Major in Creative Writing

The curriculum in creative writing is designed to develop expertise in writing and reading a genre of the student’s choice (e.g., fiction, poetry, or nonfiction prose forms), familiarity with related genres, and a three-subject focused exposure to an allied discipline, usually in the humanities, arts, or social sciences.  This curriculum offers students flexibility in designing their courses of study for both breadth and depth.

Major advisor:
Thomas Levenson
14E-303B, 617-253-8922,
levenson@mit.edu

How to Major in Creative Writing   

• To see the full degree Program requirements go to the MIT Office of the Registrar website at web.mit.edu/catalogue/degre.human.writi.shtml.
• The Writing degree chart can be viewed at web.mit.edu/catalogue/degre.human.ch21w.shtml.
• For joint major in Humanities and Engineering/21E or Humanities and Science/21S, go to web.mit.edu/catalogue/degre.human.human.shtml.

Featured Subjects and Instructors for the Major in Creative Writing

Introductory

21W.011 Writing and Rhetoric: Rhetoric and Contemporary Social Issues –Andrea Walsh

21W.012 Writing and Rhetoric: Food for Thought – Karen Boiko

21W.013 Writing and Rhetoric: Introduction to Contemporary Rhetoric – Don Unger

21W.021 Writing and Experience - MIT - Inside, Live – Lucy Marx

21W.022 Writing and Experience: Reading and Writing Autobiography – William Corbett

21W.023 Writing and Experience: Heroes in the Post Modern World –Shariann Lewitt

21W.024 Writing and Experience: Culture Shock!–Rebecca Faery

21W.025 Writing and Experience: Border Crossings – Rebecca Faery

21W.041J Writing about Literature – Noel Jackson, Wyn Kelley

21W.042J Writing with Shakespeare – Diana Henderson

21W.754J      Playwriting I – Laura Harrington

21W.755         Writing and Reading Short Stories – Shariann Lewitt

21W.756         Writing and Reading Poems – Bill Corbett

Advanced

21W.735        Writing and Reading the Essay – Rebecca Faery

21W.740        Writing Autobiography and Biography – Ken Manning

21W.742J      Writing about Race – Kym Ragusa

21W.745        Advanced Essay Workshop  – Rebecca Faery

21W.747        Rhetoric – Steve Strang, Les Perelman

21W.757        Fiction Workshop –Helen Elaine Lee

21W.758        Genre Fiction Workshop  – Junot Díaz, Joe Haldeman

21W.759        Writing Science Fiction  – Joe Haldeman

21W.762        Poetry Workshop – Ed Barrett

21W.769J      Playwrights’ Workshop –Alan Brody

21W.770        Advanced Fiction Workshop – Helen Elaine Lee

21W.771        Advanced Poetry Workshop – Erica Funkhouser

21W.773        Writing Longer Fiction – Joe Haldeman