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colleges with creative writing minors

List of All U.S. Colleges with a Creative Writing Major

Writing has been my passion practically since I learned to read in kindergarten. I would write stories about princesses and my family dog, Gansett. When it came time to look at colleges, I was set on attending one with a strong creative writing program. Ultimately, I graduated from Johns Hopkins University with a B.A. in Writing Seminars.

Today, colleges across the country offer creative writing as a major. Because writing skills are essential for a wide range of careers, and because most curricula emphasize broad liberal arts competencies, a degree in creative writing can set you up for success in numerous fields, whether you want to be an editor or a lawyer.

Interested in majoring in creative writing? Learn which schools offer the major and what to look for in a program.

Overview of the Creative Writing Major

Creative writing is about more than spinning tales. For your major, you’ll generally need to pursue a curriculum grounded in literature, history, foreign language, and other humanities courses, along with distribution courses, if the college requires them.

Most creative writing majors must participate in workshops, in which students present their work and listen to peer critiques, usually with a certain number of advanced courses in the mix. In some cases, colleges will ask you to specialize in a particular genre, such as fiction, poetry, or playwriting. 

To succeed in creative writing, you’ll need to have a tough spine, in order to open yourself up to feedback from your classmates and instructors. You may need to give readings in public — if not as an undergraduate, certainly during your career. Of course, a passion for creating is essential, too, as is a willingness to revise your work and learn from the greats and your peers.

A creative writing major opens up doors to many careers, including journalism, content marketing, copywriting, teaching, and others. Even careers that don’t center around writing often have a strong writing component: you’ll need to write reports, deliver presentations, and so on.

Some writers go on to earn an MFA, which will help you hone your craft. It’s also often a prerequisite for teaching creative writing at the college level.

What to Look for in a College as a Creative Writing Major

Published authors on faculty.

Many world-renowned authors have another claim to fame: professorships. Writers who have taught their craft include (among many others):

  • Maya Angelou (Wake Forest University)
  • Colson Whitehead (many colleges, including Vassar College and Columbia University)
  • Stephen Dixon (Johns Hopkins University)
  • Viet Thanh Nguyen (University of Southern California)
  • Eula Biss (Northwestern University)
  • Toni Morrison (Princeton University)

Be aware that as an undergraduate, you may not be able to learn from the greats. That’s why it’s important to look into which courses these faculty teach before you have dreams of being mentored by Salman Rushdie — who is a Distinguished Writer in Residence at NYU.

Genres Offered

While many schools that have creative writing majors offer fiction and poetry courses and tracks, there are some niche genres that could be more difficult to find. If you’re interested in playwriting, for example, you won’t find that at every school. Before you decide on a program, be sure it includes the genres you’d like to explore further, whether that’s flash fiction, creative nonfiction, or something else.

Workshopping Opportunities

The core of most quality creative writing curriculum is workshopping. This means sharing your work in your classes and listening to your peers discuss and critique it. While this may sound intimidating, it can do a lot to help you hone your work and become a better writer. Look for colleges that make this the bedrock of their curriculum.

Showcasing Opportunities

Are there opportunities to present your work, such as college-sponsored readings where undergraduates can participate? Or, perhaps the school has a great literary journal. At my school, students could submit their plays and have them performed by fellow students. 

List of All U.S. Colleges With a Creative Writing Major

Agnes Scott College Decatur Georgia
Ashland University Ashland Ohio
Augustana College Rock Island Illinois
Austin College Sherman Texas
Baldwin Wallace University | BW Berea Ohio
Beloit College Beloit Wisconsin
Bennington College Bennington Vermont
Berry College Mount Berry Georgia
Bowling Green State University | BGSU Bowling Green Ohio
Bradley University Peoria Illinois
Brandeis University Waltham Massachusetts
Brooklyn College Brooklyn New York
Brown University Providence Rhode Island
Bucknell University Lewisburg Pennsylvania
Butler University Indianapolis Indiana
California College of the Arts | CCA San Francisco California
Capital University Columbus Ohio
Carnegie Mellon University | CMU Pittsburgh Pennsylvania
Catawba College Salisbury North Carolina
Central Michigan University | CMU Mount Pleasant Michigan
Central Washington University | CWU Ellensburg Washington
Chapman University Orange California
Coe College Cedar Rapids Iowa
Colby College Waterville Maine
College of the Holy Cross | Holy Cross Worcester Massachusetts
Colorado College Colorado Springs Colorado
Columbia College Chicago Chicago Illinois
Columbia University New York New York
Dartmouth College Hanover New Hampshire
Eastern Michigan University | EMU Ypsilanti Michigan
Eckerd College Saint Petersburg Florida
Emerson College Boston Massachusetts
Emory University Atlanta Georgia
Fitchburg State University Fitchburg Massachusetts
Franklin and Marshall College | F&M Lancaster Pennsylvania
George Mason University Fairfax Virginia
George Washington University | GW Washington Washington DC
Hamilton College Clinton New York
Huntingdon College Montgomery Alabama
Ithaca College Ithaca New York
Johns Hopkins University | JHU Baltimore Maryland
Knox College Galesburg Illinois
Laguna College of Art and Design | LCAD Laguna Beach California
Lesley University Cambridge Massachusetts
Lindenwood University Saint Charles Missouri
Linfield College McMinnville Oregon
Loyola University Maryland Baltimore Maryland
Loyola University New Orleans New Orleans Louisiana
Macalester College Saint Paul Minnesota
Massachusetts Institute of Technology | MIT Cambridge Massachusetts
Mercer University Macon Georgia
Miami University Oxford Ohio
Millikin University Decatur Illinois
Millsaps College Jackson Mississippi
New School New York New York
Northwestern University Evanston Illinois
Oakland University Rochester Hills Michigan
Oberlin College Oberlin Ohio
Ohio Northern University | ONU Ada Ohio
Ohio University Athens Ohio
Ohio Wesleyan University Delaware Ohio
Oklahoma Baptist University | OBU Shawnee Oklahoma
Otterbein University Westerville Ohio
Pacific University Forest Grove Oregon
Pepperdine University Malibu California
Portland State University | PSU Portland Oregon
Pratt Institute Brooklyn New York
Principia College Elsah Illinois
Providence College Providence Rhode Island
Purdue University West Lafayette Indiana
Rhode Island College | RIC Providence Rhode Island
Rocky Mountain College | RMC Billings Montana
Roger Williams University | RWU Bristol Rhode Island
Saint Mary’s College (Indiana) Notre Dame Indiana
School of the Art Institute of Chicago | SAIC Chicago Illinois
Seattle University Seattle Washington
Seton Hall University South Orange New Jersey
Simmons College Boston Massachusetts
Southern Methodist University | SMU Dallas Texas
Southern Oregon University | SOU Ashland Oregon
Spalding University Louisville Kentucky
State University of New York at Purchase | SUNY Purchase Purchase New York
Stephens College Columbia Missouri
Suffolk University Boston Massachusetts
Texas Christian University | TCU Fort Worth Texas
Texas Wesleyan University Fort Worth Texas
The State University of New York at Binghamton | SUNY Binghamton Vestal New York
The State University of New York at Buffalo | SUNY Buffalo Buffalo New York
The State University of New York at Stony Brook | SUNY Stony Brook Stony Brook New York
Truman State University | TSU Kirksville Missouri
University of Arizona Tucson Arizona
University of California, Riverside | UC Riverside Riverside California
University of Cincinnati Cincinnati Ohio
University of Evansville Evansville Indiana
University of Houston Houston Texas
University of Idaho Moscow Idaho
University of La Verne La Verne California
University of Maine at Farmington | UMF Farmington Maine
University of Miami Coral Gables Florida
University of Michigan Ann Arbor Michigan
University of Nebraska Omaha | UNO Omaha Nebraska
University of New Mexico | UNM Albuquerque New Mexico
University of North Carolina at Wilmington | UNC Wilmington Wilmington North Carolina
University of Pittsburgh | Pitt Pittsburgh Pennsylvania
University of Puget Sound Tacoma Washington
University of Redlands Redlands California
University of Rochester Rochester New York
University of Southern California | USC Los Angeles California
University of St. Thomas (Minnesota) Saint Paul Minnesota
University of Texas at El Paso | UTEP El Paso Texas
University of the Arts | UArts Philadelphia Pennsylvania
University of Tulsa Tulsa Oklahoma
University of Washington Seattle Washington
Valparaiso University | Valpo Valparaiso Indiana
Washington University in St. Louis | WashU Saint Louis Missouri
Wellesley College Wellesley Massachusetts
Western Michigan University | WMU Kalamazoo Michigan
Western New England University | WNE Springfield Massachusetts
Western Washington University | WWU Bellingham Washington
Wheaton College (Massachusetts) Norton Massachusetts
Wichita State University | WSU Wichita Kansas
Widener University Chester Pennsylvania
Wofford College Spartanburg South Carolina
Yeshiva University New York New York
Youngstown State University Youngstown Ohio

What Are Your Chances of Acceptance?

No matter what major you’re considering, the first step is ensuring you’re academically comparable to students who were previously accepted to the college or university. Most selective schools use the Academic Index to filter out applicants who aren’t up to their standards.

You’ll also want to demonstrate your fit with the school and specific major with the qualitative components of your application, like your extracurriculars and essays. For a prospective creative writing major, the essay is particularly important because this is a way to demonstrate your writing prowess. Activities might include editing your school’s newspaper or literary journal, publishing your work, and participating in pre-college writing workshops.

Want to know your chances of being accepted to top creative writing schools? Try our Chancing Engine (it’s free). Unlike other calculators, it takes your individual profile into account, including academic stats and qualitative components like your activities. Give it a try and get a jumpstart on your journey as a creative writing major!

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colleges with creative writing minors

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35 Best Colleges for Creative Writing – 2024

April 12, 2024

Bookworms and aspiring writers can pursue an undergraduate degree in creative writing where they will tackle coursework covering the reading and writing fiction, nonfiction, and poetry as well as the theory and history of the craft. While becoming the next J.K Rowling, Stephen King, or Margaret Atwood may be the goal, holders of creative writing degrees end up on a variety of career paths. This can include: publishing, editing, journalism, web content management, advertising, or for those who “make it” as writers—the next generation of literary superstars. Our list of Best Colleges for Creative Writing goes beyond the most famous writer factories like the University of Iowa and Columbia University, providing you with 35 institutions known for their stellar programs in this field.

Finally, note that although some of the colleges featured below do not offer a formal major in creative writing, their undergraduate offerings in this subject area are so strong that they warrant inclusion on our list.

Methodology 

Click here to read our methodology for the Best Colleges for creative writing.

Best Creative Writing Colleges

Here’s a quick preview of the first ten creative writing institutions that made our list. Detailed profiles and stats can be found when you scroll below.

1) Columbia University

2) Brown University

3) Johns Hopkins University

4) University of Chicago

5) Washington University in St Louis

6) Emory University

7) Stanford University

8) Northwestern University

9) Duke University

10) Yale University

All of the schools profiled below have stellar reputations in the field of creative writing and commit substantial resources to undergraduate education. For each of the best colleges for creative writing, College Transitions will provide you with—when available—each school’s:

  • Cost of Attendance
  • Acceptance Rate
  • Median  SAT
  • Median  ACT
  • Retention Rate
  • Graduation Rate

We will also include a longer write-up of each college’s:

  • Academic Highlights – Includes facts like student-to-faculty ratio, average class size, number of majors offered, and most popular majors.
  • Professional Outcomes – Includes info on the rate of positive outcomes, companies employing alumni, and graduate school acceptances.

Columbia University

  • New York, NY

Academic Highlights: Columbia offers 100+ unique areas of undergraduate study as well as a number of pre-professional and accelerated graduate programs.  Class sizes at Columbia are reasonably small and the student-to-faculty ratio is favorable; however, in 2022, it was revealed that the university had been submitting faulty data in this area. It is presently believed that 58% of undergraduate courses enroll 19 or fewer students. The greatest number of degrees are conferred in the social sciences (22%), computer science (15%), engineering (14%), and biology (7%).

Professional Outcomes: Examining the most recent graduates from Columbia College and the Fu Foundation School of Engineering & Applied Science, 73% had found employment within six months, and 20% had entered graduate school. The median starting salary for graduates of Columbia College/Columbia Engineering is above $80,000. Many graduates get hired by the likes of Amazon, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Google, Citi, McKinsey, and Microsoft.

  • Enrollment: 8,832
  • Cost of Attendance: $89,587
  • Median SAT: 1540
  • Median ACT: 35
  • Acceptance Rate: 4%
  • Retention Rate: 98%
  • Graduation Rate: 95%

Brown University

  • Providence, RI

Academic Highlights: Students must choose one of 80+ “concentration programs,” but there are no required courses. Class sizes tend to be small—68% have fewer than twenty students—and 35% are comprised of nine or fewer students. Biology, economics, computer science, mathematics, and engineering are among the most popular areas of concentration at Brown; however, it is hard to distinguish any one program, because Brown possesses outstanding offerings across so many disciplines.

Professional Outcomes: Soon after receiving their Brown diplomas, 69% of graduates enter the world of employment. Companies employing the greatest number of Brown alums include Google, Microsoft, Goldman Sachs, Amazon, Morgan Stanley, Apple, McKinsey & Company, and Bain & Company. The Class of 2022 saw 27% of graduates go directly into graduate/professional school. Right out of undergrad, Brown students boasted an exceptional 81% admission rate to med school and an 81% admission rate to law school.

