Thorough. Challenging. Substantive.
Creative Writing at Susquehanna University
When The Princeton Review recently recognized Susquehanna University as one of the nation’s best institutions for undergraduates, surveyed Susquehanna students pointed to a variety of academic offerings that make Susquehanna stand out, including the university’s “top-notch” creative writing program.
We’d add another to the list: Vibrant.
Since one in 12 students at Susquehanna is a creative writing major, we have dedicated creative writing housing, poetry slams, seven student-run publications and frequent late-night literary gatherings.
From Day One, your work will be critiqued by professional, published authors — who are also your professors — and you’ll have plenty of chances to interact one-on-one with them.
We want to read your writing!
Read our portfolio application requirements:
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With separate introductory courses in poetry, creative nonfiction and fiction, you’ll build your unique approach to writing on a strong foundation. Add to this: the opportunity to take courses in performance and activist writing, graphic non-fiction and screen-writing. You’ll also take intermediate and advanced creative writing courses along with literature courses that teach writers how to read for craft and technique.
Writing is a skill valued around the world and in all professions. Our program lays the foundation for a lifelong career in fields like advertising, corporate communications, graphic design, editing, education, journalism, law, religious ministry or technical writing.
Find out about our creative writing scholarships:
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Our alumni network of more than 700 trained writers stand ready to help you make valuable connections in any number of fields. We also were recently ranked one of the top writing programs in Pennsylvania, thanks in part to graduate employment rates and earnings.
Many of our writers choose to attend graduate school after Susquehanna, and almost all who apply are admitted and receive generous teaching assistantships.
We welcome your questions and will gladly put you in touch with faculty and students so that you can learn more about the creative writing major at the Writers Institute — the hub for all things creative writing-related at Susquehanna University. Email us: writersinstitute@susqu.edu.
Already an SU student? Email kelseykarla@susqu.edu to find out how you can apply to the creative writing major.
When you enroll at Susquehanna, you’ll be paired with an advisor and application tool to guide you in your course planning and scheduling. The following is an excerpt from the complete course catalog. Enrolled students follow the requirements of the course catalog for the academic year in which they declare each major and/or minor, consult with their advisor(s) and the Academic Planning Tool.
English and Creative Writing Studies
Students in English and Creative Writing study literature from three different perspectives: as writers, readers, and editor-entrepreneurs. Foundational courses taken by all students in the first and second years show how literary history, literary theory, and literary diversity are integral to formal concerns and to emerging digital contexts. These provide a common learning experience. After the foundational courses, English-Literature and English-Secondary Education majors take advanced seminars in literary history and theory; English-Publishing & Editing majors take advanced courses in literary criticism and professional skills; and Creative Writing majors take advanced writing workshops. Coursework in each major is completed through a capstone experience. English-Literature and English- Secondary Education majors pursue an independent research project; English-Publishing & Editing majors take a course in which they reflect on the cultural, political, and commercial functions of publishing; and Creative Writing majors prepare a portfolio of their original work.
Students in the English and Creative Writing Department may, with department head approval, complete more than one major and/or minor in the department.
Learning Goals
- Critical thinking: originality and appreciation of nuance
- Interpretation: history, theory and criticism
- Literacy: reading, intertextuality and cosmopolitanism
- Style: rhetoric, genre and audience
Major GPA Calculation
For the purposes of calculating the required 2.00 minimum GPA in any of the three majors offered by the department, the English and Creative Writing Department uses all of the major courses with the ENGL and WRIT prefixes.
Creative Writing
The creative writing major emphasizes literature and writing courses that will be most valuable in preparing students not only for careers in writing, but also for related careers in law, education, publishing and editing. Courses are organized to offer breadth and depth, practical skills, and intensive independent writing, presentation and production experiences.
Requirements for the Creative Writing Major
46-48 semester hours with grades of C- or better.
