Graduate Certificate in Creative Writing

2025-2026 Graduate New Program Request

completed

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General Information
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  • Welcome to the University of West Georgia's curriculum management system. 

    Your PIN is required to complete this process. For help on accessing your PIN, please visit here.

    The link to the shared governance procedures provides updates on how things are routed through the committees. Please visit  UWG Shared Governance Procedures for Modifications to Academic Degrees and Programs for more information.

    If you have any questions, please email curriculog@westga.edu.

  • Desired Effective Semester*
    Scroll to the bottom and choose Fall, Spring, or Summer.
    Desired Effective Year*
  • Program Type*
  • If embedded, please list the parent program.
Routing Information
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  • Routes cannot be changed after a proposal is launched. 

    Please be sure all fields are filled out correctly prior to launch. If a routing error is made it can result in the proposal being rejected and a new proposal will be required. 

    Please refer to this document for additional information: UWG Shared Governance Procedures for Modifications to Academic Degrees and Programs.

    If there are any questions or concerns regarding the routing of your proposal please contact curriculog@westga.edu.

  • School/ Department*
  • Is this a School of Nursing or School of Communication, Film and Media course?*
    Is this a College of Education Program?*
Program Information
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  • Program Name*
    Graduate Certificate in Creative Writing
    Graduate Certificate in Creative Writing
  • Degree Type*
  • Program Description*
    This program provides focused training in creative writing for recent graduates and returning professionals who wish to explore the creative writing market and further hone their craft as writers. Applicants must have a bachelor's degree to apply; a B.A. specifically in English is not required. Students who successfully complete the program who wish to apply to the M.A. program in English may apply credits earned in the program to the M.A. Students will submit a portfolio of selected work at the conclusion of the certificate.
  • Program Location*
  • Status*
    Select Active-Visible unless the Registrar’s Office has notified you to do otherwise.
  • How will the proposed program be delivered?*
Curriculum Information
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  • Select Program below, unless creating an Acalog Shared Core.

  • Type of Program*

  • PROGRAM CURRICULUM

    This section allows departments to create the curriculum schema for the program which will feed directly to the catalog. Please click here for a video demonstration on how to build your program curriculum.​

    Follow these steps to propose courses to the new program curriculum. 

    Step 1 - Adding Courses to the Program

    In order to build or edit a program, you must first add all courses to be included in the program of study through the view curriculum courses tab

    • If this new program proposal includes the UWG Undergraduate General Education Curriculum, scroll to the top of this form and click on the ​ icon to import the "University of West Georgia General Education Requirements."
    • For courses already in the catalog, click on "Import Course" and find the courses needed. You can select multiple courses at one time. 
    •  For new courses going through a Curriculog Approval Process click on "Add Course"-- a box will open asking you for the Prefix, Course Number, and Course Title.

    NOTE: A New Course Request proposal must also be submitted along with the New Program Proposal if the course is new. 

    Step 2 - Adding Courses to the Curriculum Schema

    Next, to add cores (sections of the program of study, e.g., Requirements, Additional Information, etc.) click on  "View Curriculum Schema." Click add core and title it appropriately. When you click on "Add Courses" it will bring up the list of courses available from Step 1. Select the courses you wish to add.​


  • Prospective Curriculum*
Justification and Assessment
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  • Rationale*
    We believe that the Graduate Certificate in Creative Writing will create a space for baccalaureate students who would like to continue their work here after graduation and creative writers looking for a space to polish their craft as well as business professionals looking to explore the way that creative writing strategies may be applied to the workplace. The program leverages strong faculty credentials in creative writing to meet interest from current and prospective graduate students in a wider array of creative writing options at the graduate level. The program's foundation course, ENGL 6405: Telling and Selling Your Story, will provide students with an understanding of approaches to narrative, both in the development of creative work and in the promotion of that work to potential audiences. Students have flexibility within the program to develop their writing in one or more genres and to pursue advanced questions of creative writing practice. Students also have the option to count one professional writing course as part of their program, which allows students the flexibility to determine what options will best fit their professional goals and needs. A blend of online and in-person courses creates flexibility while also fostering a sense of students as part of a writing community, and students may complete the program in as little as two semesters or spread out coursework to fit their schedules.
    Max 400 characters
  • Program Learning Outcomes - Please provide PLOs in a numbered list format.*

    1. Students will be able to apply advanced writing and editorial strategies to the development of original creative work.

    2. Students will demonstrate, in written and/or oral work, an awareness of the process of publication.

  • SACSCOC Substantive Change 

    Please review SACSCOC Substantive Change Considerations for Curriculum Changes
    Send questions to kylec@westga.edu

  • Check all that apply to this program*
  • SACSCOC Comments
    UWG already offers a minor in creative writing, and current graduate students already have access to creative writing options at the 5000-level. This certificate draws on the expertise of our current faculty to create a more focused program with a greater variety of offerings that will also appeal to a wider range of potential students.
    To submit new tracks/concentrations together with a new program, list them here. For instance, "New Tracks/Concentrations: name 1, name 2, name 3....

  • REQUIRED ATTACHMENTS

    ATTACH the the following required documentsl by navigating to the Proposal Toolbox and clicking  in the top right corner.

    ​​1.) USGBOR One Step Proposal

    The one-step new academic program proposal combines elements of the previous two-stage process into "one-step" for a more accelerated review of final, new program proposals submitted by university system institutions. The one-step proposal requires institutions to provide prioritized academic programs that demonstrate a clear need (and separately demand) for the areas served by the college or university. Programs may be directly tied to state economic development efforts, other initiatives, and may follow disciplinary changes and norms. The one-step new academic program proposal requires that institutions provide evidence that the proposed degree and/or major meets various needs and does not warrant unnecessary program duplication.​

    2.) Program Map and/or Program Sheet

    For advising purposes, all new programs must include program map. Please download the program map template from here, and upload.

    3.) Academic Assessment Plan/Reporting

    All new major programs must include an assessment plan. Stand-alone minors must have an assessment plan as well.  A stand-alone minor is a minor that can be earned in a program that does not offer an undergraduates degree with a major in that discipline (for example, a student can earn a minor in Africana Studies but cannot complete a bachelor's degree with a major in Africana Studies). Minors in a discipline where a corresponding major is offered, are not required to include an assessment plan.

    Please download the Academic Assessment Plan/Reporting template and attach to this proposal.

    4.) Curriculum Map Assessment

    Please download the Curriculum and Assessment Map template and attach to this proposal.

  • Program Map*
  • USGBOR One Step Proposal*
  • Assessment Plan*
  • Curriculum Map Assessment*

  • LAUNCH proposal by clicking  in the top left corner. DO NOT implement proposed changes before the proposal has been completely approved through the faculty governance process. 

  • FINAL TASK: After launching the proposal, you must make a decision on your proposal. Select the select.png icon in the Proposal Toolbox to make your decision.

  • User Tracking

    Help: Show Original: This option displays the proposal as it appeared at launch. No markup will be visible on the form. There will be no differentiation between fields that contain imported content and content that was created or selected by the originator by hand.

    Help: Show Current: This option displays the proposal as it appears currently. No markup will be visible on the form. There will be no differentiation between fields that contain imported content and content that was created or selected by the originator by hand.

    Help: Show Current with Markup: This option displays the proposal with all of its current content marked to show different editors. Text fields that include imported content are indicated by a blue highlight, and may also include additional changes within, indicated by each editor’s unique color. Fields containing selects, checkboxes, radio buttons, or widgets (such as the curriculum) provide an activity log above the field, indicating each editor’s selection and unique color.

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