  • Enrollment: 7,639
  • Cost of Attendance: $84,828
  • Median SAT: 1530
  • Acceptance Rate: 5%
  • Retention Rate: 99%
  • Graduation Rate: 96%

Johns Hopkins University

  • Baltimore, MD

Academic Highlights: With 53 majors as well as 51 minors, JHU excels in everything from its bread-and-butter medical-related majors to international relations and dance. Boasting an enviable 6:1 student-to-faculty ratio and with 78% of course sections possessing an enrollment under 20, face time with professors is a reality. Many departments carry a high level of clout, including biomedical engineering, chemistry, English, and international studies. Biology, neuroscience, and computer science, which happen to be the three most popular majors, can also be found at the top of the national rankings.

Professional Outcomes: The Class of 2022 saw 94% of graduates successfully land at their next destination within six months of exiting the university; 66% of graduates entered the world of employment and a robust 19% went directly to graduate/professional school. The median starting salary across all majors was $80,000 for the Class of 2022. JHU itself is the most popular choice for graduate school. The next most frequently attended institutions included Columbia, Harvard, Yale, and MIT.

  • Enrollment: 6,044
  • Cost of Attendance: $86,065
  • Acceptance Rate: 7%
  • Retention Rate: 97%

University of Chicago

  • Chicago, IL

Academic Highlights: There are 53 majors at UChicago, but close to half of all degrees conferred are in four majors: economics, biology, mathematics, and political science, all of which have particularly sterling reputations. Economics alone is the selection of roughly one-fifth of the undergraduate population. Over 75% of undergrad sections have an enrollment of nineteen or fewer students, and undergraduate research opportunities are ubiquitous as 80% of students end up working in a research capacity alongside a faculty member.

Professional Outcomes: On commencement day, 99% of the Class of 2023 were employed or continuing their education. Business and financial services (30%) and STEM (12%) were the two sectors that scooped up the most graduates, but public policy and consulting were also well-represented. The most popular employers of recent grads include Google, JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs, McKinsey & Company, Bank of America, Citi, and Accenture. For those heading to grad school, the top seven destinations are Yale, Columbia, Penn, MIT, Stanford, UCLA, and Johns Hopkins.

  • Enrollment: 7,653 (undergraduate); 10,870 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $89,040

Washington University in St. Louis

  • St. Louis, MO

Academic Highlights : WashU admits students into five schools, many of which offer nationally recognized programs: Arts & Sciences, the Olin School of Business, the School of Engineering & Applied Sciences, and the Art of Architecture programs housed within the Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts. The most commonly conferred degrees are in engineering (13%), social sciences (13%), business (13%), biology (11%), and psychology (10%). 66% of classes have fewer than 20 students, and over one-quarter have single-digit enrollments. 65% double major or pursue a minor.

Professional Outcomes: The Class of 2022 sent 52% of grads into the workforce and 28% into graduate and professional schools. Companies employing the highest number of WashU grads feature sought-after employers such as Amazon, Bain, Boeing, Deloitte, Google, IBM, Goldman Sachs, and Microsoft. Of the employed members of the Class of 2022 who reported their starting salaries, 79% made more than $60k. The universities welcoming the largest number of Bears included the prestigious institutions of Caltech, Columbia, Harvard, Penn, Princeton, and Stanford.

  • Enrollment: 8,132 (undergraduate); 8,880 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $83,760
  • Median ACT: 34
  • Acceptance Rate: 11%
  • Retention Rate: 96%
  • Graduation Rate: 93%

Emory University

  • Atlanta, GA

Academic Highlights: This midsize university offers a diverse array of majors (80+) and minors (60+), and 30% of Emory students pursue more than one area of study. Over half of Emory’s student body works directly with a faculty member on academic research and 58% of courses have class sizes of under twenty students. Ultimately, the greatest number of students go on to earn degrees in the social sciences (15%), biology (14%), business (14%), health professions (12%), and mathematics (9%).

Professional Outcomes: Shortly after graduation, 66% of 2022 grads were already employed, and 96% had arrived at their next destination. The top employers of recent Emory grads include Deloitte, Epic, ScribeAmerica, Meta, Morgan Stanley, and Cloudmed. Graduates of the Goizueta Business School found strong starting salaries with an average of $81k.  In the last few years, multiple Emory grads/alums received acceptance letters from the following top law schools like Columbia, Berkeley, and Georgetown. Med school acceptances included Duke, Johns Hopkins, and Vanderbilt.

  • Enrollment: 7,101
  • Cost of Attendance: $83,702
  • Median SAT: 1500
  • Median ACT: 33
  • Retention Rate: 95%
  • Graduation Rate: 90%

Stanford University

  • Palo Alto, CA

Academic Highlights: Stanford has three undergraduate schools: the School of Humanities & Sciences, the School of Engineering, and the School of Earth, Energy, and Environmental Sciences. 69% of classes have fewer than twenty students, and 34% have a single-digit enrollment. Programs in engineering, computer science, physics, mathematics, international relations, and economics are arguably the best anywhere. In terms of sheer volume, the greatest number of degrees are conferred in the social sciences (17%), computer science (16%), engineering (15%), and interdisciplinary studies (13%).

Professional Outcomes: Stanford grads entering the working world flock to three major industries in equal distribution: business/finance/consulting/retail (19%); computer, IT (19%); and public policy and service, international affairs (19%). Among the companies employing the largest number of recent grads are Accenture, Apple, Bain, Cisco, Meta, Goldman Sachs, Google, McKinsey, Microsoft, and SpaceX. Other companies that employ hundreds of Cardinal alums include LinkedIn, Salesforce, and Airbnb. Starting salaries for Stanford grads are among the highest in the country.

  • Enrollment: 8,049 (undergraduate); 10,236 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $87,833

Northwestern University

  • Evanston, IL

Academic Highlights : Northwestern is home to six undergraduate schools, including Medill, which is widely regarded as one of the country’s best journalism schools. The McCormick School of Engineering also achieves top rankings, along with programs in economics, social policy, and theatre. The social sciences account for the greatest number of degrees conferred (19%), followed by communications/journalism (13%), and engineering (11%). 45% of classes have nine or fewer students enrolled; 78% have fewer than twenty enrollees. 57% of recent grads had the chance to conduct undergraduate research.

Professional Outcomes: Six months after graduating, 69% of the Class of 2022 had found employment and 27% were in graduate school. The four most popular professional fields were consulting (18%), engineering (18%), business/finance (16%), and communications/marketing/media (13%). Employers included the BBC, NBC News, The Washington Post , NPR, Boeing, Google, IBM, Deloitte, PepsiCo, Northrop Grumman, and Goldman Sachs. Across all majors, the average starting salary was $73k. Of those headed straight to graduate school, engineering, medicine, and business were the three most popular areas of concentration.

  • Enrollment: 8,659 (undergraduate); 14,073 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $91,290
  • Graduation Rate: 97%

Duke University

Academic Highlights: The academic offerings at Duke include 53 majors, 52 minors, and 23 interdisciplinary certificates. Class sizes are on the small side—71% are nineteen or fewer, and almost one-quarter are less than ten. A stellar 5:1 student-to-faculty ratio helps keep classes so reasonable even while catering to five figures worth of graduate students. Computer Science is the most popular area of concentration (11%), followed by economics (10%), public policy (9%), biology (8%), and computer engineering (7%).

Professional Outcomes: At graduation, approximately 70% of Duke diploma-earners enter the world of work, 20% continue into graduate schools, and 2% start their own businesses. The industries that attract the largest percentage of Blue Devils are tech (21%), finance (15%), business (15%), healthcare (9%), and science/research (6%). Of the 20% headed into graduate school, a hefty 22% are attending medical school, 18% are in PhD programs, and 12% are entering law school. The med school acceptance rate is 85%, more than twice the national average.

  • Enrollment: 6,640
  • Cost of Attendance: $85,238
  • SAT Range: 1490-1570
  • ACT Range: 34-35
  • Acceptance Rate: 6%

Yale University

  • New Haven, CT

Academic Highlights: Yale offers 80 majors, most of which require a one- to two-semester senior capstone experience. Undergraduate research is a staple, and over 70% of classes—of which there are over 2,000 to choose from—have an enrollment of fewer than 20 students, making Yale a perfect environment for teaching and learning. Among the top departments are biology, economics, global affairs, engineering, history, and computer science. The social sciences (26%), biology (11%), mathematics (8%), and computer science (8%) are the most popular areas of concentration.

Professional Outcomes: Shortly after graduating, 73% of the Yale Class of 2022 had entered the world of employment and 18% matriculated into graduate programs. Hundreds of Yale alums can be found at each of the world’s top companies including Google, Goldman Sachs, McKinsey & Company, Morgan Stanley, and Microsoft. The most common industries entered by the newly hired were finance (20%), research/education (16%), technology (14%), and consulting (12%). The mean starting salary for last year’s grads was $81,769 ($120k for CS majors). Nearly one-fifth of students immediately pursue graduate school.

  • Enrollment: 6,590 (undergraduate); 5,344 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $87,705
  • Graduation Rate: 98%

Hamilton College

  • Clinton, NY

Academic Highlights: The student-to-faculty ratio is 9:1, and without any pesky graduate students to get in the way, face time with professors is a regular occurrence. In fact, 28% of all classes have nine or fewer students; 72% have nineteen or fewer. Economics, government, and biology are among the strongest and most popular majors; other standout programs include public policy, mathematics, and environmental studies. Thirty percent of students earn social science degrees, with biology (13%), visual and performing arts (9%), physical science (7%), and foreign languages (7%) next in line.

Professional Outcomes: Examining the 491 graduates in Hamilton’s Class of 2022, an enviable 97% wasted no time landing jobs, graduate school acceptances, or fellowships. The most commonly entered industries were finance (17%), education (13%), business (12%), and science/tech (11%). Only 17% of 2022 graduates went directly into an advanced degree program. In one recent year, 33% of Hamilton grads were studying a STEM field, 22% were in the social sciences, 17% pursued a health care degree, and 5% went to law school.

  • Enrollment: 2,075
  • Cost of Attendance: $82,430
  • Median SAT: 1490
  • Acceptance Rate: 12%
  • Graduation Rate: 92%

Princeton University

  • Princeton, NJ

Academic Highlights: 39 majors are available at Princeton. Just under three-quarters of class sections have an enrollment of 19 or fewer students, and 31% have fewer than ten students. Princeton is known for its commitment to undergraduate teaching, and students consistently rate professors as accessible and helpful. The Engineering Department is widely recognized as one of the country’s best, as is the School of Public and International Affairs.

Professional Highlights: Over 95% of a typical Tiger class finds their next destination within six months of graduating. Large numbers of recent grads flock to the fields of business and engineering, health/science, & tech. Companies presently employing hundreds of Tiger alumni include Google, Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, McKinsey & Company, Morgan Stanley, IBM, and Meta. The average salary ranges from $40k (education, health care, or social services) to $100k (computer/mathematical positions). Between 15-20% of graduating Tigers head directly to graduate/professional school.

  • Enrollment: 5,604 (undergraduate); 3,238 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $86,700

Carnegie Mellon University

  • Pittsburgh, PA

Academic Highlights: There are a combined 80+ undergraduate majors and 90 minors available across the six schools. Impressively, particularly for a school with more graduate students than undergrads, CMU boasts a 6:1 student-to-faculty ratio and small class sizes, with 36% containing single digits. In a given school year, 800+ undergraduates conduct research through the University Research Office. The most commonly conferred degrees are in engineering (21%), computer science (16%), mathematics (12%), business (10%), and visual and performing arts (9%).

Professional Outcomes: By the end of the calendar year in which they received their diplomas, 66% of 2022 grads were employed, and 28% were continuing to graduate school. The companies that have routinely scooped up CMU grads include Google, Meta, Microsoft, Apple, Accenture, McKinsey, and Deloitte. With an average starting salary of $105,194, CMU grads outpace the average starting salary for a college grad nationally. Of those pursuing graduate education, around 20% typically enroll immediately in PhD programs.

  • Enrollment: 7,509
  • Cost of Attendance: $84,412

University of Iowa

  • Iowa City, IA

Academic Highlights: 200+ undergraduate majors, minors, and certificate programs are available across eight colleges, including the Tippie College of Business, which has a very strong reputation. The most commonly conferred degree is business (24%), with parks and recreation (10%), social sciences (8%), health professions (8%), engineering (7%), and communication & journalism (5%) next in popularity. Over half of its undergraduate sections enroll 19 or fewer students, and 30% of undergrads conduct or assist research.

Professional Outcomes: 96% of Class of 2022 grads found their first job or advanced degree program within six months of receiving their diploma. The most commonly entered industries were healthcare (23%), entertainment/the arts (14%), finance and insurance (11%), and marketing/PR (10%). Companies that employ hundreds of alumni include Wells Fargo, Collins Aerospace, Principal Financial Group, Amazon, Accenture, and Microsoft. The median salary for 2022 grads was $50,000. 28% of recent graduates went directly into graduate school; 76% remained at the University of Iowa.

