Because of its outstanding reputation, more than 800 students major in English and Creative Writing at Iowa; it is one of the most popular majors for first-year students. Yet most classes are small enough to encourage spirited discussion and offer abundant writing opportunities. About one-fourth of graduates plan to teach, while another one-quarter plan to be writers of some kind. The rest use English as a background for the study of law, business, theology, or other professions.

Studying English and Creative Writing at Iowa

Student Responsibilities

Review the responsibilities required to become and remain eligible for the 2 Plus 2 Guaranteed Graduation Plan.

Student Responsibilities

Des Moines Area Community College checkpoints
  • Complete the fourth level of a single world language as needed for Iowa's General Education Program.
  • The following courses will be accepted, up to four total:
    • ENG 221 Creative Writing
    • ENG 225 Creative Writing: Poetry
    • ENG 230 Creative Writing: Fiction
    • LIT 110 American Lit to Mid-1800s
    • LIT 111 American Lit Sn Mid-1800s
    • LIT 130 African American Lit
    • LIT 142 Major British Writers
    • LIT 150 World Literature I
    • LIT 151 World Literature II
    • LIT 166 Science Fiction
    • LIT 180 Mythology
    • LIT 185 Contemporary Lit
    • LIT 188 Detective Fiction
    • LIT 190 Women Writers
    • LIT 209 Literature Film Adaptation
  • Complete all requirements for the AA degree.
  • When transferring to Iowa, present a cumulative transfer grade-point average (GPA) of at least 2.00 from all colleges attended.
University of Iowa Checkpoints
  • Complete ENGL:2010 Foundation of the English Major: Histories, Literatures, Pleasures during your first year of enrollment at Iowa.
  • Complete the UI courses required for this major, as specified in the UI General Catalog.
  • Complete at least 30 semester hours needed for your major and degree during each of your two years at Iowa. (A total of 36 semester hours is required for the English and Creative Writing major and 120 semester hours for the BA degree.)

A current schedule of UI courses is available online via Iowa Student Information Services (MyUI).