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San Jose State University

California, united states.

The MFA at SJSU balances literary study with creative writing workshops. The program is designed to give students the opportunity to develop their talents in more than one genre while increasing their knowledge of modern and contemporary literature in a variety of forms and across a diverse range of cultural and critical perspectives. The program also features courses that provide hands-on preparation for beginning one's writing career in a globalized, technologically enhanced world.

Situated in downtown San Jose, in the heart of Silicon Valley's cultural center, the MFA program offers students a portal into the writing life. SJSU is the literary incubator for Silicon Valley. Students will be taught by instructors who are themselves publishing poets, fiction writers, nonfiction writers, translators, and editors - many of whom work in both traditional and cutting-edge forms, and who are involved in the arts and technology networks of Silicon Valley.

The English Department publishes Reed magazine, one of the oldest campus literary journals on the West Coast, with over 60 years of continuous publication. Reed is student-produced and offers opportunity for the editing experience as well as a possible publishing venue.

creative writing classes san jose

Contact Information

One Washington Square English Department San Jose California, United States 95192-0090 Phone: 408 924-4432 Email: [email protected] Fax: 408-924-4580 http://sjsu.edu/cwmfa/index.html

Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing +

Undergraduate program director.

The goals of the BA in English with a Concentration in Creative Writing are: to provide students the opportunity to concentrate their studies in the field of Creative Writing. To provide these students a course of study in the craft, theory, and practice of writing fiction, creative nonfiction, and/or poetry. To provide these students a course of study in literature and expository writing which will support their studies in Creative Writing courses. Many students earning a BA in English with a Creative Writing concentration will continue on to apply for admission to the MFA Program in Creative Writing, or will pursue a professional Creative Writing career.

Undergraduate classes in Creative Writing at SJSU are supplemented by the readings and other literary programs sponsored by the SJSU Center for Literary Arts (CLA). Since 1986, the CLA has provided readings, lectures and seminars that allow the San Jose community to interact with writers of contemporary literature who have demonstrated exceptional voice and vision. Its mission is to spread the influence of and interest in literature throughout the South Bay area and to facilitate cross-cultural understanding in the region's ethnically diverse population through the appreciation of works of literature. The CLA's Major Authors Series has been the most significant literary series in the region, presenting to the community five winners of the Nobel Prize, fifteen winners of the National Book Award and twenty-eight winners of the Pulitzer Prize.

The CLA is funded by grants and donations from individuals and foundations.

SJSU also publishes REED Magazine, an annual student-run Literary Magazine published every Spring and featuring submissions of original poetry and short stories from across the nation. (For more information click on http://www.reedmag.org/drupal/.)

Below are requirements for this focused concentration in Creative Writing.

(To see a detailed description of the SJSU BA Concentration in Creative Writing curriculum and individual courses, click on: http://www.sjsu.edu/english/undergraduate/degreeplans/majorcreatwrit.)

PREREQUISITE: 3 Units.

ENGL 71: Introduction to Creative Writing (3) - NOTE: English 71 does not count toward 48 units listed below, but it does satisfy GE Area Requirement C2.

15 Units of Creative Writing

ENGL 105: Advanced Composition (3)

ENGL 130: Fiction Writing (repeatable up to 3X) (3)

ENGL 131: Poetry Writing (repeatable up to 3X) (3)

ENGL 133: REED Magazine (repeatable 2X) (3)

ENGL 134: Speechwriting (3)

ENGL 135: Creative Nonfiction Writing (repeatable up to 3X) (3)

LITERATURE REQUIREMENTS: 9 UNITS

ENGL 149: The Romantic Period

ENGL 150: The Victorian Age

ENGL 151: Twentieth Century Poetry

ENGL 153B: Nineteenth Century British Novel

ENGL 154: British and Irish Fiction Since 1900

ENGL 161: American Literature to 1830 (3)

ENGL 162: American Literature: 1830-1865 (3)

ENGL 163: American Literature: 1865-1910 (3)

ENGL 164: American Literature: 1910- 1945 (3)

ENGL 165: Topics in Ethnic American Literature (3)

ENGL 166: American Literature Since 1945 (3)

ENGL 167: Steinbeck (3)

ENGL 168: The American Novel (3)

ENGL 169: Ethnicity in American Literature (3)

ENGL 176: The Short Story (3)

ENGL 177: Twentieth Century Fiction

Foreign Language Requirement

One year of foreign langauge study at the college level or equivalency through examination.

CORE REQUIREMENTS: 24 UNITS

A. Core Shared with the General English Major:

ENGL 56A: Survey of English Lit

ENGL 68A: Survey of American Lit

ENGL 68B: Survey of American Lit

ENGL 100W: Writing Workshop (Expository Writing for English Majors)

ENGL 122: Comp Lit, or 123 A, B, C, or D Global Lit

OR 125A: Homer to Dante

ENGL 144: Shakespeare

OR 145: Shakespeare and Performance

B. Core Course For CW Concentration

ENGL 139: Living Writers Seminar

C. Capstone Core Course for CW Concentration

ENGL 193C: Capstone Seminar in Creative Writing and Self-Reflection

Total Concentration Plus Core Units:

Bachelor of Arts in English/Literature +

Minor / concentration in creative writing +.

SJSU offers English Majors a concentration in Creative Writing. All Creative Writing and upper division classes are 4 units.

Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing +

Graduate program director.

The MFA at SJSU is a dual-genre program that balances literary study with creative writing workshops. The program is designed to give students the opportunity to develop their talents in more than one genre while increasing their knowledge of modern and contemporary literature in a variety of forms and across a diverse range of cultural and critical perspectives. The program also features courses that provide hands-on preparation for beginning one's writing career in a globalized, technologically enhanced world.

Situated in downtown San Jose, in the heart of Silicon Valley's cultural center, the MFA program will offer students a portal into the writing life. Students will be taught by instructors who are themselves publishing poets, fiction writers, nonfiction writers, translators, and editors - many of whom work in both traditional and cutting-edge forms, and who are involved in the arts and technology networks of Silicon Valley.

Samuel Maio

Samuel Maio is the author of THE BURNING OF LOS ANGELES (1996), and CREATING ANOTHER SELF: VOICE IN MODERN AMERICAN PERSONAL POETRY (2005), both from Truman State University Press. His poems, essays, and reviews have been published widely in periodicals.

http://www.sjsu.edu/cwmfa/faculty.html

Alan Soldofsky

Alan Soldofsky is a veteran of the San Francisco Bay Area poetry scene. His 2013 collection of poems, IN THE BUDDHA FACTORY, from Truman State University Press, was a finalist for the T. S. Eliot Award. He has been a contributing editor of Poetry Flash, and co-host of the popular poetry show “Planet on the Table” on Berkeley’s KPFA radio. He has published three poetry chapbooks: Kenora Station, Staying Home, and Holding Adam / My Father’s Books, a chapbook that includes a selection of poems by his son, Adam Soldofsky. Over the last three decades, his poems have been published widely in magazines and journals,

http://www.sjsu.edu/people/alan.soldofsky/

Nick Taylor

Nick Taylor is the author of the historical novels The Disagreement (Simon & Schuster, 2008) and FATHER JUNIPERO'S CONFESSOR (Heyday, 2013). Nick's work has earned a Fulbright-Nehru Fellowship and the Michael Shaara Prize for Civil War Fiction. He has also received support from the Virginia Commission for the Arts, the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, and the William R. Kenan, Jr., Fund for Historic Preservation. Currently Nick serves as Associate Professor of English and Director of the Martha Heasley Cox Center for Steinbeck Studies at San José State University. In 2014, Doubleday published his first thriller, The Setup Man, under the pseudonym T.T. Monday.

