Literature/Writing Major
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Welcome to the Literature/Writing undergraduate page. Here you will find the major and minor requirements, contact information, career planning and study abroad resources and quarterly-updated information like:
You will also find the Faculty Advisor for the Literature/Writing major, which changes annually. Your faculty advisor will be available to assist you with such issues as academic progress, research opportunities and career paths within your field. |
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Major Requirements
Note
Students that entered UCSD prior to Fall 2017 are allowed to either follow their existing requirements or switch to the new 2017 major requirements. Please contact our advising staff for details (VAC).
- LTWR 8A, 8B, and 8C.
- Three lower-division courses:
- LTEN 26
- Any two of the following: LTEN 21, 22, 23, 25, 27, 28, 29; TWS 21, 22, 23, 25, 26
- Twelve upper-division courses:
- Six upper-division courses in Literature/Writing from the writing workshop sequence (LTWR 100–129). These workshops may be repeated for credit (see course listing for number of times workshops may be repeated), but the requirement should show a range of writing experience in at least two major writing types.
- One course from the group numbered LTWR 140–148.
- Three upper-division courses in comparative breadth, comprised of the following:
- One course in Literatures of the Americas (LTAM)
- One course in Literatures of Europe (LTEU)
- One elective course from Literatures of Africa (LTAF), Literatures of the Americas (LTAM), Literatures of East Asia (LTEA), Literatures of Europe (LTEU) or Literatures of the World (LTWL)
- Two upper-division electives chosen from Department of Literature offerings, excluding LTWR 100-148 courses.
- Secondary Language & Literature: Students will satisfy this requirement by completing the lower-division course sequence in a language other than English, through a designated terminal lower-division course.
- Intensive Language Track: Students will also be able to choose to complete an intensive track, which will be noted on the their transcript. Students who would like to earn this notation will complete the lower-division language sequence, as well as two upper-division literature courses in the language. Students who would like to pursue the intensive track should consult with an advisor to see how that path will affect their upper division requirements.
Minor Requirements
Seven LTWR courses, at least five of which must be upper-division. Lower division courses that may be applied to the minor: LTWR 8A, 8B and 8C. All courses for the minor must be taken for a letter grade. You can declare a Literature/Writing minor (LT34) on TritonLink, using the Major/Minor Tool.
Course Information
- Course Offerings, where you will find
- Annual course offerings
- Detailed course descriptions for each quarter
Tips for Transfer Students
Before you transfer...
- Check Assist, the official source for articulation and student transfer information. You will see how your lower division courses will transfer to UCSD.
- This major does have a foreign language requirement, so students are highly recommended to start taking courses in their chosen language as early as possible.
- We are happy to assist any students who are planning to transfer to UCSD. If you would like guidance prior to transferring, please email us at litprospective@ucsd.edu or call us at 858-534-3210.
After you transfer...
- Please check your transfer record on TritonLink . Are all the courses you took listed? Are the UC San Diego equivalent courses listed beside the courses you took? If you took a course and it does not appear on your TritonLink record, please contact the Admission's Office for corrections.
- If you took a course that does not appear on Assist and you think it is equivalent to one of our courses, you can file an undergraduate student petition with the Literature Department for review. We will be happy to go over that process with you if you have any questions.
- Once you've received all possible UCSD credit for your transferred coursework, you are ready to make an academic plan. Our Academic Advisors are happy to help you with this during our walk-in advising hours.
- YOU SHOULD BE ENROLLED IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE COURSE IN YOUR FIRST QUARTER AT UCSD. If you need assistance determining which course is appropriate, please call us at 858-534-3210.
- After transferring coursework and filing undergraduate petitions, many transfer students find that they still have lower division requirements to fulfill. It is highly recommended that you substitute upper division courses for these requirements, and our Academic Advisors have lists of pre-approved courses for this purpose (this is only applicable to lower division LTEN and TWS courses, not LTWR).
Study Abroad for Your Major
Literature/Writing majors are highly recommended to study abroad! Aside from being an amazing experience, study abroad coursework can be applied to your major requirements (and actually decrease your time to graduation, if planned right)! Literature/Writing majors may apply up to 5 upper division courses from study abroad to their major requirements, and Literature/Writing minors may apply up to 3 upper division courses to their minor. Learn more about study abroad opportunities:
- Studying Abroad in Literature (including lists of study abroad courses already approved towards major or minor requirements)
- UCSD's Study Abroad Office
Careers in Literature
Students who major in Literature pursue a wide array of career paths. UCSD and the Department of Literature have many resources to aid you in your career exploration and development:
- Department of Literature's Faculty
- Careers in Literature
- UCSD's Career Services
- Academic Internship Program (AIP)
- Alumni Professional Services
- Research Experience & Applied Learning (REAL) Portal
Alumni Highlight:
Kate Cook, ’03
Literature/Writing
Director, Marketing at Pivot TV Network/Participant Media
Prior to her current job, Kate Cook held senior marketing positions at Participant Media and A&E Television Networks. She started her career working in production at MTV Networks, Hoosick Falls Productions, and Ironweed Films before moving into brand strategy and Saatchi & Saatchi.
Alumni Highlight:
Paul S. Flores, ’95
Literature/Writing
Paul S. Flores is a published poet, performance artist, playwright, and well known spoken word artist. His PEN Award winning novel ALONG THE BORDER LIES reflects his experience growing up in Chula Vista, CA, on the border of Tijuana, Mexico. Flores work explores the intersection of urban culture, Hip-Hop and transnational identity. His spoken word poem “Brown Dreams” from Def Poetry on HBO has been viewed on YouTube 100,000 times, and continues to inform and influence young people all over the United States.
Alumni Highlight:
Aimee Bender, ’91
Literature/Writing
Aimee Bender is the author of five books, including The Girl in the Flammable Skirt (1998), a NY Times Notable Book; An Invisible Sign of My Own (2000), an L.A. Times pick of the year; The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake (2010), winner of the SCIBA award for best fiction; and The Color Master, a NY Times Notable Book for 2013. She lives in Los Angeles, where she teaches creative writing at USC. She has been featured on a UC San Diego “We Are Tritons” campus banner.
Alumni Highlight:
Dr. Gregory Buford, ’90, MD, FACS
Literature/Writing
In addition to running a successful practice as a Denver, Colorado Board Certified Plastic Surgeon and national expert on non-invasive surgical technologies, Dr. Buford is a published author, writing on both medical and business topics.
Undergrad Advising
Current students must use the VAC (valid student PID required) or Zoom appointments for advising. We cannot advise students via email or over the phone (to preserve student privacy standards). If/when we are able to re-open in-person advising, we will update you. If you have academic-related forms or paperwork that require our review and signature, please email them to litug@ucsd.edu.
Virtual Advising Center
Send us your questions via the VAC. We respond to questions Mondays - Fridays, 8:00am-4:30pm.
Zoom Appointments
Walk-in advising is currently unavailable, but we are happy to schedule a virtual appointment with you.