4 WRIT-251 Introduction to Fiction
4 WRIT-252 Introduction to Poetry
4 WRIT-253 Introduction to Creative Nonfiction
8 Intermediate creative writing workshops chosen from:
WRIT-351 Intermediate Fiction
WRIT-352 Intermediate Poetry
WRIT-353 Intermediate Creative Nonfiction
4 Advanced creative writing workshops chosen from:
WRIT-451 Advanced Fiction
WRIT-452 Advanced Poetry
WRIT-453 Advanced Creative Nonfiction
4 WRIT-550 Senior Seminar
2-4 WRIT-520 Practicum
or WRIT-540 Internship
8 ENGL-265 Forms of Writing, with no repetition of genre and no limitation of topic within the course topics listed below:
ENGL-265: Novel
ENGL-265: Short Story
ENGL-265: Formal Structure of Poetry
ENGL-265: Narrative Poetry
ENGL-265: Lyric Poetry
ENGL-265: Prose Poetry/Lyric Essay
ENGL-265: Personal Essay
ENGL-265 Memoir
ENGL-265 Literary Journalism
ENGL-265 Popular Writing
4 ENGL-290 Aesthetics and Interpretation
4 ENGL courses at the 300 level other than ENGL-381, ENGL-382, and ENGL-388
Note: A student is required to participate in a senior reading and to produce a senior chapbook in order to graduate with a creative writing major.
Secondary Teaching Certification
The creative writing secondary education major emphasizes literature and creative writing courses that will be most valuable in preparing students for a career in teaching. Courses are organized to develop not only the writing skills of the student, but also to enhance the ability to teach creative writing and literature. Courses in literature are chosen specifically to enable students to master the core of literature needed to both succeed on standardized examinations required of teaching candidates and to be familiar with secondary school curricula.
This major is offered by the Department of English and Creative Writing in conjunction with the Department of Education. It is designed to be a program leading to teacher certification, and students formally apply to the teacher education program by February of their sophomore year or as soon after that as possible At the time of application, the candidate must have at least a 3.00 overall GPA and a 3.00 English GPA.
Coursework required by the state of Pennsylvania for admission to the teacher certification program includes successful completion of ENGL-100 Writing and Thinking or equivalent course, at least 3 semester hours in British or American Literature, at least 6 semester hours of mathematics coursework (or other courses which satisfy the Central Curriculum Analytical Thought requirement), and at least one 40-hour externship.
Education course requirements for secondary education are EDUC-101 Introduction to Education and Society, EDUC-250 Educational Psychology, EDUC-260 Introduction to Special Education, EDUC-270 Instruction of Exceptional Students, EDUC-330 Technology in Education, EDUC-350 English Language Learners, EDUC-380 Instructional Design, EDUC-421 Methods of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment in Teaching English, EDUC-479 Principles of Learning and Teaching in Secondary Education, EDUC-483 Differentiated Instruction and Classroom Management in Secondary Education, and the EDUC-500 Student Teaching Package (EDUC-501, EDUC-502, EDUC-503, and EDUC-600).
Requirements for the Creative Writing Secondary Education Major
44 semester hours in Department of English and Creative Writing courses with grades of C- or better.
4 WRIT-251 Introduction to Fiction
4 WRIT-252 Introduction to Poetry
4 WRIT-253 Introduction to Creative Nonfiction
(These 200-level courses must be completed before the end of the student’s junior year.)
4 Intermediate creative writing workshops chosen from:
WRIT-351 Intermediate Fiction
WRIT-352 Intermediate Poetry
WRIT-353 Intermediate Creative Nonfiction
4 Advanced creative writing workshops chosen from:
WRIT-451 Advanced Fiction
WRIT-452 Advanced Poetry
WRIT-453 Advanced Creative Nonfiction
4 ENGL-290 Aesthetics and Interpretation
4 WRIT-550 Senior Seminar
4 ENGL-265 Forms of Writing
12 Advanced study courses chosen from ENGL-300 to ENGL- 390 range.
4 semester hours of this work must be in an early period course, defined as pre-1865 America or pre-1789 British. Creative writing-secondary education majors are strongly encouraged to fulfill this early period requirement via ENGL-350 Major Authors: Shakespeare. A further 4 semester hours must be multicultural/non-Western.
Note: The Department of Education requires a cumulative grade point of 3.00 overall and in the major. Also, a student is required to participate in a senior reading and to produce a senior chapbook in order to graduate with a creative writing major.
Major GPA Calculation
For the purposes of calculating the required 2.00 minimum GPA in any of the four majors offered by the department, the English and Creative Writing Department uses all of the major courses with the ENGL and WRIT prefixes.
When you enroll at Susquehanna, you’ll be paired with an advisor and application tool to guide you in your course planning and scheduling. The following is an excerpt from the complete course catalog. Enrolled students follow the requirements of the course catalog for the academic year in which they declare each major and/or minor, consult with their advisor(s) and the Academic Planning Tool.
