The academic requirements for writing represent a specialized course of study within the larger context of a diverse liberal arts education. Not only are these requirements designed to provide a focused and rigorous approach to the core concepts of the discipline, but they also allow ample opportunities for exploration in other subjects and departments throughout the university. By studying writing at DePauw, you will develop comprehensive expertise in your field while enjoying the benefits of a well-rounded education.
Ten plus one fine or performing arts
ENG 149, ENG 349, and ENG 412.
One Reading & Literature course (ENG 141, 151, 171, 181, 191); one course at the 200-level; three courses in writing at the 300-level; one course in literature at the 300-level; and one cultural competency course at any level (AFST 240, ENG 171, 263, 265, 266, 268, 269, 398 or other topics course designated by the instructor). Note: students must take at least one English course with this designation, but it cannot be for a course that is being used to meet their university-wide PPD requirement.
Six (including 3 writing courses, one literature course, ENG 349 and ENG 412)
The senior requirement consists of the completion of ENG 412 with a grade of C or better, as well as a thesis.
Students must complete a course in the fine arts or performing arts (.25, .5 or 1.0 credit). One off-campus study course may be counted for the English (Writing) major.
For students declaring the English (Writing) major after January, 2022, a cultural competency requirement must be satisfied with one of the courses listed above, or with a topics course designated by the instructor. English 232 (News Writing and Editing) no longer qualifies as one of the three required upper-level writing courses (but may count toward the 200-level course requirement). A literature survey course is no longer required and has been replaced by any 200-level course.
The English Writing Major prepares students to write in multiple genres, including fiction, poetry, journalism, nonfiction, and dramatic writing, as well as analytical prose such as interpretive essays and essays on craft. In writing workshops, students assist and critique one another as they develop their own writing. In the senior year, majors create a senior thesis in a particular genre accompanied by an artist's statement that serves as an introduction to their work.
By the end of senior year students should:
In addition to developing their craft in specific writing genres, writing majors learn to write analytically about their discipline. Building on the writing done in first-year seminar and the sophomore W class, students take English 349: Form and Genre, a literature class taught by creative writers, in which they engage in modeling exercises and analyze narrative structure, story and poetic forms, and creative techniques employed by master writers. In this class, students write papers that break down and synthesize their craft, examining how stories and poems are made, and how various effects are created. After their initial exposure to poetry, fiction, and dramatic writing and/or nonfiction in English 149, Introduction to Creative Writing, students take three 300-level genre courses in the writing workshop model. Majors also take one of five Reading Literature courses and three additional literature courses (or two literature and one hybrid literature/writing course or journalism course), where they write interpretative, scholarly papers about the texts they read and/or work on craft. Finally, in senior year, as part of their capstone seminar, students compose an artist's statement (a thoughtful summary of their ideas about writing in general and their own writing in particular) and a project of significant length in the genre of their choice. Students will fulfill the writing in the major requirement when they successively complete senior seminar.
Five
Two 300-level writing workshops (from): ENG 232, ENG 301, ENG 302, ENG 311, ENG 312, ENG 321, ENG 322, ENG 331, ENG 332, ENG 341, ENG 342, ENG 343
With permission of the department and associate chair, a course in a related department could count towards one of the minor requirements.
Three
Leveraging the resources of the Creative School, the English writing major at DePauw is housed in the Department of English. This department provides students with the written and verbal communication skills to be engaged members of society in any professional path they choose.
