21st-century arts and sciences degree program is crucial to success in the global age, regardless of one’s professional path.

Specifically, courses in the liberal arts and sciences emphasize

Critical contemplation of theoretically-grounded ideas and the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake.
Learning via inquiry, in which students test their assumptions by exploring bases of knowledge, recent research findings, or bodies of creative expression.
Advancement of general intellectual capacities, such as verbal, quantitative, and visual literacy, interpretive judgement, and critical self-reflection.
Development of broadly applicable competencies, such as precise analysis, evidence-based argumentation, creative problem-solving, and effective communication.
Engagement with experiences and perspectives that differ from one’s own.

Students are strongly encouraged to work with their college advisers and faculty mentors to maximize the potential of the Arts and Sciences Multidisciplinary Component. The four courses selected for this component may be closely related to the major, sample the diverse domains of the arts and humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences, or be interdisciplinary in nature.

Each course must have a different prefix,
At least two courses must be at 3000- or 4000-level, and
Courses applied to the Arts and Sciences Multidisciplinary Component may not be used to fulfill other Arts and Sciences degree requirements, nor may they be used to fulfill major, minor, BGP or other program requirements.

A list of eligible courses is printed in the College of Arts and Sciences Handbook and tracked by the Degree Audit Reporting System (DARS).