http://www.sjsu.edu/faculty_and_staff/faculty_detail.jsp?id=2136

Cathleen Miller

Cathleen Miller's biography of Dr, Nafis Sadik, CHAMPION OF CHOICE, is the result of ten years of work and many, many strange circumstances. Other publication credits include travel stories for a variety of newspapers and anthologies. Miller is also the coauthor of DESERT FLOWER, the life story of activist Waris Dirie which describes the Somali nomad's experience with female genital mutilation. This book's print version has sold 11 million copies in 55 languages, and was later adapted as a feature film released in 34 nations. Cathleen Miller is a professor of creative writing at San José State University.

http://www.sjsu.edu/people/cathleen.miller/

Scott Sublett

Scott Winfield Sublett, a veteran screenwriter screenwriting teacher, is known for writing BYE-BYE BIN LADEN (2009), GENERIC THRILLER (2009) and PIZZA WARS: THE MOVIE (2002). He also has published a screenwriting guide, SCREENWRITING FOR NEUROTICS (2014).

Sally Ashton

Sally Ashton is a poet, writer, teacher, and Editor-in-Chief of DMQ Review, an online journal featuring poetry and art. She earned her BA in English with a creative writing minor from SJSU, and her MFA in Poetry and Literature from the Bennington Writing Seminars.

She is the recipient of an Artist Fellowship, Poetry, from Arts Council Silicon Valley and a fellowship from Montalvo Arts Center. She is the author of three books of poetry, two of which were nominated for Pushcart Prizes. Poems also appear in the textbook, An Introduction to the Prose Poem, and Breathe: 101 Contemporary Odes, as well as in literary journals such as Sentence: A Journal of Prose Poetics, Brevity, Zyzzyva, 5am, Mississippi Review, and Poet Lore. She was awarded the Fish Flash Fiction First Prize, an international award, in 2014.

Ashton was appointed the second Santa Clara County Poet Laureate on April 1, 2011. During her term, she compiled a collection of the favorite poems of County residents posted on a project blog. Besides teaching at San Jose State University, she teaches private workshops and at writer’s workshops including Disquiet: An International Literary Program in Lisbon, Portugal.

http://www.sjsu.edu/people/sally.ashton/

Selena Anderson

Selena Anderson is a writer from Texas. She completed her MFA at Columbia University where she won the Transatlantic/Henfield Prize, and her Ph.D. from the University of Houston. Her stories have appeared in Glimmer Train, Kenyon Review, AGNI, and Cosmonauts Avenue, and The Best of Gigantic Anthology. She is working on a collection and a novel.

Publications & Presses +

Reed Magazine

Visiting Writers Program +

Kim Addonizio, Daniel Alarcon, Tim Cahill, Cristina Garcia., Sandra M. Gilbert, Molly Giles, Andrew Sean Greer, James D. Houston, James Kelman, Caroyln Kizer, Ursula K. Le Guin, Andrew Lam, Ishmael Reed, Julia Scheeres, Simon Winchester, Vendala Vida, Al Young. The 2018 Lurie Distinguished Author-in-Residence is novelist Don George.

Reading Series +

Center for Literary Arts ( http://www.litart.org/ )

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Art Works

40562524_2261021427259888_78742286291383

The Center for Literary Arts of San José

Writers workshop.

CLA Writers Workshops are open to individuals of all backgrounds--including those who are exploring creative writing for the first time--as well as aspiring writers who want to prepare their work for publication. Workshops are modeled on graduate-level creative writing courses, and may include short in-class writing assignments to jumpstart the writing process, as well as work outside of class that will entail reading the work of select published writers, critiquing the work of other workshop participants, and writing a piece to be workshopped by the class. Each participant will receive written comments from the instructor. Workshops are led by accomplished local authors, including students and alumni of the San Jose State University Creative Writing Program. 

For more details, click here to read the  workshop policies and procedures and the cancellation policy .

40562524_2261021427259888_78742286291383

The World is the Story: A Fiction Workshop on Dynamic Place

Starting November 10

12:30PM–2:30PM

Running 6 weeks

Instructor: Katie M. Flynn, author of

The Companions

Course Description

“World building” is a term often associated with speculative fiction, but as Amitav Ghosh says, “The world of fact is outrunning the world of fiction.” How do we write fiction during times of tremendous flux? In this generative workshop, we’ll explore approaches to writing into uncertainty and building the dynamic world your story needs, with its own rules.

Each week, we’ll study samples of dynamic world building in the form of short stories and novel excerpts from writers such as Lauren Groff, Mohsin Hamid, Amy Hempel, Raven Leilani, Lauren Oyler, George Saunders, and Charles Yu. We’ll read closely with an eye toward how place works in tandem with other craft elements to achieve this effect. Through in-class and at-home writing exercises, participants will test out various strategies for building dynamic worlds. In the second half of the workshop, we’ll shift our focus to writing process: how to explore and expand these newly written pieces into short stories or novel openings, before revising them. Participants will receive constructive feedback on their polished story or novel opening from the instructor, including guidance on publication and other next steps. This class is geared toward writers of literary and speculative fiction alike.

About the Instructor

Katie M. Flynn’s first novel, The Companions , came out in March 2020; it explores life during a prolonged quarantine and a tech company’s answer to loneliness. Her short stories have appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle , Tin House , and many other publications. Katie has been awarded Colorado Review ’s Nelligan Prize for Short Fiction and the Steinbeck Fellowship in Creative Writing. She holds an MFA from the University of San Francisco and an MA in Geography from UCLA. Her interlinked collection of short stories, Island Rule , is forthcoming from Scout Press (2022). 

KFlynn_resized.jpg

Thank you for your interest in the literary arts. Consider donating to the CLA to support creative voices:

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Teachers teach. Writers write. We do both.

We are a non-profit organization of, by, and for teachers dedicated to improving the teaching and uses of writing at all grade levels (k–16) and in all disciplines by offering writing workshops throughout the year., programs for teachers, subscribe to our mailing list to get the latest details on our writing workshops..

creative writing classes san jose

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creative writing classes san jose

PROGRAMS FOR STUDENTS

Testimonials.

“From my Afternoon Writing Group, I take away the importance of building trust. Previously I only had my students edit each other’s papers, but not help revise. Now, before my students begin to share revision, I will build community. The bond that my AWG formed was amazing, and they helped me become a better, more confident writer.”

— Pam Haney,  Santa Teresa HS, East Side Union HSD

“I feel like most professional development is for new teachers, or dumbed down. This was not…it was incredible. I’m a better teacher and more prepared to share my learning with colleagues, which made my experience even more meaningful.”

— Anne Van der Staay,  Ellis ES, Sunnyvale ESD

"I can say without doubt that this summer institute has been the most beneficial professional development I have been a part of."

— John Wou,  Horner MS, Fremont USD

"Feedback was a powerful component. The letter dialogues led me back to questions I had when I first started teaching: How do I teach? Why do I teach? Breaking away from the formulaic structures I have been tied to, I am now experiencing a resurgence of what I felt at the beginning of my teaching; authenticity.”

