Curriculum

Beginning with the 2018-2020 Undergraduate Catalog, the Creative Writing Certificate program requires eighteen semester hours of coursework, including at least nine hours completed in residence:

Part I

Six semester hours of coursework from English (E), Radio-Television-Film, or Theatre and Dance (TD).

At the time of application to the Creative Writing Certificate, students must be enrolled in (or have completed) these courses. Many E, RTF, and T D courses fulfill University and School/College Core requirements; students should choose courses that align with their degree plan. Additionally, students should opt for courses that will best inform their creative writing (e.g., prospective poets should consider a poetry course).

Part II

A three-semester sequence in a chosen genre:

Fiction: CRW 325F, CRW 340F, and CRW 355F

Poetry: CRW 325P, CRW 340P, and CRW 355P

Students are expected to enroll in the courses above in consecutive semesters upon admission. Special sections of these courses will be reserved exclusively for certificate students. Students who plan to be away from UT-Austin for a semester (e.g., for study abroad) should consult with the Director of the program about options.

Part III

Three additional hours of Creative Writing coursework:

CRW 315F, Introduction to Writing Fiction

CRW 315P, Introduction to Writing Poetry

CRW 325, Topics in Creative Writing (any topic)

CRW 325E, Personal Essay

CRW 325F, Fiction Writing

CRW 325M, Creative Writing

CRW 325P, Poetry Writing

CRW 330, Literature for Writers

E 324, Business of Writing

RTF 333, Introduction to Screenwriting

T D 315, Playwriting I

Other Catalogs

Requirements for students following earlier catalogs—generally, students who enrolled at UT-Austin prior to the fall of 2018—can be found here. If you are uncertain about your catalog assignment, please confer with your Academic Advisor.

Course Substitutions 

CRW 325M may substitute for either CRW 325F or CRW 325P.  Students who wish to substitute courses in transfer toward certificate requirements should provide a course syllabus to the Director of the program; please note that lower-division courses (CRW 301-320 or CRW 3 HRS on a UT-Austin academic record) may NOT apply toward the core sequence (Part II above).