Undergraduate Programme in Creative Writing

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Undergraduate Programme in Creative Writing

The Creative Writing programme exposes undergraduates at Ashoka University to the practice of writing poetry, fiction, nonfiction and translation. The minor introduces students to a diverse range of texts. Creative Writing classes assist the interpretation of literature from the point of view of a practitioner. The program aims not only to help beginning writers but also develop the writing skills of undergraduates who would go on to work in a variety of professions: law, journalism, publishing, copywriting and editing. It will benefit students who pursue advanced practice in writing and/or other forms of academic scholarship. Any student who wants to learn writing skills to organize information into impactful forms of narration and communication will benefit from this minor. Ashoka University’s Creative Writing Minor creates an environment students work peer-to-peer and derive inspiration and guidance from faculty and a wide range of visiting writers who visit the campus for events, readings, lectures, and workshops.

  • Requirements for Completion of Minor

    A student must gather a total of 24 credits (6 courses) to attain the minor degree. 

    The required courses include:

    1. Introduction to Creative Writing (1 course, 4 credits)
    2. Forms of Literature (4 credits) OR CTS offered by the CW Department (1 course, 4 credits)
    3. Craft of Writing (1 course, 4 credits)
    4. One Workshop in any genre (1 course, 4 credits)
    5. One Workshop in any genre. (1 course, 4 credits)
    6. Thesis (required), Publishing Seminar (1 course, 4 credits)

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  • Sample Curriculum for a Creative Writing Minor

    There’s no single or ideal plan that you must follow to complete your minor requirements. But this sample will give you a sense of how your semester plans could look.  

    Disclaimer: This sample represents and is only concerned with the possible plan for a minor in CW. For any other disciplines involved in this sample, requirements need not be 100% accurate. Please consult respective handbooks or web pages of the concerned majors/minors for more information.

    Semester 1 Semester 2 Semester 3 Semester 4 Semester 5 Semester 6
    Introduction to Critical Thinking (= Foundation Course 1) Foundation Course 5 Foundation Course 7 Foundation Course 8 Philosophy Course 8 Philosophy Course 11
    Foundation Course 2 Foundation Course 6 Philosophy Course 2 Foundation Course 9 Philosophy Course 9 Philosophy Course 12
    Foundation Course 3 Philosophy Course 1  Philosophy Course 3 Philosophy Course 6 Philosophy Course 10 Seminar in Publishing
    Foundation Course 4 Mathematics Course 1 Philosophy Course 4 Philosophy Course 7 CW Workshop 2 Mathematics Course 2
    Introduction to Creative Writing Craft of Writing Forms of Literature OR CTS in CW
    Co-Curricular 1 CW Workshop 1 Co-Curricular 2

     

  • Requirements for Completion of Concentration

    A student must gather a total of 16 credits (4 courses) to attain the concentration degree. The required courses are: 

    1. Introduction to Creative Writing (1 course, 4 credits). 
    2. Craft of Writing (1 course, 4 credits) OR CTS in Creative Writing (1 course, 4 credits). 
    3. Workshop in any genre (1 course, 4 credits). 
    4. Workshops in any genre (1 course, 4 credits).

    A few points to note for the Concentrations: 

    • One has to complete the introductory course to opt for the Workshops and the Craft of Writing courses. The CTS does not have any pre-requisites.
    • A student can opt for the same genre workshop twice. For example, Ishita completes Poetry Workshop in Monsoon ’19. She can opt for the Poetry Workshop offered in Monsoon ’20 and gain credits towards her concentration. 
    • For English majors, a creative writing CTS counts towards the concentration. But CTS does not satisfy any requirements in the case of a minor as Forms of Literature satisfies that requirement. 
    • No thesis is required.
    • Independent Study Modules (ISMs) do not replace ANY of the required courses for the concentration. Nonetheless, the students will gain 4 credits towards their UG Degree.

    Know more
  • Sample Curriculum for a Creative Writing Concentration

    There’s no single or ideal plan that you must follow to complete your minor requirements. But this sample will give you a sense of how your semester plans could look.  

    Disclaimer: This sample represents and is only concerned with the possible plan for a concentration in CW. For any other disciplines involved in this sample, requirements need not be 100% accurate. Please consult respective handbooks or web pages of the concerned majors/minors for more information.

    Semester 1 Semester 2 Semester 3 Semester 4 Semester 5 Semester 6
    Foundation Course 1 Introduction to Critical Thinking (= Foundation Course 5) Foundation Course 7 Foundation Course 9 Psychology Course 7 Psychology Course 10
    Foundation Course 2 Foundation Course 6 Foundation Course 8 Psychology Course 5 Psychology Course 8 Psychology Course 11
    Foundation Course 3 Psychology Course 1 Psychology Course 3 Psychology Course 6 Psychology Course 9 Psychology Course 12
    Foundation Course 4 Psychology Course 2 Psychology Course 4 CW Workshop 1 CW Workshop 2
    Computer Science Course 1 Introduction to Creative Writing Craft of Writing OR CTS in CW Computer Science Course 2
    Co-Curricular 1 Co-Curricular 2

  • Teaching Assistantship for UG Students

    Eligibility: 3rd or 4th year UG students who are completing their minor thesis requirement in the concerned academic year, or have already done so. Preference will be given to students who have not done a CW TAship before.