— Patricia Carrillo,  Olinder ES, SJUSD

“I loved the Saturday workshop model with live students. It is a great reminder of how much students are capable of when given the tools and mentor texts to support expressing their own truths. I will continue to build a more student-centered, authentic classroom with reading and writing methods I experienced here.”

— Ariel Sarver,  Westmont HS, Campbell UHSD

"A veteran of the classroom needs inspiration as much as a newly-credentialed teacher. The Saturday PLC met my need to explore new ways to reach students. What works one year may fall flat the next, so then it’s time to sign up for a Saturday Seminar series. "

— Mike White

“Saturday Seminars have been invaluable in allowing me to learn from experienced teachers in a collaborative environment where they discuss the challenges and successes they experience daily in a classroom.”

— Mackenzie Rodriguez

​“My student life was spent groaning about page count requirements, so writing was a chore. Then in the ISI a teacher demonstrated using “snapshot” memories. Her lesson made it simple to ease into a piece that ended up being much longer and more complex than I ever imagined. This idea came from an elementary school teacher and I’m an AP Language instructor!”

— Babak Shahrivar,  Piedmont Hills HS, ESUHSD

CURRENT PROGRAMS

creative writing classes san jose

Professional Learning Community

Facilitated by Andy Joseph “A.J.” Robinson, this workshop series will provide opportunities to explore ideas and practice concrete skills that allow in-school and community educators to build culturally sustaining, trauma and resilience-informed, transformative writing courses and community programs.

For  Teachers

creative writing classes san jose

Teen Writers Institute

The Teen Writers Institute is in-person for 2023! This summer writing program for teens offers a curriculum designed to develop and support students’ imaginative and academic writing across literary genres. The Teen Writers Institute features guest presenters, authors and various workshop choices for 8th to 12th graders.

For Students

creative writing classes san jose

Writing Workshop

This program is designed to be flexible and accommodating of students with already busy schedules who wish to pursue their passion for novel writing in a community of supportive peers.

creative writing classes san jose

Novel Writing Certificate Program

creative writing classes san jose

Super Saturday

Our Super Saturdays use a "lab school" model, in which teachers and students participate in the presenter’s workshop lesson together in small groups, generally including the following: mini-lesson on writing craft, study of a mentor text, demonstration of innovative and engaging pedagogical strategies, large blocks of time for students and teachers to write, and sharing writing in small groups or whole group.

For Teachers

creative writing classes san jose

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Sarah Zerwin: Making Non-Traditional Grading Work by Putting Students Out Front

For teachers.

Santa Clara University

The jesuit university in silicon valley.

  • Creative Writing Minor
  • College of Arts and Sciences
  • Academic Programs

The Creative Writing Program offers students a coherent course of study in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction.

The creative writing minor is firmly grounded within the liberal arts tradition, integrating courses in poetry, fiction, screenwriting, and creative nonfiction writing within their broader literary and cultural context.

Introductory courses familiarize students with the practice and theory of creative writing. Advanced courses offer a workshop setting in which students write and critique one another’s work. Electives focus on particular genres of creative writing, such as Lifewriting, Fantasy and Science Fiction, and Screenwriting. All creative writing courses incorporate some study of literature as well as close attention to students’  own creative writing.

English majors who complete the Creative Writing minor may use their Creative Writing track courses for both the major and the minor.

*English majors who complete the Creative Writing minor may use their Creative Writing track courses for both the major and the minor.

Two Introductory Courses:

  • English 71 . Fiction Writing

English 72. Poetry Writing

Two Sections of the Practicum Course:  

  • English 91. Literary Review Practicum

One Advanced Course:

  • English 171. Advanced Fiction Writing or English 172. Advanced Poetry Writing (may not double dip)

Three Electives From the Following:

  • English 73. Lifewriting
  • English 74. New Forms for Creative Writing
  • English 170. Writing for Children and Young Adults
  • English 171. Advanced Fiction Writing
  • English 172. Advanced Poetry Writing
  • English 173. Screenwriting
  • English 175. Creative Nonfiction
  • English 176. Creative Writing and Social Justice
  • English 177. Writing Genre Fiction
  • English 178. Creative Writing and Performing
  • English 179W. Playwriting
  • English 179. Advanced Playwriting

All SCU students have the opportunity to work on the University’s literary magazine. Published twice a year,  the Review includes fiction, essays, poetry, book reviews, art and photography from the Santa Clara University Community and the Bay Area. In the Literary Magazine Practicum, one-unit courses offered every quarter, students discuss submissions.

Each year three department literary prizes for undergraduates are given: the McCann Prize for the best short story, the Shipsey Prize for the best poem or group of poems, and the Academy of American Poets “Tamara Verga Poetry Prize” for the best poem or group of poems. In addition, SCU participates in the Ina Coolbrith Memorial Poetry Prize, choosing three finalists to compete with other California university undergraduates. The winning manuscripts receive cash awards and maybe published in the Santa Clara Review.

The Writing Forward Reading Series  brings creative writers with international, national, and regional reputations to the Santa Clara University campus for readings, classroom discussions, informal meetings with students, and interviews with the Santa Clara Review literary/arts magazine. This collaborative program between the English Department’s Creative Writing Program and the student-run Santa Clara Review is grounded in the Department’s and University’s commitment to involving undergraduate students in research collaboration with faculty, and is dedicated to reaching out to both the campus and local communities.

Poets and writers brought to campus include  Robert Hass  (U.S. Poet Laureate, Pulitzer Prize),  Carolyn Forché  (Yale Younger Poets, NEA and Lannan grants),  Khaled Hosseini  (NYT Bestseller List, SCU alumnus),  Viet Thanh Nguyen  (Pulitzer Prize, MacArthur Grant),  Tobias Wolff  (Pen/Faulkner Award, National Medal of the Arts),  Reyna Grande  (American Book Award, International Latino Book Award),  Gerald Stern  (National Book Award, Guggenheim),  Juan Felipé Herrera  (American Book Award, National Book Critics Circle Award, US Poet Laureate),  Dana Gioia  (American Book Award, Chair of NEA),  Rigoberto Gonzalez  (American Book Award, Guggenheim),  Raina Leon  (Cave Canem and MacDowell Fellow),  Jim Shepard  (Guggenheim Award, The Story Prize)  Alexandra Teague  (Stegner and NEA Fellowships), Norma Cantú (MLA Distinguished Scholar Award), and  Cheryl Dumesnil  (Agnes Lynch Starrett Prize, SCU alumna).

Students majoring or minoring in English and/or Creative Writing and those working on the Santa Clara Review from a variety of majors are actively engaged in planning, inviting, and organizing the series, in close collaboration with faculty. This involvement gives undergraduates hands-on experience with the fields of writing, publishing, and public relations, while also ensuring that the series continues to speak to our campus population. The faculty-student collaboration that undergirds the series is also mirrored in interdisciplinary collaboration on campus and in community collaboration off campus. 

