Creative writing certificate helps students prepare for real world
For people like Shannon Evans O'Donald, skills learned in creative writing can help them in ways they never expected.
O'Donald graduated this past May after studying entrepreneurship and biochemistry. Now she works at Crow Social Agency, which specializes in social media.
"The knowledge I gained in ENG 294 (Introduction in Creative Writing) has been a total clutch. With my business/biochemistry background, I never would have imagined I'd be writing for my job," O'Donald said. "I can truthfully say that I probably wouldn't be doing this if it wasn't for the class."
The creative writing program at Central Michigan University was originally a concentration within the English department, which ended in the spring semester. Now students who would like to study creative writing can take earn a certificate.
Jeffrey Bean, associate professor in English, said the certificate has the same sequences of courses as the concentration, but allows students to have more flexibility.
"Since students from all sorts of majors and interests have enrolled in creative writing courses in the past, we're excited about this new opportunity for students of all majors to receive official recognition on their transcripts for their work in creative writing," Bean said.
The certificate is 15 credit hours, with the option to take fiction and nonfiction writing, and poetry classes.
Because the concentration did not end until the previous semester, there are students who are majoring in English with a concentration in creative writing. According to the Office of Institutional Research, 72 students have the concentration in creative writing.
Bean said that students from many majors including advertising, language arts, psychology, communications, business, fine arts, broadcast and cinematic arts and education have taken creative writing courses.
"Many of our students can attest, these classes are challenging but also fun," Bean said. "Students learn a lot and have fun doing so."
Karie Herringa graduated in this past May with degrees in journalism with a concentration in public relations and english with a concentration in creative writing. She said she had a fantastic experience with the creative writing program.
"It's not like you can just sit down and write out the next great American novel. There's a science to it and there's not always a right answer," Herringa said. "But sometimes there is a wrong answer and without my creative writing classes, I wouldn't know what those wrong answers are."
Herringa works as a communication coordinator for Maryland Center for Construction Education and Innovation. She said that her creative writing classes prepared her the real world.
"I had to interview an executive for a real estate development company last week and he told me he would rather hire an employee who had majored in English over any other disciple because they know how to tell a story," Herringa said.
However, Herringa said that she is disappointed that the program is now a certificate.
"I'm disappointed that the creative writing concentration has been demoted to a simple certificate program," Herrniga said. "I wish the university could have kept it around as a concentration. It's really disheartening."
Bean said that students who are majoring in English can take the certificate and would be the exact same courses as the concentration.
"It still pairs nicely with the English major, like the concentration, and anyone who wants to 'major' in creative writing would want to be an English major earning a Creative Writing Certificate," Bean said.
Bean said that even if students don't want to commit to the certificate, he would suggest that every student take introduction to creative writing.
"In my six years of teaching introduction to creative writing at CMU, I’ve seen students of all levels, abilities, backgrounds, and interests thrive in the course," Bean said. "It’s a great chance to learn a lot about writing and creativity in a low pressure, supportive, fun environment."
Bean said that students can signup for the certificate with any English professor or their academic advisor.
