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.
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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Are you ready to take the next step to begin your PLNU journey? Whether you’re a high school senior, college transfer student, or international student, find out what we’re looking for in our applicants and how you can apply.
For most students, the transition into college life is one full of adjustments. There is the excitement of newfound freedoms, but also some uncertainty as you begin to make choices and take responsibility for your own future.
At PLNU, we’re committed to supporting you — academically, professionally, spiritually, personally — so that you may be successful both in your time as a student and beyond. That’s why we offer a holistic support system that focuses on your unique experiences, particular needs, and personal and professional goals — resulting from our deep concern for you, our student.
With a focus on authentic relationships and personalized attention, our goal is to help transform you so you can follow your calling in your own career and life.
Whether you specialize in poetry, fiction, or nonfiction, writing as a craft is an invaluable skill. Virtually all employers, from science and business to the fine and practical arts, are clamoring for good writers.
As a writing major, I was challenged to constantly observe the world around me. However, observation was only the starting point. Class discussion, student collaboration, and individual research were all tools the LJWL department employed to transform our observations of the world into philosophies and real-life actions.
Christian Berk, Class of 2016
Writing, B.A.
God’s Grace and the Gift of the Literary Arts
Dr. Karl Martin on the power of literature and his Christian faith.
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