The English Department faculty approach each course in each major with a dedication that is intellectually rigorous and demanding and which grows out of an abiding love for the creative process. In other words, we believe that text matters.
We expect students enrolled in our major to develop that same rigor. To that end, we are both broad and deep in treatment of the subject matter for each course. We want students to learn to express their ideas through clear, creative writing and to be instruments of change in their chosen field. We believe that a critical element in “making a difference in our world” is developing the ability to say what we mean and to mean what we say.
Creative Writing majors will develop their creative and critical thinking skills; a broad understanding of creative writing in relation to historical and cultural contexts, especially the Biblical worldview and the development of Western civilization and literature; and a mastery of various literary forms and styles in genres as diverse as poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and scriptwriting. In addition, students will develop a mastery of the tools of all good writing -grammar, punctuation, mechanics, and spelling - and a deep appreciation of the ways in which creative activities such as writing allow us to uncover the wonders and woes of a world charged with meaning and marked by sin and suffering.