University of San Diego's Cropper Memorial Writers Series and Cropper Creative Writing Contest have stimulated interest in the literary arts among students. In response, the English Department established an emphasis in creative writing within the English major in 2011. The emphasis now offers concentrated study in three tracks: poetry, fiction, or creative non-fiction. Each of these tracks requires students to complete 12 units of creative writing courses. All emphasis students must take the introductory, multi-genre creative writing course, which gives them fundamental skills in poetry and prose-writing. Then students build on those skills in an intermediate and advanced sequence of two courses in their chosen genre of specialization, as well as one "cross-over" course in another genre, allowing writers to broaden and deepen their creative writing skills.

The emphasis gives developing writers the skills essential to honing their craft outside of an academic environment or through graduate study. These skills are not only essential to the budding writer, but also are highly valued in all professional fields and integral to the creation of a whole, well-rounded graduate of a liberal arts college.