Writing – Major/Minor
For information, contact Professor Alison Wellford, acwellfo@cedarcrest.edu, 610-606-4666, ext. 3394
Program Description
Effective communication has become increasingly important to employers and to all educated people in today’s world. As our world has become more globalized, more digitized, and more dynamic, college graduates need to develop the advanced comprehension and communication skills that will prepare them for a life of change and adaptation. The ability to write well adds to students’ confidence that they will be able to perform well in careers that require effective communication and creative problem-solving. The Writing major allows students who have an interest in writing to develop their abilities further and to acquire flexibility and fluency as creative and professional writers, as well as familiarity with a range of platforms for their published work. The major also offers students the opportunity to gain valuable practical experience through the internship option. Students interested in a literature-focused program should choose the English major or minor.
Program Mission Statement
The writing major prepares students to produce rhetorically and aesthetically sophisticated writing across a number of literary and professional genres. Students apply their foundational studies in rhetoric and literature to inform their writing in these genres. The major allows students to improve the quality of their writing while enhancing their ability to read, comprehend, analyze, and edit their own and others’ writing. These skills are the foundation for a career and a life of leadership, civic engagement, creativity, and scholarship.
Total number of credits required by program: The writing major is a 42 credit program.
Program Outcomes
- Students will demonstrate their ability to produce documents that are appropriate, purposeful, persuasive, and professional.
- Students will demonstrate their ability to analyze and edit their own writing and the writing of others, showing an awareness of audience, genre, and contexts.
- Students will demonstrate their ability to formulate and think critically about their writing topic, incorporate relevant research, and understand and employ literary and rhetorical devices that are appropriate to the subject and purpose of the work.
- Students will demonstrate their ability to use current software programs in writing, editing, and publishing to produce professional-quality documents and presentations that may be submitted to or shared with professional venues.
Program Requirements
All courses within the writing major and minor must be passed with a grade of C or better. A minimum cumulative grade-point average of 2.0 and a minimum average in the major or minor of 2.0 must be achieved.
WRI 100 is a general college requirement and does not count toward the writing major or minor; credits in composition earned at other institutions also do not apply to writing majors or minors.
All writing majors must complete successfully a minimum of 18 credits of Cedar Crest College ENG courses for the major (i.e., not including online courses offered by OCICU).
Portfolio of Writing
Students should retain all graded work produced for classes in their writing major, including both drafts and revisions. By April 1st, if the student is graduating at the end of a spring semester or within the first two weeks of the student’s final semester if not a spring semester, she or he will submit a portfolio for review. Information about the required content for the portfolio may be found in The English Program: A Guide for Undergraduate Students, available from the English program director. Students will also complete an exit survey at the time of portfolio submission.
Course Requirements
Core Requirements (30 credits)
ENG 104 Introduction to Creative Writing 3 credits
ENG 230 Introduction to Professional Writing 3 credits
ENG 235 Topics in Nonfiction Writing 3 credits
ONE of the following: ENG 333 Topics in Poetry, ENG 334 Topics in Fiction, or ENG 335 Advanced Nonfiction Writing 3 credits
ENG 200: Literary Analysis 3 credits
100-, 200-, or 300-level literature elective 3 credits
Completion of either a writing internship or an independent writing project, to be determined in consultation with student’s faculty advisor 3 credits
Plus choose one from the following courses:
COM 100 Introduction to Communication 3 credits
COM 210 Interpersonal Communication 3 credits
THS 105 Public Speaking 3 credits
Plus choose one from the following courses:
ENG 105 Survey of World Literature I 3 credits
ENG 245 Topics in World Literature 3 credits
Plus choose one from the following courses:
COM 120 Introduction to New Media 3 credits
COM 252 Digital Journalism 3 credits
ENG 237 Writing for the Web 3 credits
Applied Writing Electives (6 credits), chosen from among the following:
BUA 204 Modern Business Communication 3 credits
ENG 233 Creative Writing: Fiction 3 credits
ENG 234 Creative Writing: Poetry 3 credits
ENG 235 Topics in Nonfiction Writing (when a different topic than the one taken for the core) 3 credits
COM 150 Introduction to Journalism 3 credits
COM 152 The “Crestiad” Staff 3 credits
HLT 235 Narrative Medicine 3 credits
PSC 204 Legal Research and Writing 3 credits
THS 332 Playwriting 3 credits
In addition, students may choose to take an applied course in writing offered by another department as these courses appear, with the approval of the faculty advisor.
Advanced Writing Electives (6 credits), chosen from among the following:
ENG 333 Topics in Fiction 3 credits
ENG 334 Topics in Poetry 3 credits
ENG 335 Advanced Nonfiction 3 credits
ENG 336 Topics in Professional Writing 3 credits
Please note that the satisfaction of the WRI-1 requirement is a prerequisite for all courses for the writing major, with the exception of ENG 104: Introduction to Creative Writing.
Fulfillment of LAC Requirements
Students fulfill the Oral Presentation requirement with the satisfactory completion (C or better) of COM 100, COM 210, or THS 105. Students fulfill the Technology requirement by satisfactorily completing COM 120, COM 252, or ENG 237. They meet the Information Literacy requirement through satisfactory completion of the major, as this skill is introduced in the 200-level writing courses, including ENG 200, and reinforced in the 300-level writing courses; students demonstrate their mastery of this skill in the writing internship/independent writing project and in the senior portfolio that serves as a graduation requirement.
Writing Minor
Course Requirements for the Writing Minor
A minor in writing requires 18 credits, to consist of ENG 235 and five elective courses (15 credits) chosen from among the following:
BUA 204 Business Communications 3 credits
COM 150 Introduction to Journalism 3 credits
COM 152 “The Crestiad”: Staff 1-3 credits
COM 252 Digital Journalism 3 credits
ENG 104 Introduction to Creative Writing 3 credits
ENG 200 Literary Analysis 3 credits
ENG 203 Literary Research Methods 3 credits
ENG 230 Introduction to Professional Writing 3 credits
ENG 233 Creative Writing: Fiction 3 credits
ENG 234 Creative Writing: Poetry 3 credits
ENG 235 Topics in Nonfiction Writing (with a different topic) 3 credits
ENG 237 Writing for the Web 3 credits
ENG 333 Topics in Creative Writing: Fiction 3 credits
ENG 334 Topics in Creative Writing: Poetry 3 credits
ENG 335 Advanced Nonfiction Writing 3 credits
ENG 336 Topics in Professional Writing 3 credits
HLT 235 Narrative Medicine 3 credits
PSC 204 Legal Research and Writing 3 credits
THS 332 Playwriting 3 credits
In addition to the permanent selections listed above, appropriate courses offered for the writing major or writing courses offered by other departments may count for the minor with the approval of the student’s faculty advisor. ENG 235 may be repeated one time with a different topic. Students may also choose to complete a three-credit internship (department approval is required). Students must also receive departmental approval to have a course count for the minor if the same course is also being used to fulfill another major or another minor. No more than two courses from a student’s major may be used to satisfy the requirements for the Writing minor.
Students interested in pursuing the study of literature should consider an English major or minor.
