Creative Writing - Liberal Arts Diploma
Overview
Whether you are interested in taking individual courses or pursuing a creative writing diploma/degree, we welcome you. Join the program’s core faculty, as well as guest speakers and visiting writers who will take you on an exciting journey designed to immerse you in creative processes and help you find your voice.
What defines our creative writing program is a community of writers composed of small class sizes and intimate workshops. Gain confidence in communicating your ideas in a truly magical setting. Imagine sitting by the confluence of the Kootenay and Columbia Rivers to draft a poem or walking along the Castlegar campus trails—a significant gathering place for Indigenous Peoples—to conjure the final scene in your short story. In Nelson, classes are held at the Tenth Street Campus, also home to Selkirk College’s renowned Digital Arts and Music programs.
Situated in one of the most beautiful regions on earth, Selkirk College offers a safe, peaceful and vibrant sense of place for writers to explore their imaginations in fiction, non-fiction, poetry and drama. Our creative writing classes are fully transferable to universities across Canada.
Open Studies
Community members who wish to enrol in a single creative writing course may do so through Open Studies.
Course Offerings and Schedules: Winter 2025
CWRT 100: Introduction to Creative Writing I
- Castlegar Campus, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2:30–3:50 pm. Instructor: Leesa Dean.
- Online synchronous, Wednesdays, 4-6:50 pm. Instructor: Renée Harper.
CWRT 200: Manuscript Development I
- Online synchronous, Mondays, 3–4:50 pm, with a professional practices seminar on Thursdays from 1–1:50 pm. Instructor: Leesa Dean.
- Note: The professional practices seminar can be completed synchronously or asynchronously.
Program Outcomes
Upon successful completion of an Associate of Arts or Liberal Arts Diploma program, learners will be able to:
- Explain terms, concepts and theories of the discipline(s)
- Read, write and communicate effectively and creatively across academic disciplines
- Ask informed questions to deepen the level of enquiry
- Use quantitative and qualitative evidence to support claims
- Research and analyze evidence from scholarly and professional publications
- Synthesize and summarize literature and data
- Demonstrate developing critical, creative thinking and problem-solving skills
- Use current and emerging technology
- Demonstrate collaborative skills in a multicultural environment
- Conduct themselves in a professional and ethical manner in an academic environment
Admission Requirements
In addition to meeting the general admission requirements to Selkirk College, as outlined in Policy 8600: Pre-Admissions Basic Skills Assessment (College Readiness Tool CRT), and Policy 8611: Admissions, Applicants to the University Arts and Sciences Program must meet the following requirements to be considered fully qualified:
Academic
a) Students entering UAS courses, with the exceptions in 2- below, require at least 60% or better in English Studies 12, or equivalent. Students who do not meet this requirement must write the Language Proficiency Index (LPI) test and achieve a minimum of level 4 to attain equivalency.
b) French 102, Spanish 102, and English 51 do not require B.C. English Studies 12 or equivalent as a prerequisite. However, students enrolled in the English as a Second Language (ESL) Program wishing to take English 51 will be governed by the relevant policies and procedures of the International Education Program.
c) The English Studies 12 prerequisite may be waived for exceptional grade 12 students in the Transitions Program. Credit for transitions courses will be withheld until a grade of 60% or better in English Studies 12 is achieved.
d) Students whose first language is not English must fulfill the College’s English language proficiency requirement. See Policy 8611: Admissions.
e) Additional admission requirements may be necessary for particular certificate programs, diploma programs or associate degrees. Course prerequisites and program admission requirements are defined in the appendices at the end of this document, in the Selkirk College calendar, and on the College website www.selkirk.ca
f) Mature students must meet the English Studies 12 requirement and additional course requirements as specified in the college calendar.
- Students whose first language is not English must fulfill the college’s English language proficiency requirement. See Policy 8611: Admissions.
- Mature students must meet the English 12 requirement.
- If you are a student who lacks the admission requirements, you may still gain entry to the program by taking a combination of Academic Upgrading and university courses in your first year. This may extend the length of your program.
Selkirk College awards a Liberal Arts Diploma in Creative Writing to students who complete at least sixty (60) credits of University Arts and Sciences courses with a “P” grade or better in each course, achieves a minimum GPA of 2.00, and whose course selection meets the following criteria:
· Two semester courses in first-year English.
· Creative Writing 100 and 101
· Creative Writing 200 and 201
· English 200 and English 201
· English 202 or 204; English 203 or 205
· A minimum of 10 semester courses in first- or second-year Arts and Science courses other than first-year English.
· Up to a maximum of six courses may be from other subjects, as long as they are at the 100-level or higher and are transferable as per the BC Transfer Guide.