  • Enrollment: 22,130 (undergraduate); 7,912 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $28,846-$32,259 (in-state); $50,809-$54,822 (out-of-state)
  • Median SAT: 1240
  • Median ACT: 25
  • Acceptance Rate: 85%
  • Retention Rate: 89%
  • Graduation Rate: 73%

Emerson College

Academic Highlights: All 26 majors offered by the school have some element of performance or artistry and include highly unique academic concentrations such as comedic arts, sports communication, and musical theater. Emerson has a 15:1 student-to-faculty ratio and 69% of courses seat fewer than 20 students. The Journalism and Communications Studies programs rank among the top in the country. By sheer popularity, the top majors are film/video production, journalism, marketing, theater arts, and creative writing.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of leaving Emerson, 61% of recent grads were employed, 4% were enrolled in graduate school, and 35% were still seeking their next landing spot. Top employers include the Walt Disney Company, Warner Media, Sinclair Broadcast Group, and CNN. The average full-time salary for employed grads is $40,255. Of those entering a master’s program, the bulk stay put, pursuing a master’s at Emerson in an area like writing for film and television, creative writing, or journalism.

  • Enrollment: 4,149
  • Cost of Attendance: $73,000
  • Median SAT: 1360
  • Median ACT: 31
  • Acceptance Rate: 43%
  • Retention Rate: 86%
  • Graduation Rate: 77%

University of Southern California

  • Los Angeles, CA

Academic Highlights : There are 140 undergraduate majors and minors within the Dornsife College of Arts & Sciences alone, the university’s oldest and largest school. The Marshall School of Business, Viterbi School of Engineering, and programs in communication, the cinematic arts, and the performing arts are highly acclaimed. Popular areas of study are business (22%), social sciences (11%), visual and performing arts (11%), communications/journalism (9%), and engineering (8%). Most courses enroll 10-19 students, and USC does an excellent job facilitating undergraduate research opportunities.

Professional Outcomes: 96% of undergrads experience positive postgraduation outcomes within six months of earning their degree. The top five industries entered were finance, consulting, advertising, software development, and engineering; the median salary across all majors is an astounding $79k. Presently, between 300 and 1,500 alumni are employed at each of Google, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, KPMG, Goldman Sachs, and Meta. Graduate/professional schools enrolling the greatest number of 2022 USC grads include NYU, Georgetown, Harvard, Stanford, Pepperdine, and UCLA.

  • Enrollment: 20,699 (undergraduate); 28,246 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $90,921
  • Median SAT: 1510

Cornell University

Academic Highlights: A diverse array of academic programs includes 80 majors and 120 minors spread across the university’s seven schools/colleges. Classes are a bit larger at Cornell than at many other elite institutions. Still, 55% of sections have fewer than 20 students. Most degrees conferred in 2022 were in computer science (17%), engineering (13%), business (13%), and biology (13%). The SC Johnson College of Business houses two undergraduate schools, both of which have phenomenal reputations.

Professional Outcomes: Breaking down the graduates of the College of Arts and Sciences, the largest school at Cornell, 68% entered the workforce, 28% entered graduate school, 1% pursued other endeavors such as travel or volunteer work, and the remaining 3% were still seeking employment six months after receiving their diplomas. The top sectors attracting campus-wide graduateswere financial services (18%), technology (17%), consulting (15%), and education (10%). Of the students from A&S going on to graduate school, 15% were pursuing JDs, 5% MDs, and 22% PhDs.

  • Enrollment: 15,735
  • Cost of Attendance: $88,150
  • Median SAT: 1520

Oberlin College

  • Oberlin, OH

Academic Highlights: Over 40 majors are available at Oberlin, which is an extremely strong provider of a liberal arts education. 79% of classes had 19 or fewer students enrolled. The greatest number of degrees conferred are typically in music, political science, biology, psychology, and history. The Conservatory of Music has a worldwide reputation, and programs in the natural sciences are similarly strong, leading to remarkable medical school acceptance rates and a high number of future PhD scientists and researchers.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months, 74% of recent grads found employment, 17% enrolled in graduate school, and just 5% were still seeking employment. Multiple recent grads were hired by Google, Netflix, and Sony Pictures. Over the last few years, multiple students have gone on to pursue advanced degrees at Harvard, Stanford, MIT, Brown, Columbia, Princeton, and the University of Michigan. Oberlin also has a reputation for churning out future PhDs and, is among the top 20 schools (per capita) across all disciplines in producing graduates who go on to earn their doctoral degrees.

  • Enrollment: 2,986
  • Cost of Attendance: $85,496
  • Median SAT: 1400-1540
  • Median ACT: 32-34
  • Acceptance Rate: 33%
  • Retention Rate: 87%
  • Graduation Rate: 83%

University of Pittsburgh

Academic Highlights: Pitt admits freshmen to the Dietrich School of Arts & Sciences, the College of Business Administration, the Swanson School of Engineering, and the School of Nursing. Pitt’s engineering and business schools are top-rated and among the most commonly chosen fields of study. Premed offerings are also top-notch, with majors in the health professions (12%), biology (11%), psychology (9%), and computer science (9%) rounding out the list of most popular majors. Pitt has a strong 13:1 student-to-faculty ratio; 42% of sections have an enrollment of under twenty students.

Professional Outcomes: Within a few months of graduating, 94% of 2022 grads entered full-time employment or full-time graduate or professional school. Engineering, nursing, business, and information sciences majors had 73-86% employment rates while other majors tended to flock to graduate school in large numbers. Employers scooping up the highest number of grads in one recent year included the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (170), PNC (57), BNY Mellon (36), and Deloitte (19). Median starting salaries fluctuated between $37k-65k depending on major.

  • Enrollment: 20,220 (undergraduate); 9,268 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $38,034-$43,254 (in-state); $56,400-$66,840 (out-of-state)
  • Acceptance Rate: 50%
  • Retention Rate: 92%
  • Graduation Rate: 84%

Swarthmore College

  • Swarthmore, PA

Academic Highlights: Swarthmore offers forty undergraduate programs and runs 600+ courses each academic year. Small, seminar-style courses are the norm—an outstanding 33% of sections enroll fewer than ten students, and 70% contain a maximum of nineteen students. Social science degrees are the most commonly conferred, accounting for 24% of all 2022 graduates. Future businessmen/women, engineers, and techies are also well-positioned, given Swat’s incredibly strong offerings in economics, engineering, and computer science.

Professional Outcomes: 68% of Class of 2022 grads entered the workforce shortly after graduation. Popular industries included education (17%), consulting (16%), and financial services (13%); the median starting salary was $60,000. Google is a leading employer of Swarthmore grads followed by Amazon, Goldman Sachs, IBM, and a number of the top universities.  18% of 2022 grads pursued advanced degrees, with 35% pursuing a PhD, 35% entering master’s programs, 10% heading to law school, and 7% matriculating into medical school.

  • Enrollment: 1,625
  • Cost of Attendance: $81,376
  • Graduation Rate: 94%

Bryn Mawr College

  • Bryn Mawr, PA

Academic Highlights: On the home campus, undergraduates can choose from 35 majors and 50 minors. Roughly 35% of the student body earns degrees in the natural sciences or mathematics, a figure four times the national average for women. By volume, the most popular majors are mathematics, psychology, biology, English, and computer science. An 8:1 student-to-faculty ratio leads to small class sizes with 74% of sections having fewer than twenty students, and 24% of sections enrolling nine students or fewer.

Professional Outcomes: One year after receiving their diplomas, 57% of Bryn Mawr graduates had found employment and a robust 28% had already entered graduate school. Most of the organizations employing the greatest number of alumni are universities and hospital systems, although Google, Accenture, JPMorgan Chase, and Vanguard do employ a fair number of Bryn Mawr graduates. Among recent grads pursuing further education, 63% were in master’s programs, 13% were already working on their PhD, and 10% were in medical school.

  • Enrollment: 1,409
  • Cost of Attendance: $79,880
  • Median SAT: 1400
  • Acceptance Rate: 31%
  • Retention Rate: 90%

Wellesley College

  • Wellesley, MA

Academic Highlights: There are 50+ departmental and interdisciplinary majors. Thirty-six percent of course sections have single-digit enrollments while 77% have 19 or fewer students. In addition, opportunities for participation in research with faculty members abound. Most programs possess sterling reputations, including chemistry, computer science, neuroscience, and political science, but the Department of Economics shines most brightly, leading many into PhD programs and high-profile careers. Economics, biology, and computer science are the most frequently conferred degrees.

Professional Outcomes : Six months after graduating, 97% of the Class of 2022 had achieved positive outcomes. Of the 76% of grads who were employed, 24% were working in the finance/consulting/business fields, 17% in education, 17% in internet and technology & engineering, and 15% in healthcare/life sciences. Top employers included JPMorgan Chase, Google, Boston Children’s Hospital, and Goldman Sachs. The average starting salary for one recent cohort was a solid $63k. Of the 20% of 2022 grads who directly entered an advanced degree program, common schools attended included Harvard, Columbia, Brown, Stanford, MIT, and Emory.

  • Enrollment: 2,447
  • Cost of Attendance: $84,240
  • Acceptance Rate: 14%

Colby College

  • Waterville, ME

Academic Highlights: Offering 56 majors and 35 minors, Colby provides a classic liberal arts education with a high degree of flexibility and room for independent intellectual pursuits. A 10:1 student-to-faculty ratio is put to good instructional use as roughly two-thirds of courses have fewer than 19 students. Being a true liberal arts school, Colby has strengths across many disciplines, but biology, economics, and global studies draw especially high praise. These programs along with government and environmental science attract the highest number of students.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduation, 93% of the Class of 2022 had either obtained jobs or were enrolled full-time in a graduate program. Eighteen percent of graduates enter the financial industry and large numbers also start careers in education, with government/nonprofit, STEM, and healthcare next in popularity. The Medical school acceptance rate over the past five years is 68%, nearly double the national average.

  • Enrollment: 2,299
  • Cost of Attendance: $86,720
  • Average SAT: 1485
  • Average ACT: 33
  • Acceptance Rate: 8%
  • Retention Rate: 93%
  • Graduation Rate: 87%

University of Michigan

  • Ann Arbor, MI

Academic Highlights: There are 280+ undergraduate degree programs across fourteen schools and colleges, and the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA) enrolls the majority of students. The Ross School of Business offers highly rated programs in entrepreneurship, management, accounting, and finance. The College of Engineering is also one of the best in the country. By degrees conferred, engineering (15%), computer science (14%), and the social sciences (11%) are most popular. A solid 56% of classes have fewer than 20 students.

Professional Outcomes: Within three months of graduating, 89% of LSA grads are employed full-time or in graduate school, with healthcare, education, law, banking, research, nonprofit work, and consulting being the most popular sectors. Within three months, 99% of Ross grads are employed with a median salary of $90k. Top employers include Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank, EY, Morgan Stanley, PwC, Deloitte, and Amazon.  Within six months, 96% of engineering grads are employed (average salary of $84k) or in grad school. General Motors, Ford, Google, Microsoft, Apple, and Meta employ the greatest number of alumni.

  • Enrollment: 32,695 (undergraduate); 18,530 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $35,450 (in-state); $76,294 (out-of-state)
  • Median SAT: 1470
  • Acceptance Rate: 18%

Bucknell University

  • Lewisburg, PA

Academic Highlights: Over 60 majors and 70 minors are on tap across three undergraduate schools: the College of Arts & Sciences, Freeman College of Management, and the College of Engineering. Getting well-acquainted with your professors is easy with a 9:1 student-faculty ratio, and class sizes are reasonably small. The greatest number of degrees are conferred in the areas of the social sciences (26%), engineering (14%), business (14%), biology (11%), and psychology (9%).

Professional Outcomes: Nine months after graduation, 94% of the Class of 2022 had launched their careers or entered graduate school. Financial services is the most common sector for Bucknell grads to enter, attracting 24% of alumni. Across all disciplines, the average salary for a Class of 2022 grad was $69,540. Bucknell saw 18% of 2022 grads go directly into an advanced degree program. Bison alumni heading to graduate school predominantly pursue degrees in the medical field, social sciences, business, or engineering.

  • Enrollment: 3,747
  • Cost of Attendance: $80,890
  • Median SAT: 1380
  • Median ACT: 32
  • Retention Rate: 91%

Haverford College

  • Haverford, PA

Academic Highlights: Haverford offers 31 majors, 32 minors, 12 concentrations, and eleven consortium programs—areas of study that can be pursued at partner campuses. The school’s 9:1 student-to-faculty ratio and exclusive emphasis on undergraduate education lead to exceptionally intimate classes, 33% of which have fewer than 10 students, and 72% have fewer than 20. The most popular areas of study at Haverford include the social sciences (24%), biology (14%), psychology (11%), physical sciences (10%), computer science (9%), and mathematics (7%).

Professional Outcomes: Six months after leaving Haverford, 63% of the Class of 2022 had found employment, 19% had enrolled in graduate school, and 9% were still job hunting. Employers hiring multiple recent Haverford grads include Epic, JP Morgan Chase Bank, Boston Consulting Group, Goldman Sachs, the National Institutes of Health, and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Of the 19% of 2022 grads who elected to continue their education, the most commonly entered fields of study were STEM (51%) and medicine/health (15%).

  • Enrollment: 1,421
  • Cost of Attendance: $87,180
  • Graduation Rate: 91%

Colorado College

  • Colorado Springs, CO

Academic Highlights: Rather than the typical semester schedule, Colorado College operates on the “block plan,” a series of eight three-and-half-week periods during which students take only one course. You won’t find a more intimate liberal arts college than CC. Classes have a cap of 25 students, and no more than a handful of courses exceed that figure. The average class consists of 16 students. In terms of sheer volume, most degrees are conferred in the social sciences (28%), biology (17%), natural resources and conservation (8%), and physical science (6%).

Professional Outcomes: Among the Class of 2022, an impressive 99% arrived successfully at their next destination within six months of earning their diploma. The largest number of graduates who pursue employment end up in the fields of education, technology, health care, the arts, and government.  The bachelor’s degree earned at Colorado College is unlikely to be the last degree a graduate will earn. Five years after graduation, the typical cohort sees 70-90% of its members having either completed or finishing an advanced degree.

