Minor in Creative Writing

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.  V39.0815 Creative Writing: Introduction to Fiction & Poetry (or V39.9815 Creative Writing, or equivalent) is the foundational course, to be followed by three additional Intermediate, Advanced, and/or Master Class workshops, or one such workshop combined with one of our eight-point Summer Program courses (Writers in New York or Writers in Paris).

Introductory Workshops
No prerequisite. 4 points.
>On-Campus (V39.0815 Creative Writing: Intro to Fiction & Poetry)
>Abroad (V39.9815 Creative Writing, locations vary by term)

Intermediate Workshops
Prerequisite: V39.0815, V39.9815, or equivalent. 4 points.
>Fiction (V39.0816)
>Poetry (V39.0817)

Advanced Workshops
Prerequisite: V39.0815, V39.9815, or equivalent. Application required. 4 points.
>Fiction (V39.0820)
>Poetry (V39.0830)
>Creative Nonfiction (V39.0850)

Master Classes
Prerequisite: V39.0815, V39.9815, or equivalent. Application required. 4 points.
>Fiction (V39.0860)
>Poetry (V39.0870)

Summer Program Courses
No prerequisite. Application required. 8 points.
>Writers in New York: Fiction (V39.0818)
>Writers in New York: Poetry (V39.0819)
>Writers in Paris: Fiction (V39.9818)
>Writers in Paris: Poetry (V39.9819)

V39.0815/9815 (or equivalent) 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 grade point average of 2.0. No credit toward the Creative Writing Minor is granted for grades of C- or lower, although such grades will be computed into the grade point average of the Minor, as well as into the overall grade point average. No course to be counted toward the Minor may be taken on a pass/fail basis.

Students in the College of Arts & Sciences may declare their Minor by visiting the Creative Writing Program at the Lillian Vernon Creative Writers House (58 West 10th Street). Declaration forms are also available online. Students in Stern, Tisch, Steinhardt, and Gallatin 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 Creative Writing Program, 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.

Course Substitution Policy: Students may petition to apply a maximum of one outside course towards the Minor, either as the introductory prerequisite (equivalent to V39.0815) or as an elective.  An outside course is any creative writing course offered outside of the CAS Creative Writing Program.

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 prerequisite workshop or one of the Minor electives.  We will review the submitted syllabus to verify course level and determine substitution eligibility.  We recommend petitioning prior to registration, so you know in advance if the proposed course can serve as substitute.  Please submit materials to:

Scott Statland
Program Administrator
NYU Creative Writing Program
Lillian Vernon Creative Writers House
58 West 10th Street, Room B002
New York, NY 10011
Fax: 212-995-4864

If an outside course is approved for substitution, we will count it towards the Minor provided NYU approves the course credit for transfer and you receive a grade of C or better.