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English, B.A.

The English major teaches students to appreciate and use the English language and literature effectively for critical thinking, effective communication, citizenship, and career success. English majors build strong writing skills and engage in high-level critical and analytical thinking. They encounter enriching, enduring, experimental, and complex works of literature. And they grapple with perspectives far distant from their own, examining their deepest values. Instructors introduce students to a wide range of genres and cultural perspectives, and pay close attention to all aspects of student thinking and writing, from logic and evidence to originality and style. Fostering communication skills, stimulating creativity, developing cultural sensitivity, and sharpening analytical abilities, the English major prepares students for a broad range of careers.

English majors choose one of three tracks: the general major (which emphasizes literary and cultural studies), creative writing, or language and linguistics. All majors take a core curriculum that introduces them to a range of approaches to literature and language, including courses in literary and cultural history. Students who opt for the general major build on core courses with intermediate and advanced classes that focus on texts from across a range of periods and places, investigating literature and culture using multiple methods and approaches. Students pursuing the emphasis on creative writing take the core curriculum with a sequence of creative writing workshops. Students wishing to emphasize language and linguistics choose options in grammar, the history of the English language, phonology, and language acquisition.

Teaching Major

Those who wish to prepare for teaching careers at the secondary level should complete the undergraduate English major and then apply for a teaching certificate or graduate education program. For further information, students should make an appointment with the undergraduate advisor in English or the graduate advisor in curriculum and instruction.

There are no admission requirements for the major.  Students interested in declaring the major should schedule an appointment with the undergraduate academic advisor listed in the Contact Box on the right sidebar of this page.

University General Education Requirements

College of letters & science degree requirements: bachelor of arts (b.a.), requirements for the major, honors in the major, university degree requirements.

All undergraduate students at the University of Wisconsin–Madison are required to fulfill a minimum set of common university general education requirements to ensure that every graduate acquires the essential core of an undergraduate education. This core establishes a foundation for living a productive life, being a citizen of the world, appreciating aesthetic values, and engaging in lifelong learning in a continually changing world. Various schools and colleges will have requirements in addition to the requirements listed below. Consult your advisor for assistance, as needed. For additional information, see the university Undergraduate General Education Requirements section of the Guide .

Students pursuing a bachelor of arts degree in the College of Letters & Science must complete all of the requirements below. The College of Letters & Science allows this major to be paired with either a bachelor of arts or a bachelor of science curriculum.

Bachelor of Arts degree requirements

Non–l&s students pursuing an l&s major.

Non–L&S students who have permission from their school/college to pursue an additional major within L&S only need to fulfill the major requirements. They do not need to complete the L&S Degree Requirements above.

30 credits in intermediate- and advanced-level ENGL courses numbered 204 and higher. 1

ENGLISH (LITERATURE)

 excluding ENGL 207 and ENGL 236 .

Named Options

Students may complete a named option, instead of the traditional English major. These are formally printed on the transcript.

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  • English: Emphasis on Creative Writing
  • English: English Language and Linguistics

RESIDENCE AND QUALITY OF WORK

2.000 GPA in all ENGL courses and all major courses

2.000 GPA on at least 15 credits of upper-level work in the major, taken in residence 2

15 credits in ENGL, taken on the UW–Madison campus

 Intermediate and Advanced level ENGL courses are considered upper level in the major.

Students may declare Honors in the English major with permission of the major advisor. All English majors, including those declared in either named option, are eligible to complete Honors in the major.

HONORS IN THE ENGLISH MAJOR REQUIREMENTS

To earn Honors in the Major in English, students must satisfy both the requirements for the major and the following additional requirements:

  • Earn a 3.300 University GPA
  • Earn a 3.500 GPA in all ENGL courses and all major courses
  • ENGL 245 and
  • a two-semester Senior Honors Thesis in  ENGL 681  and  ENGL 682  for a total of 6 credits, or
  • a senior Honors project that includes  ENGL 680  and one other 3-credit I/A ENGL course taken for Honors OR
  • ENGL 695 and one other ENGL Creative Writing Workshop taken for Honors
  • (History of literature and language) To demonstrate knowledge of major forms, techniques, social conditions, values, and genres that have shaped the history of English literature and language.
  • (Critical thinking) To be able to discern and integrate divergent and contradictory perspectives, identify and question assumptions, and assess evidence and methods.
  • (Creativity) To generate original ideas and texts, experimenting and taking risks, solving problems, and answering questions in a range of genres and media.
  • (Critical writing) To write original, coherent, and compelling arguments that push beyond summary to analysis and independent and critical thinking in clear prose that meets expectations for grammatical correctness.
  • (Citizenship) To develop empathy by learning about the experiences of others, and to gain an understanding of how we participate in communities (including the classroom) and the public sphere.

Sample Four-Year Plan

This Sample Four-Year Plan is a tool to assist students and their advisor(s). Students should use it—along with their DARS report, the Degree Planner, and Course Search & Enroll tools—to make their own four-year plan based on their placement scores, credit for transferred courses and approved examinations, and individual interests. As students become involved in athletics, honors, research, student organizations, study abroad, volunteer experiences, and/or work, they might adjust the order of their courses to accommodate these experiences. Students will likely revise their own four-year plan several times during college.

Students must declare a major before 86 credits.

See your major advisor if you want to declare English/Creative Writing, Honors in the English major, or plan to study abroad.

Please refer to the Requirements tab in Guide for additional College of Letters & Science Breadth and Degree Requirements as well as Residence and Quality of Work requirements for the major.

Sample Three-Year Plan

This Sample Three-Year Plan is a tool to assist students and their advisor(s). Students should use it —along with their DARS report, the Degree Planner, and Course Search & Enroll tools — to make their own three-year plan based on their placement scores, credit for transferred courses and approved examinations, and individual interests.

Three-year plans may vary considerably from student to student, depending on their individual preparation and circumstances. Students interested in graduating in three years should meet with an advisor as early as possible to discuss feasibility, appropriate course sequencing, post-graduation plans (careers, graduate school, etc.), and opportunities they might forgo in pursuit of a three-year graduation plan.

Departmental Expectations

Students planning to graduate within three years with an English major should enter the University with a minimum of 30 advanced standing credits, and have satisfied the following requirements with course credit or via placement examination:

  • Communication Part A
  • Quantitative Reasoning Part A
  • 18 combined credits of Humanities, Social Science, and Natural Science coursework
  • 3-4 units of foreign language

Academic advising

The English department supports majors and perspective majors by offering a comprehensive advising team based on your personal interests. You will find us on the 7th floor of the  Helen C. White Building , next to Memorial Union. Our team is here to support students holistically as they navigate their time at UW.  To meet our advisors, visit our undergraduate advising page for more information, including how to schedule an appointment.

CAREERS and INTERNSHIP ADVISOR

Career & Internship Coordinator [email protected] 7195E Helen C. White, 600 North Park Street English Career Advising

The English Department encourages our majors to begin working on their career exploration and preparation soon after declaring the major. Our career advisor also partners with SuccessWorks at the College of Letters & Science. L&S graduates are in high demand by employers and graduate programs. It is important to us that our students are career ready at the time of graduation, and we are committed to their success.

L&S career resources

Every L&S major opens a world of possibilities.  SuccessWorks at the College of Letters & Science helps students turn the academic skills learned in their major, certificates, and other coursework into fulfilling lives after graduation, whether that means jobs, public service, graduate school or other career pursuits.

In addition to providing basic support like resume reviews and interview practice, SuccessWorks offers ways to explore interests and build career skills from their very first semester/term at UW all the way through graduation and beyond.

