The Creative Writing Major is a competitive entry third and fourth year program, so you would not be able to apply until the end of your second year.
There are numerous courses at the 200 and 300 level that you can take from the beginning of your first year at UBC; these can all be applied towards a Minor in Creative Writing if you don’t subsequently take the Major, and will also help your development as a writer prior to applying for the BFA.
Only active UBC students, faculty and staff can register in our classes. To take an undergraduate UBC CRWR class, you can either apply to become an undergraduate student, or if you have already completed a Bachelor’s degree, you may be able to apply as an Unclassified student to do non-degree studies. Usually, you need to apply to UBC in January to start classes the following September.
View our continuing education opportunities for options that do not require admissions to the University.
There is no set course path or pre-requisites for the Major, except the completion of CRWR 200 or equivalent. Admissions are decided on the basis of your written portfolio, not grades or courses completed. At the same time, taking 200 and 300 level CRWR courses will help you develop and grow as a writer before applying to the BFA, so we recommend you take what undergraduate Creative Writing courses you can, and explore multiple genres if possible.
We are a Fine Arts program, so the focus is on experiential learning – you learn to write by writing. You will be asked to produce original creative writing in all our courses; we support your writing development with instruction on craft and technique, and your work will be assessed for those elements.
Peer review is a feature in all our classes, and you will be assessed on your participation and the feedback you give others to assist them in developing and improving their original writing. We are not looking for literary criticism, rather for your ability to recognize and encourage good craft practices.