  • Enrollment: 2,180
  • Cost of Attendance: $87,128
  • Acceptance Rate: 16%
  • Graduation Rate: 86%

Brandeis University

  • Waltham, MA

Academic Highlights: Brandeis offers 43 majors, the most popular of which are in the social sciences (18%), biology (17%), business (10%), psychology (8%), public administration (8%), and computer science (7%). The student-faculty ratio is 11:1, and 60% of courses contain nineteen or fewer students. Departments with a particularly strong national reputation include economics, international studies, and sociology as well as all of the traditional premed pathways including biology, and chemistry.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduation, 98% of the Class of 2022 had found their way to employment (59%), graduate school (35%), or another full-time activity like travel or volunteer work (4%). Members of the Class of 2022 were hired by Red Hat, Deloitte, Nasdaq, NPR, and McKinsey & Company. The average starting salary for recent grads is $61k. A large contingent of grads elects to continue at Brandeis for graduate school. Many others go to BU, Columbia, Duke, Harvard, and Yale.

  • Enrollment: 3,687
  • Cost of Attendance: $86,242
  • Median SAT: 1440
  • Acceptance Rate: 39%

Macalester College

  • St. Paul, MN

Academic Highlights: Students can choose from roughly 40 majors and over 800 courses that are offered each academic year . Being an undergraduate-only institution, Macalester students enjoy the full benefits of the school’s 10:1 student-to-faculty ratio. The average class size is only 17 students, and 14% of class sections have single-digit enrollments. Macalester possesses strong offerings across many different disciplines. Programs in economics, international studies, and mathematics are among the best anywhere.

Professional Outcomes: Six months after graduating, 95% of the Macalester Class of 2022 had found employment, graduate school, or a fellowship. Employers of recent grads include ABC News, Google, Goldman Sachs, Dow Chemical Company, McKinsey & Company, the ACLU, the National Cancer Institute, and National Geographic . Across all sectors, the average starting salary for recent grads was above $62k. Sixty percent of Mac grads pursue an advanced degree within six years of earning their bachelor’s.

  • Enrollment: 2,175
  • Cost of Attendance: $79,890
  • Median SAT: 1430
  • Acceptance Rate: 28%
  • Retention Rate: 88%

Barnard College

Academic Highlights: Barnard has a 10:1 student-faculty ratio, and a sensational 71% of courses are capped at nineteen or fewer students; 18% have fewer than ten. Many get the chance to engage in research alongside a professor as 240+ undergraduates are granted such an opportunity through the Summer Research Institute each year. Barnard’s most popular majors, by number of degrees conferred, include economics, English, political science, history, psychology, neuroscience, computer science, and art history.

Professional Outcomes: Six months after graduation, 91% of 2022 Barnard grads had found employment or were enrolled in a graduate program. JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs, Blackrock, Citibank, and Morgan Stanley all appear on the list of the top fifteen employers of Barnard alumni. Within ten years of graduation, over 80% of Barnard alums eventually enroll in graduate school. Those entering graduate school flock in large numbers to Columbia, with 112 heading there over the last three years.

  • Enrollment: 3,442
  • Cost of Attendance: $90,928
  • Acceptance Rate: 9%

Georgetown University

  • Washington, D.C.

Academic Highlights: The student-faculty ratio is 11:1, and 60% of classes enroll fewer than 20 students. While some classes are a bit larger, only 7% cross the 50-student threshold. Those desiring to join the world of politics or diplomacy are in the right place. The Government and International Affairs programs are among the best in the country. The greatest number of degrees are conferred in the social sciences (38%) followed by business (20%), interdisciplinary studies (8%), and biology (7%).

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduating, 75% of members of the Class of 2022 entered the workforce, 19% went directly into a graduate or professional program of study, and 3% were still seeking employment. The Class of 2022 sent massive numbers of graduates to a number of major corporations including JPMorgan Chase (22), Citi (21), BOA (18), Morgan Stanley (16), and EY (10). Those attending grad school stay at Georgetown or flock to other elite schools like Columbia and Harvard.

  • Enrollment: 7,900
  • Cost of Attendance: $85,000

Elon University

Academic Highlights: Students choose from 70 majors and can add a number of interesting minors like adventure-based learning, coaching, and multimedia authoring. Elon’s 11:1 student-to-faculty ratio leads to an average class size of 20 students; 51% of sections contain fewer than 20 students. The areas in which the greatest number of degrees are conferred are business (29%), journalism/communication (20%), social sciences (8%), the visual and performing arts (6%), and psychology (6%).

Professional Outcomes: Results of a survey administered nine months after graduation found that 96% of the Class of 2022 had found employment, a graduate school, or an internship. Top employers of recent Elon graduates include Bloomberg, Deloitte, EY, Google, Goldman Sachs, Red Ventures, and Wells Fargo. Recent business grads enjoyed a median salary of $61k while communications majors earned $47k. Just under one-quarter of recent grads gained acceptance into graduate/professional school and many remain at Elon.

  • Enrollment: 6,337
  • Cost of Attendance: $66,657
  • Median SAT: 1260
  • Median ACT: 28
  • Acceptance Rate: 78%

DePauw University

  • Greencastle, IN

Academic Highlights: No matter which of the 40+ majors you pursue at DePauw, you will enjoy the benefits of small class sizes and face time with faculty. A 9:1 student-to-faculty ratio and the fact that only four class sections in the whole university enroll more than 29 students assures that. The greatest number of DePauw undergrads earn degrees in the social sciences (17%), biology (10%), the visual/performing arts (9%), communication/journalism (8%), and computer science (6%).

Professional Outcomes: The university’s “Gold Commitment” guarantees that all grads will land at their next destination within six months, or they will be provided with an entry-level professional opportunity or an additional tuition-free semester. Top employers of DePauw grads include Eli Lilly and Company, IBM, Northern Trust Corporation, AT&T, and Procter & Gamble. Tigers applying to graduate and professional schools experience high levels of success. Of medical school applicants who earned a 3.6 GPA and scored in the 80th percentile on the MCAT, 90% are accepted to at least one institution.

  • Enrollment: 1,752
  • Cost of Attendance: $74,400
  • Acceptance Rate: 66%
  • Graduation Rate: 79%

University of Washington – Seattle

  • Seattle, WA

Academic Highlights: 180+ undergraduate majors are offered across thirteen colleges/schools. Personal connections with professors abound as 55% of grads complete a faculty-mentored research project. The College of Engineering, which includes the College of Computer Science & Engineering, is one of the best in the nation; UW also boasts strong programs in everything from business to social work to environmental science. The most popular degrees are the social sciences (13%), biology (12%), computer science (11%), and business (8%).

Professional Outcomes: Within months of graduation, 73% of Class of 2022 grads were employed and 17% were continuing their education. The most popular employers of the Class of 2022 included Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Boeing, and KPMG. Across all living alumni, 6,000+ work for Microsoft, and 4000+ work for each of Boeing and Amazon. Of those headed to graduate/professional school, just over half remain in state, mostly at UW itself. Large numbers of 2022 grads also headed to Columbia, Johns Hopkins, and USC.

  • Enrollment: 36,872 (undergraduate); 16,211 (graduate)
  • Cost of Attendance: $34,554 (in-state); $63,906 (out-of-state)
  • Median SAT: 1420
  • Acceptance Rate: 48%
  • Retention Rate: 94%

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The 12 Best Creative Writing Colleges and Programs

College Info

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Finding a dedicated creative writing program at a school you're excited about can be a real challenge, and that's even before you start worrying about getting in. Nonetheless, there are some great options. In order to help you find the best school for you, this list rounds up some of the best colleges for creative writing in the United States .

The Best Creative Writing Programs: Ranking Criteria

You should never take college rankings as absolute truth —not even the very official-seeming US News ones. Instead, use these kinds of lists as a jumping-off place for your own exploration of colleges. Pay attention not just to what the rankings are but to how the rankings are determined.

To help with that, I'll explain how I came up with this highly unscientific list of great creative writing colleges. I started by narrowing my search down to schools that offered a specific creative writing major. (If you don't see a school you were expecting, it's likely because they only have a minor.)

In ranking the schools, I considered five major criteria:

  • #1: MFA Ranking —If a school has a great graduate creative writing program, it means you'll be taught by those same professors and the excellent graduate students they attract. Schools with strong MFA programs are also more likely to have solid alumni networks and internship opportunities. However, many schools with great undergrad programs do not offer MFAs, in which case I simply focused on the other four options.
  • #2: General School Reputation —The vast majority of your classes won't be in creative writing, so it's important that other parts of the school, especially the English department, are great as well.
  • #3: Extracurricular Opportunities —One of the key advantages of majoring in creative writing is that it can provide access to writing opportunities outside the classroom, so I took what kind of internship programs, author readings, and literary magazines the school offers into consideration.
  • #4: Diversity of Class Options —I gave extra points to schools with a variety of genre options and specific, interesting classes.
  • #5: Alumni/Prestige —This last criterion is a bit more subjective: is the school known for turning out good writers? Certainly it's less important than what kind of education you'll actually get, but having a brand-name degree (so to speak) can be helpful.

The Best Creative Writing Schools

Now, let's get to the good stuff: the list of schools! The exact numbering is always arguable, so look at it as a general trend from absolutely amazing to still super great, rather than fixating on why one school is ranked #3 and another is ranked #4.

#1: Northwestern University

Northwestern's undergrad creative writing program boasts acclaimed professors and an unparalleled track record of turning out successful writers (including Divergent author Veronica Roth and short-story writer Karen Russell).

Outside the classroom, you can work on the student-run literary journal, intern at a publication in nearby Chicago, or submit to the Department of English's yearly writing competition . The university is also home to a top journalism program , so if you want to try your hand at nonfiction as well, you'll have plenty of opportunities to do so.

#2: Columbia University

Like Northwestern, Columbia is home to both a world-class creative writing program and a top journalism school (plus one of the best English departments in the country), so you have a wide range of writing-related course options. Columbia also benefits from its location in New York City, which is bursting at the seams with publishing houses, literary journals, and talented authors.

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#3: University of Iowa

The University of Iowa's big draw is the infrastructure of its graduate Writers' Workshop, which is often considered the best MFA program in the country.

As an English and Creative Writing major here, you'll take classes from great young writers and established professors alike, and get to choose from a wide range of topics. This major provides transferable skills important for a liberal arts major with a creative focus. You'll also have access to the university's impressive literary community, including frequent readings, writing prizes and scholarships, and the acclaimed literary journal The Iowa Review .

#4: Emory University

Emory is renowned for its dedicated undergrad creative writing program , which draws the very best visiting scholars and writers. Students here have the chance to attend intimate question-and-answer sessions with award-winning authors, study a range of genres, compete for writing awards and scholarships, and work closely with an adviser to complete an honors project.

#5: Oberlin College

A small liberal arts school in Ohio, Oberlin offers very different advantages than the schools above do. You'll have fewer opportunities to pursue writing in the surrounding city, but the quality of the teachers and the range of courses might make up for that. Moreover, it boasts just as impressive alumni, including actress and writer Lena Dunham.

#6: Hamilton College

Hamilton is another small college, located in upstate New York. It's known for giving students the freedom to pursue their interests and the support to help them explore topics in real depth, both inside and outside the classroom. Hamilton's creative writing program takes full advantage with small classes and lots of opportunities to intern and publish; it also has one of the best writing centers in the country.

#7: Brown University

Brown's Literary Arts program offers one of the top MFAs in the US as well as an undergraduate major . For the major, you must take four creative writing workshops and six reading-intensive courses, which span an array of departments and topics, from music and literature to Middle East studies and Egyptology.

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#8: Washington University in St. Louis

Washington University has an excellent creative writing MFA program, lots of super specific class options, and a number of scholarships specifically earmarked for creative writing students. This school’s undergraduate English program also offers a concentration in creative writing that allows students to specialize in a specific genre: poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction. If you’re interested in exploring your potential in a specific writing genre, Washington University could be a great pick for you.

#9: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

MIT might not be a school you generally associate with writing, but it actually has an excellent program that offers courses in digital media and science writing, as well as creative writing, and provides plenty of guidance on how graduates can navigate the tricky job market.

Not to mention the school is located in Cambridge, a haven for book lovers and writers of all kinds. Though it probably isn’t a good fit for students who hate science, MIT is a great place for aspiring writers who want to build writing skills that are marketable in a wide range of industries.

#10: University of Michigan

University of Michigan is one of the best state universities in the country and has a top-notch MFA program. This school’s undergrad creative writing sub-concentration requires students to submit applications for admittance to advanced creative writing courses. These applications give students crucial practice in both building a writing portfolio and articulating their interest in creative writing to an audience who will evaluate their work. If you're looking to attend a big school with a great creative writing major, this is a fantastic choice.

#11: Johns Hopkins University

Johns Hopkins is another school that's known more for engineering than it is for writing, but, like MIT, it has a dedicated writing program. As a major here, you must take not only courses in prose, poetry, and literature, but also classes on topics such as philosophy and history.

#12: Colorado College

Colorado College is a small liberal arts school known for its block plan , which allows students to focus on one class per three-and-a-half-week block. The creative writing track of the English major includes a sequence of four writing workshops and also requires students to attend every reading of the Visiting Writers Series.

Bonus School: New York University

I didn't include NYU in the main list because it doesn't have a dedicated creative writing major, but it's a great school for aspiring writers nonetheless, offering one of the most impressive creative writing faculties in the country and all the benefits of a Manhattan location.

