Writing Program | Fredonia.edu

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From Page to Profession: Writing at Fredonia

Unleash the power of words with Fredonia’s Writing Program—a vibrant haven for storytellers, wordsmiths, and creative thinkers. Here, you’ll master the delicate alchemy of critical analysis, creative expression, and professional precision, forging a writing style as unique as your voice. With passionate faculty as your guides and hands-on experiences that push your craft into the world, you’ll uncover what it means to be a writer, shape your process, and let your words leave a lasting mark.

What You’ll Gain

Career Readiness: Learn to adapt your writing for various audiences, preparing you for success in publishing, business, law, education, and beyond.
Storytelling Skills: Develop your ability to create compelling narratives for fiction, poetry, and professional communication.
Language Mastery: Hone your craft for both creative and professional contexts, using language to inspire, inform, and persuade.
Professional Experience: Gain real-world insights through internships with literary presses, roleplaying game companies, and more.
Community Engagement: Connect with peers and mentors through organizations like Writers’ Ring, Sigma Tau Delta, and our student-run literary magazine, The Trident.

Career Opportunities for Writing

Author
Editor
Lawyer
Marketing Manager
Publisher
Technical Writer

Content Strategist
Journalist
Librarian
Public Relations
Teacher / Professor
User Experience (UX) Writer

What does a 4-year degree look like?

First Year

Fall Semester

Course	Title	Credits
WRTG 260	Intro to Creative Writing	3
ENGL 100	Craft of Writing	3
FF	Course	3
	Elective	3
	Elective	3
	TOTAL	15

Spring Semester

Course	Title	Credits
WRTG 261	Intro to Writing Professions	3
FF	Course	3
FF	Course	3
FF	Course	3
	Elective	3
	TOTAL	15

Second Year

Fall Semester

Course	Title	Credits
WRTG XXX	Rhetorical or Creative Category Course	3
FF	Course	3
FF	Course	3
	Minor Course	3
	Elective	3
	TOTAL	15

Spring Semester

Course	Title	Credits
WRTG 372	Grammar and Style for Writers	3
WRTG XXX	Rhetorical or Creative Category Course	3
FF	Course	3
	Minor Course	3
	Elective	3
	TOTAL	15

Third Year

Fall Semester

Course	Title	Credits
WRTG 365	Form and Theory of Writing	3
WRTG XXX	Rhetorical or Creative Category Course	3
	Minor Course	3
	Upper-Level Elective	3
	Elective	3
	TOTAL	15

Spring Semester

Course	Title	Credits
WRTG XXX	Rhetorical or Creative Category Course	3
WRTG XXX	Professional Category Course	3
	Minor Course	3
	Upper-Level Elective	3
	Elective	3
	TOTAL	15

Fourth Year

Fall Semester

Course	Title	Credits
WRTG XXX	Professional Category Course	3
WRTG XXX	Professional Category Course	3
	Minor Course	3
	Upper-Level Elective	3
	Elective	3
	TOTAL	15

Spring Semester

Course	Title	Credits
WRTG 495	Senior Writing Capstone	3
	Major Elective	3
	Minor Course	3
	Upper-Level Elective	3
	Elective	3
	TOTAL	15

GRAND TOTAL:

This Sample Degree Map is based on the requirements published in the University Catalog.

First Year - MCC

Fall Semester

Course MCC	Fredonia Equivalent	Credits
ENG 101	ENGL 100 Craft of Writing	3
ENG 105	ENGL 106 Intro Literary Studies	3
ENG 113	WRTG 1TR 100 Level Elective	3
MATH SUNY Gen Ed	Fredonia Foundations Math	3
SUNY Gen Ed	Fredonia Foundations	3
	TOTAL	15

Spring Semester

Course MCC	Fredonia Equivalent	Credits
ENG 200	WRTG 2TR 200 Level Elective	3
ENG 213	WRTG 260 (grade of C or higher)	3
PHL 101, 103, 105	PHIL 115 Intro Phil, PHIL 218 Ethics or PHIL 1TR Elective	3
SUNY Gen Ed Soc Science	Fredonia Foundations Soc Science	3
SUNY Gen Ed DEISJ	Fredonia Foundations DEISJ (courses below in notes)	3
	TOTAL	15

Second Year - MCC

Fall Semester

Course MCC	Fredonia Equivalent	Credits
ENG 233, 243, 253, 263	WRTG 362 Interm Poety, 3 TR 300 Level Elective, WRTG 363 Interm Creative Non Fiction, WRTG 361 Interm Fiction	3
ENG 250, 251, COM 130, 131	COMM 336 Bus Comm, WRTG 3TR 300 Level Elective (counts as a course in Proff writing strand of the major) COMM 200 Electronic Media Writing , COMM 130 Found in Journalism	3
Elective	Minor Course	3
SUNY Gen Ed	Fredonia Foundations	3
Program Elective	Course in Major or Minor	3
	TOTAL	15

Spring Semester

Course MCC	Fredonia Equivalent	Credits
ENG 233, 243, 253, 263	WRTG 362 Interm Poety, 3 TR 300 Level Elective, WRTG 363 Interm Creative Non Fiction, WRTG 361 Interm Fiction	3
ENG 273	WRTG 261 intro Writing Professions	3
Elective	Minor Course	3
ENG 233, 243, 253, 263	WRTG 362 Interm Poety, 3 TR 300 Level Elective, WRTG 363 Interm Creative Non Fiction, WRTG 361 Interm Fiction	3
SUNY Gen Ed Nat Science	Fredonia Foundations Natural Science	3
	TOTAL	15

