For information about the admission process, including deadlines, visit the Office of Undergraduate Admissions website. Applications can be submitted via the Common Application.

Supporting documents not submitted online should be mailed to:

Office of Undergraduate Admissions
The George Washington University
800 21st St NW Suite 100
Washington, DC 20052

For questions visit undergraduate.admissions.gwu.edu/contact-us.

The following requirements must be fulfilled:

The general requirements stated under Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, Undergraduate Programs.

Program-specific curriculum:

Required
Five creative writing workshops (15 credits), two of which must be at the 3000 level or above, selected from the following:
ENGL 2250Dramatic Writing
or CTAD 2250 Dramatic Writing
ENGL 2460Fiction Writing
ENGL 2470Poetry Writing
ENGL 2560Intermediate Fiction Writing
ENGL 2570Intermediate Poetry Writing
ENGL 3250Intermediate Dramatic Writing
ENGL 3360Advanced Fiction Writing
ENGL 3370Advanced Poetry Writing
ENGL 3380Creative Writing Workshop
ENGL 3385American Memoir
ENGL 3390Topics in Creative Writing
ENGL 3395Creative Nonfiction
ENGL 4000Advanced Fiction: Screening the Novel
Three literature courses (9 credits) taken at the 3000 level and above, selected from the following:
ENGL 3410Chaucer
or ENGL 3410W Chaucer
ENGL 3420Medieval Literature
or ENGL 3420W Medieval Literature
ENGL 3430The English Renaissance
ENGL 3440Shakespeare I
or ENGL 3440W Shakespeare I
ENGL 3441Shakespeare II
or ENGL 3441W Shakespeare II
ENGL 3450Topics in Shakespeare Studies
ENGL 3460Milton
ENGL 3470English Drama I
ENGL 3490Early American Literature and Culture
or ENGL 3490W Early American Literature and Culture
ENGL 4135Folger Seminar
ENGL 3510Children's Literature
ENGL 3520American Romanticism
ENGL 3540Victorian Literature I
ENGL 3640The American Novel I
ENGL 3820Major Authors
ENGL 3510Children's Literature
ENGL 3610Modernism
ENGL 3621American Poetry II
or ENGL 3621W American Poetry II
ENGL 3630American Drama I
ENGL 3631American Drama II
ENGL 3641The American Novel II
or ENGL 3641W The American Novel II
ENGL 3650The Short Story
ENGL 3660Twentieth-Century Irish Literature I
ENGL 3661Twentieth-Century Irish Literature II
or ENGL 3661W Twentieth-Century Irish Literature I
ENGL 3710Contemporary Drama
or ENGL 3710W Contemporary Drama
ENGL 3720Contemporary American Literature
or ENGL 3720W Contemporary American Literature
ENGL 3730Topics in Global Postcolonial Literature and Film
or ENGL 3730W Topics in Global Postcolonial Literature and Film
ENGL 3850Ethnicity and Place in American Literature
ENGL 3930Topics in U.S. Latina/o Literature and Culture
or ENGL 3930W Topics in U.S. Latina/o Literature and Culture
ENGL 3960Asian American Literature
or ENGL 3960W Asian American Literature
ENGL 3970Jewish American Literature
or ENGL 3970W Jewish American Literature
One course (3 credits) in minority/diversity literature taken at the 3000 level, selected from the following:
ENGL 3570Nineteenth-Century Black Literature
ENGL 3660Twentieth-Century Irish Literature I
ENGL 3661Twentieth-Century Irish Literature II
or ENGL 3661W Twentieth-Century Irish Literature I
ENGL 3730Topics in Global Postcolonial Literature and Film
or ENGL 3730W Topics in Global Postcolonial Literature and Film
ENGL 3850Ethnicity and Place in American Literature
ENGL 3910Disability Studies
ENGL 3930Topics in U.S. Latina/o Literature and Culture
or ENGL 3930W Topics in U.S. Latina/o Literature and Culture
ENGL 3940Topics in African American Literary Studies
ENGL 3950Cultural Theory and Black Studies
or ENGL 3950W Cultural Theory and Black Studies
ENGL 3960Asian American Literature
or ENGL 3960W Asian American Literature
ENGL 3980Queer Studies
or ENGL 3980W Queer Studies
Other required courses (6 credits):
ENGL 2210Techniques in Creative Writing
ENGL 3210Readings in Creative Writing

In addition to the University General Education Requirement, undergraduate students in Columbian College must complete a further, College-specific general education curriculum—Perspective, Analysis, Communication (G-PAC) as well as the course CCAS 1001 First-Year Experience. Together with the University General Education Requirement, G-PAC engages students in active intellectual inquiry across the liberal arts. Students achieve a set of learning outcomes that enhance their analytical skills, develop their communication competencies, and invite them to participate as responsible citizens who are attentive to issues of culture, diversity, and privilege.

Coursework for the University General Education Requirement is distributed as follows:

  • One course in critical thinking in the humanities.

  • Two courses in critical thinking, quantitative reasoning, or scientific reasoning in the social sciences.

  • One course that has an approved oral communication component.

  • One course in quantitative reasoning (must be in mathematics or statistics).
  • One course in scientific reasoning (must be in natural and/or physical laboratory sciences).
  • UW 1020 University Writing (4 credits).
  • After successful completion of UW 1020, 6 credits distributed over at least two writing in the discipline (WID) courses taken in separate semesters. WID courses are designated by a "W" appended to the course number. 

Coursework for the CCAS G-PAC requirement is distributed as follows:

  • Arts—one approved arts course that involves the study or creation of artwork based on an understanding or interpretation of artistic traditions or knowledge of art in a contemporary context.
  • Global or cross-cultural perspective—one approved course that analyzes the ways in which institutions, practices, and problems transcend national and regional boundaries.
  • Local or civic engagement—one approved course that develops the values, ethics, disciplines, and commitment to pursue responsible public action.
  • Natural or physical science—one additional approved laboratory course that employs the process of scientific inquiry (in addition to the one course in this category required by the University General Education Requirement).
  • Humanities—one additional approved humanities course that involves critical thinking skills (in addition to the one course in this category required by the University General Education Requirement).
  • CCAS 1001 First-Year Experience

Certain courses are approved to fulfill GPAC requirements in more than one category.

Courses taken in fulfillment of G-PAC requirements may also be counted toward majors or minors. Transfer courses taken prior to, but not after, admission to George Washington University may count toward the University General Education Requirement and G-PAC, if those transfer courses are equivalent to GW courses that have been approved by the University and the College.

Lists of approved courses in the above categories are included on each undergraduate major's page in this Bulletin.

Majors in Creative Writing and English who wish to be considered for Special Honors must apply in writing in the spring semester of the junior year; they must meet the requirements stated under University Regulations and have a GPA of 3.25 in courses in the English Department at the time of applying. Candidates take the Creative Writing Senior Thesis ENGL 4220 in the spring semester. To be eligible for graduation with Special Honors, candidates must earn an A or A− on the Honors Thesis and have achieved a 3.4 grade-point average in courses in the English Department.