EL: I’m excited to talk with you about the Creative Writing programs being offered at Anoka-Ramsey Coon Rapids.
KK: Thanks for the invitation to chat, Eric!
EL: What would you tell students about the difference between getting an Associates of Fine Arts and a Creative Writing Certificate?
KK: We are very lucky at Anoka-Ramsey to have two creative writing degree options.
The AFA is for students who are very interested creative writing. Many of these students dream of publishing a book, writing film scripts, or developing video games. The AFA degree fulfills all general education requirements: it includes seven creative writing courses and three literature courses.
Thanks to the hard work of our English department, our AFA in Creative Writing transfers seamlessly to Augsburg University, Hamline University, Metropolitan State University’s screenwriting and creative writing programs. Even better, the University of Wisconsin—Superior and University of Minnesota—Mankato allows our AFA graduates to complete their four-year degree in three semesters, saving students time and money. With the new North Star Promise scholarship that offers free tuition for four years to students in households below 80,000, we are also working on a partnership with Southwest State University, so students will have both online and seated course options for their four-year degrees in the Minnesota State system.
The Certificate in Creative Writing is comprised of five classes, so students have choice and flexibility in their course selections. The Certificate can be completed with other degree programs or on its own, so students completing AA degrees can take the certificate as an add-on certificate. Others come to ARCC with BA degrees seeking more creative writing training, and we welcome community members looking for a chance to grow their skills. The certificate does not include the MnTC transfer requirements and does not include literature courses. However, it is a great addition to any resume.
Students can flow back and forth between the degrees. We recommend starting with Introduction to Creative Writing and meeting with AFA advisor Jon Kleba to decide the best degree option.
EL: Many students have reported telling family members or friends that they are thinking about majoring in Creative Writing and have gotten the response “and what do you plan on doing with that?” What would you say to those students and/or their family members about the career opportunities that a creative writing degree can open for them?
KK: Great question. Most families know that if you major in nursing or engineering, you become a nurse or an engineer. But what about creative writing? Movies have flooded us with images of the unemployed novelist toiling away in the basement, but this is far from the truth!
A creative writing degree opens the doors to a myriad of careers that include writing, reading, interpretating, analyzing, critical thinking, and creative skills. Every entity on the Internet needs content: photos, images, and writing. Companies want to tell their stories with branding narratives. Creative writers are perfectly positioned to be content managers, writers, editors, and strategists. They can find work in fundraising, development, marketing, PR, journalism, editors, publishers, social media managers, technical writers, bloggers, literary agents, communication consultants, game designers, technical writers, ghost writers, and librarians as well as screenwriters, playwrights, and authors. Since most of these jobs require a four-year degree, ARCC’s creative writing program gets students ready for their careers with our Writer’ Life class as well as assists them with the transfer process. In addition, we also bring in a Careers in Writing guest each semester, so students get a chance to ask questions about these many career opportunities.
EL: I understand that there are some exciting new developments happening within the Creative Writing program at Anoka-Ramsey. Can you tell me about those?
KK: Yes, this has been an amazing year for creative writing at ARCC!
Our enrollment in creative writing courses is up, and we had a new Creative Writing Program Director to support our students. The program director meets individually with students to discuss their creative hopes and dreams and put them into a realistic plan to take them step-by-step toward their careers. The program director also coordinates creative writing events, does outreach, and oversees transfer partner relationships.
We have also streamlined our degrees to make them easier to complete with more collaborative support. All creative writing students will now start with Introduction to Literature and end with A Writer’s Life: Pathways to Publication, unique course developed by Prof. Paige Riehl to teach students about magazine and book publication, book reviews, and careers in writing. The class culminates in a polished publishable manuscript ready to use for transfer scholarships, publication, or portfolios. We are very excited to give students a strong finish to their time at ARCC!
EL: Many students prefer online learning now. How does the creative writing program support these students?
KK: Both of our degrees can be completed online or in a combination of online and seated classes. We also offer transfer options to both in-person and fully online programs.
EL: Are there any creative writing events coming up for students to attend?
KK: YES! We have a double-header as part of the Oscars happening on Tuesday, April 30th. From 4:30-5:30 p.m., seven graduating creative writing students will share their original work. From 5:45-6:45, we will celebrate the release of the Rapids Review with a student reading. There will be food, beverages, and free copies of the literary magazine. Please plan to join us!
EL: Thank you for meeting with me today and I look forward to seeing you at both events.
KK: Thanks again for the invitation!