Students can explore careers in one-on-one advising, try out different career paths, complete internships, prepare for the job search and/or graduate school applications, and connect with supportive alumni and even employers in the fields that inspire them.

  • SuccessWorks
  • Set up a career advising appointment
  • INTER-LS 210 L&S Career Development: Taking Initiative (1 credit)
  • INTER-LS 215 Communicating About Careers (3 credits, fulfills Comm B General Education Requirement)
  • INTER-LS 260 Internship in the Liberal Arts and Sciences
  • Activate your Handshake account to apply for jobs and internships from 200,000+ employers recruiting UW-Madison students
  • Learn about the impact SuccessWorks has on students' lives

Please visit the  English Department website  for a complete list of faculty, instructional, and academic staff.

Writing Center

The Writing Center , located in 6171 Helen C. White Hall, offers free individualized help with writing. Students are welcome to come to the center for help with writing assignments in almost any course. In half-hour tutorials, instructors help students clarify and organize ideas and offer advice about revising a draft. The center also offers short-term classes on various facets of writing, including classes on writing about literature, writing research papers, writing book reviews, writing essay exams, and on many other topics. The Writing Center also has a computer lab.

To make an appointment, students should call 263-1992 or stop by when the center is open. During busy times of the semester, the center often is booked several days in advance, so students should plan ahead. For complete information about the center, including hours, schedules for writing assistance in the Multicultural Student Center and residence halls, extensive handouts about writing, and information about the Undergraduate Writing Fellows program, see the center website .

Scholarships and WRiting prizes

The English Department is proud to offer numerous forms of support for its undergraduate students and to recognize exceptional accomplishments in various forms of academic and creative work. You can find information about scholarships, prizes, and grants specifically designated for declared English majors on  our website . Typically, these prizes and scholarships are awarded in the spring semester. Applications need to be submitted online, via the Wisconsin Scholarship Hub (WISH) .

  • How to Get in
  • Requirements
  • Learning Outcomes
  • Four-Year Plan
  • Three-Year Plan
  • Advising and Careers
  • Resources and Scholarships

Contact Information

English College of Letters & Science English, B.A. http://www.ls.wisc.edu/

English 608-263-3760 7187 Helen C. White Hall, 600 North Park Street, Madison, WI 53706 https://english.wisc.edu

Erin Polnaszek Boyd, Advisor [email protected] Make an appointment

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Literary Studies

With more than 40 faculty members, 100 graduate students, 500 undergraduate majors, and 10,000 alumni, Literary Studies is a vibrant community of students and scholars of all levels studying the ideas, history, and theory of literature in English. Long regarded as a top department in the country, our program features a dynamic, professionally active group of faculty members working across the entirety of English literature. Our award-winning faculty and students work in a variety of established and emerging fields of critical inquiry: from the digital humanities to historicism, from disability studies to classical rhetoric, and from political theory to gender studies. We offer an intellectually rigorous but flexible course of study in the midst of one of the greatest research institutions in the country and the world.

In addition to one of the largest and most productive majors at the University of Wisconsin, we also offer a nationally-ranked doctoral program in literature and several bridge programs with affiliated divisions and departments. We invite you to learn more about our program, our faculty, and our students in these pages.

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How to Become a Writer in Wisconsin with a BFA, MFA or Similar Creative Writing Degree

creative writing courses uw madison

Written by Catherine Dorian

wisconsin skyline from lake michigan

Writers thrive when they have the freedom to discover and explore their inner voice. But writers also need community; we find inspiration and novelty in comradery with other storytellers, poets, and thinkers.

It’s no surprise that the Midwest has long been a region for creatives. Its sprawling fields, scattered lakes, wild woodlands, and combination of eclectic rural communities along with its vibrant cities meet the unique needs of the artistic mind. And in the state of Wisconsin, the pioneering writer has long been an integral contributor to the area’s culture.

Modern Literary Greats that Left Their Mark on Wisconsin

bear skin state trail bridge in wisconsin

Modern writer of literary fiction Jane Hamilton, a recipient of the PEN/Hemingway Foundation Award for her novel The Book of Ruth, also started her career in Wisconsin. But Wisconsin doesn’t only cultivate nature-writers and small-town stories. Screenwriter, TV series writer, novelist, and social commentator John Ridley IV ( 12 Years a Slave, American Crime) spent most of his childhood outside Milwaukee.

Due to its longstanding community of writers, Wisconsin boasts a robust literary heritage. Though humble in spirit, the state embraces its culture for storytelling, thinking, and learning. Several English Departments across the University of Wisconsin system have developed their own literary publications and publishing houses, which offer a platform for the state’s diverse talent. The Sheepshead Review of the University of Wisconsin Green Bay and the Midwest Review have both featured some of America’s premier short story and nonfiction essay authors, including Dennis Day and Pardeep Toor.

Between its workshops, literary publications, and indie publishing houses, Wisconsin proves itself to be a space for writers to learn and to grow, whether you’re an aspiring undergrad looking for a BA or BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) or are well on your way with your sights set on an MA or Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in creative writing. And as a writer, you know that learning and growth are at the heart of our craft.

Wisconsin’s Creative Writing Classes, Courses, and Workshops Can Prepare You for a Creative Writing Degree

Any writer will tell you that success comes from consistency and your own hunger for challenge. Enter contests, submit your work for publishing, subject your prose to scrutiny—it’s all part of the process for building your portfolio of work.

Wisconsin’s writers and writing teachers already offer several workshops, conferences, and classes that will give you the formative experience that can help you succeed when you’re enrolled in an intensive residency or bachelor’s degree.

Wisconsinites are eager to support the state’s writers and build a vibrant community to sustain its literary legacy. Jodie Mortag, Assistant Professor of Writing at Lakeland University, hosts the annual Great Lakes Writers Festival, where writers across all genres, ages, and regions of the Midwest gather for free workshops and networking events. You read that right: free. Jodie even provides a special event for high school writers. The Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts & Letters also offers a robust catalogue of workshops taught by local writers, including the intensive “Write Your Novel in Eight Weeks” and courses specifically for naturalists, nonfiction writers, and poets.

When it comes to writing, Wisconsinites are also good at finding their people. Red Oak Writing offers retreats and roundtables for young, emerging writers who benefit from building a support network. Wisconsin has its own chapter of Romance Writers of America, and they offer workshops in various areas around the state. The aspiring crime novelist or murder mystery fanatic can even attend the Writer’s Police Academy, a training on true crime, done by law enforcement officers and forensic scientists who know their genre in real life.

Getting involved in the writing community is also about getting involved in the literary community. The Wisconsin Book Festival, offered through the Madison Public Library Foundation, hosts free events that feature public authors and conversations year-round—and the conference has featured an impressive catalogue of prize-winning authors (Jane Smiley, Stacey Abrams, and Mark Bittman, just to name a few!).

Besides attending workshops and conferences, Wisconsin writers are also dedicated to grassroots efforts that build communities of writers. If you’re looking for a writing group in your area of the state, check out the Wisconsin Writers Association. On their website, you can make your own profile and look for one of their registered writing groups—or you can start your own. They also keep an updated list of all the state’s workshops and conferences. You can consider them your database for writing in the state, especially if you’re just getting started.

Between its opportunities for publication and for learning from and with writers across all levels of experience, Wisconsin proves itself to be a hub of inspiration and vibrant culture for writers. You can amass a plethora of skills and tips by immersing yourself in the writing community.

If attending workshops and taking courses helps you find other writers and practice your skill, you’ll find a special sense of intimacy and support in any of the rigorous creative writing programs offered at Wisconsin’s colleges and universities.

