Program of Study (CAS Bulletin)
MINOR
The minor in creative writing offers undergraduates the opportunity to hone their skills while exploring the full range of literary genres, including poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction.
The minor is a 16-point credit load composed of three to four creative writing courses. Creative Writing: Introduction to Fiction and Poetry (V39.0815, or V39.9815 as an NYU Study Abroad course) is generally the foundational course, to be followed by three additional Intermediate/Advanced/ Master Class workshops, or one Intermediate/Advanced/Master Class workshop combined with one of our 8-point Summer Program courses (Writers in New York or Writers in Paris).
Students who take a summer program course are not required to take an introductory workshop; they may take advanced coursework in the same genre as their summer program course (including creative nonfiction, for summer fiction students) and/or move directly into an intermediate workshop in the alternative genre. The introductory workshop (V39.0815, V39.9815, or equivalent) and summer intensives (V39.0818, V39.0819, V39.9818, and V39.9819) may only be taken once for credit. All other workshops may be taken up to three times for credit.
The minor must be completed with a minimum GPA of 2.0. No credit toward the minor is granted for grades of C- or lower, although such grades will be computed into the GPA of the minor, as well as into the overall GPA. No course to be counted toward the minor may be taken on a pass/fail basis.
Students in the College of Arts and Science may declare their minor by visiting the Program in Creative Writing at the Lillian Vernon Creative Writers House (58 West 10th Street). Declaration forms are also available online. Students in Gallatin, the Silver School of Social Work, Steinhardt, Stern, and Tisch need to declare the minor through their respective colleges.
In the semester prior to graduation, it is recommended that all creative writing minors contact the Program in Creative Writing to verify that their declarations are on record and that they have fulfilled (or have enrolled in) all of the appropriate courses for the minor.
Class size and waitlist policies: For creative writing workshops to be successful, they must offer students in-depth and sustained feedback on their work. This is only possible in classes that are limited in size. For this reason, we limit our workshops to a maximum of 15 students. The popularity of these courses means that waiting lists are inevitable. We ask that you respect the necessary size of these courses. If you have any questions or concerns about the waiting list, do not contact the faculty member and do not attempt to sit in on the class if you have not yet been accepted.
Course substitution policy program: Students may petition to apply a maximum of one outside course toward the minor. An outside course is any creative writing course offered outside of the CAS Program in Creative Writing.
To petition to substitute an outside course, please submit the course’s description, syllabus (including course readings and assignments), and a brief note indicating which course you are seeking to substitute: the Introductory workshop or one of the Intermediate/Advanced/Master Class workshops. We will review the submitted syllabus to verify course level and determine substitution eligibility. We recommend petitioning prior to registration, in order for you to know in advance if the proposed course can serve as a substitute. Please submit materials to this address:
Undergraduate Program Administrator
NYU Program in Creative Writing
Lillian Vernon Creative Writers House
58 West 10th Street, Room B002
New York, NY 10011-8702
Fax: 212-995-4864
Creative writing minor while studying abroad: Students wishing to begin the creative writing minor while studying abroad at one of the NYU sites should register for V39.9815, the abroad version of Creative Writing: Introduction to Fiction and Poetry (V39.0815). V39.9815 is not considered a substitute. All other creative writing courses taken abroad require petition for substitution and approval by the program, as described above.
If an outside course is approved for substitution, we will count it toward the minor, provided NYU approves the course credit for transfer and the student receives a grade of C or better.