Minor in Creative Writing
Creative writing minors complete, with grades of C- or better, at least 20 semester hours beyond ENGL-100 and including a WRIT 300-level, intermediate workshop class. The remaining courses are chosen with guidance and approval of the departmental minor adviser from departmental offerings that are part of the creative writing major. See the course descriptions for information about which courses may be repeated. COMM-131 Introduction to Journalism also satisfies requirements of the minor. Declaration of a creative writing minor requires submission of a six- to eight-page creative writing sample to the director of creative writing. Select members of the creative writing faculty will review this sample to ensure that students have the ability to succeed in this minor. Note that approval of a creative writing minor does not guarantee a place in workshop classes. The creative writing minor is not open to students pursuing the creative writing major.
English Courses
An intensive introduction to college reading and writing, intended to prepare students for the challenge of college writing and to empower them to become members of a larger writing community. Sections limited to 18 students. For elective credit only; not for credit in the English major or minor or the Central Curriculum. 4 SH.
An introduction to college writing, reading and discourse. Active discussion among students and instructors in sections limited to 18 participants. Seminars typically focus on a current social problem or a topic of particular interest to the instructor. Not for credit in the major or minor. 4 SH. CC: Writing and Thinking.
An introduction to the history of modern publishing, to the art and business of producing books (including current trends and problems), and to the practical knowledge and critical skills needed to pursue employment in the industry. 4 SH.
Specialized courses surveying a particular theme or topic of literary study and fostering in students the capacity for critical thinking. Texts are chosen according to the interest and expertise of instructors. Recent examples are Wilderness Literature, Beat Literature, Living Writers, and Travel Literature. Prerequisite: sophomore standing or second-semester students who have successfully completed the Writing and Thinking course. 4 SH. CC: Literary Expression, Writing Intensive.
An introductory, historical survey of prominent themes in literature including those related to national, transnational, and ethnic literatures. Course topics vary and may include coming of age, human-nature relations, war and revolution, technology, and publishing house culture. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing or second-semester first-year students who have successfully completed ENGL-100. 4 SH. CC: Literary Expression.
Surveys the literature of one or more cultural groups, both within and outside the U. S., including African American, Native American, Latina/Latino, Asian American and others. In every case, factors of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation and class will be of prime concern. Course selections and course topics vary according to instructor preference. Prerequisite: English and creative writing major or sophomore standing. Satisfies Multicultural/Non-Western requirement. 4 SH. CC: Diversity, Literary Expression.
Surveys the literature, primarily in translation,of both historical and contemporary world writers, emphasizing the global context of literature. Prerequisite: English and creative writing major or sophomore standing. Satisfies Multicultural/Non-Western requirement. 4 SH. CC: Literary Expression.
A variable topic survey, in English translation, of the texts, writers, histories and languages that describe Jewish literatures. The course is especially concerned with debates over definitions of “Jewish literature” (what makes Jewish literatures Jewish?), the significance of Jewish literary and cultural diversity and Jewish literary navigations between diaspora and homeland, secularism and religiosity. Readings may include Hebrew and Israeli literature, Yiddish literature, Sephardic literature, or Jewish literatures of Europe and the Americas. Same as JWST:255. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing. Satisfies Multicultural/Non-Western requirement. 4 SH. CC: Diversity, Literary Expression.
Courses designed to examine both the formal characteristics of a particular genre and its historical development. Focus of a particular section may be the novel, the short story, drama, poetry, the essay, memoir, epic, or popular writing. Prerequisite: English or creative writing major or sophomore standing. 4 SH. CC: Diversity Intensive, Literary Expression, Writing Intensive.
A descriptive study of American English grammar and the history of the English language. 2 SH.
Intensive and advanced study of reading and writing about literature. Includes close analysis of literary texts in historic, generic and cultural contexts; study of research methods and writing the research paper; and attention to traditional and recent critical theory. Prerequisite: English or creative writing major or sophomore standing. 4 SH. CC: Artistic Expression, Interdisciplinary, Writing Intensive.
This course introduces students to academic writing in English studies by exploring varied models of successful scholarly writing. Emphasis is placed on students developing the skills and strategies writers need in order to participate effectively in the diverse conversations that define this field. Prerequisite: ENGL-100 or HONS-100. 4 SH. CC: Writing Intensive.