Writing Colleges in Wisconsin Offering Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Creative Writing Provide a Path to Becoming a Writer

Of course, earning a bachelor’s or master’s degree in creative writing can help you hone your skills and join a community of fellow artists. If you’re in Wisconsin, you have several options for college-level programs, all of which will challenge you with instruction on narrative technique and workshops where you’ll learn to improve your work based on feedback.

Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) and Other Bachelor’s Degrees in Creative Writing in Wisconsin

Beloit college.

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT

Accreditation: HLC

Degree: Bachelor – BA

Private School

beloit college

  • English-Creative Writing

Cardinal Stritch University

HUMANITIES DEPARTMENT

cardinal stritch university

  • Creative Writing (Writing, Cultural Studies)

Lakeland University

SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES AND FINE ARTS

Degree: Bachelor – BFA

lakeland university

  • Creative Writing

Northland College

northland college

St. Norbert College

DIVISION OF HUMANITIES

st norbert college

  • English-Creative Writing emphasis

University of Wisconsin-Green Bay

Degree: Bachelor – BFA, BA

Public School

university of wisconsin green bay

  • BFA - Writing and Applied Arts
  • BA - English-Creative Writing emphasis

University of Wisconsin-Madison

COLLEGE OF LETTERS AND SCIENCE

university of wisconsin madison

  • English-Creative Writing track

Master of Fine Arts (MFA) and Other Master’s Degrees in Creative Writing in Wisconsin

Degree:  Master – MFA

creative writing courses uw madison

Springtime at the UW Arboretum, a 1,260 acre National Historic Landmark recognized as a pioneer in ecological restoration.

MFA in Creative Writing

Founded in 2003, the Graduate Program in Creative Writing offers a two-year Master of Fine Arts Degree in the areas of fiction and poetry. Though small—we typically admit six new students each year—the MFA is just one part of a vibrant writing community including five or six post-graduate fellows , former fellows and alums, PhD candidates in contemporary literature, and a host of other artists and writers living and working in Madison. Our MFA is unique in that we have an “alternating genre” admissions policy: we accept fiction applications in the fall/early winter of odd-numbered years, and poetry applications in the fall/early winter of even-numbered years. This allows us to provide an almost unrivaled 2-to-1 student/teacher ratio that gives each class of students the full attention of the faculty in their genre for two solid years.

All of our MFA candidates receive  generous financial aid ,  the opportunity to teach  courses both in Creative Writing and English Composition, and a semester of teacher-training and support. Our MFAs also have the opportunity to take workshops in other genres, including fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, playwriting, and comics. While cross-genre writing certainly isn’t mandatory, many of our students report that taking workshops outside their primary area not only improves their writing in multiple genres, but also leads to even greater camaraderie among all the writers in the program.

Our MFAs have access to a truly multi-generational community of writers at every stage of their careers. MFAs interact frequently with our Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing fellows, who are some of the best recent MFA recipients in the country, and both the fellows and faculty are always on-hand to provide advice about publishing, teaching, and pursuing a career in writing.

To get some sense of the scope of the Madison writing community, and the diversity of nationally acclaimed poets and fiction writers who cycle regularly through town, we encourage you to take a look at our  events  and  friends pages. Our MFAs have sat down for meals and conversation with visiting writers such as Michael Cunningham , Ayana Mathis ,  Eileen Myles ,  Mark Doty ,  Jonathan Franzen , Terrance Hayes ,  Adam Haslett , Alice Notley ,  Tommy Orange ,  Solmaz Sharif , Tiana Clark , Claire Vaye Watkins , and Lauren Groff , as well as regular visiting editors and agents on the lookout for the next generation of American literature.

Meet Our MFAs

creative writing courses uw madison

MFA Alumni Spotlight: Lydia Conklin

Lydia Conklin graduated from the UW-Madison MFA Program in 2012, recently served as the Helen Zell Visiting Professor in Fiction at the University of Michigan, and in Fall 2022 began as Assistant Professor of English and Creative Writing at Vanderbilt University. They’ve received a Stegner Fellowship, a Rona Jaffe Foundation Writer’s Award, three Pushcart Prizes, a Creative Writing Fulbright in Poland, a grant from the Elizabeth George Foundation, a Creative Writing Fellowship from Emory University, work-study and tuition scholarships from Bread Loaf, and fellowships from MacDowell, Yaddo, Hedgebrook, Djerassi, the James Merrill House, and elsewhere. Their fiction has appeared in Tin House, American Short Fiction, The Southern Review, and The Paris Review and is forthcoming in One Story and VQR. They have drawn cartoons for The New Yorker and Narrative Magazine, and graphic fiction for The Believer, Lenny Letter, and the Steppenwolf Theater in Chicago. Their story collection, Rainbow Rainbow, was published in May 2022 by Catapult in North America and Scribner in the UK.

MFA Administrator  Sean Bishop Program in Creative Writing Department of English

MFA Course of Study

The two-year MFA course of study is designed to provide as much time as possible for independent writing and reading. The degree requires 42 credits as follows:

  • 9 credits of writing workshops  in the student’s primary genre (fiction or poetry). These workshops are held in the first, second, and third semesters.
  • 3 credits of pedagogy , during the first semester.
  • 15 thesis credits . Students take 3 credits in each of the first, second and third semesters, then 6 thesis credits in the fourth semester. These are not courses—rather, they’re the means by which the University gives MFAs credit for their independent writing.
  • 15 credits of electives  drawn from appropriate courses across the curriculum. While students are expected to focus on and produce book-length theses by the end of their two years here, they are also encouraged to pursue other intellectual interests via these electives. In the past, MFA students have fulfilled their elective requirements by enrolling in literature courses, studying foreign languages, pursuing other artistic interests such as dance, book-making, and classical guitar, augmenting research for historical novels by taking appropriate history classes. MFA students may also hone their writing skills in other genres by taking intermediate and advanced undergraduate workshops and graduate level workshops in genres outside the one for which they were admitted, as electives with the permission of the instructor. Students may also take up to 6 elective credits in the form of additional thesis hours in the second and third semesters.
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Writing Noncredit Courses

Chances are you’ve been writing or wanting to write for a long time. We’re glad you’re here!

Our noncredit writing courses allow you to hone your craft and explore your literary voice. Whether you’re ready to write that screenplay, novel or book of poems, or simply find a new way to express yourself, these classes will serve you well.

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Noncredit Writing Courses

Bring your stories to life with our creative writing classes!

General Writing

Creative writing: all levels | $165.

Beginning or advanced writers explore the possibilities of writing for fun and publication by practicing specific writing skills that enhance descriptive language usage, story-telling, and exposition, including styles, grammar usage, and imagery. Future offerings will be posted here.