In the last few years, over two dozen SCU students who have studied Creative Writing have been accepted into M.A., M.F.A., and Ph.D. programs in Creative Writing at University of Virginia, University of Iowa, Syracuse University, New York University, San Francisco State, University of Denver, University of Montana, University of Arizona, Bennington College, UC Davis, Brown University, San Diego State University, San Jose State University, USC, among others. Several have received prestigious fellowships and teaching assistantships to these universities. English major alumni include Neal Jimenez, who won first prize at the Sundance Film Festival for his film, Waterdance, and Jeff Brazil, who won a Pulitzer Prize in Journalism.

  • Jerald Enos - Theater and Dance
  • Francisco Jimenez, Tonia Riviello - Modern Languages
  • Diane Dreher, Ron Hansen, Claudia MonPere McIsaac - English

Kirk Glaser, Claudia MonPere McIsaac, Cory Wade, Juan Velasco

Fiction and Screenwriting:

Kirk Glaser, Ron Hansen, David Keaton, Claudia MonPere McIsaac, Tim Myers, Juan Velasco

Nonfiction:

Simone Billings, Diane Dreher

For more information, contact:

Kirk Glaser

Director Creative Writing Program (408) 554-4384 Direct (408) 554-4837 Fax [email protected]

creative writing classes san jose

Bay Area Writing Project

Where writers grow.

Writing Programs for Rising 3rd - 12th Graders

A course or camp for every writer!

Over the past 35 years our youth programs have grown to include in person camps and courses for those entering 3rd through 12th grades, remote writing courses and international camp partnerships. We truly have a fit for every writer. 

Sponsored by the Bay Area Writing Project at UC Berkeley, our camps offer kids and teens a unique opportunity to develop their creative abilities and writing talents. Instructors are highly experienced classroom teachers who serve as BAWP Teacher-Consultants and who make it their goal to instill in each camper an appreciation, excitement and enjoyment of writing.

Explore our camp website ( bawpwritingcamp.org ) for a list of all our current and upcoming offerings. 

creative writing classes san jose

Young Writers Camps (rising 3rd through 9th)

 Our  Young Writers Camps   offer a relaxed atmosphere where campers will receive specific writing instruction and conference individually with teachers to build and reinforce their writing skills. The camps are for students who like to write! They are not remedial writing camps. Students will have time to explore their writing interests, discover their strengths, and learn more about the craft of writing. The camps provide in-depth writing instruction, extended periods of writing time, flexibility in writing assignments, and daily time to share writing with peers.

creative writing classes san jose

High School Writing Courses (rising 9th - 12th Graders)

This summer, join us for our High School Writing Courses , unique writing classes held at UC Berkeley. There is always something for everyone; from a 4-week genre mash-up course to 1-week courses that focus on popular topics like Journalism. You will be able to explore your interests, discover your strengths and take writing risks that you might not be able to in a traditional classroom setting. 

creative writing classes san jose

International Partnerships

BAWP is always looking for ways to work with students and teachers outside the Bay Area.

Partnerships on hold:

ULink (ISS-ULink): In an exciting partnership by the Bay Area Writing Project, and International Schools Services and ULink (ISS-ULink), BAWP is holding Youth Writing Camps in Guangdong, China. Created for Chinese national students, the camps offer Chinese students highly interactive, creative and challenging classes in a carefully structured environment for English language learners.

WFCC International Program:   This summer BAWP will be partnering with CFM Educational Services to provide a rigorous 4-week writing program, Writing Foundation for College & Career, for visiting International students. 

Please submit inquiries about this program to:

CFM Educational Services Email:  [email protected]

Third Classroom and The Bay Area Writing Project:  BAWP and Third Classroom will provide a 12-hour, six-session online course on composing an effective argument for delivering a persuasive speech on a topic of individual student interest.

Visit the Health Advisories website for the latest vaccination and mask information and to Report a Case.

Questions about FAFSA and CADAA?

Visit our Financial Aid and Scholarship Office for updated information, workshops and FAQs.

Department of English and Comparative Literature

Certificate Program in Professional and Technical Writing

The Bay Area needs well-trained technical writers who can communicate clearly to different audiences. SJSU’s Professional and Technical Writing (PTW) program has been training writers and editors for the workplace for over 40 years. Hundreds of our graduates work at companies in the Bay Area and beyond.

We have a strong job-placement record and relationships with many local employers. Even with the news of recent layoffs, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that demand for technical writers will continue to increase for the foreseeable future, especially in our region. Employees with strong technical writing and professional communication skills are needed in a variety of workplaces and fields, from high-tech companies and advertising firms to nonprofit organizations and publishers. Silicon Valley has the most openings for tech writers nationally and pays higher salaries than anywhere else in the United States.

Our certificate program consists of four classes (two required, two electives) taken alongside our PTW major and minor students.

Core Classes, both required:

  • English 106 : Professional and Technical Editing
  • English 107 : Professional and Technical Writing

Electives (Select 2):

  • English 110 : UX Design and Visual Communication
  • English 111 : Strategic Digital Content and Social Media Writing
  • English 129 : Writing for Professional Publications

Note: Some other English classes (such as ENGL 103, ENGL 105, ENG 157, and ENGL 133) can be substituted for an elective if the need arises. Contact the PTW advisor for this option.

Assignments vary depending on course content but will include proposals, instructions, tech manuals, social media campaigns, formal reports, tutorial videos, and a variety of business communications. We also teach graphic communication skills, interviewing techniques, copyediting and document review, and the specific requirements of technical writing. Students come out of our classes with strong job documents, portfolio-ready pieces, and a network of mentors and colleagues.

Admission Requirements: Certificate students must have completed a bachelor’s degree at an accredited 4-year institution or an international equivalent.

Quick Facts

  • The certificate program generally takes two semesters to complete. Most certificate students take two classes a semester. The certificate can be completed in one intense semester, but please check with our program administrator to make sure all the classes are available.
  • The certificate is mostly in-person. While some individual classes might be offered online, our program focuses on in-class collaboration and team-based projects.
  • Most classes meet during the day. Because you will be attending the same classes as our undergraduate majors, classes are generally between 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Monday-Thursday. Classes are offered in the Fall and Spring semesters.
  • Most classes are only available in fall and spring semesters. There may be a class or two occasionally taught over the summer, but most of our classes are taught during the regular school year.
  • Enroll through Open University. Because you aren’t enrolling as a full-time student working towards a degree, you register for your classes through Open University, a way for community members to attend SJSU classes. The certificate program parallels these tracks within a degree program but offers non-matriculated students a stand-alone program for completing the same training.
  • Contact the program advisor (Dr. Mark Thompson, [email protected]) with any questions! Yes, you can talk easily with a real person about the certificate.
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Get started today, english (engl).

ENGL 001A     English Composition     3 Units

Students will learn the skills necessary for writing college level compositions. Students learn expository writing, critical reading, and research techniques. Students will also learn to write academic essays including a documented research paper in conventional format using MLA style. English 001A is the first transfer level English course. (C-ID ENGL 100)

Lecture Hours: 3  Lab Hours: None  Repeatable: No  Grading: L

Prerequisite: Continuing students must complete ENGL 092 and READ 101 or ESL 091 ; all with C or better. New students will be placed based on the results of assessment.

Advisory Level: Read: None Write: None Math: None

CSU GE: A2   IGETC: 1A   District GE: A2

ENGL 001B     English Composition     3 Units

English 001B is a second semester college composition course. Students will study expository and argumentative writing directed toward an analysis of ideas and concepts from a wide variety of literature. Students will read fiction, drama, poetry, and essays critically reading in these genres for the purpose of writing. (C-ID ENGL_120)

Prerequisite: ENGL 001A with C or better.