Students gain hands-on experience in digital publishing and storytelling by contributing to Me/Us/U, a publicly circulated podcast. Working in teams and engaging a variety of analytical and writing practices, students brainstorm, record, edit, and publish a series of podcast episodes that circulate on Apple Podcasts and other podcasting platforms. Prerequisites: ENGL-100, ENGL-190, and WRIT-270. 4 SH.
An introduction to and an intensive, rigorous workshop in the basic forms of book reviewing: the short book review, the review essay, and the longer literary critical essay. The course builds on the writing skills students have learned in ENGL-100 and 200-level courses in literature, and it includes intensive reading in the forms listed above. Prerequisite: ENGL-100 or the equivalent and sophomore standing or instructor’s permission. 4 SH.
This course offers experience in the theory and practice of professional writing (writing that occurs in the workplace, especially in businesses, in government, and for nonprofits). While the course is required for students in the Publishing and Editing emphasis of the Department of English and Creative Writing, students from other majors are welcome. Students will first choose a company or organization for which they would like to write. They will then gain experience writing a wide range of genres such as letters and memos; feature stories, interviews, and biographical sketches; press kits; flyers and brochures; and proposals. We also will study the theory of professional writing, including how genres (generally seen as set formulas) evolve over time in response to changing situations; how genres engage power relations; and how genres can be made more open to divergent points of view. Prerequisite: ENGL-100 or HONS-100. 4 SH. CC: Writing Intensive.
The development of the language from its origin to the present. Includes standards of written and spoken English and the differences between English spoken in England and that spoken in various parts of America and elsewhere in the world. Partially satisfies early period requirement. 4 SH.
Readings in prose, poetry and drama from the sixth to 17th centuries. Sections may focus on a particular period or range across centuries, and topics vary according to instructor preference. The texts will be in English but will not necessarily have been composed in Great Britain. Partially satisfies early period requirement. 4 SH.
Readings in prose, poetry and drama from the late 17th century to 1900. Sections may focus on a particular period or range across centuries, and topics vary according to instructor preference. The texts will be in English but will not necessarily have been composed in Great Britain. Partially satsifies early period requirement. 4 SH. CC: Writing Intensive.
Readings in prose, poetry and drama from 1900 to the present. Sections may focus on a particular period or range across centuries, and topics vary according to instructor preference. The texts will be in English but will not necessarily have been composed in Great Britain. 4 SH.
Readings in prose, poetry and drama by writers representing various American cultures and literatures, from the pre-Colonial period through 1865. Sections may focus on a particular period or range across centuries, and topics vary according to instructor preference. Partially satisfies early period requirement. 4 SH. CC: Writing Intensive.
Readings in prose, poetry and drama by writers representing various American cultures and literatures, from 1865 to the present. Sections may focus on a particular period or range across centuries, and topics vary according to instructor preference. Prerequisite: 8 semester hours of English course work at the 100 and 200 levels. 4 SH.
A study of literary works by a single author or perhaps of two writers whose works may be studied in tandem. By reading a number of texts by a single author, students will come to understand individual works better and will gain insight into the author’s particular vision and sense of literary craft. Offerings are likely to include Chaucer, Shakespeare, Milton, Twain, Austen, Dickinson and Morrison. 4 SH. CC: Writing Intensive.
A study of literature written originally in English by writers from countries other than the United States and Britain. The course may include writers from Canada, Ireland, the Indian subcontinent, the Caribbean and English-speaking countries in Africa. Satisfies Multicultural/Non-Western requirement. 4 SH.
Advanced courses designed to examine the formal characteristics of a genre as well as the historical factors influencing its development or manifestation at any given moment, and the theoretical approaches to understanding the genre. The focus of a particular section may be the novel, short story, drama, poetry, the essay, or autobiography. 4 SH.
Courses exploring such topics as women in literature, literature by women, literature and sexuality, the construction of gender in literature and feminist literary theory. Same as WGST-365. 4 SH. CC: Writing Intensive.