Publishing Basics for Creative Writers | $105

This course will provide a general overview of publishing for creative writers—with a focus on poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction. Our aim is to help participants navigate the publishing world and learn how to publish their creative pieces. Participants will also learn important terminology and best practices for submission requirements, and we will explore different types of publications, discuss helpful organizational tools, and develop a publication plan for each participant’s creative piece(s). #63587, Truax-Health Building, 2/26-4/1 Monday, 5:30-7:30 PM

Picture Books for Children | $185

In this course, we will discuss strategies for writing and polishing a picture book manuscript for children. There will also be an opportunity to workshop your manuscript and submit it for a professional critique from the instructor. By the end of the course, you will gain knowledge on next steps for either submitting to the publishing industry or for self-publication. #62325, Online Live, 2/21-4/24, Wednesday, 6-8:30 PM

Rewilding Your Fiction: Writing Nature and Animals | $85

Step off the beaten path and bring the wild into your writing! In this generative seminar, you’ll experiment with different approaches to using animals and nature in fiction. We’ll read and discuss nature-inspired short stories, some grounded in reality and others veering into the surreal and fantastical. This class will include several generative prompts, in-class time to write, and the opportunity to give and receive feedback. #63586, Truax-Early Learning Center, 3/21-4/11, Thursday, 6-8 PM

30 Day Poetry Challenge | $65

April is National Poetry Month, so why not have an intensive poetry adventure?  In this class you will receive a daily poetry prompt from the instructor to fuel your creativity.  Each week the class will meet to share the successes and challenges of writing every day.  You will also have the opportunity to have your pieces workshopped.  Students will be guided in putting their work into a chapbook, so your poetry adventure will be with you forever.  No previous writing experience necessary. #62310, Online Live, 3/28-5/2, Thursday, 12-1 PM

Professional Development Writing

Business writing for success | $109.

Learn to write to make the best first impression and to be recognized as ready for the next step in your career through clear and concise communication. Employers place clear and concise communication skills at the top of their list when evaluating job applicants. This course will provide you with tips and techniques to quickly elevate your writing skills for success. #11966, Online Live, 6/5-6/26, Wednesday, 6:30-8:30 PM

Technical Writing and Communication | $179

What is technical writing and why is it so important? Professionals, technical experts, and managers all require communication skills at work. Learn how to effectively communicate with an intended audience to clearly convey your intended information. Apply the principles and guidelines for technical communication through the development and review of documents, graphics and visuals. #62910, Online, 3/19-4/16 #11430, Online, 7/17-8/14

Three Ways to Register for Noncredit Courses

1. register by phone.

  • Call us at 608.258.2301 , Option 2

2. Express Registration

  • Complete our online registration form

3. Log into MyMadisonCollege

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  • Need an account? Create an account
  • Unsure if you have an account? If you have taken a class at Madison College, search for your account

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Online Courses

Check out these 100% online noncredit classes offered in partnership with ed2go.

A to Z Grant Writing (Self-paced) | $99

This course provides students with the hands-on experience and knowledge they need to successfully begin writing grant proposals, including real-world scenarios, and the opportunity to improve their work by reviewing previous grant proposals completed by peers.

Grammar Refresher | $99

Develop English grammar skills and take your writing and speaking to the next level. This course explores the eight parts of speech, punctuation and mechanics, foundational sentence construction, phrases, clauses, problem words, common mistakes, and more with practical, hands-on exercises.

The Keys to Effective Editing | $115

Learn the essential skills and resources you will need to become a successful and confident copyeditor. This course provides the fundamentals of top-notch editing for both fiction and nonfiction.

Beginner's Guide to Getting Published | $115

Get your writing directly into the hands of an editor and on the shelves of your favorite stores. This course, taught by a successful journalist and author, will help you understand every step of the publishing process and how to give yourself the credibility publishers notice.

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Creative Writing Program

Creative writing news.

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The University of Washington English Department's Creative Writing Program offers a BA in English with a concentration in Creative Writing and a two-year Master of Fine Arts  degrees in Poetry and Prose. 

Founded in 1947 by Theodore Roethke, the Creative Writing Program's tradition of transformative workshops continues with our current faculty:  David Bosworth , Nikki David Crouse ,  Rae Paris ,  David Shields,  and  Maya Sonenberg  (Prose), and  Linda Bierds (part-time) ,  Andrew Feld ,  Richard Kenney,  and  Pimone Triplett  (Poetry).  They include among their many honors fellowships from the MacArthur Foundation, the Guggenheim Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as prizes such as the Flannery O’Connor Award in Short Fiction and the McCarthy Prize. The list of our alumni publications represents a significant chapter in the history of American literature. 

The MFA Program remains purposely small, admitting only ten students per year. The relatively small size of our program (20 students at most at any given time) allows for close associations to develop among students and faculty. The first year is devoted to participation in workshops and literary seminars, and the second year allows for concentrated work on a creative manuscript and critical essay under the supervision of two creative writing faculty members. 

The BA in English with a Creative Writing Concentration prepares students not only to be more effective communicators and artists, but also creative problem solvers and more nuanced critical thinkers. By situating small, student-oriented writing workshops alongside literary models, Creative Writing classes enhance the broader study of literature and critical theory, helping students gain a greater understanding of the social and cultural forces informing their work. A student completing the program is more able to situate themselves in a larger aesthetic and social context and make more meaningful, informed decisions about their own artistic practice. In addition, through the intense practice of creative writing, students are able to see the world more clearly, in a more nuanced and meaningful manner, and apply these skills to a wide variety of work and life situations.

Director:  Nikki David Crouse

Program Coordinator: Shannon Mitchell 

Graduate Program Advisor: Tim Cosgrove

Undergraduate Program Advising: Humanities Academic Services

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August 2022 - year 24 - issue 4, issn 1755-9715.

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Abstract Writing: Challenges and Suggestions For Non-English Researchers

  • Irina Tverdokhlebova, Russia
  • Liliya Makovskaya, Uzbekistan

Irina Tverdokhlebova is Associate Professor and Head of Russian and Foreign Languages Chair at Russian State University for Geological Prospecting, Moscow. She has extensive experience of working in secondary and higher educational institutions in Russia, British Council Scholar  and Lecturer (1990-1996) at the University of Surrey (UK), founder and Head of English Phonetics and Business Communication Chair at Moscow City Teacher Training University (1998-2016), currently is also Chief Editor of "Foreign Languages at School" - an all-Russia scientific research and methodological journal. Email:  [email protected]  

Liliya Makovskaya is a senior lecturer in the Global Education Department of Westminster International University in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. She has several years of experience in teacher training and material design. Liliya has been involved in a number of joint research projects with international organisations. Her research interests lie in assessment in higher education, second language writing, feedback, academic vocabulary, and discourse analysis. Email: [email protected]

The article deals with meeting the needs of contemporary scholars in expanding their academic literacy and enhancing research culture. The authors address issues of academically relevant writing practices for MA/MSc/Ph.D students, early-career researchers, and practising high school and university teachers. Based on the analysis of original scientific abstract submissions, the research study identifies the scholarly quality, strengths and weaknesses of non-native English practising teachers’ writing skills who succeeded in having published their articles in professional journals. Particular focus is given to determining structure, specific language, logical flow of ideas, and style. Essential suggestions for improving abstract writing skills are provided.

The spectrum of essential academic activities for the participants in scientific research and innovations is varied. It includes such main types as scientific research, expertise, project-work, promotion of theory and practical recommendations, pedagogical activity in higher educational institutions and many others that presuppose public presentation and exchange of intellectual products. These activities require the development of relevant competencies that form the basis for individual academic research culture.

It should be noted that teaching English for Academic purposes exemplifies different approaches to language teaching and learning. In methodological terms, there is an apparent discrepancy in how students’ academic writing excellence may be achieved. In short, many scholars’ traditional view of teaching foreign languages was focused on the traditional triangle of ‘knowledge-skills-competences’ development. However, the new millennium has given rise to the perceptions of a new triangle ‘skills-socialization-literacy’ formation (Hyland, 2006).

The authors of this publication share the opinion that in modern educational environments, both in Uzbekistan and Russia, practising university-level language teachers adhere to a concept that combines the core assets of both methodological triangles - ‘skills-competences-socialization-literacy-academic culture’. Unfortunately, there seem to be no contradictions, but only an attempt to bring together in a dialectical unity the significant stages of gradual and purposeful mastery development in students who aspire to achieve better results in their EFL and EAP capacities.

