Creative Writing Certificate

Program Coordinator: Susan Wackerbarth, M.A., M.F.A., English Department
Email: wackerba@hawaii.edu

The Certificate in Creative Writing provides students with a specialization that will give them an edge in their chosen careers. English Majors or Minors who go into writing, teaching, journalism, publishing, communications, the entertainment industry, advertising and public relations will gain the ability to write engagingly in key forms and produce polished, professional work. Students going into business, law, and technological fields can showcase the creativity and fluent writing skills increasingly valued and sought by employers. In our unique island setting, students interact with local writers and experience the power of Hawaii as a place, rich in cultural, environmental and social issues that need fresh voices. After gaining a foundation in the structure of literary genres, fiction, and/or poetry, students are immersed in the literature of the Hawai'i Pacific region, and specialize in one or more genres of writing.

Mission

The mission of the Creative Writing Certificate program is to give students a solid foundation in creative writing forms and techniques, place-based writing from the Hawaiʻi-Pacific region, and professional opportunities.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students who successfully complete the certificate program will be able to:

• Write, revise and polish creative work in one or several genres: short fiction, poetry, playwriting, or narrative non-fiction.
• Review other student-writers’ work and give detailed, meaningful feedback.
• Understand and appreciate Hawaiʻi-Pacific place-based writing by analyzing published work from this region.
• Research appropriate publications and submit creative work.

Curriculum

• Core (6 Credits)
  • ENG 286A Intro to Fiction Writing (3) or ENG 286B Intro to Poetry Writing (3)
  • One of the ENG 200 Intro to Literary Genres (3) (A-G) Literary Genres Series (3)
• Electives (12 Credits) chosen from the following:
  • ENG 318 Playwriting (3)
  • ENG 323 The Literature of Hawaiʻi (3)
  • ENG 324 Modern English Grammar & Usage (3)
  • ENG 430 Pacific Islands Literature (3)
  • ENG 431 Fiction Writing (3)
  • ENG 432 Non-Fiction Writing (3)
  • ENG 433 Poetry Writing (3)
  • ENG 434 Creative Writing Practicum (3)
  • ENG 436 Flash Fiction Writing (3)
  • Other upper division creative writing courses as they are offered

For courses repeatable for credit, all credits earned may count toward the 12-credit elective requirement.

Notes

1. Students must earn a grade of "C" or higher in all courses required for the certificate.