In this course we will study the book as a material object, a concrete text that is produced, sold, circulated, and read. More broadly, we will address the wider social and political pressures that have shaped book production as well as the social and political consequences of producing books and other media. We will first examine manuscripts and manuscript culture through a consideration of the New Testament’s publication history. We will then shift our attention to the medium of print. As a class, we will study the wider implications of the invention of the printing press. What effect, for instance, did print have upon literacy, the rise of natural science, the transformation of religion, and the twin concepts of authorship and literary property (copyright)? How did censorship constrain what writers, printers, and booksellers were able to publish? Finally, we will study the Internet as an engine of change. In many scholars’ estimation, the Internet will have a more profound impact upon society than did the printing press. We will try to gauge this impact and to appraise the ways in which hypertext is changing literature, journalism, and, what’s more, how we read and write. Early Period. 4 SH.
An interdisciplinary workshop course focusing on the environment. Students explore the way scientists’ knowledge, methods, and values have informed public rhetoric and scholarly rhetorical criticism, as well as the ways that rhetorical criticism and awareness have in turn had an impact on scientific discourse. Fundamental to the course is the crafting of students’ written arguments in response to readings and personal involvement with environmental issues. The process of writing these arguments is informed by research from the field of composition and models the best practices of that field, making this course useful for future teachers and professional writers, as well as to those who are interested in environmental issues. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing. 4 SH. CC: Interdisciplinary, Writing Intensive.
Students explore the ways that difference impacts everyone’s–students’, instructors’, and others’–experiences of reading, writing, and teaching/learning. “Difference” includes, among other factors, gender, race, class, religion, ability, sexuality, and national origin. This interdisciplinary course uses readings and concepts from the fields of education, literature, and composition and rhetoric. Students will apply these concepts and readings to their own or to others’ reading, writing, and learning experiences inside and/or outside of the traditional classroom. Prerequisite: ENGL-100 and sophomore standing or instructor’s permission. 4 SH. CC: Interdisciplinary, Diversity Intensive.
In these polarized times, how can citizens learn to cooperate or communicate across political camps and parties? We will use the field of politics to understand the evolution of democratic ideals from ancient Greece to Contemporary America and to provide empirical means to explore actual trends in political behavior. We will also learn rhetorical concepts that help us create better dialog and more carefully judge the political claims made by others. Students will engage in hands-on community projects to help them implement what they learn outside of the classroom. Prerequisites: ENGL 100 and sophomore standing. 4 SH.
This course explores the cultural, political and commercial functions of publishing. We explore how published texts ask us to take on certain ethical roles as art critics, citizens and consumers. We start by reading Addison and Steele’s Spectator; next we examine Jurgen Haberma’s theory that newspapers’ publication of literary criticism helped enable democratic government; finally, we consider the ways changes in marketing, new formats like the Internet and increases in profitability have obscured the political purposes that may have been served in publishing. Pre-requisite: must be junior or senior Publishing and Editing major or minor, with at least 8 SH at ENGL-100- or 200-level; HONS-100 may be substituted for ENGL-100. 4 SH. Capstone. CC: Ethics Intensive, Writing Intensive.
Occasional offerings of specialized courses exploring subjects of serious interest to faculty members and to students. 4 SH. CC: Writing Intensive. When the topic being offered is Race and Identity in U.S. Literature, the course is Diversity Intensive and Ethics Intensive but not Writing Intensive.
The capstone course for the major focuses on post-graduate preparation and applying knowledge and skills to projects related to core subjects in the discipline: reading, writing, critical thinking, and producing and transmitting cultural knowledge. Prerequisites: Senior standing for literature track; junior or senior standing for secondary-education track; and at least eight hours at 200 level or above. 4 SH. Capstone. CC: Writing Intensive
Independent research and writing under the supervision of an appropriate member of the department. Prerequisites: 24 semester hours in ENGL-200 and 300-level courses, 48 total semester hours with at least a 3.0 GPA in the major and department approval. 2-4 SH.
Independent research and writing under the supervision of an appropriate member of the department. Prerequisites: 24 semester hours in ENGL 200- and 300-level courses, 48 total semester hours with at least a 3.0 GPA in the major, and departmental approval. 2-4 SH.
Applied projects in language, literature or craft, including supervised work in literacy projects, in writing projects, at public and school libraries, in shelters and in public institutions. The Susquehanna University Office of Volunteer Programs provides contacts. May apply for major or minor credit to a maximum of four semester hours, depending on the nature of the project. Prerequisites: 24 semester hours in ENGL 200- and 300-level courses, 48 total semester hours with at least a 3.0 GPA in the major, and departmental approval. S/U grade. 2-4 SH.