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How To Pick the Best Creative Writing School for You

Just because Northwestern is a great school for creative writing doesn't mean you should set your heart on going there. (The football fans are completely terrifying, for one thing.) So where should you go then?

Here are some questions to ask yourself when looking at creative writing programs to help you determine the best school for you:

Does It Have Courses You're Interested In?

Look at the course offerings and see whether they interest you. While you can't predict exactly what classes you'll love, you want to avoid a mismatch where what you want to study and what the program offers are completely different. For example, if you want to write sonnets but the school focuses more on teaching fiction, it probably won't be a great fit for you.

Also, don't forget to look at the English courses and creative writing workshops! In most programs, you'll be taking a lot of these, too.

What Opportunities Are There To Pursue Writing Outside of Class?

I touched on this idea in the criteria section, but it's important enough that I want to reiterate it here. Some of the best writing experience you can get is found outside the classroom, so see what kind of writing-related extracurriculars a school has before committing to it.

Great options include getting involved with the campus newspaper, working on the school's literary journal, or interning at the university press.

Who Will Be Teaching You?

Who are the professors? What kind of work have they published? Check teacher ratings on Rate My Professors (but make sure to read the actual reviews—and always take them with a grain of salt).

If you're looking at a big school, there's a good chance that a lot of your teachers will be graduate students. But that's not necessarily a bad thing: a lot of the best teachers I had in college were graduate students. Just take into consideration what kind of graduate program the school has. If there's a great creative writing MFA program, then the graduate students are likely to be better writers and more engaged teachers.

What Are the Alumni Doing Now?

If you have a sense of what you want to do after you graduate, see if any alumni of the program are pursuing that type of career. The stronger the alumni network is, the more connections you'll have when it comes time to get a job.

What About the Rest of the School?

Don't pick a school for which you like the creative writing program but dread everything else about it. Most of your time will be spent doing other things, whether hanging out in the dorms, exploring off campus, or fulfilling general education requirements.

Many schools require you to apply to the creative writing major, so make doubly sure you'll be happy with your choice even if you aren't accepted to the program.

What's Next?

Are you sure a creative writing major is the right fit for you? Read our post on the pros and cons of the major to help you decide what path to take in college.

For more general advice about choosing a college, check out our complete guide to finding the right school for you. Some major factors to consider include deciding whether you're interested in a small college or a big university , an in-state or out-of-state institution , and a public or private school .

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  • Creative Writing Minor

CreativeWriting_1

The undergraduate creative writing program at UNC–Chapel Hill is — and has long been — one of the best in the country. Its first-rate faculty and students have published widely, won many prizes, and played a major role in shaping the contemporary literature of North Carolina, the South, and the nation.

Requirements 

In addition to the program requirements listed below, students must:

  • take at least nine hours of their minor "core" requirements at UNC–Chapel Hill
  • earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.000 in the minor core requirements. Some programs may require higher standards for minor or specific courses.

For more information, please consult the degree requirements section of the catalog .

The Creative Writing Program offers a minor in creative writing. The minor requires 15 hours, a total of five courses.

Enrollment in courses beyond the intermediate level is by permission only. Students may declare the minor through Academic Advising. Completion of a minor in creative writing is contingent on the student’s successful advancement through the sequence.

The Creative Writing Program also gives credit toward the minor for several courses offered in other departments, such as DRAM 231 , COMM 330 , COMM 433 , and MEJO 356 . To qualify for a degree with honors or highest honors in creative writing, students must maintain a 3.3 grade point average and meet all requirements both to enter and to complete the senior honors seminar ( ENGL 693H and ENGL 694H ). Students minoring in creative writing and planning to study abroad must plan carefully so that they meet all submission and deadline requirements for applying to successive courses. 

To complete the minor, students will complete five (5) courses from one of the following options:

Combination of Genres:

Course List
Code Title Hours
Select five (5) courses from any track below and/or from the following list of courses: 15
Creative Writing: Special Topics
Introduction to Writing for Film and Television
Intermediate Screenwriting
Feature Writing
Total Hours15

Fiction Track:

Course List
Code Title Hours
3
or 
Select one of the following courses:3
3

6
Total Hours15

Poetry Track:

Course List
Code Title Hours
3
or 
Select one of the following courses:3
3

6
Total Hours15

Musical/Musical Theater Writing Track:

Course List
Code Title Hours
Select five (5) courses: 15
Creative Writing: Special Topics (with permission based on topic)
Introduction to Composition
Inside the Song: Analysis of Songcraft
Playwriting I
Total Hours15

Creative Nonfiction Writing Track:

Course List
Code Title Hours
3
3
or 
3
3
3
Total Hours15

No more than two (2) courses can be taken outside the Department of English and Comparative Literature.

ENGL 130 , ENGL 131 , ENGL 132H , ENGL 133H , and ENGL 138 , the introductory classes, are prerequisites to other Creative Writing Program classes. ENGL 130 , ENGL 131 , and ENGL 138 are open for registration by rising sophomores only during spring semester for the following fall and for current sophomores only during fall semester for the following spring. Rising or current sophomores may register for ENGL 130 , ENGL 131 , or ENGL 138 , but not for more than one of these three courses. Demand by sophomores regularly exceeds the number of seats available. Enrollment of juniors and seniors is on a space-available basis by permission of the instructor, and students may inquire of the instructor during the first week of classes to see if seats are available. ENGL 130 , ENGL 131 , and ENGL 138 are sometimes offered during summer sessions with no registration restrictions. Please always review summer session course listings for any changes or updates.

Advancement to successive courses in either the fiction or poetry sequence is by recommendation of the student’s previous instructor(s) and by application for both the advanced workshops and senior honors seminars. If possible, the student is assigned to a different instructor for each course. Should students not advance beyond the intermediate level, they may choose to finish the minor with other classes offered in creative writing. Creative writing minors receive priority in all creative writing classes and usually fill all seats.

Students completing the five courses for the minor may take additional creative writing courses only by permission of the director, providing that all other students still completing the minor are served first.

Transfer Students: Important Information

The requirement for taking a minor in creative writing is five courses or 15 semester hours. Students are limited to one creative writing course per semester. Most junior transfer students have four semesters remaining. Junior transfer students wanting to minor in creative writing must either

  • Have an introductory course already on their record that will transfer to Carolina as credit, e.g., an introductory course in fiction writing or poetry writing taken previously at a college or university that is transferring in as credit for ENGL 130 or ENGL 131 ; OR
  • Take an introductory course via UNC–Chapel Hill Summer School prior to their first fall term at Carolina and be promoted to the next level or to another creative writing class (on a space-available basis) in the fall of their junior year.

Permission to move forward with transfer credit for an introductory course requirement (Option 1 above) will require a review by the creative writing faculty of the syllabus and work completed in the course and is dependent on space availability, which cannot be guaranteed. Students must provide hard copies of syllabi and samples of coursework as early as possible in order to ensure time for review and to schedule a meeting with the director.

Junior transfer students fulfilling one of these two options would be eligible for Advanced Fiction or Poetry ( ENGL 406 or ENGL 407 ) and the senior honors seminars ( ENGL 693H and ENGL 694H ) if there is space available in Intermediate Fiction ( ENGL 206 ) or Intermediate Poetry ( ENGL 207 ) their first fall semester, and if — on the basis of submitted work reviewed by a committee — they are chosen for those classes. If not, they would need to complete the minor using the multigenre approach.

Note: No more than two creative writing courses from other schools may be counted for credit at UNC–Chapel Hill. At least three of the five courses taken for the minor — courses designated ENGL — must be Creative Writing Program courses taken at Carolina.

Honors in Creative Writing

To qualify for a degree with honors or highest honors in creative writing, students must maintain a 3.3 grade point average and meet all requirements both to enter and to complete the senior honors seminar ( ENGL 693H and ENGL 694H ).

See the program page here for additional special opportunities.

Department Programs

  • English and Comparative Literature Major, B.A.
  • Comparative Literature Minor
  • Composition, Rhetoric, and Digital Literacy Minor
  • English Minor
  • Global Cinema Minor
  • Latina/​o Studies Minor
  • Medicine, Literature, and Culture Minor
  • Medieval and Early Modern Studies Minor

Graduate Programs

  • Ph.D. in English and Comparative Literature
  • M.A. in English  with a Concentration in Literature, Medicine, and Culture

Department of English and Comparative Literature

Visit Program Website

Greenlaw Hall, CB# 3520

(919) 962-5481

Program Director

[email protected]

Marsha Collins

ECL Undergraduate Advisor

Hilary Lithgow

[email protected]

Director of Undergraduate Studies

Joseph Fletcher

[email protected]

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Undergraduate Programs Creative Writing Minor

Ug programs creative writing minor.

The creative writing minor allows students to develop the craft of poetry writing or short fiction writing, as well as to explore other and emerging areas of writing practice such as creative nonfiction, screenwriting, playwriting, hybrid genres, and electronic forms. The minor is excellent preparation for those who seek to pursue advanced degrees in writing, as well as for those who seek to pursue careers in writing and the creative industries.

Course Requirements

2 Lower Division Courses, 10 units:

  • English 4W (Critical Reading and Writing) or 4HW (Critical Reading and Writing (Honors)) or 4WX (Critical Reading and Writing (Community-Engaged Learning).
  • English 10C (Literatures in English: 1850-Present), OR English 11, OR English 20 or 20W (Introduction to Creative Writing).

Five or Six Upper Division Courses, 24-25 units:

  • One core genre (poetry or short fiction) course (English 136A: Intermediate Creative Writing: Poetry, or 136B Advanced Creative Writing: Poetry, or 137A, Intermediate Creative Writing: Short Story, or 137B, Advanced Creative Writing: Short Story).
  • One advanced core genre course (or additional advanced core genre course) in the same genre as the first core genre course (old course English 136 or English 136B; old course English 137 or English 137B).
  • One additional creative writing course (136, 136 A or B, 137, 137 A or B), or English/English Composition M138 (Topics in Creative Writing).
  • One or Two elective courses (depending on unit count) from English 136 A or B, 137 A or B, M138, or from an approved list of courses in English and other departments across campus. Approved courses are other creative writing courses and courses that focus on 20th and/or 21st century literature.
  • One capstone course or internship course culminating in a project with a creative writing focus (English 184 (any course 184 that allows a creative project), English 195CE, English 198B or English 199).

NOTE: Students who have received credit for old course 136 or new course 136B are ineligible to receive credit for course 136A; students who have received credit for old course 137 or new course 137B are ineligible to receive credit for course 137A.

Alternative courses for any of the above categories may be considered for credit by petition.

Transfer students may petition for credit for courses completed at other prior college-level institutions.

Grade requirements:

Students enrolled in the Minor must remain in good academic standing (overall grade-point average of C or better). All courses in the Minor must be taken for a letter grade, except those electives offered exclusively with P/NP grading.

Students seeking to declare the Minor in Creative Writing must: (1) be in good academic standing (overall grade-point average of C or better); (2) have completed the lower division requirements; (3) have completed at least one course 136 or 137; and (4) provide a PDF copy of their UCLA Degree Audit Report, a brief letter of application, and a writing sample (at least 10 pages of prose or 7-10 poems).

Download your degree checksheet !

SPRING 2024 APPLICATION PROCEDURES

*PLEASE READ CAREFULLY*

Students who will graduate by Spring or Summer 2024 and who have completed or are completing  at least TWO upper division core genre courses in the same genre  (one of which must be either old course 136 or 137 OR new course 136B or 137B) are invited to apply for the Minor this quarter.

To apply, e-mail the following as PDF attachments to  [email protected] :

  • a brief letter of application, stating what you have taken so far to satisfy Minor requirements, and how/when you intend to complete the requirements.
  • a writing sample (at least 10 pages of prose or 7-10 poems).
  • a copy of your Degree Audit Report with the Creative Writing Minor modeled .

DEADLINE: MAY 10, 2024

Creative Writing

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Cyn Kitchen

Chair & Associate Professor of English

2 East South Street

Galesburg, IL 61401

309-341-7269

ckitchen@​knox.edu

Ford Center for the Fine Arts

Major, Minor

How we work

1. We treat writing as an exercise in living . Our writers spend plenty of time writing and building their writing practice, honed in the workshop—but they also run reading series, work as reporters for the  student newspaper or DJs at the campus radio station , study other languages and cultures, start service projects , hold  internships , give whole days over to reading, play music, build sets and sculptures and computer code. 

2. We publish print and online journals.  And we sometimes even use our own printing press .  Catch , the oldest continuously published student literary journal in the country and won the 2014 National Program Directors' Prize from the Association of Writers and Writing Programs . All our journals—including Cellar Door , Quiver , and Common Room —are student designed and edited.

3. Our students and faculty regularly win major awards and other kudos . One example is the Nick Adams Short Story Contest , which our students have won more than students from any other competing college. Professor Chad Simpson won the University of Iowa’s John Simmons Short fiction award for his story collection. Professor Gina Franco was awarded the 2019 Canto Mundo Prize for poetry. 