The following is the selection of courses that may be chosen for this diploma. Students are advised to meet with an academic counsellor to discuss their course selection.
GRADUATION/CERTIFICATES
Diplomas
The School of University Arts and Science offers a number of diploma programs. Completion of the diploma program requires a student to complete at least sixty (60) credits of University Arts and Science courses in selected areas with a “P” grade or better in each course, and a minimum GPA of 2.00. The admission requirements, graduation requirements, and course of studies for each diploma program are defined in individual program pages in the Selkirk College calendar, and on the college website www.selkirk.ca
Courses
CWRT100 - Introduction to Creative Writing I
CWRT 100 Introduction to Creative Writing I. This course offers an introduction to composition and experimentation in the genres of poetry and creative non-fiction. Students will develop a working knowledge of modern aesthetics in poetry and creative nonfiction, as well as an objective appreciation of their own ''voice'' in the context of those aesthetics.
ENGL110 - College Composition
ENGL 110 introduces students to the world of scholarly writing -- reading it, thinking about it, and producing it as academic researchers. Students will explore how professional and/or academic writers across disciplines communicate to a variety of audiences. Students will practice active reading, writing and critical thinking skills by conducting scholarly research on a topic. This course aims to equip students with the skills and knowledge they need to write effectively within academic contexts.
The following is a suggested selection of courses. Students are advised to meet with a Selkirk College counsellor to discuss course options.
Take three (3) general elective 100-level courses.
See the UAS Courses by discipline page for course selections.
CWRT101 - Introduction to Creative Writing II
CWRT 101 Introduction to Creative Writing II. This course offers an introduction to composition and experimentation in the genres of fiction and drama. Students will develop a working knowledge of modern aesthetics in fiction and drama, as well as an objective appreciation of their own ''voice'' in the context of those aesthetics.
ENGL111 - Introduction to Literature
ENGL 111 Introduction to Literature is about living more intensely. Rather than providing answers, literature prompts us to ask better questions of ourselves and each other. Drama, poetry, short stories, and novels will guide us in discussion, reflection, and writing about literature.
The following is a suggested selection of courses. Students are advised to meet with a Selkirk College counsellor to discuss course options.
Take three (3) general elective 100-level courses.
See the UAS Courses by discipline page for course selections.
CWRT200 - Manuscript Development I
CWRT 200 Manuscript Development I. The emphasis of this second year creative writing course will be on portfolio development and preparation of manuscripts for publication. Students will submit their own imaginative writing for workshop in any of the four genres – poetry, drama, fiction, or non-fiction. Students will also begin to develop professional practices through self-directed projects. Lectures will mirror the assigned readings and serve to initiate theoretical discussions on form, theory, and craft.
ENGL200 - A Survey of English Literature I
ENGL 200 A Survey of English Literature I. ''In spring folk long to go on pilgrimage'' so begins Geoffrey Chaucerï's 14th century masterpiece of the English tradition, The Canterbury Tales. In English 200, we will set out on a pilgrimage which honours the living beauty of the English language and its greatest writers such as Spenser, Shakespeare and Donne, ending in the 17th century with Milton.
Plus one (1) additional 200 level English course.
The following is a suggested selection of courses. Students are advised to meet with a Selkirk College counsellor to discuss course options.
Take two (2) general elective 100- or 200-level courses.
See the UAS Courses by discipline page for course selections.
CWRT201 - Manuscript Development II
CWRT 201 Manuscript Development II. The emphasis of this second year creative writing course will be on portfolio development and preparation of manuscripts for publication. Students will submit for workshop their own imaginative writing in any of the four genres being taught – poetry, drama, fiction, and non-fiction. Allowances for other genres will be made with the permission of the instructor. Lectures, both face to face and online, will mirror the assigned readings and serve to initiate theoretical discussions on form and theory, and principles and elements of craft.
ENGL201 - A Survey of English Literature II
ENGL 201 A Survey of English Literature II. From the calm reason of the Enlightenment to the passion of the Romantics, we still live out the questions first asked by the brilliant writers of 18th and 19th Centuries. In the company of such authors as Pope, Swift, Wollstonecraft, Keats, Wordsworth, and Austen, we continue our pilgrimage into culture, belief, and literary achievement begun in the previous semester with English 200.
Plus one (1) additional 200 level English course.
The following is a suggested selection of courses. Students are advised to meet with a Selkirk College counsellor to discuss course options.
Take two (2) general elective 100- or 200-level courses.
See the UAS Courses by discipline page for course selections.
Tuition & Fees
All amounts are estimates and are subject to change. Tuition amounts are based on a full-time course load. Please note that many programs have additional costs beyond those listed here. For more information, please visit Tuition & Fees.
Find Out More
We look forward to connecting with you! Fill out this form and we'll reach out to you.