OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY
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The B.A. in Creative Writing at Oregon State invites you to participate in a community of faculty, students and mentors who will develop your skills as an artful and imaginative writer and a bold and critically conscious thinker. You will have the opportunity to pursue a course of study that combines training in the craft of writing with rigorous literary studies. Working closely with our faculty, you will sharpen your expertise in reading and analyzing literature and develop your skills at creating meaningful, transformative narratives. When it’s time, you will leave our program prepared to think and write with imaginative power. From the MFA, to law school, to entering a diverse job market in a variety of fields, you will begin your professional life as an innovative thinker and skilled writer who knows how to harness the power of narrative.
Everyone has a story to tell. Join us, and become a writer.
(Subtitles in English and Spanish)
You’ll study with our acclaimed faculty of writers and scholars who have published more than 40 books—among them, New York Times Notable Books, Barnes and Noble Discover Great New Writers selections, Amazon’s Best Book of the Year, winners of the Oregon Book Award, the John Ciardi Prize, the National Jewish Book Award, and the Whiting Award, and titles recommended by The New Yorker, Salon, BookPage, Publishers Weekly, and Library Journal. These recognitions are complemented by our faculty’s active engagement with the literary community—hosting national radio shows and leading local arts initiatives—as well as their deep commitment to teaching and mentoring.
We are one of only a few undergraduate creative writing majors in the Pacific Northwest. Our undergraduate major does not require a separate application to join. We believe everyone can be a writer and think imaginatively. As scholars, writers, and filmmakers, we recognize the power of words and images to shape as well as challenge discourses that dehumanize historically under-represented and minoritized communities. Our program is committed to preparing many voices to create the narrative frames we need for a just future.
You will hone your expertise in reading literature as well as in the craft of writing. We begin with an introduction to the primary genres of fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. From these, you will identify areas of focus in either one or two genres, pursuing courses in craft development and workshop intensives. You will also complete introductory and advanced literary studies, with course offerings that represent a range of eras, continents, cultural representations, and sensibilities.
We live in a time when our professional cultures seek effective and powerful story-tellers to critique and create the narratives we need. From the entertainment industry, marketing and communications, business, journalism public relations, law, community organizing, education, grant writing, and many more fields, creative writing offers you endless possibilities for taking your stories everywhere. Our program prepares you to enter your professional life skilled in analysis and sophisticated at creating new narratives to lead change, shape the world of many different industries, and design for the future.
To explore careers with a creative writing major, discuss jobs and internships, contact CLA Career Development.
If you are interested in careers that engage a critical social justice approach, contact Dr. Liddy Detar at socialactionworks@oregonstate.edu.
As a creative writing major, you will have the option of pursuing additional studies in SWLF by adding a minor in English, Film Studies, Applied Journalism, or the Certificate in Scientific, Technical and Professional Communication. A creative writing major also offers tremendous opportunity for collaboration within the visual arts, oceanography, theatre, environmental studies, forestry, engineering, global studies, digital arts, and computer sciences. SWLF invites you to explore these possibilities through our rich course offerings and campus-wide co-curricular partnerships.
SWLF and OSU offer a rich set of opportunities to join an active writing community. The program is home to a well-established Master of Fine Arts Program, a Visiting Writers Series, Literary Northwest Series, Critical Questions Lecture Series, The Stone Awards, and more.
Enjoy many additional opportunities for participating in a writing community throughout OSU: OSU’s Creative Writing Society, The Poetry Club, Prism, a student-run art and literary journal, Buckteeth Magazine, Castor Magazine, The Corvallis Review, The Exchange, and 45th Parallel.
For more information or to talk with an advisor about the Creative Writing program, please contact Liddy Detar.
