English department offers new minor in writing

Now all Pacific students can explore their creative side while honing a skill employers value - with the new writing minor in English. Course options include creative writing in fiction, poetry, and nonfiction, as well as professional communications, screenwriting, content engineering, and many others. Students can tailor their class projects to suit any major, from environmental studies to history, business, philosophy, or pre-medical fields.

The writing minor also offers exciting opportunities to take part in workshops with visiting writers, carry out productive internships, and get involved with Calliope, Pacific's award-winning literary magazine. Pacific's English Department has a history of excellence in teaching, and alumni include novelist and blogger Kate Moses; Suzanne Rindell, whose novel The Other Typist will be adapted into a film starring Keira Knightly; and Matt de la Peña, the first Latino male writer to win the prestigious Newbery Medal for Literature.

While some writing minors may pursue success as an author, the program's benefits apply to any field. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), 73% of employers rank writing as one of the top three skills they value in prospective employees. And the writing minor isn't just about preparing a student for the future - it's about enjoying time at Pacific in small enrollment workshops with attentive faculty mentors, collaborating with fellow students on writing that is fun, meaningful, and personally enriching. The 'gateway' course doubles as a general education requirement, so it's easy for students to make room in their 4-year plan.

For more information about the minor, visit the Department of English website at Pacific.edu/English or contact Amy Smith, chair of the English department, at asmith@pacific.edu.