Undergraduate Writing FAQ

Related courses must be from outside of the Creative Writing Program. A related course is a course you’ve taken that relates to your Creative Writing major in some way. These can be, for example, literature courses you’ve taken in other departments, or film courses, screenwriting courses, art practice courses, etc.

You can count one course that also counts toward the Global CORE requirement, with the exception of University Writing.

You may count one course that also counts toward the fulfillment of another major’s related courses. (Double majors in English can count two courses.)

Related courses must be 3000 level or above, unless it’s a Global CORE requirement or in an arts-related field, such as Painting, Dance, or Theater.

Two classes can be transferred from another institution as related course credits. 

If your courses fulfill the above criteria, Genre Advisors and the DUS will likely approve. Juniors and seniors should make an appointment with the Director of Undergraduate Studies or their Genre Advisor to gain approval.

If you would like to learn more about the creative writing major, we encourage you to attend an open house in October or February. 

Sign up for the newsletter to stay apprised of our events, gatherings, and Art + Life program. Just email Mitchell Glazier at [email protected] and we’ll add you to the list.

You can make an appointment with a Genre Advisor to learn more about the program and the individual concentrations:

• Poetry: Professor Quincy S. Jones, [email protected]
• Fiction: Professor Molly McGhee, [email protected]
• Nonfiction: Professor James Yeh, [email protected]

Or come stop by our offices and say hello!

All registration is done through Vergil. Continue to look for openings online until the
semester begins and be sure to join the waitlist. There’s a great deal of shuIling during the
first two weeks of the semester; typically, students do end up with at least one of the
classes they wanted to take. The most important thing is to let the instructor know of your
interest and show up for class, even if you’re not yet on the roster for the course. Students
must attend the first two weeks of class to join a seminar or workshop.

Every class in the Creative Writing Program is open to non-majors. All students, whether in the major or not, are required to take one Beginning Workshop (in any genre) to qualify for an upper-level workshop. Senior workshops are by application only, and preference is granted to majors.

Register for any Beginning or Open Workshop online when your registration period opens. To register for an Open Workshop, students must first take one Beginning Workshop in any genre. 

To apply for a Senior Workshop, you will need to register for the course in Vergil and submit a short writing sample. Exact instructions will be specified in our “Registration Procedures” prior to the start of each semester.

No, you are not required to take a Senior Workshop to graduate.

Beginning Workshops are the introduction to and foundation of the major, and can accommodate students with little, some, or no prior workshop experience. 

Open Workshops are designed for students who have taken workshops at Columbia before. You may count several Open Workshops toward your degree, and you may take them at any time and in any order. They are distinguished by their instructors, and each instructor’s individual and specific approach to craft.  

Senior Workshops are designed for majors who are working toward a cumulative project such as a portfolio or a graduate school application. 

All instructors in all courses will try to accommodate your particular needs and interests. The level of instruction will be excellent and rigorous in all workshops, regardless of where you are in your writing journey. For Senior Workshop applications, instructors almost always prioritize declared majors who are in their final years of study. 

You might not have gotten in for a variety of reasons. The instructor may have had far more applications than available seats in the course. The instructor may think that you should take another Open Workshop first, based on your work sample. The instructor is also looking for overall fit and dynamic of the entire classroom. The instructor might think that they are not the instructor for your project, so they might recommend you take the class with another instructor. You should never hesitate to apply again during another semester. And remember, you do not need to take Senior Workshop to graduate.

Students can take only one Undergraduate Creative Writing workshop each semester.

Students can take up to two Undergraduate Creative Writing seminars each semester.

Independent Study (IS) will receive a maximum of one credit. According to university and state guidelines, one credit means 1 contact hour each week, with two hours of independent work (readings, writings, projects, etc) each week. You can do an Independent Study with a faculty member if they are a full-time faculty member. You will need to reach out to the faculty member directly and ask for their approval. It will strengthen your case if you have a clear idea what you would like to accomplish in the independent study, and why it needs to be done with that particular professor. If you can write out a vision plan or syllabus for this study, that will be even better.

Please check the Directory of Classes periodically for updates. For additional programming updates, we recommend visiting our office in Watson 710.

You can do a self-check. To graduate as a major, you will need the following—

Students may elect to complete the major in a Single Genre (Poetry, Fiction, or Nonfiction) or as a Cross-Genre (a combination of two genres) course of study for a total of 12 classes (36 points).

If you have fulfilled these requirements and your courses are clearly shown on all relevant transcripts, you will be approved to graduate with the major.

You can set up an appointment by emailing the advisor in your specific genre: 

• Poetry: Professor Quincy S. Jones, [email protected]
• Fiction: Professor Molly McGhee, [email protected]
• Nonfiction: Professor James Yeh, [email protected]

Yes and No. You WILL be able to count workshops taken at another institution towards your Related Courses requirement. However, you will NOT be able to count them towards the Workshop requirement. Our program is built around our workshops and we think it is important for you to experience that here in our department.

No more than two courses taken elsewhere may be applied to the major and these courses cannot be used to fulfill seminar and workshop requirements. All seminars and workshops counted for the major must be taken within the department.

Yes. Seminars and art-related courses taken in another institution can also count towards your Related Courses.

Again, no more than two courses taken elsewhere may be applied to the major and these courses cannot be used to fulfill seminar and workshop requirements. All seminars and workshops counted for the major must be taken within the department.

You may petition if there is demonstrated need. If you are graduating with ample time left to fulfill your major requirements, the answer will be no. We have very high demand for our courses so this is a way to make sure as many students as possible have the opportunity to take one of our classes.

Yes, but please consult a Genre Advisor before registering.

Yes, you may earn up to three Related Course or Seminar credits depending on your position with the magazine. Work on Quarto begins in October and continues through April; students register for credit in the spring term.

Students must obtain the approval of the Director of Undergraduate Studies to receive credit for courses taken elsewhere. Transfer students and students planning study abroad should bring relevant material—transcripts, course descriptions, syllabi—to the Director, who decides whether and how outside courses may be used for the major. No more than two courses taken elsewhere may be applied to the major and these courses cannot be used to fulfill seminar and workshop requirements. All seminars and workshops counted for the major must be taken within the department.

No, we don’t count internships for Independent Study credit or for any credit.

Administrative Support 

• Program Assistant, Dorla McIntosh, [email protected]
• Program Assistant, Mitchell Glazier, [email protected]
• Director of Undergraduate Studies, Professor Hilary Leichter, [email protected]

Genre Advisors 

• Poetry: Professor Quincy S. Jones, [email protected]
• Fiction: Professor Molly McGhee, [email protected]
• Nonfiction: Professor James Yeh, [email protected]