CSU GE: C2   IGETC: 3B   District GE: C2

ENGL 001C     Critical Thinking/Composition     3 Units

Students will learn to identify the basic structures of arguments and the ways people use language to fortify or to falsify arguments. This course presents the techniques of critical reasoning and advanced composition. Students will analyze and demonstrate these techniques by writing and critiquing essays. This course is specifically designed to meet the IGETC critical thinking requirement. (C-ID ENGL 105)

Prerequisite: ENGL 001A with C or better

CSU GE: A3   IGETC: 1B   District GE: A3

ENGL 010     Great Works of Literature     3 Units

Students will read works considered influential throughout the world. The analysis of form, style, and rhetoric will lead students to an understanding of what comprises great literature. The course is designed to heighten critical awareness of universal themes in literature.

Prerequisite: ENGL 092 and READ 101 or ESL 091 ; all with C or better

ENGL 033     Women in Literature     3 Units

Students will be introduced to literature focusing on images of women as depicted in drama, short stories, poetry, essays and novels. The relationship of self to characters in the literature will also be examined.

Prerequisite: READ 101 and ENGL 092 or ESL 091 all with C or better, or placement based on assessment

Advisory Level: Read: 3 Write: 3 Math: None

CSU GE: C2, D   IGETC: 3B   District GE: C2, D, ES

ENGL 065     The Short Story     3 Units

Students will develop the ability to analyze and interpret the short story. Elements of fiction, critical literary approaches, historical context, author-biographical information, and techniques for writing about literature will be covered.

ENGL 071A     Fundamentals of Creative Writing/Poetry     3 Units

Students will be introduced to the fundamentals of writing poetry, such as figurative language, and will explore poetic forms, including the sonnet, blank verse, ballad, haiku, villanelle, and free verse. Students will discuss and analyze poems written by published writers and by their classmates. (C-ID ENGL 200 when combined with ENGL 071B )

CSU GE: C2   IGETC: None   District GE: C2

ENGL 071B     Fundamentals of Creative Writing/Fiction     3 Units

Students are introduced to techniques in fiction writing, such as description, setting, theme, character development, narration, short story, novella, and the novel. Students will read and produce works of fiction. (C-ID ENGL 200 when combined with ENGL 071A )

ENGL 071C     Fundamentals of Creative Writing/Drama     3 Units

Students are introduced to the principles and forms of drama such as conflict, setting, timing, pace, dialogue, scene-building, radio or television plays, one-act, and full-length plays for the theatre. Students will produce a portfolio of drama.

ENGL 073     Introduction to Shakespeare     3 Units

Students will study Shakespeare as a major figure in literary history. Through examination of selected works, students will recognize the immense contribution Shakespeare's texts have had, and continue to have, in the modern world's literary, artistic, and cultural compositions. This course is designed to increase the awareness on the part of the student with regards to the contributions Shakespeare's works have had on society, and to increase the appreciation of those works' influence and artistic construction.

Advisory Level: Read: 4 Write: 4 Math: None

ENGL 079     Memoir Writing     3 Units

Students will study the characterics and techniques of memoir writing. They will analyze styles employed by authors in diverse autobiographical works. Students will incorporate this knowledge into their own autobiographical exercises.

ENGL 080     Mexican-American Literature     3 Units

Students will study the literary contributions of both Mexican and Mexican-American writers from the early 20th Century to the present. The course is designed to heighten critical awareness of the image of the Mexican-American in distinct genres of literature. The focus is on the relationship of the literature to society and the various themes contained in the literature.

CSU GE: C2, D   IGETC: 3B, 4   District GE: C2, D, ES

ENGL 081     Introduction to African American Literature     3 Units

Students are introduced to African American literature from the late 18th century to the present. The focus of the course is on African American literature as it relates to culture, society, and ideology. Topics such as heritage, racial pride, political struggle for respect, and gender issues will be included. Students will read representative literature including poetry, essays, short stories, drama, and novels from major periods of African American writing that influenced society. The course is designed to heighten awareness of African American literature as a major contribution to American literature.

ENGL 084A     Survey of American Literature I     3 Units

Students will study the progression of American literature from its beginning to 1865 with emphasis on social and cultural backgrounds. This course includes works of writers of the Colonial, Revolutionary, and Romantic periods. (C-ID ENGL 130)

ENGL 084B     Survey of American Literature II     3 Units

Students will study the progression of American literature from 1865 to the present with emphasis on social and cultural backgrounds. This course includes works of writers of the Realist, Naturalist, Modernist, and Contemporary movements. (C-ID ENGL 135)

Prerequisite: ENGL 092 and READ 101 or ESL 091 ; all with C or better or placement based on assessment.

ENGL 086A     Survey of British Literature I     3 Units

Students are introduced to the development of British literature from its beginnings in the 8th Century AD through the 18th Century. Students will read and discuss examples of epic, lyric, drama, and prose writings. (C-ID ENGL 160)

ENGL 086B     Survey of British Literature II     3 Units

Students are introduced to British Literature from the 18th Century AD through the present day. Students will read and discuss examples of epic, lyric, drama, and prose writings. (C-ID ENGL 165)

ENGL 092     Essay Development     4 Units

Students will focus on the writing of short compositions in response to readings reflecting sentence variety, syntactic complexity, and paragraph efficiency using a variety of rhetorical modes. Students will also read college-level materials and write responses to the readings. Students will edit compositions for punctuation, spelling, and capitalization errors. This course prepares students for English 001A, the General Education transfer English Composition course.

Lecture Hours: 4  Lab Hours: None  Repeatable: No  Grading: K

Prerequisite: New students will be placed based on the results of assessment.

CSU GE: None   IGETC: None   District GE: None

ENGL 098     Directed Study     0.5-9 Units

Individual or small groups of students who would benefit from Independent Study under the direction of faculty members in specific or related disciplines may develop individualized learning contracts designed to enhance their individual instructional programs. The students and the faculty member in consultation with the Division Dean will determine appropriate learning objectives and activities as well as the number of units to be earned. Instructions and the Learning Contract forms are available in the Division office. Repeatable to a maximum of 9 units across all disciplines.

Lecture Hours: None  Lab Hours: 2.07  Repeatable: Yes  Grading: O

ENGL 120     College Composition Skills Support     2 Units

Students will develop writing and critical thinking skills to enhance success in ENGL 001A . This is a supplemental support course for ENGL 001A . Students will practice a variety of writing and revision techniques and build research literacy. Topics may include essay organization, writing for an audience, using college level diction and tone, and self-reflective strategies for revision. This course must be taken concurrently with ENGL 001A .

Lecture Hours: 2  Lab Hours: None  Repeatable: No  Grading: O

Read: None Write: None Math: None

ENGL 587     Essay Exam Practice: WST & CBEST     0 Units

This non-credit course offers transfer bound and other students an opportunity to strengthen their grammar and language awareness, focusing specifically on the Writing Skills Test (WST) and other related tests of the CSU system as well as the California Basic Educational Skills Test (CBEST). The course offers an overview of English sentence structure; practice in identifying and correcting errors in writing; and practice in timed writing.