4.  Our Grads Find Success.  Our alumni regularly go on to the nation’s top MFA and Ph.D. programs, edit national journals and run literary presses, publish books, work in journalism, advertising, law, education—any field that demands clear, forceful expression and creative thinking (which is nearly every field). Ander Monson ’97 is an award-winning author of eight books, and founder and editor of  DIAGRAM  (one of the first online literary journals). Will Boast ’02 won the Rome Prize from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and his book,  Power Ballads , won the 2011 Iowa Short Fiction Award. Boast was also a Stegner Fellow at Stanford Alex Keefe ’06 is the engagement editor of WBEZ-FM in Chicago and received a National Headliner Award and Edward R. Murrow Award. While pursuing an MFA, Noah Baldino ‘15 was chosen for a residency at the University of Arizona’s Poetry Center, and was recently named a 2019-20 Stadler Fellow at the Stadler Center for Poetry and Literary Arts. Monica Prince ‘12, a choreopoet, is an assistant professor of activist and performance writing at Susquehanna University.

5. We're good at being humble.  However, we will go ahead and admit that we’re one of the most active, accomplished, and engaging undergraduate writing programs in the country. (Coincidentally, Poets and Writers magazine agrees).

Estimated Salary of Alumni with Creative Writing Degrees

Christa Vander Wyst reads at a 2021 Milk Route broadcast.

Knox Stories

Milk Route Reading Series 2021

The longtime student reading series is being conducted virtually this year but still draws eager audiences.

Supporting Our Work

The strength of the creative writing program at Knox begins with our faculty —gifted authors, poets, and scholars. These professors love to share their knowledge and bring out the best in each of our students, whether it's in the classroom, during writing workshops, or chatting over a cup of coffee.

They also work closely with students through Caxton Club —a student-run literary organization—to bring high-profile poets, novelists, and essayists to campus for readings and discussions. A few to visit Knox recently include:

  • JoAnna Novak , 2020 Ronald Sukenick Innovative Fiction Contest winner, poet and author of,  New Life ,  Noirmania and Abeyance , North America .
  • Caitlin Horrocks , award winning author, author of the story collections  Life Among the Terranauts  and  This Is Not Your City ,  New York Times Book Review Editor’s Choice selections.
  • Bruce Fulton , the Young-Bin Min Chair in Korean Literature and Literary Translation, translator, editor, and co-author of  What Is Korean Literature?
  • Rachel Swearingen , 2018 New American Press Fiction Prize winner.
  • Laura Donnelly , the 2020 Richard Snyder Prize winner, author of Midwest Gothic.
  • Josh Tvrdy ’17, 2021 Pushcart Prize winner, poet and teacher.

Our students also delve into the works of noted authors, poets, and scholars in Seymour Library's special collections, which include such notable holdings as the Hughes Collection of Ernest Hemingway and the Lost Generation—first editions, letters and rare periodical publications of Hemingway, Cummings, Passos, Eliot, Faulkner, Fitzgerald, Joyce, Pound and Stein. Digital and analog collections of video and audio recordings of collections on American and international writers, Shakespeare's plays, and feature films are all available as well.

Works of Galesburg native Carl Sandburg and Edgar Lee Masters, a Knox alumnus, are also among the extensive holdings of Seymour Library—which houses more than 300,000 volumes and 700 periodicals.

Recognition

We have a policy of recognizing outstanding student work. Each year, the following prizes are awarded by outside judges:

  • The Nina Marie Edwards Memorial Fund: provides assistance to juniors and seniors carrying out independent or Honors projects in English and Creative Writing
  • The Davenport Awards in Poetry, Playwriting, and Fiction: for outstanding original work
  • The Procter Fenn Sherwin Prize in Fiction: awarded to a senior who submits the best original short story
  • The Bev White Prize in Fiction: given to a beginning writer for the most outstanding piece of creative writing
  • Audrey Collet-Conard Prize in Poetry

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Josh Tvrdy '17 is an award-winning poet.

In addition to receiving a Pushcart Prize, Josh recently completed an MFA in Poetry. 

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Majored in Creative Writing; Minored in Religious Studies

National and international

awards won by Catch

Learn more about our student-produced literary journal

49 moments of beauty (and sweat) in 62 seconds.

49 Moments of Beauty (and Sweat) in 62 Seconds

Knox College

https://www.knox.edu/academics/majors-and-minors/creative-writing

Printed on Thursday, September 26, 2024

colleges with creative writing minors

Ian Terpin | University Communications

Creative Writing Minor

colleges with creative writing minors

Linda A. Cicero | Stanford News Service

The Creative Writing minor offers a structured environment to explore your writing interests, develop your skills, and receive an introduction to literary forms.

Degree Requirements

For a full breakdown of the minor's requirements, visit the Stanford Bulletin

To graduate with a minor in Creative Writing, students must complete the following requirements:

  • Choose a subplan: prose, poetry, or fiction into film
  • Complete at least 26 units of approved courses in desired subplan
  • Take all courses for letter grades only
  • Take all courses for 5 units only, with the exception of ENGLISH160 - Poetry and Poetics, the short story literature course, and the English literature elective

English Literature Elective

To satisfy this requirement:

  • Lecture (LEC) or seminar (SEM) course only; workshop (WKS) courses do not satisfy this requirement
  • If the course is an ENGLISH course that is 3-5 units and LEC/SEM, then it will satisfy this requirement
  • If the course is  not  an ENGLISH course but is 3-5 units and LEC/SEM, then request a course substitution

Prerequisites

If courses on the approved course list have prerequisites, then those prerequisites may fulfill other requirements for the Creative Writing minor. For example, ENGLISH190 has a prerequisite of an introductory prose course; this prerequisite satisfies the introductory prose requirement. If a student waives the prerequisite, they may enroll into the desired course but they will not be exempt from the requirement that prerequisite would have fulfilled. The student must complete that requirement at a later time.

Course Substitutions

Subject to approval, students who take a class outside the approved course list may request a course substitution to count that course towards the Creative Writing minor. Students should not take for granted that any particular course will be accepted. Maximum limit of two approved course substitutions allowed. Request a course substitution

If accepted to the Levinthal Tutorial Program, the Levinthal Tutorial courses will count towards the intermediate/advanced workshop requirements (e.g., ENGLISH190L - Levinthal Tutorial in Fiction is considered an intermediate/advanced prose course).

Subject to approval, a five-unit independent study (ENGLISH198 - Individual Work) in prose or poetry writing may count towards the intermediate/advanced workshop requirement in the appropriate subplan.

  • Complete 1 course in either the ENGLISH 90 or ENGLISH 91 series
  • Complete 1 course in the ENGLISH 92 series
  • List of approved courses
  • Complete 2 intermediate/advanced prose courses
  • 2 courses from ENGLISH 190 series (e.g., 190 and 190V)
  • 2 courses from ENGLISH 191 series
  • 1 course from 190 series and 1 course from 191 series
  • 1 course from 190/191 series and ENGLISH 290
  • 1 course from 190/191 series and ENGLISH 291
  • ENGLISH 290 and ENGLISH 291
  • Complete 1 elective course in English literature

Total Units: 26-30

  • Complete 1 course in either the ENGLISH 90 or ENGLISH 91 series 
  • ENGLISH 160: Poetry and Poetics, 3-5 units
  • Complete 2 intermediate/advanced poetry courses
  • 2 courses from ENGLISH 192 series (e.g., 192 and 192V)
  • 1 course from 192 series and ENGLISH 292

Fiction into Film

  • ENGLISH 90: Fiction Writing, 5 units
  • ENGLISH 190F: Fiction into Film, 5 units
  • ENGLISH 190SW: Screenwriting Intensive, 5 units
  • Complete 1 course from the ENGLISH 190 series or complete ENGLISH 290

How to Declare

Declare the Creative Writing minor no later than the deadline for your application to graduate. To declare, visit the Student page in Axess .

Substitutions may be necessary to successfully meet the minor's requirements. To request a substitution for a Creative Writing course, fill out the Course Substitution Form below. The program will notify you once your request is reviewed.

Remember, students may not double-count courses for their major and/or minor requirements.

For general information about undergraduate minors, visit the Registrar's website

Course Substitution Form

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Major & Minors

The Creative Writing Program in Penn’s School of Arts and Sciences offers three paths for students who wish to formalize their study of writing craft. Click the links at right for full details on all requirements.

Creative Writing Concentration

The Creative Writing Concentration for English majors (colloquially referred to as the “Creative Writing Major”) provides students with a solid grounding in literature as well as advanced study in creative writing. Concentrators are eligible to apply for Honors  in English. >>more details

Creative Writing Minor  

The Creative Writing Minor is available to any student in the four undergraduate schools at Penn (College, Wharton, Engineering, Nursing) and provides students with opportunities to pursue their own interests and develop expertise in a range of topics, methods, and approaches to the craft of poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and cross-genre writing.  >>more details

Journalistic Writing Minor  

The Journalistic Writing Minor is available to any student in the four undergraduate schools at Penn (College, Wharton, Engineering, Nursing) and provides opportunities for students to pursue their own interests and develop expertise in a range of topics, methods, and approaches to the craft, from magazine writing to political commentary and reporting, the art of editing, or arts and culture criticism.  >>more details

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DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH

  • Undergraduate
  • Creative Writing

Creative Writing Minors

The application for the sequence-based creative writing minor is currently closed. the application will reopen in spring of 2025 and will be available here..

The department offers two minors in Creative Writing: the Cross-genre Minor in Creative Writing and the Sequence-based Minor in Creative Writing. Both offer experience in reading literary texts and writing critical analysis. Students pursuing either minor will be permitted to pre-register for English department courses.

The cross-genre minor  is open to all and can be declared as soon as a single introductory course has been taken. Admission to the creative writing sequence-based minor  can be competitive .

If you want to pursue the cross-genre minor :

  • You can declare  the minor after you have one of our introductory courses (English 206, English 207, or English 208).
  • Fill out the form available here to declare the cross-genre minor.
  • Once you have completed this form, you should e-mail it to the current Director of Undergraduate Studies: Creative Writing. The DUS will then sign the form and submit it to the WCAS Office of Undergraduate Studies on your behalf.

Students must fulfill the following prerequisites before applying to the sequence-based minor :

  • Be a sophomore, junior, or senior . Freshmen are not eligible to apply. Seniors may apply, provided they plan to continue taking classes the following academic year. 
  • Take at least two 200-level genre-based creative writing courses. You must complete the 200-level course in your chosen genre (poetry, fiction, or creative non-fiction) before applying to the minor. You must also have either completed or be enrolled in another 200-level genre-based course (ENG 206, 207, or 208) by the time you apply. For example, a poetry student must have taken ENG 206 and have taken or be enrolled in either ENG 207 or ENG 208 at the time of application.
  • Prepare and submit a writing sample. You will need to submit a sample of your writing in your chosen genre with your creative writing application. Students often submit work from their 200-level creative writing classes, and are in fact encouraged to do so. This sample should be 7-15 pages for fiction or creative nonfiction, 4-5 poems for poetry.
  • Applications close on April 29th, 2024 at 11:59pm. See application site for specific instructions. Students applying in multiple genres must submit an application in each genre in which they're applying.

What is the difference between the two Creative Writing Minors?

The Sequence-based Minor provides an apprenticeship in one genre of writing, and admission is through the same application process as that for the Creative Writing Major. 

The Cross-genre Minor offers students the opportunity to explore all genres of creative writing (poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction) in advanced workshops. It is open to all interested students.

The Weinberg Dean's Office has created electronic major and minor declaration forms, available  here . Use this form to declare a Cross-genre Minor.

Requirements for the Sequence-based Minor in Creative Writing

7 courses, as follows.   No writing course may be audited or taken pass/fail.

Two Introductory Courses   [1]

  • ENG 206 - Reading & Writing Poetry
  • ENG 207 - Reading & Writing Fiction
  • ENG 208 - Reading & Writing Creative Nonfiction

Year-long Writing Sequence [2] One of the following three credit courses:

  • ENG 393 - Theory & Practice of Poetry 
  • ENG 394 - Theory & Practice of Fiction 
  • ENG 395 - Theory & Practice of Creative Nonfiction

Two 300-level literature classes   [3] These courses must be “pure literature”; that is, courses in which the bulk of the reading is literature and not criticism or theory. They must be selected from English Department offerings ONLY:  

  • One on material written prior to 1830 
  • One on material written after 1830

The application for the creative writing major is open and will close at midnight on April 29th. Click here to apply.

Notes: [1]   The School of Professional Studies   also offers courses under the listings English 206, 207, and 208. These courses do not count toward the Sequence-based Minor.

[2] First year students may not apply to the creative writing sequence, even if they complete both pre-requisite classes in the first year.

[3]   Students who have completed both parts of either British Literary Traditions (210-1   and   210-2) or American Literary Traditions (270-1   and   270-2) can use these two courses to count as ONE of these literature courses.

Requirements for the Cross-genre Minor in Creative Writing

Three Introductory Courses  [1]

Any Two Core Courses from the following list You may take any two of these courses, in any combination, including two in the same genre (ie, two ENG 306s offered during different quarters).

  • Poetry: ENG 306
  • Fiction: ENG 307
  • Creative Nonfiction: ENG 308
  • Mixed-genre: ENG 309

Two 300-level literature classes   [2] These courses must be “pure literature”; that is, courses in which the bulk of the reading is literature and not criticism or theory. They must be selected from English Department offerings ONLY: 

You may declare any time after you have completed the pre-requisites.

[1]   The School of Professional Studies  also offers courses under the listings English 206, 207, and 208. These courses do not count toward the Creative Writing Major.

[2] Students who have completed two parts of either British Literary Traditions (210-1 or 210-2) or American Literary Traditions (270-1 or 270-2) can use these two courses to count as ONE of these literature courses.

Department of English Language and Literature, The University of Chicago

Creative Writing

Wave

Two programs within the umbrella of the Department of English focus on particular aspects or genres of literary endeavor.

