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For complete information, please refer to the Brandeis University Bulletin.

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Senior Creative Writing Honors Project Option: 

One semester of ENG 96a or 96b, as an eleventh course required for the major.

Students interested in this option should consult with the Director of Creative Writing within the first month of the semester prior to the proposed study to discuss application guidelines and an adviser for the project, usually a senior faculty member the student has worked with before.

Normally, all four workshop requirements (including two from the 19/39a/79b/109/119 categories) will have been completed prior to the start of the project, and all but two of the literature/studio art requirements.

The project will culminate in a creative body of work of high standard smaller in scope than the book-length thesis. A 25-page chapbook of poetry, for example, or 50 pages of fiction: several short stories or a novella.

Recommendation for departmental honors will be made by the creative writing faculty to the English department based on the excellence of the student's record in the major, and the creative work as exemplified in the honors project.

Poetry or Fiction Thesis Option:

Eleven semester courses are required. The directed writing requirement is reduced to a minimum of three semester courses in directed writing (poetry, prose or both).  Two of the required workshops should be from the 109 or 119 categories. Also required is the satisfactory completion of two semesters of the Senior Creative Writing Thesis (ENG 96d).

ENG 96d (Senior Creative Writing Thesis)
The student will produce, under the direction of his or her adviser, a body of writing (usually a book of poems, collection of stories or a novel) of appropriate scope (two semesters). The poetry or fiction thesis option major also requires an essay on a tutorial bibliography: a list of eight to twelve books, chosen by the candidate in collaboration with the thesis adviser and/or the director of creative writing in the candidate's genre. The essay will be due at the end of the senior year, along with the thesis.  Further details on the annotated bibliography can be found below.

Admission to the poetry or fiction thesis option in creative writing is by application only. Admission will be decided by the creative writing faculty on completion by the student of ENG 1A or 11a, and at least one course from the 19, 39a, 79b, 109, or 119 directed writing courses. The deadline for admission falls sometime in April, depending on the Academic Calendar.  Students are notified by the end of the spring examination period.  Detailed instructions for both honors options can be found here.

Recommendations for honors in the creative writing major will be made to the English department by the creative writing faculty, based on the student's work as exemplified by the senior thesis.

A student majoring in creative writing may double-major in English  or minor in English.

Annotated Bibliography
Detailed instructions on completing the annotated bibliography can be found here for fiction and here for poetry.