Research, writing and editing for various public and private organizations, and various on and off campus publications. Open only when positions are available. May apply for major or minor credit to a maximum of four semester hours, depending on the nature of the internship. Prerequisites: 24 semester hours in ENGL 200- and 300-level courses, 48 total semester hours with at least a 3.0 GPA in the major and department approval. 2-4 SH.
Creative Writing Courses
The social justice project prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion focuses on conversations and often leaves out consumption of media and literature. This course counters this omission by exploring what it means to create for these gazes of dominant cultures, and how lived experiences as diverse people can upend the canon and larger systems of power. This course uses readings and assignments that explore race, gender, sexuality, religion, dis/ability, and other identity markers to encourage students to examine their personal and professional connections as they relate to compassion, empathy, and justice in the classroom and beyond. 4SH. CC: First Year Seminar, Diversity.
In this course, students write stories, poems and creative non-fiction. As T.S. Eliot teaches us in “Tradition and the Individual Talent,” there is no ultimate separation between understanding and practicing an art. By studying published authors, we will learn about the forms, techniques, elements, and processes associated with writing a work of literature. By composing original creative work-in playing with form, voice, structure, character, image, setting, and in undertaking processes like idea development, writing first drafts, getting and receiving peer and professional feedback, and revision and editing-we will become more skilled readers and critics. This course should not be taken by creative writing majors. Prerequisites: Sophomore standing or second-semester students who have successfully completed Writing and Thinking. 4 SH. CC: Literary Expression, Writing Intensive.
This workshop writing course introduces students to the craft of various types of writing, including screenwriting, children’s literature, and science fiction. Genres may vary, depending on semester and instructor expertise. 4 SH. CC: Artistic Expression when the topic is Experimental Writing.
In this hands-on course students will develop creative writing projects around specific, local, environmentally important/precarious sites. In doing so, students will perform both traditional academic (scientific/historical) and experiential (place-based/creative) research that evolves into works of poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction, or cross-genre work. In this course you will dwell in the space between and including environmental studies and creative writing, developing your own voice and vision as witness to environmental change and trauma. 4 SH.
Introductory workshop course in the study and practice of genre topics other than fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. 4 SH. CC: Team Intensive, Writing Intensive. May be repeated as long as the topic changes.
Introductory workshop course in the study and practice of fiction. 4 SH. CC: Team Intensive, Writing Intensive.
Introductory workshop course in the study and practice of poetry. 4 SH. CC: Team Intensive, Writing Intensive.
Introductory workshop course in the study and practice of creative nonfiction. 4 SH. CC: Team Intensive, Writing Intensive.
Inspired by the original choreopoem by Ntozake Shange, this course introduces the choreopoem form, investigating the concept of the living text as it applies to collaboration across multiple disciplines. Using literary analysis, creative writing, and theatre, students research the choreopoem form, write one as a class, and publicly perform it, reflecting on the tension of intention vs. impact in performance spaces. Sophomore or higher standing required. (Same as AFRC-260 and THEA-260.) 4 SH. CC: Interdisciplinary, Diversity Intensive, Team Intensive.
An introductory workshop course in the study and practice of publishing and editing for small presses; includes both historical study of the industry and hands-on publishing and editing projects. 4 SH. CC: Artistic Expression.
An intensive, rigorous discussion of student writing in a workshop atmosphere. This course builds upon what students learned in WRIT-250 Introduction to Creative Writing. It includes intensive reading of literature in the genre being studied. Special emphasis on the development of a body of work. Genre topics include all those other than fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. Prerequisite: WRIT-250 or instructor’s permission. 4 SH. CC: Literary Expression, Team Intensive, Writing Intensive. May be repeated as long as the topic changes.
An intensive, rigorous discussion of student writing in a workshop atmosphere. This course builds upon what students learned in WRIT-250 Introduction to Fiction. It includes intensive reading of fiction. Special emphasis on the development of a body of work. Prerequisite: WRIT-251 or instructor’s permission. 4 SH. CC: Team Intensive, Writing Intensive. May be repeated as long as the topic changes.
