The Creative Writing track is a distinctive literary arts program that emphasizes engaged writing in poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction. The core of the creative writing program at UW Tacoma is innovation and its commitment to intersections with a variety of academic programs, as well as its foundational value of interdisciplinary. With a sustainable core curriculum and contemporary-themed courses, students are offered multiple pathways to explore the literary arts both in and beyond the classroom. With a Creative Writing Track, students can purse their learning on careers such as professional writing, publications and even cartooning! For more information on these careers, check out the Alumni page.

Students on the creative writing track are part of an intimate community of peers dedicated to each other’s learning and expression in intersecting creative genres. In addition, students are offered the opportunity to meet local and national writers through reading series and visiting writers, while learning from core creative writing faculty who publish in their fields.

Completion Requirements  

To be eligible for graduation with the Bachelor of Arts degree, students enrolled in the program must meet the UW Tacoma scholastic standards (2.0 UW GPA), credits required (minimum 180) and the final-year residency requirement and complete the following program requirements: 

  • Complete all general education requirements not met with transfer courses. See advisor for details. 
  • Complete a minimum of 45 credits of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences course work. Some majors or concentrations may require more. 
  • Complete a minimum of 45 credits of upper-division course work, including transfer courses and UW Tacoma courses. 
  • Complete 5 credits of (C) Composition designated course with a minimum 2.0 grade.  
  • Complete the requirements for a major (minors are optional). 
  • No more than 15 elective credits can be taken for a Satisfactory/Not Satisfactory grade. See advisor for details. 
  • Complete at least 45 of last 60 credits in residence at the University of Washington Tacoma. 
  • 45 upper-division credits and 45 credits of SIAS courses are required for graduation from SIAS. 
  • Meet with an advisor to complete a graduation application no later than the second week of the quarter in which the student plans to graduate.

 

For the Creative Writing Track, you need to complete 60 credits. You need to earn 45 upper-division credits and 45 credits of School of IAS courses to meet degree requirements. You must earn a total of 180 quarter credits, or 225 quarter credits for a double degree, to earn a bachelor of arts degree in your chosen major.



Foundational courses: 10 credits

Creative Writing courses: 20 credits

Literature Breadth: 15 credits

Technical Communication breadth: 15 credits

Creative Writing Foundation: 10 credits
  • TWRT 200 Introduction to Creative Writing (5)
  • TLIT 101 Understanding Literature (5)
Creative Writing Electives: 20 credits

Choose 20 credits, see Writing Studies website for approved list of Creative Writing Electives.

At least 10 credits of Creative Writing Electives must be 400 level. 

Choose at least 5 credits from the following list:

  • TWRT 270 Poetry Writing 
  • TWRT 280 Fiction Writing 
  • TWRT 287 Creative Nonfiction Writing  
  • TWRT 372 Writing Eco-poetry
  • TWRT 382 Writing Popular Fiction
  • TWRT 389 Nature Writing

Choose at least 5 credits from the list above or the following:

  • TWRT 274 Spoken Word Poetry
  • TWRT 333 Writing Through Comics
  • TWRT 364 Food Writing for Cultural Exploration
  • TWRT 384 Writing Historical Fiction 

Choose at least 10 credits from the following list:

  • TWRT 470 Advanced Poetry Writing (repeatable once)
  • TWRT 480 Advanced Fiction Writing (repeatable once)
  • TWRT 487 Advanced Creative Nonfiction Writing (repeatable once)
  • TWRT 499 Advanced Topics in Creative Writing (maximum credits - 15)
Literature Electives: 15 credits

Choose 15 credits, see Writing Studies website for approved list of Literature Electives.

Choose 5 credits from the following list:

  • T LIT 390 Varieties of Literary Criticism

Choose 10 credits of upper division coursework outside of American literature from the following list: 

  • TLAX 476 Latin American Women Writers 
  • TLIT 335 Middle Eastern American Literature
  • TLIT 343 Shakespeare
  • TLIT 351 Ancient Greek Tragedy 
  • TLIT 352 Medieval Quests 
  • TLIT 371 The World Stage
  • TLIT 380 Myth and Literary Sagas in Creative Expression
  • TLIT 406 Children's and Young Adult Literature
  • TLIT 481 Postcolonial Fiction
  • TLIT 487 African Folklore and Literature
  • TWOMN 434 Women's Voices: Transnational Testimonials

Choose the final 5 credits from the list above OR any 300-400 level TLIT course.

Writing Electives: 15 credits

Choose 15 credits, see Writing Studies website for approved list of Writing Electives.

  • TWRT 291 Technical Communication in the Workplace
  • TWRT 292 Power, Privilege, and Bias in Technology Design
  • TWRT 320 Rhetoric, Public Life, and Civic Engagement 
  • TWRT 330 Written and Visual Rhetoric 
  • WRT 331 Writing in the Natural Sciences
  • WRT 340 Asian American Rhetorics, Literacies, and Activism 
  • WRT 350 Principles of User-Centered Design
  • TWRT 353 User Experience Writing
  • TWRT 355 Usability Testing Research
  • TWRT 360 Playwriting
  • TWRT 365 Literary Editing and Publishing
  •  TWRT 388 Writing for Social Change 
  • TWRT 391 Advanced Technical Communication
  • TWRT 420 Rhetoric and the City: Composing Urban Landscapes
  •  TWRT 450 Principles of Accessible Design
  • TWRT 440 Cross-Cultural Communication Design
  • TWRT 464 Teaching Writing
  • TWRT 492 Special Topics in Rhetoric and Composition
  • TCOM 348 Non-fiction Writing for Television
  • TCOM 387 Writing for Public Relations
  • TCOM 484 Opinion Writing for the Mass Media
  • TCOM 486 Feature Writing for Print Media
  • TFILM 350 Screenwriting
  • TIAS 491 Professional Portfolio Design
  • TFILM 350 Screenwriting
  • TIAS 491 Professional Portfolio Design