    Application Procedure: The Head of Department will notify the students and send out the invitation for applications. The eligible and interested students may apply via email. 

    What the TAs earn: 4 credits for Teaching Practicum and are noted on the transcripts. It does not count towards the Minor or the ASP.

Department of Creative Writing Handbook

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Admissions

Joining Undergraduate Programmes

Ashoka University’s department of Creative Writing prepares students for careers in Law, Journalism, Publishing, Copywriting and Editing through a uniquely crafted curriculum.

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Student Stories

Student Testimonials

” I wasn’t going to be an English and Creative writing major at Ashoka; While I loved the few courses I took in the other department, the Literature department convinced me – without having to do much – that a department switch was the move for me. I used to write in school, even had an embarrassing blog. You know how utterly useless feedback from strangers can be when you’re a naive 12 year old just looking for validation online? Yeah, I “deserved to be published everywhere”. It’s only at Ashoka that not only was I brought back down to earth, taught to be more humble and critical of my own writing, but also told that writing is very personal and subjective. It taught me the perfect balance of knowing what it is that one should write versus what it is that I wanted to write. I’ve also realised my own style of writing in my very last year at Ashoka, something I’d never tried before.”

Ragini Anand,

UG ‘20, ASP ‘21

Student Testimonials

” I am a History major in the Ashoka Scholars Program and I completed my CW minor in Spring 2020. I started my journey in the program with a Critical Thinking Seminar, Translation based Writing Course in 2018, and am proud and privileged to be among the first translation students that this program has produced. Taking translation practice courses through the years has not only made me a translator, but also a far superior historian. It has given me a vocabulary and language that is very unique even within the interdisciplinary world of Ashokan academics. The classroom experience, especially with a small tight-knit group of translators has been interactive and extremely rewarding, along with the teaching experience through the TAships. The program’s biggest strength is imagination; the imagination of those who run it and the imagination of its students. I completed my thesis with Professor Arunava Sinha; a translation of Shirshendu Mukhopodhaya’s Ayodhya: Ram er Bonobaas er Poth e is going to be published by Bee Books.”

Pratiti,

UG ‘20, ASP ‘21

Student Testimonials

“While creative writing is understood to be political, it was during my minor in creative writing that I was introduced to the idea of literary activism, through conferences as well as classroom discussions. Debating the hegemony of the story as the structure of choice, understanding the moral and aesthetic implications of the Oulipo movement, and above all, learning to think through my choices and impulses as a writer has been exciting and challenging. Being able to read widely, having the most fun and bizarre conversations with Professors and classmates alike, finding a writing community that I trust and bank upon, and faculty that are deeply invested in their students made for a truly wonderful experience.” 

Halak Pandya (UG ‘19, ASP ‘20),

Major: English; Deferred an offer from Rutgers University for an MA in English and Creative Writing, currently taking a year off to read and write more.

Frequently Asked Questions

A student can opt for courses 3-6 only after the completion of the course ‘Introduction to Creative Writing’.  Forms of Literature or the CTS do not have pre-requisites.

A student can only opt for the same genre workshop twice and gain credits towards the minor. E.g. Ishita completes Poetry Workshop in Monsoon ’19. She can opt for the Poetry Workshop offered in Monsoon ’20 and gain credits towards her minor completion.

One can, of course, opt for other courses more than once as well. However, repetitions of courses other than the Workshops do not count towards the minor. They will nonetheless add 4 credits to a student’s overall credits.

The CTS will only count towards the CW minor requirement of Non-English Majors. CTS is an alternative to Forms of Literature for Non-English majors. However, Forms of Literature is a required course for English Majors.

The first complete draft of the thesis will be due on 15th January, preceding the semester you plan to graduate. Only students who successfully submit this complete first draft will be permitted to enrol in the Publishing Seminar and complete the minor.

Additionally, there are two internal deadlines for submission with your advisors: 1/3rd of the thesis (5000 words for prose; 6 poems for poetry, and 6 pages for graphic narrative) is due on 31st August. 2/3rd (10,000 words for prose; 12 poems for poetry, and 12 pages for graphic narrative) is due on 15th October.

Do note that all these deadlines are for drafts only. These deadlines ensure that students have the entirety of the Spring semester to revise and polish their thesis with their advisor. After their publishing seminar, they will have a concrete final draft ready for submission at the end of the Spring semester.

A student can write prose, poetry or graphic narrative for their thesis. The minimum requirement for a thesis of prose form is 15,000 words, 20 poems for poetry, and 20 pages for a graphic narrative. One can also write a mixed-form thesis. However, the student must discuss the details of such a thesis with their advisor. Students may write Fiction, Poetry, Translation(s) of any form, Essays, Non-Fiction Narratives, Graphic Narratives.

Independent Study Modules (ISMs) do not replace ANY of the required courses for the minor. Nonetheless, credits earned from any ISM will count towards their UG degree as appropriate, and will appear on their transcripts.

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