Bachelor of Fine Arts in
Creative & Professional Writing

For Writers and Editors

Preparation for entry-level careers
Preparation for MA and MFA graduate study

The BFA in Creative & Professional Writing is one of only fifteen BFA's in writing in the United States. In 2006, it won the MnSCU (Minnesota State Colleges and Universities) award for excellence in academic programming. Started just in 2004, already more than half of Bemidji State English majors are now studying for this degree. Click here for the BFA Program Overview

Updated! Effective Fall 2012

B.F.A in Professional and Creative Writing

Note: A bachelor's degree requires 120 credits, 40 credits of which must be taken at the 3000 and 4000 levels. Please keep this in mind when selecting electives for the B.F.A.
Please also note that by taking additional courses, students may obtain teacher licensure with the B.F.A. Consult the English Department chair, Larry Swain, for details.

I. Required Writing Component

A. Select 12 credits from the following courses:
Asterisked (*) courses either have prerequisites not required in this major or require consent of instructor.

Fiction
ENGL 3115: Writing Fiction I (3 credits)
ENGL 4116: Writing Fiction II (3 credits)

Poetry
ENGL 3125: Writing Poetry I (3 credits)
ENGL 4126: Writing Poetry II (3 credits)

Creative Nonfiction
ENGL 3145: Writing Creative Nonfiction I (3 credits)
ENGL 4146: Writing Creative Nonfiction II (3 credits)

Professional Writing/Technical Communication
ENGL 2150: Technical Writing (3 credits)
ENGL 3155: Professional Writing (3 credits)
ENGL 4166: Freelance Writing (3 credits)

Electronic Writing and Publishing
ENGL 3177: Weblogs and Wikis (3 credits)
ENGL 3179: Elements of Electronic Rhetoric (3 credits)
ENGL 4169: Web Content Writing (3 credits)*
ENGL 4170: Web Design for Content Writers (3 credits)

Internships
ENGL 4861: Internship in Literary Publishing I (3 credits)
ENGL 4862: Internship in Literary Publishing II (3 credits)
ENGL ____: Arranged Internships (1-3 credits)

B. Select 6 additional credits from the above areas (at the 3000 level or above; may include arranged courses) and/or from the following courses:

MASC 3340: Editing (3 credits)
MASC 3780: Environmental Journalism (3 credits)
MASC 3790: Screenwriting (3 credits)
MASC 3820: Literary Journalism (3 credits)

Subtotal: 18 credits

II. Required Literature Component

A. Select 9 credits from the following courses:

ENGL 2350: American Literature, to 1865 (3 credits)
ENGL 2355: American Literature, 1865 to Present (3 credits)
ENGL 2357: British and World Drama (3 credits)
ENGL 2358: British and World Poetry (3 credits)
ENGL 2359: British and World Prose (3 credits)

B. Select 12 additional credits from the following courses; those courses with "Topics" in the title may be taken multiple times with different topic subtitles.

ENGL 3183: Topics in Writing or Rhetoric (3 credits)
ENGL 3540: Literature for Young Adults (3 credits)
ENGL 3580: The English Language (3 credits)
ENGL 3600: Author Topics (3 credits)
ENGL 3606: Culture Topics (3 credits)
ENGL 3607: Film Topics (3 credits)
ENGL 3608: Genre Topics (3 credits)
ENGL 3609: Period Topics (3 credits)
ENGL 4183: Advanced Topics in Writing or Rhetoric (3 credits)
ENGL 4420: Shakespeare and His Age (3 credits)
ENGL 4429: Shakespeare for Teachers (3 credits)
ENGL 4700: Advanced Author Topics (3 credits)
ENGL 4706: Advanced Culture Topics (3 credits)
ENGL 4707: Advanced Film Topics (3 credits)
ENGL 4708: Advanced Genre Topics (3 credits)
ENGL 4709: Advanced Period Topics (3 credits)
PHIL 2240: Aesthetics (3 credits)
PHIL 2310: Philosophy in Literature (3 credits)