A student writes at a table while two others look on with books open.
Undergraduate

Writing

Writing at Saint Martin's is seen as critical to the quest for truth and improvement of the human condition. Whether writing poetry, policy, or a blog or business report, the ability to write clearly in a number of styles prepares students for the range of writing requirements that their spiritual lives and careers will inevitably demand.

Why Saint Martin's University?

The minor gives students a well-rounded education in creative, academic and professional and journalistic writing. At the same time, it allows students to specialize and develop an area of expertise.

As an integral part of Saint Martin's vibrant Department of English, the writing program provides students with:

  • Courses in the following three tracks: journalism, professional and academic writing, and creative writing
  • Access to and interaction with a highly engaged faculty
  • On-going opportunities for world travel
  • Participation in the yearly Washington state Les Bailey Writers Series
  • Professional experience through Saint Martin's student publication, The Belltower
  • Membership in Sigma Tau Delta, the national English honor society
  • Membership in the Saint Martin's University English Majors Facebook page
  • Opportunities for internships with local businesses, the arts and the Washington State Legislature
  • Opportunities for field trips and ethnographic observations of the Washington State Legislature
  • Creative writing retreats at the Saint Martin's Abbey's Lambert Lodge, a beautiful, restorative retreat center on Eld Inlet in the Puget Sound
  • Close relations with the Olympia Poetry Network’s monthly poetry readings and the Olympia Song Writer’s circle, both held at downtown Olympia's Traditions café

The writing minor welcomes and is applicable to all majors. Informed by the Benedictine philosophy of education, the writing minor offers students an enriching unique and practical academic experience that meets the needs of the whole person and assists students in writing eloquently for various purposes, audiences and contexts.

Research and internships

Saint Martin's proximity to the Washington state capital, Olympia, means access to many renowned writers and nature enthusiasts as well as several theatres, poetry and music venues, and local publishing industries. Internships abound with the following:

  • Print shops
  • Newspapers and radio
  • Publishing companies
  • State and local governments
  • Nonprofits and associations

Related internship possibilities include:

United Nations Careers »
DC Internships »
The Hague Institute for Global Justice »

Hear It from a Saint

“The writing minor has provided me the opportunity to expand and strengthen my writing skills to support my political science major and my legal studies minor; by working on genres not used in research settings, I have been able to expand my approach to writing research and report based papers. I have also been able to use the skills gained in the classes required by the writing minor to apply for and be accepted into internships that stress strong writing skills.”

Kennedy Birley '20
Political Science

Writing Requirements

  • Three or more credit hours of literature
  • Nine credit hours; one course from each of three categories below (of which 3 credit hours must be lower division)
  • Six upper-division credit hours; any two courses from the three categories below

Creative writing courses

  • WRT 292: Creative writing
  • WRT 405: Advanced creative writing
  • THR 302: Playwriting
  • THR 402: Playwriting II

Professional and academic writing

  • WRT 306: Professional and academic writing skills
  • WRT 320: Ethics in writing
  • WRT 390: English internship

Journalism courses

  • WRT 299: Intro to journalism
  • WRT 302: Advanced journalism
  • WRT 303: Digital journalism

Writing at a Glance

Program Type
Minor
Campus
Main (Lacey)
Type of Instruction
In Person
School
College of Arts and Sciences
Resources
What can I do with this major?

Career paths

  • Creative writing
  • Journalism
  • Science and medical industries
  • Technology
  • Publishing
  • Rhetoric and writing
  • Education
  • Law
  • Government
  • Human rights nonprofit groups
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Faculty

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College of Arts and Sciences

Spanning the arts, humanities, natural sciences and social sciences, and characterized by an educational environment that is both rigorous and supportive, the College of Arts and Sciences offers 20 undergraduate major programs and 20 minor programs.

Next steps

Apply to Saint Martin's