The purpose of the Creative Writing program is to give students a rigorous background in the fundamentals of creative work by providing them with the opportunity to study with established poets and prose writers. The program is committed to interdisciplinary work while also teaching the elements of creative writing that underlie all genres. Creative Writing sponsors events , workshops , and lectures and also schedules many undergraduate and graduate classes in writing. Visiting writers each quarter provide a dynamic component to the curriculum, with authors ranging from George Saunders to Susan Howe. English faculty member John Wilkinson is currently the Director of the Program in Creative Writing and the Program in Poetry & Poetics, and several English faculty members, including Rachel Cohen, Edgar Garcia, Srikanth Reddy, Jennifer Scappettone, and Vu Tran, regularly teach both creative and critical classes.

  • Creative Writing Website
  • Upcoming Creative Writing Events

Minor in English and Creative Writing

Undergraduate students who are not majoring in English may enter a minor program in English and Creative Writing. These students should declare their intention to enter the minor program by the end of Spring Quarter of their third year. Students choose courses in consultation with the Program Manager in Creative Writing and must submit a minor program consent form to their College Adviser in order to declare the minor. Students completing this minor must follow all relevant admission procedures described in the  Creative Writing  website. Courses in the minor may not be double counted with the student's major(s) or with other minors and may not be counted toward general education requirements. Courses in the minor must be taken for quality letter grades, and all of the requirements for the minor must be met by registering for courses bearing University of Chicago course numbers.

Requirements for the minor program:

  • 2 Creative Writing courses (at least one at the Special Topics or advanced level)
  • 3 Creative Writing or English electives
  • 1 portfolio/projects workshop (or advanced workshop depending on genre) to be taken in the Winter Quarter of the students' fourth year
  • A portfolio of the student's work to be submitted to the Director of Undergraduate Studies by the end of the fifth week in the quarter in which the student plans to graduate. The portfolio might consist of a selection of poems, one or two short stories or chapters from a novel, a substantial part or the whole of a play, two or three non-fiction pieces, and so forth.

There is no minor solely in English. The Minor in English and Creative Writing for Non-English Majors is the only minor available through the Department of English.

Poetry and Poetics

This program aims to coordinate the University's various curricular approaches to the creative and critical practice of poetics. The Program supports the History and Forms of Lyric series, an ongoing series of lectures by prominent scholars, and a graduate workshop that focuses on work in progressfrom students, faculty, and visitors. The discussions enabled by the Program are intended to help students at all levels to pursue work that crosses disciplines and discourses. The Program also supports collaboration among faculty members in the form, forexample, of team-taught courses, conferences, and lectures. The Program is overseen by an ad-hoc committee of faculty from various departments, including the Department of English.

The Program in Poetry and Poetics

Affiliated Departments

The University of Chicago in general, and the Department of English in particular, are known for the interdisciplinary and theoretically driven work of their faculty and students. Many English faculty members have joint appointment in other programs at the University, including Comparative Literature, Cinema and Media Studies, Art History, Theater and Performance Studies (TAPS), and the Divinity School, among others. Interdisciplinary work is encouraged in the Department of English--both graduate and undergraduate students take classes in a variety of University departments and programs. Students in these programs, in turn, enliven English classes with their perspectives. Listed below are links to some of the departments with which the Department of English works closely.

  • Cinema and Media Studies
  • Department of Art History
  • Department of Comparative Literature
  • Department of Philosophy
  • Divinity School
  • Theater and Performance Studies (TAPS)

Creative Writing Minor

What is a minor in creative writing.

Participate in a wide range of courses reflective of your creative interests. You'll learn about major writers, literary traditions, and contemporary innovations. Under the guidance of published writers, you'll also develop a portfolio of material showcasing your range and versatility as a creative writer.

colleges with creative writing minors

What You'll Study

Our minor will help you hone your writing skills by working creatively with language in a variety of genres. Our program focuses on a workshop approach, engaging students in the craft of creative writing. You will complete five creative writing courses and one literature course.

18 hrs Total Credit Hours

Related Links

If you have questions about pursuing a creative writing minor, please contact:

Dawn Knight  [email protected]

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About creative writing.

The English and Literary Studies program offers a concentration in Creative Writing for our majors and a Creative Writing minor for non-majors. Our program combines intensive instruction in creative writing with conventional coursework in literary studies. In doing so, it prepares students for a life of thoughtful, informed, independent-minded citizenship. It is our position that students who write fiction, poetry, and nonfiction at the same time they are studying published and historical works of literature are uniquely positioned to gain insight into the writing process, the complexities of the verbal imagination, textual analysis, and the malleability of culture. Creative Writing students leave college ready to take on most challenges, and, indeed, our graduates have been as likely to make their mark in civic institutions or the corporate world as to devote their lives to authorship.

In addition to a complement of literature courses, students in Ramapo’s Creative Writing program enroll in workshops in which they produce original literary works, critique those of classmates, and learn how a variety of literary and nonliterary texts are constructed. While on this journey through the creative process, they have opportunities to meet and learn from nationally regarded authors who visit through the Readings at Ramapo Series. They meet fellow creative writers and interact through clubs and formal societies and organizations like Sigma Tau Delta and COPLAC, and they have opportunities to work on the college’s literary magazine Trillium, or, if they wish, to go off and make their own. They enjoy internships with New York publishers and literary organizations like Wiley and Sons or The Center for Fiction, use their coursework as preparation for graduate study or a career in editing and publishing or teaching, or simply take their knowledge, skills, and well-founded confidence into the world when they are ready to find it has been waiting for them.

Classes you can take:

See Full Program Requirements

English and Literary Studies majors are ready to embark on any number of exciting careers. English and Literary Studies graduates excel in government, business, law, and even science—wherever articulate and creative expression is valued. And of course, the study of literature is excellent preparation for elementary or secondary teaching.

Ramapo’s English and Literary Studies majors make valuable connections in the community and professional world through coursework, internships, co-ops, and service learning. They thrive in the worlds of publishing, writing, law, journalism, diplomacy, public relations, higher education, and library sciences.

Sample Job Titles and National Salary Ranges

Job TitleSalary Range
Technical Writers$48,130 - $125,790
Writers and Authors$39,340 - $157,380
Editors$38,100 - $116,140

* Sources of Information: United States Department of Labor: Bureau of Labor Statistics (2020). For more information about careers and assistance in making your career plans, please contact Career Services ( [email protected] ) or visit www.ramapo.edu/careercenter/ .

colleges with creative writing minors

Courtney Brach '12

Communications, Writing

The Creative Writing Concentration/Minor provides students the opportunity to explore the discipline of Literature by focusing on the production of literary works with courses in poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction.  By creating literature, students are asked to embody and express the formal, aesthetic and thematic concerns that we share with the scholarly aspects of literary study. Additionally, the Creative Writing minor fosters the knowledge and talents of students who have demonstrated promise as writers and allows others to find talents they did not know they had.

Creative Writing Minor

Besides pursuing a English and Literary Studies major, students may choose to minor or concentrate in Creative Writing.

Related Programs

English and literary studies, bachelor of arts.

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Our MFA database includes essential information about low- and full-residency graduate creative writing programs in the United States and other English-speaking countries to help you decide where to apply.

Adelphi University

Poetry: Jan-Henry Gray, Maya Marshall Prose: Katherine Hill, René Steinke, Igor Webb

Albertus Magnus College

Poetry: Paul Robichaud Fiction: Sarah Harris Wallman Nonfiction: Eric Schoeck

Alma College

Poetry: Leslie Contreras Schwartz, Jim Daniels, Benjamin Garcia Fiction: Karen E. Bender, Shonda Buchanan, Dhonielle Clayton, S. Kirk Walsh Creative Nonfiction: Anna Clark, Matthew Gavin Frank, Donald Quist, Robert Vivian

American University

Poetry: Kyle Dargan, David Keplinger Fiction: Dolen Perkins-Valdez, Stephanie Grant, Patricia Park Nonfiction: Rachel Louise Snyder

Antioch University

Poetry: Cathy Linh Che Prose: Lisa Locascio Nighthawk

Arcadia University

Poetry: Genevieve Betts, Michelle Reale Fiction: Stephanie Feldman, Joshua Isard, Tracey Levine, Eric Smith Literature: Matthew Heitzman, Christopher Varlack, Elizabeth Vogel, Jo Ann Weiner

Poetry: Genevieve Betts, Michelle Reale Fiction: Stephanie Feldman, Joshua Isard, Tracey Levine, Eric Smith

Arizona State University

Poetry: Sally Ball, Natalie Diaz, Alberto Álvaro Ríos, Safiya Sinclair Fiction: Matt Bell, Jenny Irish, Tara Ison, Mitchell Jackson, T. M. McNally Creative Nonfiction: Sarah Viren

Ashland University

Poetry: Dexter Booth, Marcelo Hernandez Castillo, Adam Gellings, Tess Taylor, Vanessa Angélica Villareal Fiction: Kirstin Chen, Edan Lepucki, Sarah Monette, Nayomi Munaweera, Vi Khi Nao, Naomi J. Williams, Kyle Winkler Nonfiction: Cass Donish, Kate Hopper, Lauren Markham, Thomas Mira y Lopez, Lisa Nikolidakis, Terese Mailhot

Augsburg University

Poetry: Michael Kleber-Diggs Fiction: Stephan Eirik Clark, Lindsay Starck Nonfiction: Anika Fajardo  Playwriting: Carson Kreitzer, TyLie Shider, Sarah Myers Screenwriting: Stephan Eirik Clark, Andy Froemke

Ball State University

Poetry: Katy Didden, Mark Neely Fiction: Cathy Day, Sean Lovelace Nonfiction: Jill Christman, Silas Hansen Screenwriting: Rani Deighe Crowe, Matt Mullins

Bard College

Jess Arndt, Shiv Kotecha, Mirene Arsanios, Hannah Black, Trisha Low, Christoper Perez, Julian Talamantez Brolaski, Simone White

Bath Spa University

Poetry: Lucy English, Tim Liardet, John Strachan, Samantha Walton, Gerard Woodward Fiction: Gavin James Bower, Celia Brayfield, Alexia Casale, Anne-Marie Crowhurst, Lucy English, Nathan Filer, Aminatta Forna, Samantha Harvey, Philip Hensher, Steve Hollyman, Emma Hooper, Claire Kendal, Natasha Pulley, Kate Pullinger, C.J. Skuse, Gerard Woodward Nonfiction: Celia Brayfield, Lily Dunn, Richard Kerridge Scriptwriting: Robin Mukherjee

Poetry: Lucy English, Tim Liardet, Gerard Woodward Fiction: Gavin James Bower, Celia Brayfield, Anne-Marie Crowhurst, Nathan Filer, Aminatta Forna, Samantha Harvey, Philip Hensher, Claire Kendal, Natasha Pulley, Kate Pullinger, Gerard Woodward Nonfiction: Lily Dunn, Richard Kerridge

Bay Path University

Mel Allen, Leanna James Blackwell, Jennifer Baker, Melanie Brooks, María Luisa Arroyo Cruzado, Shahnaz Habib, Susan Ito, Karol Jackowski, Yi Shun Lai, Anna Mantzaris, Meredith O’Brien, Mick Powell, Suzanne Strempek Shea, Tommy Shea, Kate Whouley

Bennington Writing Seminars at Bennington College

Poetry: Jennifer Chang, Michael Dumanis, Randall Mann, Craig Morgan Teicher, Mark Wunderlich Fiction: Peter Cameron, Jai Chakrabarti, Stacey D’Erasmo, Monica Ferrell, Rebecca Makkai, Stuart Nadler, Téa Obreht, Moriel Rothman-Zecher, Katy Simpson Smith, Taymour Soomro Nonfiction: Garrard Conley, Sabrina Orah Mark, Spencer Reece, Lance Richardson, Shawna Kay Rodenberg, Hugh Ryan, Greg Wrenn

Binghamton University

Poetry: Tina Chang, Joseph Weil Fiction: Amir Ahmdi Arian, Thomas Glave, Leslie L. Heywood, Claire Luchette, Liz Rosenberg, Jaimee Wriston-Colbert, Alexi Zentner Nonfiction: Amir Ahmdi Arian, Leslie L. Heywood

Bluegrass Writers Studio at Eastern Kentucky University

Poetry: Julie Hensley, Young Smith Fiction: Julie Hensley, Robert Dean Johnson Nonfiction: Robert Dean Johnson, Evan J. Massey Playwriting: Young Smith

Boise State University

Poetry: Martin Corless-Smith, Sara Nicholson, Taryn Schwilling Fiction: Mitch Wieland (Director), Anna Caritj Creative Nonfiction: Chris Violet Eaton, Clyde Moneyhun

Boston University

Poetry: Andrea Cohen, Karl Kirchwey, Robert Pinsky Fiction: Leslie Epstein, Jennifer Haigh, Ha Jin

Boston University—MFA in Literary Translation

Odile Cazenave, Yuri Corrigan, Margaret Litvin, Christopher Maurer, Roberta Micaleff, Robert Pinsky (advising), Stephen Scully, Sassan Tabatabai, J. Keith Vincent, William Waters, Dennis Wuerthner, Cathy Yeh, Anna Zielinska-Elliott

Bowling Green State University

Poetry: Abigail Cloud, Amorak Huey, Sharona Muir, F. Dan Rzicznek, Larissa Szporluk, Jessica Zinz-Cheresnick Fiction: Joe Celizic, Lawrence Coates, Reema Rajbanshi, Michael Schulz

Brigham Young University

Poetry: Kimberly Johnson, Lance Larsen, Michael Lavers, John Talbot Fiction: Chris Crowe, Ann Dee Ellis, Spencer Hyde, Stephen Tuttle Nonfiction: Joey Franklin, Patrick Madden

Brooklyn College

Poetry: Julie Agoos, Ben Lerner Fiction: Joshua Henkin, Madeleine Thien Playwriting: Dennis A. Allen II, Elana Greenfield

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Creative Writing Minor

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Our creative writers are doers. They're makers. They imagine, create, and publish everything from poetry to flash fiction, short fiction to novels, film to drama.  Creative Writing minors can also work with FLARE , the student-run literary magazine. You'll do everything from read submissions to host the issue launch reading. You can also uncover editing and writing opportunities through internships in the community.