An intensive, rigorous discussion of student writing in a workshop atmosphere. This course builds upon what students learned in WRIT-250 Introduction to Poetry. It includes intensive reading of poetry. Special emphasis on the development of a body of work. Prerequisite: WRIT-252 or instructor’s permission. 4 SH. CC: Team Intensive, Writing Intensive. May be repeated as long as the topic changes.
WRIT-353 Intermediate Creative Nonfiction An intensive, rigorous discussion of student writing in a workshop atmosphere. This course builds upon what students learned in WRIT-253 Introduction to Creative Nonfiction. It includes intensive reading of creative nonfiction. Special emphasis on the development of a body of work. Prerequisite: WRIT-253 or instructor’s permission. 4 SH. CC: Team Intensive, Writing Intensive. May be repeated as long as the topic changes.
An intensive, rigorous discussion of student writing in a workshop atmosphere, along with intensive reading in the genre. Special emphasis on the development of a significant body of work in preparation for an understanding of what is required to write a book in the genre being studied. Genre topics include all those other than fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. Prerequisite: WRIT-350 or instructor’s permission. 4 SH. May be repeated.
An intensive, rigorous discussion of student writing in a workshop atmosphere, along with intensive reading in fiction. Special emphasis on the development of a significant body of work in preparation for an understanding of what is required to write a fiction book. Prerequisite: WRIT-351 or instructor’s permission. 4 SH. May be repeated.
An intensive, rigorous discussion of student writing in a workshop atmosphere, along with intensive reading. Special emphasis on the development of a significant body of work in preparation for an understanding of what is required to write a poetry book. Prerequisite: WRIT-352 or instructor’s permission. 4 SH. May be repeated.
An intensive, rigorous discussion of student writing in a workshop atmosphere, along with intensive reading. Special emphasis on the development of a significant body of work in preparation for an understanding of what is required to write a creative nonfiction book. Prerequisite: WRIT-353 or instructor’s permission. 4 SH. May be repeated.
Independent research and writing under the supervision of an appropriate member of the department. 1-4 SH.
Applied projects in writing under the supervision of an appropriate member of the department. Prerequisites: 24 semester hours in WRIT 200 and 300-level courses, 48 semester hours with at least a 3.0 GPA in the major, and departmental approval. 2-4 SH.
Research, writing and editing for various public and private organizations, and various on and off campus publications. Open only when positions are available. 2-4 SH.
The capstone course for all creative writing majors (and interested creative writing minors). Students will prepare a portfolio of their written work with the expectation of the portfolio going “public,” that is, meeting the demands of graduate school, employment, or the marketplace. Required for senior creative writing majors; others by successful completion of WRIT-350. 4 SH.
Completion of a suitable portfolio of fiction, poetry, drama or creative nonfiction, by invitation of the department only, and in accordance with departmental honors guidelines. 4 SH.
“Studying creative writing at Susquehanna gives students a space to contemplate ideas about themselves that they sometimes can’t air back home. The worlds they wrote so eloquently about were as fascinating to me as, I think, mine was to them.”
-Aminatta Forna, Commonwealth Writers Prize winner
“As a faculty member of a Masters of Fine Arts (MFA) program, I search every year for driven, worldly applicants who know the power of deep thinking, active creative practice, and meaningful community building. Susquehanna University’s creative writing major is training its students in all these things, thanks to a devoted and forward-thinking faculty that encourages both rigor and collegiality.”
-Elena Passarello, actor, writer, and recipient of a 2015 Whiting Award
No. 6 creative writing program in Pennsylvania
-Zippia Inc.
“Outstanding Creative Writing Program.”
-HuffPost, “So You Want to Be a Writer?” (Top 40 ranking in North America)
“Recommended creative writing program.”
- Rugg’s Recommendations on the Colleges, 32 nd edition (Top 60 national ranking)
“Susquehanna University has the best undergraduate writing program in the United States.”
-Robert Boswell, Guggenheim Fellow and New Yorker fiction writer
“Susquehanna’s writing program is extraordinary in every way-in fact, I’ve never seen anything like it. The students are wildly talented, deeply committed, and supportive of one another, and faculty are nearly super-human in their rigor as teachers and in their achievement-nationally and internationally-as poets, essayists and fiction writers. This is a rare and wondrous place.”
- Lia Purpura, Guggenheim Fellow, author of On Looking and Rough Likeness
“I had no idea a writing program like this existed. Susquehanna’s students are every bit as dedicated and intellectually sophisticated as any MFA student I’ve met. Nowhere have I encountered a faculty more passionate about student learning. But what I’ll remember most about my astounding week at Susquehanna was the sense of community: generous, genuine, and exhilarating.”