Lecture Hours: 2  Lab Hours: None  Repeatable: Yes  Grading: N

Open Curriculum: No prerequisite, corequisite or levels

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Your teenager may be a soft-spoken poet, a boisterous street painter or an amazing manga artist. But whatever their artistic style and no matter how advanced their skills, they can find a big canvas for exploring their creativity at the Bay Area’s many art and writing summer camps. Camps range from half-day classes in cozy storefronts to weeks-long institutes at local universities. Class topics are just as diverse. Writing camps range from flash fiction to journalism, while art camps run the gamut from impressionistic painting to digital art boot camp. Many offer camps for younger kids as well. While some of the teenage students at these camps already see themselves as artists, others are just beginning to discover their artistic side, camp leaders say. Most teens are so busy with college-entry tests, academics and athletics that they rarely have the chance to unfurl their creative wings; summer camp gives them time and license to do so. And while building technique is a goal of all the camps, also important is helping each teen discover his or her distinctive voice and style. “Every student is an artist, with unique vision, creative ideas and favorite themes,” says Maria Zhalnina, creative director of the Art School of San Francisco Bay, echoing other camp directors. “We support each creative individual, gently guide them through all steps of creative process. And we make sure that each camp’s theme allows creative freedom.”  But creativity for its own sake is only one of the benefits of arts education, camp leaders say. Forbes magazine recently listed creativity and writing skills as number two and four, respectively, of the top seven job skills desired by employers. If your teen has a heart for art, here is a sampling of the camps they can attend. Camps are listed in order from half-day programs to more intensive courses. WRITING CAMPS Ripe Fruit Teen Writing Camp Inspiring young writers to fall in love with the English language is a mission for Leslie Kirk Campbell, director of Ripe Fruit Teen Writing Camp in San Francisco. Kirk Campbell’s camp, held in a homey Edwardian, offers weeklong sessions on general creative writing in the morning for middle-school students and afternoon for high-school students. “She teaches that a word isn’t just a word,” says Alexa Crandall, 14, of San Francisco, who has attended three of Kirk Campbell’s camps. “It can show emotion and specific meaning. It can bring the reader into the light that the author wants to express.” Each day, Kirk Campbell leads her class through three or four fun and challenging writing exercises that are designed to get their creativity flowing. “We don’t jump into writing stories or essays without first falling in love with the language itself,” Kirk Campbell explains. The students might arrive to find something surprising on the front steps ‒ a variety of hats or shoes, large art books or strange objects, which will become part of a writing project that day. Another time, they might cut several phrases out of short stories and paste them together randomly to make unique poems. Each day, they make up new names for themselves, and while sitting in Ripe Fruit’s comfortable chairs, they come up with qualities of their new character to build their descriptive vocabulary and learn about character development. Kirk Campbell, who has won writing awards, also guides students through various elements of fiction ‒ theme, character, setting, conflict, perspective and voice. She becomes a mentor to her students by offering specific pointers. She tells them when she sees their writing grow and improve. “They can see that I’m excited by specific elements in their writing,” Kirk Campbell says. “They can see that I totally believe in them, which liberates them to be adventurous and free.” Alexa says the experience made her “more comfortable and confident in my writing. At school, I know I can get my point across.” “I am always blown away by what young people can write if you just give them freedom and permission to write from their hearts,” Kirk Campbell says. Weeklong, 3.5-hour classes are $295. See www.ripefruitwriting.com. Berkeley Teen Writing Camp Held on the iconic University of California, Berkeley campus, this camp features weeklong classes, both half- and full-day, for 9th- to 12th-graders on nine topics –  ranging from academic writing to sports writing. The instructors, all professionals in their topics, lead the students through the fundamentals of composition while also emphasizing the fun of it, says Katherine Suyeyasu, director of the UC Berkeley Bay Area Writing Project (BAWP), which puts on the camp. There’s no sitting quietly and copying lines here; camp is active and engaging, no matter the topic. “In our Backpack Reporter camp, students might learn about investigative journalism techniques by conducting their own field interviews,” Suyeyasu says. “At another camp, such as Engage and Write, writers might wander the campus and write in place for inspiration. Writers in the Rebellious Writing camp might start their day with critically analyzing a current event to inspire their writing.” This last class is for opinionated risk-takers “who aren’t afraid to tell it like they see it,” the BAWP website says. To make all their students want to take risks and experiment in their writing, instructors focus on building a sense of community in each camp. That involves developing a supportive peer group and arranging a comfortable space to share their work. Famous writers don’t usually create stories on their own, Suyeyasu points out. “They are supported by a larger community of writers. Sharing writing allows writers to get feedback and new ideas.” For parents and students who are wondering if they want to spend their summer sharpening their writing skills, Suyeyasu offers, “Writing is important not only for college and career success, it is also a way for our voices to be heard. Whether you want to be a journalist, travel writer, musician, politician, activist… or veterinarian, writing is a powerful tool for communication and self-expression. Even famous athletes need to write their best-selling memoirs!” Half-day classes start at $320 per week, full-day classes at $580. A course titled “The Personal Statement: From Zero to Bang in Five Days” is held in Marin as well Berkeley. Learn more at bawpwritingcamp.org . San Jose Teen Writing Institute Teens who are ready to immerse themselves in the world of writing may want to consider downtown San Jose’s Teen Writing Institute. Open to 8 th – to 12 th -graders, the camp is 5 ½  hours a day for two weeks and takes place at San Jose State University. All instructors are published authors of young adult literature or are teacher consultants with the San Jose Area Writing Project, says Kate Flowers, the writing project’s associate director. One teacher, for example, is Hannah Jayne, an author of young adult novels including the Underworld Detective Agency series. All are experienced teachers who love working with teens. Meeting expert writers and hearing their advice had a noticeable impact on his writing, says Jacob Pustelnik,16, of San Jose  who attended last year’s institute. “I was able to learn how to write like ‘high level’ authors,” Jacob says. “I implemented new literary devices to emphasize specific sections within a writing piece.” This year, journalism and creative writing courses will be offered, as well as possibly screenplay writing, digital storytelling, academic writing, character building and world building, although the course topics aren’t finalized. Students typically choose one workshop to attend each week. While the instructors are free to structure the class to meet their goals, most of them incorporate writing games, time for sharing and excursions onto the SJSU campus, Flowers says. Teachers lead the projects, but the students often have the freedom to take them in the direction they want. For instance, in the screenwriting class last year, the students decided to write and perform a musical. “It was a huge hit, and came about organically as the class developed a silly idea into an amazing collaboration,” Flowers says. While it’s called an institute, the program starts later than school, and Flowers says it’s more relaxed and lighthearted as well. “Classes are small, and we get to know each other well,” Flowers says. “Amazing things happen to young writers who aren’t burdened with the pressures of grades or homework. Writers grow by trying out new things in an encouraging environment with supportive feedback from other skilled writers, and that is exactly what TWI campers get.”  The two-week institute is $500 before May 1 or $650 after. For information, see sjawp.org/ssp . ART CAMPS Museum of Children’s Arts (MOCHA) Youth Camp For teens whose artistic interests aren’t so much verbal as visual, the Museum of Children’s Arts (MOCHA) in Oakland offers half-day camps for 12- to 16-year-olds. The weeklong courses are in six different disciplines, including street painting, sculpture, comic art, natural arts, drawing and painting, with each taught by an expert craftsperson who aims to inspire the artist in their students. “At MOCHA we believe everyone is an artist,” Haldun Morgan, MOCHA’s marketing manager, says. “Each day will be a creative and productive experience for all involved.” That proves to be the case in the street painting class taught by Zachary Greer, whose art is displayed publicly in San Francisco, North Carolina and Texas. Greer’s students will experiment not only with acrylic paints, but with paint markers, pastels, clay, stencils and other materials that can be used in street art. They’ll start by creating a small sketch and expand it into a larger piece or mural, Greer says. And they’ll invent a name or street tag that they’ll use to sign their art. “I know many street artists, and some may come and talk to the kids,” Greer says. “We don’t get to paint on the street, but we will take a tour of street art downtown and we’ll look for the names and the styles.” Back in the colorful studios at MOCHA, students will check out the work of prolific street artists from around the world and practice some of their techniques and styles. A lesson on how to seek permission from property owners, get commissioned and not break the law is also on the schedule. At the end of each session, family and friends are invited to celebrate the week’s masterpieces. Any thought that art is just for girls is dispelled by classes like street painting. “Boys get into it, and girls really get into it as well,” Greer says. The camp is $200 per week. More information can be found at mocha.org/museum/youth-camp . Art School of San Francisco Bay With several locations and a large portfolio of camps, the Art School of San Francisco Bay has something to offer nearly any teenage art aficionado on the west side of the bay. Weeklong courses for teens include manga, advanced manga, comic art, stop motion animation and fan art and can be taken either in half- or full-day segments at studios in San Francisco, Mountain View and San Jose. A digital painting and drawing camp is held on summer Saturdays and a 3D-modeling camp on Sundays in Mountain View. Impressionist painting camps for kids up to age 14 are held in Palo Alto, Mountain View and San Francisco. One thing these camps have in common is their focus on technique-building, says Maria Zhalnina, the art school’s creative director. “Yes, the students have fun at the camp,” Zhalnina says. “Yes, they create artwork that will add to their portfolios. But most importantly, they bring home a whole new set of skills that helps them to improve their performance dramatically.” Some techniques they learn apply to many disciplines, such as methods for representing human anatomy or shadow and light, and others are specific to the course. In the manga class, for example, students learn the shoujo and shounen styles and practice with Copic markers. In impressionist landscape camp, students practice the impasto technique and learn about the effets de soir or impact of sunset and twilight. Though each camp follows a curriculum, teachers offer students room to experiment. Often, they literally move out into the wide-open space for inspiration. In Mountain View, campers visit the nearby Heritage Park. The Palo Alto impressionistic landscape camp meets at Foothill Park, while San Francisco campers spend time at the Botanical Garden and the DeYoung Museum in Golden Gate Park, as well as in the school’s own backyard. Many of the teenagers, already excellent artists, end up teaching each other. Still, they benefit from receiving instruction from a teacher with a trained eye and a wide scope of experience, Zhalnina says. In one advanced manga camp, for instance, the students were particularly skilled, but they always drew one character at a time and never placed it in a context. “We decided to help them move their skills to the next level and make a comic page with a story, interesting composition, cool characters, etc.,” Zhalnina says. “The biggest challenge was to finish in time! The results were amazing.” Three-hour camp is $250 per week; 6.5-hour camp is $475. See www.artschoolsfbay.com . Stanford Summer Art Institute Teens who are so passionate about the arts that they’re thinking of making it their career can find the support and instruction they need at the Stanford Summer Art Institute. The institute offers high school students ages 14 to 17 a choice of one of six courses in music, photography, architecture, visual arts, product design or a mix of these, during three-week overnight sessions on the Stanford campus. The instructors come from the university’s art and academic community, and each one designs the course according to her or his distinctive style and expertise. Classes are small ‒ usually less than 15 students – and students participate hands-on , performing, composing and creating alongside peers who share their passion. Art students, for example, learn about product design, applying tools such as CAD, Photoshop and Illustrator to build new product prototypes . Architecture students observe scale and form while sketching structural plans on the Stanford campus. Photography pupils play with story, composition and light as they take field photos and refine them for a portfolio by the end of the session . The experience is intensive and inspiring, says Diana Sunshine, communications director for Stanford Pre-Collegiate Studies. She adds that camp organizers often hear from students, “’It’s the most transformative experience I’ve ever had.’” “They learn a great amount of material in a short time,” she says. “They learn, ‘I can do a whole bunch of amazing things.'” Students not only gain confidence in their artistic and social skills, but they learn they’re capable of attending a school like Stanford. They also begin to see the arts as a viable career. “They usually hear a lot of, ‘You should never go into the arts. You’ll never make a living.'” Sunshine says. “We hear from them afterward that they believe they can …make a good living. An exact quote from a student is you ‘can go into the arts and be successful doing what you love.’ They’re jazzed!” Candidates must submit an application with artwork, written responses, test scores and teacher recommendations. The institute has a rolling deadline this spring until the program is full. The $6,000 fee includes field trips, housing, dining and supervision. Scholarships are available. Information on the art institute and nine other Stanford pre-collegiate summer institutes ranging from writing to bioscience can be found at spcs.stanford.edu .