Undoubtedly, the EAP instruction at the high school and university level is based on the needs of students and their careful preparation for successful and independent activities beyond the level of the teacher-monitored academic environment. Real-world interactions require a broad range of skills and academic strategies in learners, from notetaking, resume writing, and referencing to essay and thesis writing.

As educational statistics demonstrate, in the past thirty years (since 1993), the number of young people who have graduated from universities with BA or MA degrees has doubled from 445,0 to 908,6 thousand (2020) in Russia only. According to current requirements, MA students should have at least one article published before defending their thesis. Wouldn’t it be correct to assume that the number of published articles by MA graduates has also nearly doubled? Besides, there is a growing number of exchange programmes for students, and academic mobility involves early-career researchers and university lecturers. Thus, the demand for domestic and international publications due to formal requirements has become evident.

Academic research culture is complex and includes professional observation skills and research competencies as integral to a life-long educational system. It also allows researchers to share best practices and theoretical foundations and, to a large extent, support Teacher Professional Development (TPD). In recent years the demand for international publications in English has increased multi-fold and gave rise to better meeting the challenge of the growing necessity to bridge the gap in linguistic tradition and cultural discrepancy in abstract writing.

What is an abstract?

A great number of definitions for a paper abstract can be found in scientific and methodological literature. The majority agree that it is a short paragraph, usually 150-300 words, that summarises a research-based paper. The specialists of the UW-Madison Writing Centre (2022) also clarify that “a well-written abstract lets readers get the gist or essence of your paper or article quickly, in order to decide whether to read the full paper; prepares readers to follow the detailed information, analyses, and arguments in your full paper; helps readers remember key points from your paper”.

The structure of a paper abstract might vary depending on the journal requirements; however, a universally accepted structure is very similar, i.e., an abstract:   

(1) begins with a broad statement about the topic;

(2) states the problem or knowledge gap related to this topic that the study explores;

(3) describes what specific aspect of this problem is investigated;

(4) briefly explains how the researcher went about doing this;

(5) describes the most meaningful outcome(s) of the study;

(6) closes the abstract by explaining the broad implication(s) of the findings.

Apart from the structure, most sources also propose using specific set phrases in abstract writing, which might be helpful to both novice and experienced writers. These word combinations are usually presented in separate sections, such as introduction/background information, the aim of the study, methods, results, implications, and conclusion, i.e., following the logical structure of the abstract. Finally, the study skills of a contemporary researcher need to meet unfamiliar demands of modern kinds of scholarly discourse to expand their academic literacy (Hyland, 2006). In this respect, raising issues of academic writing practices appears to be relevant. Therefore, analysing the abstracts of current research papers was essential to reveal the general key issues and effectuate them in improving students’/teachers’ ability in this genre of academic writing.

Study conducted

The main goal of our research study was to identify characteristics of a good abstract for a scholarly article. The particular focus was to determine the structure, specific language, and logical flow of ideas, to describe the strengths and weaknesses of style, and to derive suggestions for improving the quality of sample abstracts. For this study, we analysed the paper abstracts submitted to one of the scientific journals for English language teachers. The samples belonged to MA/MSc/Ph.D. students, early-career researchers, practising high school and university teachers, and high-brow academics interested in modern scientific research. The target audience actively participates in scientific projects and is interested in having their work published in international professional journals. We assume that participants of the study have worked on various written papers, i.e., scholarly essays, professional articles, and research summaries, in their native language but have limited experience in writing those in English.

The paper analysis reveals that abstracts produced by non-native English writers contain the following points for improvement:

  • no clear or irrelevant structure
  • long and complicated sentences
  • a great number of verbal phrases
  • passive voice structures
  • stringing of Genitive cases and infinitives
  • excessive use of expressions with similar prepositions “of/for/with”
  • use of personal pronouns

Most non-English speaking writers tend to write long, complicated sentences that contain a significant number of verbal phrases, passive voice structures and excessive use of the prepositional expressions with “of/for”. Based on their investigation, Hu et al. (2021) found that abstracts of highly cited scholarly papers mostly have noun phrases, adverbial phrases, and gerunds. Thus, for abstract writing in English, researchers recommend using fewer verb phrases, prepositional phrases, and negative sentences in abstract writing to make the meaning clear. Another frequent imperfection that marks the quality of non-native-written abstracts in EFL methodology is their inappropriate structure. This feature has also been singled out in the rhetorical structure of abstract analysis in sociology. For example, Lores-Sanz (2016) indicated that most non-Anglophone academics do not follow the suggested IMRD (introduction-method-results-discussion) structure accepted by the Anglophone academic world but adapt it either by simplifying or creating a new pattern. Although IMRD stages are recommended, Nessi (2012) clarifies that “as genres reflect the contexts in which they are produced, and the social and educational contexts are changing all the time, genres, too, change over time”.

The following sample illustrates some of the main aspects mentioned in the general findings. Although the abstract is of an accepted length (120 words), it does not strictly follow the proposed structure. It also has excessive use of the preposition “of” (which might be the interference of the native language) and repetitive words (e.g., multilingual). 

Our analysis of the abstracts also confirmed some of the suggestions provided by the specialists of the University of Southern California (2022), who identified several aspects that should be avoided in abstract writing: lengthy background or contextual information; redundant phrases, unnecessary adverbs and adjectives, and repetitive information; acronyms or abbreviations; using ellipticals [i.e., ending with "..."] or incomplete sentences; jargon or terms that may be confusing to the reader; any image, illustration, figure, or table, or references to them.

Recommendations

Based on the data analysis, the following recommendations on writing abstracts for research-based articles can be proposed for non-native English writers:

  • It is essential to look carefully for native language interference cases as the abstract analysis shows excessive use of the genitive case (preposition “of”), and long complicated sentence structures might impede understanding of the meaning.
  • Although the requirements of the journals might differ, non-Anglophone researchers should not misjudge academic culture differences in the abstract structure of English-medium journals.
  • In a research-based paper, writers should produce the abstract after accomplishing the full article. Non-English native writers tend to write abstracts before completing an article, which is one of the greatest mistakes as the abstract is the first part to see in the paper, but the last to write.
  • It is required to proofread for stringing errors as they lead to paper rejection even though the content and structure can follow the journal requirements.
  • As research-based writing has its writing style, it is crucial to adhere to strict requirements for stylistic excellence as this will help make the paper clear and concise.
  • Non-English writers should beware of pedagogical versus editors’ views as they might slightly differ in their requirements for writing.

The overall methodological value of the study lies in improving students’ academic literacy and raising students’ awareness of some features and specialised techniques for abstract writing in English, as well as some relevant cross-cultural characteristics that students could beneficially train themselves to use when working on scientific-research manuscripts for publication.

Hu, H., Wang, D. & Deng, S. (2021). Analysis of the scientific literature’s abstract writing style and citations. Online Information Review 45 (7), 1290-1305. https://doi.org/10.1108/OIR-05-2020-0188 .

Hyland, K. (2006). English for academic purposes: an advanced resource book . Abingdon: Routledge.

Lores-Sanz, R. (2016). ELF in the making? simplification and hybridity in abstract writing. Journal of English as a Lingua Franca 5(1), 53–81. https://doi.org/10.1515/jelf-2016-0003.

Nessi, H. (2012). Families of genres of assessed writing. In: Nessi, H. & Gardner, S. eds. Genres across the Disciplines Student Writing in Higher Education . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press: 21-56.