Flagler College is where your creative history begins. 

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Program Requirements

You'll take classes in poetry and short fiction, of course, but you'll also have opportunities to study screenwriting, young adult novels, and creative nonfiction. Since good writers are always good readers, you'll also take literature courses to learn from the best of the best. Many Flagler students choose a major in English plus a minor in creative writing.

Every student at Flagler College also gets a broad-based education with Core , our groundbreaking general education program. At Flagler, we're dedicated to educating the whole person. We foster intellectual, social, and personal transformation in our students.

Find a list of all your courses and four-year plan below. 

Minor Coursework      Four-Year Plan

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High-impact programs, taught by world-class faculty. A tight-knit, inclusive academic community where all people and ideas are welcome. All in a historically rich, uniquely beautiful Atlantic coast setting. 

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An exceptional, affordable education

Tuition at Flagler College is below the national average. You’ll receive an exceptional private education at an affordable cost. 

Explore options for available financial aid and scholarships to the right. 

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Creative Writing

Hone your craft with the pros, start a lifelong apprenticeship in the literary arts.

The creative writing program that nurtured Dennis Lehane ’88, best-selling author and HBO writer/producer, is now accepting applications to earn B.A. and BFA degrees. But you don’t have to be gunning for a Hollywood contract to enroll. Our liberal arts graduates also go on to MFA programs and careers in journalism, media, PR, editing and publishing, counseling and software design.

Only@Eckerd

Writers in paradise.

Spend 8 days in workshops with writers like Andre Dubus III, Anne Hood, Laura Lippman, Lori Roy, Stewart O’Nan, David Yoo and Laura Williams McCaffrey. This writer’s conference is held on our Florida campus every January.

Facetime with famous authors

You’ll also have the chance to meet and talk with other celebrated writers including Stephen King, Carl Hiaasen, Julianna Baggott and Mark Bowden. These and other literary lights give talks here throughout the year.

Get help paying for college

Need help with finances? In addition to the academic scholarships we hand out upon application, you can apply for the Artistic Achievement Award .

In Their Own Words

Without my mentors through the creative writing department, I wouldn’t be in graduate school studying for my MFA with the opportunities ahead of me to teach and write. With their support, I was able to study travel writing in Paris and London, which was instrumental in my growth as a writer and a person. The creative writing department at Eckerd College is a hidden gem—once you find it, you must hold onto it! —Olivia Jacobson ’22

Beyond the Classroom

  • INTERNSHIPS
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  • LOCAL HOT SPOTS

Creative Writing majors have interned on campus with our student newspaper, The Current , and our literary magazine, Eckerd Review . Another recent student was an editing intern at I Love the Burg , a creative agency in downtown St. Petersburg.

Pay it forward by tutoring with Journeys in Journalism . This community program teaches local elementary, middle and high school students how to be reporters, photographers, editors and page designers for their school newspapers.

Spend a term living at our London Study Centre and studying the literature of Great Britain. Includes a week of travel and tickets to epic museums and theatre productions. Or choose from one of 300+ other destinations we offer every year.

Eckerd is just a stone’s throw from some of America’s hottest literary landmarks and events. Check it out:

  • The Earnest Hemingway Home
  • The Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings historic site
  • Miami Book Fair (November)
  • Zora Neale Hurston Festival (January)

Popular classes

Craft of writing.

This course reviews poetic and narrative language and introduces the concept of literary texture. Present what you write in class at public readings held on campus once a semester.

Writing Workshop: The Personal Essay

Learn about literary essays by reading masters like Harry Crews, Eudora Welty and Joan Didion. This class explores how to use imagination to shape format, technique and your own personal style.

What can I do with a Creative Writing degree?

  • Business Manager
  • Educational Assessor
  • Media and Newspaper Reporter
  • Software Designer of Interactive Fiction
  • Technical Writer

Where our Creative Writing majors go to graduate school

  • Chapman University
  • Emerson College
  • Florida International University
  • George Mason University
  • Hollins College
  • Indiana University
  • Stanford University
  • The Johns Hopkins University
  • The University of Miami
  • The University of North Carolina at Greensboro
  • University of Alabama
  • University of Iowa Writers Workshop

Where our Creative Writing majors go to work

  • Bluewater Books & Charts
  • Dupont Registry
  • Novelist & Poet
  • St. Petersburg College
  • Time Magazine

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Department of English & Creative Writing

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Types of English Minors

We offer four minors, as well as a secondary education sequence:

Minor in Technical and Professional Writing (18 hours)

Open to all majors at SFA, the technical and professional writing minor is designed to prepare students with the skills to pursue a career as a technical or professional writier. For students with major concentrations in technical fields, this minor complements your technical training with the in-demand writing skills for those professions. Learn more about the minor in technical and professional writing .

Minor in English (21 hours)

Open to all majors at SFA, the English minor focuses on American, British, and World literature, methods of literary analysis, linguistics, and writing about literary texts. This minor allows students to delve into classic and contemporary literature from all over the world and deepens their understanding of the historical and contemporary relationship of literature and culture.

Minor in Creative Writing (18 hours)

Open to all majors at SFA, the minor in creative writing is designed to develop your skills in the creation of original fiction, poetry and/or creative nonfiction. You’ll hone your writing skills, improve your craft and create original works of poetry, fiction and nonfiction in your courses that can build your portfolio. With the consent of the coordinator of the creative writing program, students can also take playwriting to fulfill credits for the creative writing minor

Minor in Literature (21 hours)

The minor in literature was created to complement SFA’s Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and is mandatory for all BFA students. The continued practice of reading widely is essential to developing and honing your own writing abilities.

The literature minor focuses on historical literature from around the world, linguistics, language and more. You’ll take deep dives into classic and contemporary literature from all over the world, gaining a greater appreciation and understanding of the writer’s craft along the way.

Secondary Education Sequence

English BA majors who are in the English Language Arts Teaching track are required to take an education course sequence in the College of Education that prepares them for state certification. This course sequence is, essentially, a minor in secondary education. Together, this combination of English BA and secondary education minor provides future middle and high school educators with the comprehensive curriculum and hands-on training needed to succeed in the English classroom. With this degree program, you’ll be eligible to seek certification with the Texas Education Agency to teach middle school and high school English. 

A teaching career with lifelong impact 

With a secondary education teaching certificate in English, you can share your passion for language and literature, and have a lifelong impact on young students’ lives. As an English teacher, you’ll foster their love of reading and writing while you prepare them to be successful communicators.

The gateway to literacy for secondary students 

Literacy is a fundamental skill for every student and an important component of a quality education. The ability to read and write clearly is essential to personal achievement and business success. English teachers have a critical role in giving students the skills to communicate meaningfully through the written word.

In addition, this program includes professional education coursework, such as pedagogy and designing curriculum, which together with the content of the English BA program, prepares you for the certification exam offered by the Texas Education Agency.

For more information on becoming eligible to seek certification, visit the Secondary Education web page .

Our minors can complement a wide variety of majors and help you succeed in many career fields, including corporate communications, documentation and training, online and social media design, advertising, law, systems research and development, higher education, and the teaching of English in secondary and middle school.

Department of English and Creative Writing 936.468.2101 Dr. Liz Tasker Davis, Chair [email protected]

Dugas Liberal Arts North Room 203

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 13007, SFA Station Nacogdoches, Texas 75962

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COMMENTS

  1. List of All U.S. Colleges with a Creative Writing Major

    Interested in creative writing? Here are some colleges to consider, plus tips on what to look for in a school as a creative writing major.

  2. 2025 Best Colleges with Creative Writing Degrees in America

    Ranking of the best colleges for creative writing majors. Compare the top creative writing schools in the U.S.

  3. 35 Best Colleges for Creative Writing

    Best Colleges for Creative Writing - we reveal the 35 best colleges for creative writing majors in the United States.

  4. 2024 Colleges With Great Writing Programs

    These colleges typically make the writing process a priority at all levels of instruction and across the curriculum.

  5. The 12 Best Creative Writing Colleges and Programs

    Looking for the best creative writing colleges in the country? Check out our top 12 list of creative writing majors and programs.

  6. Creative Writing Minor

    Creative Writing Minor. The undergraduate creative writing program at UNC-Chapel Hill is — and has long been — one of the best in the country. Its first-rate faculty and students have published widely, won many prizes, and played a major role in shaping the contemporary literature of North Carolina, the South, and the nation.

  7. Undergraduate Programs Creative Writing Minor

    Undergraduate Programs Creative Writing Minor The creative writing minor allows students to develop the craft of poetry writing or short fiction writing, as well as to explore other and emerging areas of writing practice such as creative nonfiction, screenwriting, playwriting, hybrid genres, and electronic forms. The minor is excellent preparation for those who seek to pursue advanced degrees ...

  8. Creative Writing

    The strength of the creative writing program at Knox begins with our faculty —gifted authors, poets, and scholars. These professors love to share their knowledge and bring out the best in each of our students, whether it's in the classroom, during writing workshops, or chatting over a cup of coffee. They also work closely with students ...

  9. Creative Writing Minor

    The Creative Writing minor offers a structured environment to explore your writing interests, develop your skills, and receive an introduction to literary forms.

  10. Creative Writing Minor

    The Creative Writing Minor is a flexible six-credit program available to undergraduate students in the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Engineering, Wharton, and the School of Nursing. The minor provides opportunities for students to pursue their own interests and develop expertise in a range of topics, methods, and approaches to the ...

  11. Major & Minors

    The Creative Writing Minor is available to any student in the four undergraduate schools at Penn (College, Wharton, Engineering, Nursing) and provides students with opportunities to pursue their own interests and develop expertise in a range of topics, methods, and approaches to the craft of poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and cross-genre ...

  12. Minor in Creative Writing

    Creative writing minors complete an introductory literature course and six upper-level writing electives, with topics in fiction, poetry and dramatic writing.

  13. Creative Writing Major and Minor

    Creative Writing Minor (20 Units Required) Interested students can also choose to minor in creative writing. A minor in creative writing offers students experience in the craft and analysis of writing, providing a strong foundation for professional and artistic lives in the literary arts.

  14. Creative Writing Minors

    The department offers two minors in Creative Writing: the Cross-genre Minor in Creative Writing and the Sequence-based Minor in Creative Writing. Both offer experience in reading literary texts and writing critical analysis. Students pursuing either minor will be permitted to pre-register for English department courses.

  15. Creative Writing, Minor

    The skills you will learn as a creative writing minor—how to read and think critically, how to write with precision and ingenuity, how to do research—will prepare you to be a creative writer, grants writer, content strategist, editor, copywriter, social media manager, and more.

  16. Creative Writing

    Courses in the minor must be taken for quality letter grades, and all of the requirements for the minor must be met by registering for courses bearing University of Chicago course numbers. Requirements for the minor program: 2 Creative Writing courses (at least one at the Special Topics or advanced level) 3 Creative Writing or English electives

  17. Creative Writing Minor

    A creative writing major prepares you for a career as a writer of poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction, or drama, and those who wish to enter the fields of editing of publishing. As a creative writing major, you will be able to take courses in: poetry, fiction, playwriting, writing for young people, and creative non-fiction.

  18. Creative Writing

    The Creative Writing Concentration/Minor provides students the opportunity to explore the discipline of Literature by focusing on the production of literary works with courses in poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction. By creating literature, students are asked to embody and express the formal, aesthetic and thematic concerns that we share ...

  19. MFA Programs Database: 255 Programs for Creative Writers

    Our list of 255 MFA programs for creative writers includes essential information about low-residency and full-residency graduate creative writing programs in the United States and other English-speaking countries to help you decide where to apply. It also includes MA programs and PhD programs.

  20. Creative Writing Minor

    Creative Writing Minor. Our creative writers are doers. They're makers. They imagine, create, and publish everything from poetry to flash fiction, short fiction to novels, film to drama. Creative Writing minors can also work with FLARE, the student-run literary magazine. You'll do everything from read submissions to host the issue launch reading.

  21. Creative Writing Degree

    Get a creative writing B.A. or B.F.a. degree at Eckerd College in Florida to study literature and learn the narrative, poetic, and dramatic craft.

  22. Creative Writing

    Creative Writing at the University of Montevallo. As an integrated part of the traditional English major or as a stand-alone concentration with any other field of study, UM's minor in Creative Writing offers students a sustained basis for cultivating their writing as an art form. Through a mix of workshops and seminars, students in the minor ...

  23. Minors

    Minor in Creative Writing (18 hours) Open to all majors at SFA, the minor in creative writing is designed to develop your skills in the creation of original fiction, poetry and/or creative nonfiction.

  24. Degree Options

    St. Petersburg College offers more than 200 associate degree, certificate and transfer programs, including 21 bachelor's degrees and many high-demand, high-skill industry-recognized workforce certifications.