- Ann Pancake, author of Strange As This Weather Has Been and Given Ground
“What Susquehanna offers its undergraduate writers rivals that of any established and exemplary MFA program. It’s an amazing program in every way.”
- Jill McCorkle, author of Creatures of Habit and The Cheer Leader
Here are just a few of the fields in which recent creative writing graduates have found jobs, along with a selection of employers:
Advertising—Simon and Schuster; Warfel Construction
Client Relations—Ingram Content Group
Copywriting—World Wrestling (WWE); Virtucom Group
Corporate Communications—Susquehanna Health consortium; Vanguard; Compucom
Graphic Design—Pixar
Editing—Marvel Comics; In Touch magazine; Prentice Hall; Harpercollins; Thieme Publishers; Nature
English Teacher Abroad—Shane English School, China; English Academy, Indonesia
Fact Checker—Us magazine
Fiction Writer—Galatea app
Instructor—Hollins University; University of Virginia
Journalism (sports editor)—Finger Lakes Community Newspapers
Lawyer—Cureton Clark (NJ)
Legal editor—Agora,Inc.
Marketing—Language Workshop Center for Children; Casemate Publishers
Ministry—Unitarian Church in Summit, NJ; Mahatma Gandhi Center at JMU
Professor—University of North Dakota; Mississippi State University; University of Indianapolis
Social Media/Publicity—Penguin Young Readers, Makenna Held LLC
Student Life Staff—Ursinus College; Susquehanna University
Teacher—Raritan-Bridgewater High; Lincoln Middle; Mountain Rose Academy; Peace Corps
Technical Writer—Virtucom; VectorCSP
Recent graduates have enrolled in programs at:
Arizona State University, MFA in Fiction
Auburn University, education
California Institute of the Arts, MFA in Poetry
Columbia Publishing
Emerson, MFA
Fullbright Fellowships, France and Germany
George Mason, MFA
Iowa Writers Workshop, multiple graduates, fiction and poetry
Johns Hopkins University, MFA in Fiction
New Mexico State, MFA in Creative Writing
New School for Public Engagement
Portland State, MFA
Rhode Island University, Ph.D.
Sarah Lawrence, MFA
Southern New Hampshire University
Stony Brook Southampton, MFA in Writing and Literature
Temple University-Sociology
University of Arizona, MFA
University of Idaho
University of Massachusetts Boston, MA in Applied Linguistics
University of Montana, MFA in Creative Nonfiction
University of New Hampshire, MFA in Fiction
University of North Carolina at Wilmington, Graduate Teaching Assistantship in Poetry
University of Notre Dame, MFA in Poetry
University of San Francisco, MFA in Poetry
University of Wyoming, MFA in Nonfiction
Yale Divinity School
The Writers Institute provides a hub for all things creative writing-related at Susquehanna University. It facilitates the Seavey Reading Series, which brings around six nationally known writers, editors and/or literary agents a year to the area. The Institute funds and supports four major literary magazines on campus — Rivercraft, Essay, the Susquehanna Review and Apprentice Writer as well as several smaller journals and the Forum for Undergraduate Student Editors.
The Writers Institute organizes a senior reading and chapbook series to celebrate the accomplishments of creative writing majors.
We have a dedicated building that serves as the nucleus of our vibrant community of published writers and gives students a space to connect and unwind. The facility houses faculty offices, writing workshop areas, conference spaces and a library.
Dean, School of the Arts
Dean, School of Humanities
Professor of English
Email Address carterl@susqu.edu
Phone Number 570-372-4288
Professor of English & Creative Writing
Co-Department Head of English and Creative Writing
Email Address kelseykarla@susqu.edu
Phone Number 570-372-4525
Assistant Professor of English & Creative Writing
Email Address prince@susqu.edu
Phone Number 570-372-4514
Associate Professor of English & Creative Writing
Program Director of GO South Africa
Email Address retief@susqu.edu
Phone Number 570-372-4035
Associate Professor of English & Creative Writing
Email Address sirisena@susqu.edu
Phone Number 570-372-4755
Creative Writing & Honors Program Coordinator
Adjunct Faculty in English and Creative Writing
Phone Number 570-372-4660