Frequently Asked Questions

What kind of classes will I be taking?

Students in the Sweetland Minor in Writing take two specific three-credit classes, both of which feature a largely student-led curriculum: the Gateway course, which introduces you to the Minor and expands your thinking about writing, and the Capstone course, in which you complete a self-designed, semester-long project, informed by your specific skills and interests. Both courses are open only to students in the Sweetland Minor in Writing program, allowing for close collaboration within the cohort and the opportunity to receive ample feedback from your peers.

To complete the remaining nine (9) credits of the minor, you can choose from a wide range of courses across many departments: one must be selected from a pre-approved list of writing-specific courses, but the others can be chosen from any department or program as long as they satisfy the Upper Level Writing Requirement (ULWR). For these two ULWR courses, we encourage you to take at least one from a department outside of your concentration. In this way, you gain experience writing in a variety of disciplines while ultimately choosing the path that most aligns with your own interests and professional goals.

What do you mean by “student-led curriculum?” How much freedom will I have?

The Sweetland Minor in Writing program encourages and serves the unique interests of its students. This means that you not only have the freedom to handpick many of the courses that you take, but can also craft your own projects within those courses according to your personal passions. While other minors may claim to be similarly flexible, few offer students the level of autonomy enjoyed by those in the Minor in Writing. Here at Sweetland, we aim to give you the resources and support network you need to pursue your dream projects, whatever they may be. Faculty members provide guidance at every step of the way, ensuring that you finish the program with a body of work that best represents your creative and intellectual vision.

Is this minor just a collection of classes? Or is it more than that?

The Sweetland Minor in Writing isn’t just an additional line on your diploma—it’s a vibrant and supportive community of creative individuals. From the moment you enter the Minor, you connect with others who care deeply about improving their writing skills and understand the important role that peer feedback plays in that process. Both of the required Sweetland classes —the Gateway and Capstone courses—are comprised solely of Sweetland Minor in Writing students, allowing you all to network, build relationships, and learn from one another in an academically-rigorous setting.

The Sweetland Minor in Writing curriculum is collaborative and community-based—many writing classes, both within Sweetland and in other departments, are based around student-led workshops and collaborative discussion between peers. The Sweetland Center for Writing also holds community events where you and your peers can meet and interact with one another, further developing a strong network of writers to take with you into your post-graduate careers and personal lives.

Who will read my work? What sorts of pieces will I be writing?

Unlike other classes in which the professor may be the only person to read your final paper, the Gateway and Capstone courses emphasize using writing to join larger communities and conversations. The minor in writing provides the platform and necessary instruction for students to produce work for audiences beyond the classroom, perhaps for the general public, publication, or prospective employers. Minor in writing students create work that is not only of great professional and personal value, but that translates their interests, majors, and skills to a wider audience.

Do you feel strongly about something and want to share your passion? If so, you’ve come to the right place. The Minor in Writing builds skills in expository and argumentative writing, which can be quite creative (think narrative nonfiction essays or an educational podcasts), but also includes traditional media like academic research papers, journalism, historical records, and the like. While the Minor in Writing allows for some traditional creative writing, it moves beyond it by exposing students to a wider variety of writing styles. Furthermore,  the Minor in Writing provides students with the unique opportunity to incorporate their writing into an original multimodal project, utilizing intriguing digital formats to present their work in a compelling way.

How do I make my application as strong as possible?

Since the Sweetland Minor in Writing curriculum is largely student-led, each cohort should be made up of driven and committed students who can work diligently at a self-guided pace. The best candidates are excited to engage with and learn from their classmates, as peer feedback is an important component of the Minor in Writing program and the writing process in general. Selective admission helps us make sure that each student in the Minor in Writing program is not only committed to their personal development as a writer, but also cares about the growth and success of their peers.

The best applications showcase:

• The writer’s authentic voice.
• A piece that the writer is proud of! Passion for the piece may shine more brightly than a piece that is grammatically and stylistically “correct” but that the writer is not invested in.
• A clear and explicit relationship between the writing sample and the goals of the program.