Monash University Handbook 2010 Undergraduate - Course

This course provides students with the opportunity to pursue in-depth study in the area of creative writing while completing a bachelors degree or double degree in other fields. Students study contemporary literature and its applicability to creative writing practice through a comparative approach. The course concentrates on a number of key texts by major contemporary writers and examines various works which may be seen to exemplify, modify, or challenge these approaches. Students will be required to reflect both creatively and analytically on their ongoing writing practice in the light of these texts. In the collaborative environment of workshops, students will be encouraged to experiment with a range of techniques and styles. The course is designed to present an integrated approach to the study of literature, fostering both creative and critical skills through an emphasis on the praxis between theory and creative practice.

The course aims to introduce students to a range of primary texts within the field of contemporary creative writing, providing the opportunity to develop critical and creative skills. At the successful completion of this course the student will be able to:

• articulate the key features of major developments in contemporary literature
• reflect critically on his/her creative writing practice in the light of these developments
• demonstrate how a given text exemplifies or challenges contemporaneous theories of literature
• devise writing strategies which utilise in direct or modified ways (oppositional or ironic) aspects of a given literary approach within their writing practice
• demonstrate critical skills through the editorial commentary on works in progress presented in workshops
• develop creative and professional skills through the drafting process.

Students complete a standard 48-point major consisting of a first year sequence of 12 points and one of the following:

• 12 points of second year level studies (normally two units) and 24 points of third-year level studies (normally four units)
• 18 points of second-year level studies (normally three units) and 18 points of third-year level studies (normally three units).
  

Students are required to complete a three-year major sequence (48 points) in creative writing. For information on the units required refer to the 'Areas of study' section in this Handbook at http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/handbooks/aos/arts-ug-creative-writing.html.

Diploma in Arts (Creative Writing)