Third Year - Fredonia

Fall Semester

Course	Title	Credits
Elective	Upper Level Elective (Non WRTG)	3
WRTG Elective	Upper Level Rhetorical Writing Course	3
WRTG 365	Form and Theory of Writing	3
Minor Course	Minor course	3
Minor Course	Upper Level Minor Course	3
	TOTAL	15

Spring Semester

Course	Title	Credits
WRTG Elective	Upper Level WRTG Course	3
WRTG 462 or WRTG 463	Advanced Poetry or Advanced Creative Nonfiction	3
WRTG Elective	Professional Writing Course	3
Elective	Elective (Non WRTG)	3
Minor Course	Upper Level Minor Course	3
	TOTAL	15

Fourth Year - Fredonia

Fall Semester

Course	Title	Credits
WRTG Elective	Professional Writing Course	3
WRTG 372	Grammar and Style for Writers	3
Minor Course	Upper Level Minor Course	3
Elective	Upper Level Elective (Non WRTG)	3
Elective	Elective (Non WRTG)	3
	TOTAL	15

Spring Semester

Course	Title	Credits
WRTG 495	Writing Capstone	3
WRTG Elective	WRTG Elective	3
WRTG 461	Advanced Fiction	3
Elective	Upper Level Elective (Non WRTG)	3
Elective	Elective (Non WRTG)	3
	TOTAL	15

GRAND TOTAL:

Fredonia NOTES:

Select one of the following courses to satisfy DEISJ
ENG 108 - Literature of the Holocaust OR ENGL 2TR
ENG 109 - Crime Fiction OR ENGL 215
ENG 118 - Perpetrators, Victims, and Bystanders: Literature of Genocide OR ENGL 167
ENG 201 - Early British Literature OR ENGL 204
ENG 202 - Modern British Literature OR ENGL 2TR
ENG 210 - Literature of the Black Experience OR ENGL 240
ENG 217 - Women, Gender and Literature OR ENGL 314
any other SUNY GENERAL EDUCATION DIVERSITY: EQUITY, INCLUSION, AND SOCIAL JUSTICE -(SUNY-DVRS) ELECTIVE FF Course

• Students must earn a grade of C or higher in all courses required for completion of the Writing major
• Students must complete a separate minor or second major in another discipline, in English, or in one of the interdisciplinary programs. The Creative Writing and Writing and Rhetoric Minors may not be taken by Writing Major students. Students may count up to six (6) credit hours from English toward the Writing major, with approval of advisor and department chairperson. Students may count up to six (6) credit hours from a separate minor or second major toward the Writing major, with approval of advisor and department chairperson.
• Students must complete 24 credit hours within the major at the 300/400 level.
• Students must complete 21 credit hours within the major at Fredonia

MCC NOTES:
#Students with ENG 101 placement must take ENG 101. Students with ENG 200 placement will take an elective in place of ENG 101.
##MTH 150 or any other SUNY-MATH course with a higher number. Students are strongly encouraged to check with the institution to which they intend to transfer to ensure selection of an appropriate Math course.
***Any 200-level ENG literature class. Meet with advisor regarding transfer requirements.

This Sample Transfer Path is based on the requirements published in the University Catalog.

Transfer Policy:
SUNY General Education/Fredonia Foundations: Students who earned an AA/AS SUNY Degree in 2015 or later, or completed the SUNY Gen Ed requirement prior to transferring, will have satisfied Fredonia Foundations, our local general education requirement. Students who earned any other SUNY Degree may need to complete additional Fredonia Foundation courses at Fredonia. Such students should consult with their current advisor regarding the SUNY Gen Ed requirement and applicable courses. All SUNY General Education courses will be verified by the General Education Transcript Addendum, GETA, which is sent with the SUNY transcript.

Transfer Credit Policy:
Please refer to our Transfer Credit Policy in the College Catalog for current information.

What are all the required and elective courses offered to obtain this degree?

View full curriculum

WRTG 260 Introduction to Creative Writing

First in the sequence of creative writing courses, the prerequisite for all higher level creative writing. Conducted in an informal workshop format, the course provides practical experience in the writing and evaluation of poetry and short fiction.

WRTG 375 Writing for the Professions

Focus on the development of students' ability to communicate in the business and professional world through the letter, memorandum, and in-house report. Emphasis on the importance of written communication as a tool for problem-solving in administrative and management settings.

WRTG 299 Writing for Role Playing Games

Students will examine role playing games (RPGs) in terms of the writing that forms and drives them. We’ll look at how roleplaying games are constructed, how their rules act as facilitators of both experiences and narratives, and how diverse types of writing are needed to create them. Various types of games will be studied, from simple interactive fiction games to complex rules systems like Dungeons & Dragons. We’ll work together to create rules, build worlds, and share adventures, and we’ll discuss the current state of RPGs as a potential career path for writers. Special guests from those who work in the RPG industry will help us along our path.

It's Different Here

Flexibility

Fredonia's Writing is a combination of Professional and Creative Writing in one major

Experience

Visiting Writers’ Series, Writers@Work, and opportunities to publish in and work for the student literary journal. The Trident

Opportunity

This major give you the ability to double major with English or other related fields

Award-Winning Writing

Sharp-tongued poets, boundary-pushing storytellers, and fearless essayists: our nine student writing awards and The Trident literary magazine are your launchpad. We're not just recognizing talent—we're cultivating the next generation of literary rebels who will disrupt, challenge, and redefine storytelling.

English Department Writing Awards