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The following roadmap is a sample advising map to complete the degree program in four years. Please consult your  MyPlanner  and  major advisor    as you develop your individualized academic plan. Students must have completed 60+ units in order to enroll in SJSU Studies courses.

Year 1  |  Year 2  |  Year 3  |  Year 4

Fall Semester (15 units)

  • GE Area D    +  US123     3 unit(s)
  • ENGL 1A - First Year Writing     3 unit(s)   (A2)
  • GE Area A1     3 unit(s)
  • GE Area B1+B3     3 unit(s) *
  • GE Area E     3 unit(s)

Spring Semester (15 units)

  • ENGL 2 - Critical Thinking and Writing     3 unit(s)   (A3)
  • GE Area B2+B3     3 unit(s) *
  • GE Area B4     3 unit(s)
  • GE Area F     3 unit(s)
  • Foreign Language Requirement  5 unit(s)
  • GE Area C1 or C2     3 unit(s)
  • ENGL 71 - Creative Writing     3 unit(s)   (C2)
  • ENGL 50 - Beginnings to the American Experiment     OR   ENGL 70 - Emerging Modernisms and Beyond     3 unit(s)
  • Physical Education  1 unit(s)
  • Writing Skills Test (WST) - Taken and Passed
  • Foreign Language Requirement 5  unit(s)
  • GE Area C1     3 unit(s)
  • ENGL 60 - Literatures of the Atlantic World, 1680‐1860     4 unit(s)
  • University Elective - Lower or Upper Division  3 unit(s)
  • ENGL 100W - Writing Workshop     4 unit(s)   (WID)
  • ENGL 50 - Beginnings to the American Experiment     OR  ENGL 70 - Emerging Modernisms and Beyond     3 unit(s)
  • Creative Writing Concentration Elective  4 unit(s)
  • University Elective - Lower or Upper Division  4 unit(s)

Spring Semester (14-15 units)

  • SJSU Studies Area R     3 unit(s)
  • ENGL 144 - Shakespeare I     OR   ENGL 145 - Shakespeare and Performance     4 unit(s)
  • ENGL 165 - Black American Literatures     4 unit(s)   OR   ENGL 169 - Ethnicity in American Literature     (S)   3 unit(s)
  • Apply to Graduate
  • ENGL 123A - Literatures of the Americas   ,  ENGL 123B - Literatures of Africa   ,  ENGL 123C - Literatures of the Pacific   , OR   ENGL 123D - Literatures of Asia     3 unit(s)   (V)
  • SJSU Studies Area S     3 unit(s)
  • Major Elective - Upper Division  4 unit(s)

Roadmap Notes

Creative Writing Concentration Electives:  ENGL 130   ,  ENGL 131   ,  ENGL 133   ,  ENGL 135   ,  ENGL 178   .

