Creative Writing Certificate of Achievement (CA)

About the Program

Stories and poems connect to the deepest parts of the human experience--our psychology, our relationships, our history, and our dreams. Learn how to craft writing that effectively expresses those experiences and communicates them to others. During the Certificate of Creative Writing sequence of study, students will write and workshop their own original work. They will also read and analyze the craft of published literature from diverse authors, study and apply the elements of fiction and/or poetry, and learn about the publication submission process. Students will also gain experience as editors on our college literary journal or magazine, selecting the content and working on the production and design process. Upon completion, students with this certificate will meet some lower division creative writing requirements for English bachelor's degrees at most colleges with an emphasis or minor in creative writing. This certificate can be earned at the same time as getting the AA-T in English without adding any additional units. (Work closely with a counselor to select your courses.)

Career Opportunities

Advertising Copy Writer • Author/Critic • Bookstore Manager • Continuity Writer • Corporate Communications Director • Foreign Service Office • Freelance Journalist/Writer • Greeting Card Editor/Writer • Lawyer • Librarian • Media Specialist • Newspaper Reporter • Public Information Officer • Publication Editor • Publicity Director • Publishing Agent • Radio/TV Agent • Script Writer • Teacher/Professor • Writer

Program Outcomes

Upon completion of the Certificate of Achievement in Creative Writing, students are able to analyze and write about a diverse body of published literature.
Upon completion of the Certificate of Achievement in Creative Writing, students are able to evaluate and critique works of fiction and/or poetry.
Upon completion of the Certificate of Achievement in Creative Writing, students are able to perform entry-level editorial tasks on a magazine, journal, or newspaper.
Upon completion of the Certificate of Achievement in Creative Writing, students are able to write and revise fiction and/or poetry, demonstrating proficiency with the elements of fiction and/or poetry.

Learning and Career Pathway Maps

View Program Pathway Map

Required Core: Select Two (6 Units)

Course Number	Course Title	Units
ENG 11	Introduction to Creative Writing	3
ENG 12A	Craft of Writing Fiction	3
ENG 12B	Craft of Writing Fiction: Intermediate	3
ENG 13A	The Craft of Writing Poetry: Beginning	3
ENG 13B	The Craft of Writing Poetry: Intermediate	3

List A: Select One (3 Units)

Course Number	Course Title	Units
ENG 19A	Journal of Arts, Literature, and Academic Writing A	3
JAMS 11	Introduction to Reporting and Newswriting	3
JAMS 19A	Journal of Arts, Literature, and Academic Writing A	3
JAMS 24A	Naked Magazine: College Magazine A	3

List B: Select Three (9 Units)

Course Number	Course Title	Units
Any Required Core course not already used		3
ENG 4	Critical Thinking and Writing about Literature	3
ENG 12C	Craft of Writing Fiction: Advanced	3
ENG 19B	Journal of Arts, Literature, and Academic Writing B	3
	or
JAMS 19B	Journal of Arts, Literature, and Academic Writing B	3
ENG 20	Studies in Shakespeare	3
ENG 32	U.S. Women's Literature	3
ENG 35	Modern American Literature	3
ENG 41	Modern World Literature	3
ENG 42	Literature of the African Diaspora in America	3
ENG 44	Literature of the American West	3
ENG 45	Studies in Fiction	3