Are your heroes novelists and poets? Do you revel in creating worlds, telling stories, and finding the precise word you need to express yourself? A Bachelor of Arts in Writing will allow you to pursue your passion for written communication and prepare for a lifetime of meaningful work. You will gain both creative and advanced writing and editorial skills for the full gamut of careers that need great writers.
PLNU's writing professors have an in-depth understanding of this dynamic field, and all of them are published writers. Our faculty have been published in The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The San Diego Union-Tribune, The Los Angeles Times, and Boston Magazine, and literary journals such as First Things, Fairy Tale Review, The International Poetry Review, New Letters, Poet Lore, So to Speak, and Verse Daily. Department faculty have received book awards and major national grants, including several from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Fulbright Fellowship Grant, and the Del Amo Foundation.
As a writing major, you'll read literature from Old English to the present, approach literary works from a variety of theoretical perspectives, and develop analytical thinking and writing skills. Courses in creative writing and linguistics facilitate a deeper understanding of language and its use, and you will have opportunities to publish your work in local, national, and international publications. As part of the curriculum, you’ll have the chance to edit The Driftwood creative arts journal and write for The Point Weekly, PLNU's campus newspaper.
Writing students have the opportunity to participate in prestigious internships, cultivating contacts and experience in the fields of journalism, technical writing, publishing, and business. Past students have interned with organizations such as CBS, The San Diego Union-Tribune, The Daily Transcript, Yahoo! News, and other local and national publications. Writing majors also may elect to do honors projects, which involve extensive research as well as extended writing efforts. These projects are excellent preparation for graduate school and are often a springboard to major projects like novels, poetry collections, and full-length screenplays.
Spotlight
Dean Nelson, Ph.D.
By any account, professor of journalism Dr. Dean Nelson is a talented author, outstanding teacher, and keen PLNU advocate. And yet, get Nelson talking about himself, and you will quickly learn that there is more to his story than his many accomplishments.
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