University of Southern California (2022). The Abstract. USC Librarie s. Available from https://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide/abstract

University of Wisconsin-Madison (2022). Writing an Abstract for Your Research Paper. The Writing Centr e. Available from https://writing.wisc.edu/handbook/assignments/writing-an-abstract-for-your-research-paper/

Please check the Pilgrims f2f courses at Pilgrims website.

Please check the Pilgrims online courses at Pilgrims website.

  • 3.Tverdokhlebova_Makovskaya.rev docx

Academic Writing Mahmoud Sultan Nafa, United Arab Emirates

Abstract writing: challenges and suggestions for non-english researchers irina tverdokhlebova, russia;liliya makovskaya, uzbekistan.

creative writing courses uw madison

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Current post-doctoral fellows.

creative writing courses uw madison

Christy Monet (Brandly), September 2023 – August 2024 Dr. Monet Brandly is a political scientist and Slavicist specializing in intellectual history as viewed from the perspectives of the history of political thought and literary studies. She conducts research and teaches in the fields of political theory, literature, and history, with a focus on Russophone political thought and its engagements with empire, liberalism, and American culture over the last two centuries. She earned her Ph.D. in both Political Science and Slavic Languages and Literatures from the University of Chicago in 2023. She also holds an M.A. in International Relations from the University of Chicago, as well as a B.A. in Political Science from St. Mary’s College of Maryland. Her current book project on the family novel in Imperial Russia explores the ways in which the development of liberal thought in 19th-century Russia created space for the reimagining of both the form of the family and its role in the political—a reimagining in stark contrast to the eventual removal of the family from the political in Western liberal thought. This research is based, in part, on research undertaken in both Moscow and St. Petersburg in the archives of the Russian State Library and the Pushkin House, respectively. Her doctoral dissertation and current book project have been supported by an Alfa Fellowship, a University of Chicago Harper Dissertation-Year Fellowship, an Institute for Humane Studies Publication Accelerator Grant, and a Princeton University Press Book Proposal Grant. This is her first post-doctoral academic appointment, although she previously worked for the Moscow-based publishing house Novoe literaturnoe obozrenie (NLO) as an editorial assistant and translator during her graduate studies.

creative writing courses uw madison

Mina Magda, September 2023 – August 2024 Dr. Magda is a scholar of Russian literature, visual art, and performance spanning the long nineteenth century and early Soviet period. Her interdisciplinary research centers politics of racial representation, gendered labor, and colonial culture. Becoming Modern: Negrophilia, Russophilia, and the Making of Modernist Paris, her current book project, examines the aesthetic interplay among modernists of the Russian and Black diasporas in Paris—namely, Josephine Baker and the Ballets Russes—the visual technologies of race-making that framed their careers, and their shared imbrication in the histories of celebrity and coloniality. She demonstrates how the comparison between Baker and the Ballets Russes helps us think of racial formation as a network of political, aesthetic, and commercial negotiations through which we can examine the limits and relational contingencies of racial self-determination, and ask at what cost conceptions of modern subjecthood were afforded. Magda received her PhD in Slavic Languages and Literatures at Yale University in 2023 and holds an MA in Russian and Slavic Studies from New York University. Her doctoral dissertation was supported by fellowships at the Houghton Library and Beinecke Library and the MacMillan International Dissertation Research Fellowship.

creative writing courses uw madison

Anastasiia Vlasenko, September 2022-August 2023 Dr. Vlasenko is a postdoctoral fellow who studies electoral politics and democratization with specialization in politics of Ukraine and Russia. Her monograph project, ‘The Electoral Effects of Decentralization: Evidence from Ukraine’ investigates how decentralization reform affects electoral mobilization and diversity in a weakly institutionalized democracy. Vlasenko is particularly interested in transitional period reforms, propaganda, legislative politics, and forecasting. Her research has been published in the Journal of Politics.  She received her Ph.D. from the Department of Political Science at Florida State University in 2022, M.A. in Political Science from Florida State University in 2018, M.A. in International Relations from New York University in 2016, and M.Sc. in European Affairs from Lund University in 2013, and B.A. in Political Science from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy in 2011. In 2020-2021, she worked at Hertie School in Berlin as a visiting researcher. In 2014-2016, Vlasenko was a Fulbright scholar at New York University. At Florida State University, she taught courses on comparative politics and post-Soviet studies.

creative writing courses uw madison

Margarita Kuleva, December 2022-November 2023 Dr. Kuleva is a sociologist of culture, interested in exploring social inequalities in the art world and cultural industries in Russia and the UK. Primarily, she works as an ethnographer to discover the ‘behind the scenes’ of cultural institutions to give greater visibility to the invisible workers of culture. Kuleva received her PhD in art sociology from the National Research University Higher School of Economics in collaboration with Bielefeld University in 2019. The dissertation entailed a comparative study of the careers and professional identities of young cultural workers in visual art sectors in Moscow, St Petersburg and London. Based on more than 70 in-depth interviews, it was one of the first systematic studies of post-Soviet creative labour. Some findings from these studies were recently presented in journal publications including  Cultural Studies  (2018) and  International Journal of Cultural Studies  (2019), as well as  European Journal of Cultural Studies  (2022). Her current research project,  The Right to Be Creative , focuses on hidden political struggles at contemporary Russian cultural institutions. Dr. Kuleva previously worked at National Research University Higher School of Economics as an Associate Professor and held the position of Chair of the Department of Design and Contemporary Art in St Petersburg. In 2019-2020, Kuleva was a fellow of the Center for Art, Design and Social Research (Boston, Massachusetts). As a researcher, artist, and curator, she has collaborated with a number of Russian and international cultural institutions, including Manifesta Biennale, Pushkin House in London, Boston Center for the Arts, Garage MoCA, Goethe Institute, Helsinki Art Museum, Street Art Museum, Ural Industrial Biennale and New Holland St. Petersburg.

Past Post-Doctoral Fellows

creative writing courses uw madison

Nikolay Erofeev, March 2022-May 2022

Dr. Erofeev is an architectural historian whose work focuses on socialist architecture and urban planning. His monograph project, ‘Architecture and housing in the Comecon’ looks at architecture and urbanisation patterns produced by global socialism. Combining in-depth scrutiny of the design of the built environment with an analysis of the everyday processes of subject-making that shaped the socialist project in Mongolia, the project aims to provide a new understanding of the urban and domestic spaces produced in the Global South. Erofeev received his D.Phil (PhD) in History from the University of Oxford in 2020 where he was a Hill Foundation Scholar and his specialist degree (M.A.) in the History of Art from the Moscow State University in 2014. His doctoral project discussed the design and production of prefabricated mass housing in the Soviet Union and argued the architectural story of this understudied ‘bureaucratic modernism’ represents a much more creative and influential development in the history of modern architecture as a whole. Erofeev had academic appointments at Manchester Metropolitan University where he was teaching Master of Architecture dissertations. Erofeev is currently conducting research at the University of Basel as a postdoctoral fellow supported by the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship.