* Either B1 or B2 must be taken with a  B3 - Laboratory   .

IMAGES

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  1. TOP 10 BEST Creative Writing Classes in San Jose, CA

    Top 10 Best Creative Writing Classes in San Jose, CA - May 2024 - Yelp - San Jose Learning Center, Write With Janet, A Work of Heart Studio, Simon Academics, Languages and Math Learning Center, Bay Area Acting Studio, Stanford University, The Theater Factory, Creative Escape, Smooth English

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  3. AWP: Guide to Writing Programs

    The program also features courses that provide hands-on preparation for beginning one's writing career in a globalized, technologically enhanced world. Situated in downtown San Jose, in the heart of Silicon Valley's cultural center, the MFA program offers students a portal into the writing life. SJSU is the literary incubator for Silicon Valley.

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    Top 10 Best Writing Classes in San Jose, CA - May 2024 - Yelp - Write With Janet, San Jose Learning Center, Languages and Math Learning Center, Think Academy, Elite Home Tutoring, Simon Academics, Silver Creek Academy, Dan Berman Writing & Editing Services, Insight Education, The Tutoring Center Milpitas.

  5. Creative Writing Classes San Jose: Best Courses & Activities

    Creative Writing Classes in San Jose are rated 4.4 stars based on 2,482 verified reviews from actual CourseHorse.com purchasers. Creative Writing Workshop - All Genre. Reviewed by Colinda G. on 3/6/2023 . It was my first time ever trying to write. The exercises given where nice and fun to do even though English isn't my first language.

  6. MFA Program

    Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing Information. ... literature seminars, professional training courses, and internships. Funding: ... holds readings, discussions, and master classes with writers of exceptional voice and vision in San Jose since 1986. Guests since 2007 include E.L. Doctorow, Denis Johnson, ZZ Packer, Mary Roach, Salman ...

  7. Writers Workshop

    Writers Workshop. CLA Writers Workshops are open to individuals of all backgrounds--including those who are exploring creative writing for the first time--as well as aspiring writers who want to prepare their work for publication. Workshops are modeled on graduate-level creative writing courses, and may include short in-class writing ...

  8. San Jose Area Writing Project

    Teen Writers Institute. The Teen Writers Institute is in-person for 2023! This summer writing program for teens offers a curriculum designed to develop and support students' imaginative and academic writing across literary genres. The Teen Writers Institute features guest presenters, authors and various workshop choices for 8th to 12th graders.

  9. Writing Classes San Jose: Best Courses & Activities

    Writing Classes in San Jose are rated 4.5 stars based on 1,868 verified reviews from actual CourseHorse.com purchasers. Creative Writing Workshop - All Genre Reviewed by Colinda G. on 3/6/2023

  10. BA with Concentration in Creative Writing

    The undergraduate concentration in Creative Writing invites students to become involved in the creation of new literary art. Like all English majors, Creative Writing concentrators begin their studies with the three-course Transatlantic survey sequence, giving them a solid grounding in literary history. Later, they take writing workshops in ...

  11. Creative Writing Minor

    Participating Faculty. For more information, contact: For more information, contact: Kirk Glaser. Director Creative Writing Program. (408) 554-4384 Direct. (408) 554-4837 Fax. [email protected].

  12. Top 10 Best creative writing workshop Near San Jose, California

    The class was $99 for 2 hours…" more. 5. FUHSD Adult School. 3.7 (13 reviews) Adult Education. "This Review is for the Beginning and Intermediate Digital Photography courses. Noella Vigeant teaches digital photography classes at the Sunnyvale-Cupertino…" more. 6. Community School of Music and Arts.

  13. Youth Programs

    Over the past 35 years our youth programs have grown to include in person camps and courses for those entering 3rd through 12th grades, remote writing courses and international camp partnerships. We truly have a fit for every writer. Sponsored by the Bay Area Writing Project at UC Berkeley, our camps offer kids and teens a unique opportunity to ...

  14. Creative Writing, MFA

    San José State University online acadmic catalog, a comprehensive source for current information on academic programs, policies, degree requirements, procedures and course offerings. ... Demonstrate ability in Creative Writing by submitting a creative writing portfolio in Fiction (20-30 pages), Creative Nonfiction (20-30 pages), Poetry (10 ...

  15. Certificate Program in Professional and Technical Writing

    Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing; Creative Writing Student and Alumni Achievements; ... and the specific requirements of technical writing. Students come out of our classes with strong job documents, portfolio-ready pieces, and a network of mentors and colleagues. ... San Jose, CA 95192-0090 Make a Gift. Give to the English Department.

  16. English (ENGL) < CourseLeaf

    Schedule of Classes; Transcripts; Student Support Services; ... ENGL 071B Fundamentals of Creative Writing/Fiction 3 Units. Students are introduced to techniques in fiction writing, such as description, setting, theme, character development, narration, short story, novella, and the novel. ... San Jose, CA 95128 (408) 298-2181. Apply; Campus ...

  17. Creative Writing Workshops » Bridge Eight Press

    Poetry. Special Collections. Submit. Find Your Words This summer Bridge Eight Press has partnered with MOCA Jacksonville to offer two, six-week creative writing workshops. Each workshop will cap at 10 participants and meet for two to three hours at a time over the span of six weeks. Each session will focus on elevating your craft in your genre of.

  18. Creative Writing Workshops and Classes SF South Bay

    Creative Writing classes in the San Jose area.

  19. Top 10 Best Writing Workshop in San Jose, CA

    See more reviews for this business. Top 10 Best Writing Workshop in San Jose, CA - October 2023 - Yelp - Write With Janet, English Language Communication Coaching by SEG, Elite Prep Cupertino, Silicon Valley Speaks, San Jose Learning Center, Yes You Can Speak, Aperture Academy, Huntington Learning Center, Upward Path Institute, Voices of Our ...

  20. Camps for Creative Teens

    Weeklong, 3.5-hour classes are $295. See www.ripefruitwriting.com. Berkeley Teen Writing Camp. Held on the iconic University of California, Berkeley campus, this camp features weeklong classes, both half- and full-day, for 9th- to 12th-graders on nine topics - ranging from academic writing to sports writing. The instructors, all professionals ...

  21. Program: English, Creative Writing Concentration, BA (2022-2023)

    San José State University online acadmic catalog, a comprehensive source for current information on academic programs, policies, degree requirements, procedures and course offerings. ... Students must have completed 60+ units in order to enroll in SJSU Studies courses. ... Creative Writing Concentration Elective ...

  22. How good is the Creative Writing Program? : r/SJSU

    Sometimes students turn in bad writing for a workshop. Maybe they just tried something different and it didn't work. It's easy to get dejected or to have a shut down conversation when this happens and sometimes students disengage. In the two classes I took from Prof. Taylor that never happened. Source: BA '06 and MA '10 from SJSU English Dept.