The newest major offered by the Department of English, Literary Journalism, was created to meet the needs of a growing number of students who wish to read, study and write nonfiction prose that has transcended the limits of daily journalism.  This is prose that has evolved into a distinct branch of literature, prose that adopts the aims and techniques of the finest fiction. The program provides majors with a solid foundation in nonfiction writing and an equally solid background in areas such as literary history, which together will help make them more informed writers.

Literary journalism is an emerging field of study that is known by varying names, including creative nonfiction, the literature of fact and literary nonfiction. The Nieman Foundation at Harvard University holds an annual national conference on narrative journalism; there are anthologies devoted to it; many colleges offer courses in it, or feature it as an option within their majors. UCI's program builds on existing departmental strengths: its nationally ranked programs in creative writing, literature and literary theory. Literary Journalism majors take three intensive writing seminars, and are expected to develop a portfolio of work by graduation which they can present as evidence of their skill for purposes of employment or future education. At the same time, majors are asked to take a comprehensive look at the theory, history and context of literary journalism. Among other forms, they study and write narratives, memoirs, profiles, histories and personal essays, in subject areas as varied as science, politics, justice, travel, sports, food and popular culture. They use as models a multitude of writers, ranging from Daniel Defoe, James Boswell and Stephen Crane to George Orwell, John Hersey, Lillian Ross, Joseph Mitchell, Gay Talese, John McPhee, Joan Didion, Tom Wolfe, Tracy Kidder, Calvin Trillin, Hunter Thompson, Truman Capote and Norman Mailer.

While it differs from an applied journalism major that focuses primarily on newspaper writing, the major in Literary Journalism is excellent preparation for students planning to enter graduate programs in journalism, as well as for those interested in the many careers requiring sophisticated writing skills.

Coursework

Like all other Humanities majors, students will need to fulfill the University and Campus breadth requirement as well as take Humanities Core and a foreign language through the second year (2C level).

For the major itself, at the entrance level (lower division), three courses are required.  One is LJ 20, “Introduction to Literary Journalism.”  In this course, students will open their acquaintance with the field, reading selected exemplary texts, trying their own hand at literary journalism, and exploring how this type of nonfiction responds to and shapes experience.

The second course, LJ 21, “Reporting for Literary Journalism,” provides students with an introduction to the reporting, interviewing, research, and writing techniques unique to nonfiction feature writing.  The third course may be drawn from one of two departmental sequences, one focused on literature and its techniques and precedents over time.  All three courses will provide majors the occasion for developing analytical writing skills.

At the upper division, eleven courses are required.  CR 100A, “Literary Theory and Criticism,” acquaints majors with the theoretical dimensions of literary theory in general, using key texts from Plato to the present.  LJ 101A, “History and Theory of Literary Journalism,” introduces theory and issues more specific to literary journalism as well as exploring its history.  In three seminars, students will then study and practice selected types of nonfiction writing.  The general seminar course title is LJ 101BW, “Literary Journalism Core Writing Seminar.”  Sections will vary, each focusing on a different type of writing, such as “The Narrative,” “The Memoir,” or “The Profile.”

Two upper-division History courses in a single regional or thematic focus are required, as is E 105, “Multicultural Topics in Literature.” 

Three additional upper-division courses (numbered 102 or above) may be drawn from the entire spectrum of departmental offerings: Literary Journalism, English, Comparative Literature, Critical Theory, or Creative Writing.  One of these courses may be a foreign literature-in-translation course offered in the School of Humanities, such as requisite courses in Classics, Comparative Literature, East Asian Languages and Literatures, French and Italian, German, or Spanish and Portuguese.

These courses enable majors at once to broaden their knowledge base and yet tailor their courses to their own special areas of interest and need.

For more details on the specific courses offered, see the 'Courses' section of the site.

Note: Program requirements may change from year to year . Please check the UCI Catalogue for the most current requirements.