creative writing courses uw madison

Jennifer Flaherty, September 2020-August 2021

Dr. Flaherty is a postdoctoral fellow specializing in nineteenth- and twentieth- century Russian literature, culture and intellectual history, with current research interests in Hegel’s influence on Russian thought as well as labor theory. Her book project on representations of peasants investigates how the stylistic innovations of nineteenth-century Russian literature express the tensions of modernity that lie at the heart of its agrarian myth. She received her Ph.D. in Slavic Languages and Literatures from the University of California at Berkeley in 2019, her M.A. in Humanities from the University of Chicago in 2010, and her B.A. in Philosophy from Appalachian State University in North Carolina. She’s had academic appointments as a visiting assistant professor in the department of Modern Languages and Literatures at the College of William of Mary, and as a lecturer at in the Slavic department at UC Berkeley. Flaherty has conducted research as an American Councils Fellow in Moscow and with Harvard’s Institute for World Literature. Her doctoral dissertation received support from UC Berkeley’s Townsend Center for Humanities. She has a forthcoming article in The Russian Review and has published in Tolstoy Studies Journal and PMLA.

creative writing courses uw madison

Nataliia Laas, September 2022-August 2023 Dr. Laas specializes in political economy, consumer society, gender, the history of the social sciences, and environmental history in the Soviet Union. She currently works on a book manuscript, provisionally titled A Soviet Consumer Republic: Economic Citizenship and the Economy of Waste in the Post-WWII Soviet Union. This project departs from the standard economy-of-shortages narrative and offers a different dimension, an “economy of waste,” to describe Soviet consumption. It argues that after World War II and especially with the onset of Cold War competition with the West, in addition to periodic shortages the Soviet state regularly confronted a new challenge: glutted markets, overproducing factories, and excess commodities. Unlike shortages that were often vindicated by the official Bolshevik ideology as the people’s sacrifice on the road to the country’s industrialization and economic growth, excess and waste were endemic to the malfunctioning of a command economy but far more difficult for authorities to explain and justify. By focusing on the emergence of socialist market research and consumer studies, the book explores how the economy of waste reshaped relationships between the state and its citizens. Laas received her PhD in History from Brandeis University in 2022. Her doctoral dissertation was supported by a Harriman Institute Carnegie Research Grant and a Mellon Dissertation Completion Fellowship from Brandeis, among others.

creative writing courses uw madison

Emily Laskin, September 2022-August 2023

Dr. Laskin specializes in the literature of Central Asia, working extensively in Russian and Persian. Her current book project,  No Man’s Land: The Geopoetics of Modern Central Asia , focuses on the literature of the so-called Great Game, the Russo-British rivalry for influence in Central Asia, putting Russian and British imperial writing on Central Asia in dialogue with contemporaneous Persian literature published across the region, from Kabul, to Bukhara, to Istanbul. Laskin’s recent work on the literature of the Great Game appears in  Novel: A Forum on Fiction , and she is an editor of the forthcoming volume  Tulips in Bloom: An Anthology of Modern Central Asian Literature . She received her Ph.D. in 2021 in Comparative Literature at the University of California, Berkeley, and also holds an M.A. in Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies from Columbia University. Her doctoral dissertation was supported by a Mellon/ACLS fellowship and a Berkeley Dean’s Fund grant for archival research in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

creative writing courses uw madison

Vladimir Ryzhkovskyi, November 2020-October 2021

Dr. Ryzhkovskyi studied Russian, Soviet and East European history in Ukraine, Russia, and the US, where he recently earned a PhD from Georgetown University. By foregrounding the link between empire, culture, and knowledge, Ryzhkovskyi’s research probes the place of Russia and the Soviet Union within global history, particularly in relation to forms of Western imperialism and colonialism. His current book project, Soviet Occidentalism: Medieval Studies and the Restructuring of Imperial Knowledge in Twentieth-Century Russia, explores the twentieth-century history of medieval studies in late imperial and Soviet Russia as a model for demonstrating the crucial importance of Soviet appropriation of Western culture and knowledge in the post-revolutionary reconstituting and maintaining the empire following 1917. In addition to pursuing the imperial and postcolonial theme in the history of Soviet modernity, Ryzhkovskyi has published articles and essays on the history of late imperial and Soviet education, the history of late Soviet intelligentsia, and Soviet philosophy. A volume of unpublished writings by the Soviet historian and philosopher Boris Porshnev, co-edited with Artemy Magun, is forthcoming from the European University Press in 2021.

creative writing courses uw madison

Delgerjargal Uvsh, November 2020-October 2021

Dr. Uvsh received her Ph.D. in political science from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 2020. She conducts research and teaches primarily in the field of comparative politics, with a focus on post-Soviet politics, the political economy of natural-resource dependence, institutional and regime change, and research methods. Using Russia as a critical case, Delgerjargal’s book project, “Reversal of the Resource Curse? Negative Revenue Shocks and Development in Russia and Beyond,” develops a theory of when and how declines in natural-resource revenue (negative revenue shocks) incentivize political elites to support private business activity and reverse the “resource curse.” Delgerjargal expanded her interest in the relationship between natural resources and institutional changes in a forthcoming book chapter, where she explores the short-term effects of negative revenue shocks on political regimes. Another extension, published in Land Use Policy , analyzes novel satellite data on forest-cover change in western Russian regions and shows that the dynamics of forest growth and deforestation have been different in the first versus the second decade of Russia’s transition. You can read more about Delgerjargal’s work at www.delgerjargaluvsh.com .

creative writing courses uw madison

Sasha de Vogel, September 2021-August 2022

Dr. de Vogel studies the politics of authoritarian regimes and collective action, particularly in Russia and the post-Soviet region. Her research examines when and why autocratic regimes promise concessions to protestors, how these promises affect mobilization and their impact on policies. Her research underscores that reneging, or deliberately failing to implement concessions as promised, is a fundamental strategic dimension of concessions. Her book project focuses on protest campaigns against the Moscow City government about policy-related grievances in the mid-2010s. During this period, more protest campaigns were promised a concession than experienced a detention, yet these concessions rarely resolved protesters’ grievances. Other research interests include comparative politics, authoritarian institutions, repression, authoritarian responsiveness and urban politics. Sasha received her PhD in Political Science from the University of Michigan in 2021, and also holds an MA in Russian, Eastern European and Eurasian Regional Studies and a BA in Slavic Studies from Columbia University. Her research has been supported by the National Science Foundation and the Carnegie Corporation/Harriman Institute, among others.

creative writing courses uw madison

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2020 Outreach Courses

A grid of images suggesting people writing, reading, using laptops to work, and joining a Zoom call for a conversation.

CREATIVE WRITING, DISABILITIES AWARENESS, AND INCLUSION COURSE SERIES:

11/5/2020—12/22/2020 (Near East and Northern African regions, though open to all)

This short course series contains six one-hour courses (each with a 30-minute lecture and two 15-minute assignment sections). Courses are captioned/subtitled in Arabic and in English. Each course is taught by a different disabilities writer/activist.

The courses in the series are released on a weekly basis. To view the course series on your own schedule, please click here: bit.ly/DAwritingcourse

Instructors include Sheila Black , a poet, writer, and disabilities activist and currently director of development at the Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP), the main professional organization for creative writing programs; Ron Marz , comic book writer known for the Green Lantern and the Silver Surfer, but also for an international creative collaboration  project in 2012 where he and others, at the invitation of the Syrian government, created the Silver Scorpion, a Syrian-American teenage superhero who is wheelchair-bound; Elsa Sjunesson , Hugo, Aurora, and British Fantasy awards winner, and an activist for disability rights; and Melody Moezzi , writer, lawyer, and disabilities activist, a United Nations Global Expert and an Opinion Leader for the British Council's Our Shared Future initiative, and who, several years back, was part of an ECA program involving young American-Muslim leaders.

WORD/MOVEMENT

6/15/2020 through 8/1/2020   (Kazakhstan, Latvia, Russia)

The Movement sessions of this course work with aspects of meaning-making in dance, with establishing context and point-of-view, and with generation of movement and experimentation with structure. These sessions form the starting point of each Word session, which are in creative writing workshop format. Participants experiment with form and with language, fusing responses, insights, and reactions from the Movement sessions into their creative writing.

