Writing Sequences

The English Department offers three specialized writing sequences - Creative Writing, Journalism, and Professional Writing - to help guide students in their choice of courses.

English majors can use one of the sequences to fulfill the electives needed to complete the major. They also can "mix and match" writing courses across the sequences in completing the five elective courses in the major.

English minors can follow any one of the three writing sequences listed below. They also can minor in English by picking three writing courses from any or all of the writing sequences, plus adding one more literature course (beyond the core requirement).

For further details, contact the Director of Writing in the English Department.

Concentration 1: Creative Writing

This sequence is designed for students seriously committed to becoming fiction writers, poets, or non-fiction writers, and for those students who want to pursue a career in the field of publishing or editing. Recent Fairfield students have had their work published in such national literary magazines as Quarterly West, Indiana Review, The Spoon River Poetry Review, and Writer's Forum. Students have interned at magazines like The New Yorker and at publishers like Greenwood Press. In addition to outside internships, students can, with permission of the editor, receive academic credit for working on Fairfield's national literary magazine, Dogwood: A Journal of Poetry and Prose.

The sequence includes the following:

Introductory courses; students take two of the following:

EN/W 200 Creative Writing
EN/W 202 Creative Writing Poetry I
EN/W 205 Creative Writing Fiction I

Specialized courses; students take at least one of the following:

EN/W 204 Creative Writing Drama
EN/W 302 Creative Writing Poetry II
EN/W 305 Creative Writing Fiction II
EN/W 340 The World of Publishing: Working on Fairfield's Dogwood Magazine
EN/W 341 Writing Creative Nonfiction

Capstone course; students take one of the following:

Senior seminar
EN/W 345/6 Internship

English minors also must complete a fifth ENW course of their own choosing.

Concentration 2: Journalism

The Journalism sequence is designed for students interested in strengthening their news gathering ability and pursuing careers in newspapers, magazines, radio/television stations, Web sites, and marketing and publishing companies. Students interested in career in public relations find it especially useful.

The sequence includes:

Introductory courses; both course are required:

EN/W 220 News Writing (must be taken before any other journalism course)
EN/W 222 Journalism Editing and Design (may take any time)

Specialized courses; students take at least one of the following:

EN/W 221 Contemporary Journalism
EN/W 320 Writing the Feature Story
EN/W 321 Broadcast News Writing
EN/W 322 Sports Reporting
EN/W 323 Literary Journalism
EN/W 324 Political and Government Reporting
EN/W 325 Environmental Reporting

Capstone course: students take at least one of the following:

EN/W 345/346 Internship
EN/W 347/348 Independent Writing project

English minors also must complete a fifth ENW course of their own choosing.

Students can start the journalism sequence as early as freshman year. After completing EN11 (the freshman writing course), they can take EN/W220 News Writing simultaneously with taking EN12 (the freshman literature course). This makes it easier for students to complete all journalism coursework by end of junior year and concentrate on internships in the senior year.

Concentration 3: Professional Writing

The Professional Writing sequence is designed for students who want to strengthen their writing and speaking skills as preparation for careers in business, technology, industry, government, or education. People who make information accessible, usable, and relevant to a variety of audiences are professional writers. To some extent, effective professional writing is an art because it requires an instinct for clear writing and good visual design. More importantly, however, professional writing is a science in that it is a systemic process that involves key principles and guidelines. Internships are available to students in the professional writing concentration, including placements in corporate communication, technical writing. Web design, and the mass media.

A wide variety of internships are available to students in the Professional Writing sequence, including placements in corporate communication, public relations and the mass media.

The concentration includes the following:

Introductory course: Required:

EN/W 322 Business Writing

Specialized courses: Students take at least three of the following:

EN/W 209 Classical Rhetoric & Contemporary Applications
EN/W 214 Professional Presentations: Writing and Delivery
EN/W 222 Journalism Editing and Design
EN/W 310 Advanced Composition
EN/W 335 Technical Writing
EN/W 336 Issues in Professional Writing
EN/W 338 Persuasive Writing
EN/W 345/346 English Internship

Capstone course (required):

English minors also must complete a fifth ENW course of their own choosing.