The School of Creative Writing offers the Diploma in Applied Creative Non-Fiction.
Prerequisite and Admission
A bachelor's degree or equivalent in any discipline, plus some writing experience in creative non-fiction, fiction, or translation. For applicants with significant credentials in the field of creative non-fiction writing, the bachelor's degree requirement may be waived.
Candidates for admission must submit 30 pages of original creative non-fiction (note: newspaper reports or academic essays are not acceptable). Some fiction or translation may be included in the 30 pages.
Two identical copies of the candidate's manuscript must be submitted to the Creative Writing secretary by March 31, 3:30 pm. Manuscript guidelines are listed at Creative Writing. Do not send cassettes, computer discs, or submissions via email or fax, as they will not be accepted. It is recommended that the candidate keep a copy of what is sent.
Course of Study
- The program consists of 24 credits of work:
- CRWR 3011 or equivalent (comprised of other writing courses or equivalent writing experience)
- CRWR 405
- CRWR 416 (405 and 416 may be taken concurrently)
- CRWR 439, and/or CRWR 492
1Successful completion of CRWR 301 does not automatically result in acceptance into CRWR 405 or 416, due to limited enrolment.
All requirements for the Diploma must be completed within five years of the initial registration in the program. Because of these requirements, students should not anticipate completing the program in less than two years.
Instruction
Instruction is based on the premise that promising student-authors can benefit from professional criticism and the necessity of producing regularly and meeting deadlines. Workshops, conferences, and tutorials are designed to focus attention upon the student's own work. Reading assignments may be made in the Creative Writing program's magazine of literary non-fiction, Fugue, and in PRISM international, or other relevant journals and books. There are no examinations, and marks are based on the writing done and on participation in workshops throughout the year.