View text galleries of some of the course projects and assignments submitted by the Russian-speaking and Latvian-speaking participants here:   http://www.distancelearningiwp.org/wordmovementtextgalleries

(AFTERNOTE: This course’s emphases on diverse perspectives and on resiliency, occurring as it did in the midst of an unexpected global pandemic, both echoed and intersected with the myriad types of virtual artistic and issue-oriented collaborations appearing across the United States during this time.)

WOMEN'S CREATIVE MENTORSHIP PROFESSIONALIZATION PROJECT

4/15/2020 through 10/15/2020  (Argentina, Botswana, Colombia, Kenya, Mauritius, Mexico, Somalia, South Africa)

This project furthers already-established connections in the IWP's Women's Creative Mentorship (WCM) Project ,  broadens international networks and collaborations, and amplifies the many threads of conversation established by the mentor-mentee groups. A series of professional practice seminars anchored and applied these topics.

Participants were invited to create digital collages of their work in this project, and, given the COVID-19 pandemic, their work beyond it.

Click below to view the WCM participants' short videos, their texts and images, and their writing resource lists in response to being asked to describe their past few months, including the balancing/un-balancing of life, COVID-19, writing, and global and local concerns: http://www.distancelearningiwp.org/digitalcollageswmp2020

Upcoming Events

  • Jan 28 — May 26 Write at the Stanley: A Generative Writing Workshop Location: Stanley Museum of Art , Visual Classroom -->
  • Feb 03 — Dec 05 Art & Write Night Location: University of Iowa Museum of Natural History , Hageboeck Hall of Birds (Bird Hall, third Floor) -->
  • Mar 10, 7:08 pm BMindful Holy Days: Ramadan (Islam) Location: University of Iowa Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion -->
  • Mar 20 BMindful Holy Days: Nowruz/Naw-Ruz (Baháʼí) various ethnicities worldwide Location: University of Iowa Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion -->
  • Lines & Spaces
  • Fall Residency
  • Between the Lines
  • Summer Institute
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  • Women’s Creative Mentorship Project
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  • Life of Discovery
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Happening Now

Ranjit Hoskote ’s speech at the 2024 Goa Literary Festival addresses the current situation in Gaza.

In NY Times, Bina Shah worries about the state of Pakistani—and American—democracy.

“I went to [Ayodhya] to think about what it means to be an Indian and a Hindu... ”  A new essay by critic and novelist Chandrahas Choudhury .

In the January 2024 iteration of the French/English non-fiction site Frictions, T J Benson writes about “Riding Afrobeats Across the World.” Also new, a next installment in the bilingual series featuring work by students from Paris VIII’s Creative Writing program and the University of Iowa’s NFW program.

in NYTimes , Sanam Maher examines a new book about women defending themselves when the justice system in their country won’t.

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    Creative Writing - UW-Madison Undergraduate Courses & Registration Below is a list of undergraduate courses offered in creative writing, with detailed information regarding the prerequisites and processes for enrolling. Questions about requirements?

  2. The Writing Center

    We'd love to meet with you! You can schedule all individual writing appointments through WCOnline, our online scheduler. We offer in-person meetings at our Main Center and satellite locations, Virtual Meetings, and Written Feedback. Click the "Learn More" button to set up a WCOnline account and to find the appointment that's right for you!

  3. English, B.A. < University of Wisconsin-Madison

    Students pursuing the emphasis on creative writing take the core curriculum with a sequence of creative writing workshops. Students wishing to emphasize language and linguistics choose options in grammar, the history of the English language, phonology, and language acquisition. ... "In residence" credit also includes UW-Madison courses ...

  4. Undergraduate Program and Requirements

    Creative Writing Language & Linguistics Honors TESOL Literature Emphasis Description: Literature serves as the general emphasis for most majors in English. Your coursework will expose you to a wide range of English, American, and Anglophone literature from the medieval era to the present.

  5. Literary Studies

    Literary Studies With more than 40 faculty members, 100 graduate students, 500 undergraduate majors, and 10,000 alumni, Literary Studies is a vibrant community of students and scholars of all levels studying the ideas, history, and theory of literature in English.

  6. MFA, BFA and Other Creative Writing Degrees in Wisconsin

    The Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts & Letters also offers a robust catalogue of workshops taught by local writers, including the intensive "Write Your Novel in Eight Weeks" and courses specifically for naturalists, nonfiction writers, and poets. When it comes to writing, Wisconsinites are also good at finding their people.

  7. MFA in Creative Writing

    MFA in Creative Writing - Creative Writing - UW-Madison Springtime at the UW Arboretum, a 1,260 acre National Historic Landmark recognized as a pioneer in ecological restoration. MFA in Creative Writing Founded in 2003, the Graduate Program in Creative Writing offers a two-year Master of Fine Arts Degree in the areas of fiction and poetry.

  8. What is a good writing intensive course at UW Madison? I'm a ...

    If not, most creative writing courses (Eng 207, 307, 408) are an easy A and fun if you like writing. yaboilisandro • UW school of med does not accept bio 152. They specifically ask that it is in social science or humanities. • 1 yr. ago • 1 yr. ago English 201. The whole class is just writing papers. Cool profs. Easy A. • 1 yr. ago luhuh

  9. University of Wisconsin-Madison

    The Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing was founded in 1985 by the poet Ronald Wallace, who taught at the University of Wisconsin's English department from 1972 to 2015. WICW was created "to provide time, space, and an intellectual community for writers working on a first book of poetry or fiction."

  10. Noncredit Writing Courses

    This course will provide a general overview of publishing for creative writers—with a focus on poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction. Our aim is to help participants navigate the publishing world and learn how to publish their creative pieces.

  11. Creative Writing Program

    The University of Washington English Department's Creative Writing Program offers a BA in English with a concentration in Creative Writing and a two-year Master of Fine Arts degrees in Poetry and Prose.. Founded in 1947 by Theodore Roethke, the Creative Writing Program's tradition of transformative workshops continues with our current faculty: David Bosworth, Nikki David Crouse, Rae Paris ...

  12. Creative Writing @ UW-Madison on Instagram: "Writers, the deadline to

    44 likes, 0 comments - uwmadisoncw on February 23, 2024: "Writers, the deadline to apply for a Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing Fellowship is just ..." Creative Writing @ UW-Madison on Instagram: "Writers, the deadline to apply for a Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing Fellowship is just one week away, on March 1.

  13. August 2022

    The specialists of the UW-Madison Writing Centre (2022) also clarify that "a well-written abstract lets readers get the gist or essence of your paper or article quickly, in order to decide whether to read the full paper; prepares readers to follow the detailed information, analyses, and arguments in your full paper; helps readers remember key ...

  14. Post-Doctoral Fellows

    In 2020-2021, she worked at Hertie School in Berlin as a visiting researcher. In 2014-2016, Vlasenko was a Fulbright scholar at New York University. At Florida State University, she taught courses on comparative politics and post-Soviet studies. Margarita Kuleva, December 2022-November 2023

  15. 2020 Outreach Courses

    CREATIVE WRITING, DISABILITIES AWARENESS, AND INCLUSION COURSE SERIES: 11/5/2020—12/22/2020 (Near East and Northern African regions, though open to all) This short course series contains six one-hour courses (each with a 30-minute lecture and two 15-minute assignment sections). Courses are captioned/subtitled in Arabic and in English.