Bachelor of Fine Arts

The Bachelor of Fine Arts degree program offers comprehensive and rigorous training in the art of writing, and develops students' skills in preparation for numerous post-graduate careers.  

As a major in Creative Writing, you will study the foundations of the art and craft of creating original fiction and poetry through a series of four 2000-level classes.  You will then work in intensive workshops that emphasize invention, drafting, peer-critiquing, and close editing, with publication as a goal.  Options may include courses in the Graphic Novel and Creative Nonfiction. To graduate, you complete a capstone class and thesis, and you present your work publicly as part of the Prout Chapel Reading Series. 

The fine arts emphasis of the degree is complemented by the study of literature, including the study of modern and contemporary fiction and poetry to provide an intellectual, cultural, and artistic background in the literatures of these influential periods.  The degree also requires either courses or an internship to develop professional skills in writing, editing, and publishing.  BFA majors frequently develop their skills by serving on the staff of Prairie Margins, the university’s undergraduate journal, or through an internship with Mid-American Review, the university’s nationally-distributed literary journal.

Students in our classes study with working writers and artists, and graduates have gone on to publish work and find employment opportunities in teaching, marketing, advertising, content creation, editing, arts administration, and journalism. 

The learning outcomes of the program:

• Create original work in a distinct personal voice that integrates literary craft and meaningfully explores themes for contemporary audiences 
• Interpret and evaluate diverse literary texts by both peers and by established authors 
• Analyze and compare literary texts by authors from underrepresented or marginalized groups 
• Transfer and apply creative writing skills to professional contexts relevant to literary and related professions, including new media and multi-modal forms of communication 
• Self-assess original work through reference to mastery of literary craft, to interdisciplinary influences in creative work, and to relevance for broader contemporary contexts 
• Prepare and produce a successful presentation of original creative work in a public setting

Arts Village – BFA majors frequently choose to live in the Arts Village learning community for their first two years.  The Arts Village attracts majors from the School of Art, the Department of Theatre and Film, and the College of Music, as well as majors in Creative Writing.  The community offers on-site classes specifically geared toward art students, collaborative projects, activities and social events. In the Arts Village you’ll explore all aspects of the arts and share views with other students and faculty of various disciplines. The Arts Village is located in Darrow Hall in Kreisher Quadrangle. Click here for more details.

RESOURCES FOR CURRENT STUDENTS:

• Milestones to the BFA Degree
• 2^nd year BFA Portfolio Guidelines
• Prout Chapel Reading Series
• Guidelines for the BFA Thesis
• Careers

Please contact undergradenglish@bgsu.edu with any additional questions.