masters creative writing ou

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• Credits measure the student workload required for the successful completion of a module or qualification.
• One credit represents about 10 hours of study over the duration of the course.
• You are awarded credits after you have successfully completed a module.
• For example, if you study a 60-credit module and successfully pass it, you will be awarded 60 credits.
• MA in Creative Writing

This qualification is an opportunity to develop your skills as a writer in fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction and scriptwriting for film, radio and the stage. You'll be able to write in a genre of your choice and experiment with at least one other through practical and inspiring activities. You’ll work towards producing a substantial piece of your own creative writing to a professional standard. You'll also hone your practice through sharing, reading and critiquing the writing of your peers in online forums. You’ll work towards producing a substantial piece of your own creative writing to a professional standard.

• Develop writing skills and awareness of approaches to writing
• Progress and hone sophisticated writing skills in at least one genre
• Gain a sound knowledge of, and ability in, a secondary genre
• Engage in sharing, critiquing and reviewing a variety of writing by your peers.

Study for free We’ve a limited number of scholarships available to UK students for the 2023/24 academic year. If you’re passionate about creative writing, you could be eligible for an Open Futures Scholarship. To apply, visit our Creative Writing Scholarship page. Applications close on 24 July 2023.

How to register

Select the module you will study first, read the full description, and follow the instructions to register.

To gain the 180 credits you require for this qualification, you must study the modules in the order shown below and pass part 1 before progressing to part 2:

Please note that MA Creative Writing part 2 (A803) is worth 120 credits. Module fees for postgraduate modules are based on the number of credits you study. Therefore the fee for this 120-credit postgraduate module will be double that for the 60-credit module MA Creative Writing part 1 (A802).

You should note that the University’s unique study rule applies to this qualification. This means that you must include at least 60 credits from OU modules that have not been counted in any other OU qualification that has previously been awarded to you.

Learning outcomes, teaching and assessment

The learning outcomes of this qualification are described in four areas:

• Knowledge and understanding
• Cognitive skills
• Practical and professional skills

If you’ve successfully completed some relevant postgraduate study elsewhere, you might be able to count it towards this qualification, reducing the number of modules you need to study. You should apply for credit transfer as soon as possible, before you register for your first module. For more details and an application form, visit our Credit Transfer  website.

On completion

On successful completion of the required modules you can be awarded the Master of Arts in Creative Writing, entitling you to use the letters MA (CW) (Open) after your name. You will have the opportunity of being presented at a degree ceremony. If you leave the programme before you qualify for a degree you can qualify for a  Postgraduate Certificate in Humanities (C20)  after successfully completing 60 credits.

Regulations

As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the qualification-specific regulations below and the academic regulations that are available on our Student Policies and Regulations  website. 

We regularly review our curriculum; therefore, the qualification described on this page – including its availability, its structure, and available modules – may change over time. If we make changes to this qualification, we’ll update this page as soon as possible. Once you’ve registered or are studying this qualification, where practicable, we’ll inform you in good time of any upcoming changes. If you’d like to know more about the circumstances in which the University might make changes to the curriculum, see our Academic Regulations or contact us . This description was last updated on 19 March 2024.

You must hold a UK honours degree (or equivalent), preferably with at least a 2:1 classification. Although your degree does not need to be in Creative Writing or a closely related subject, you will need some knowledge of the subject to successfully complete this qualification, as the MA in Creative Writing assumes all candidates have the knowledge and skills usually acquired by pursuing the subject at undergraduate level. Please note that this is not a qualification for those who are just starting to write creatively

If your degree is not in Creative Writing or a closely related subject, we strongly recommend that you read the preparatory work indicated on the MA Creative Writing part 1 . Alternatively, you could undertake our open-access creative writing courses on OpenLearn  and FutureLearn to ensure your skills (writing, reading, editorial, reflective, analytical) are at an appropriate standard. If you don’t have a Creative Writing degree, please also make sure that you provide evidence of your experience of writing when you apply – whether through short courses, workshops, or publications.

How long it takes

You will be able to complete this masters qualification within two years by studying one module each year. If you do not study the modules consecutively, you must complete them in a maximum of 10 years to qualify for the degree.

Career relevance

If you wish to pursue a freelance writing career this Masters degree will equip you with necessary writing and editorial skills, as well as equipping you with a raft of highly valued transferable communication and collaborative skills necessary to the modern writer’s usual portfolio of occupations.

If you are aiming for an academic career in higher education, this qualification will provide a route towards a higher level research or writing practice degree (e.g. PhD), which is essential for such a career. A Masters degree can help to enhance your career prospects as a teacher in secondary and higher education (HE); most HE creative writing teaching now demands an MA in the subject.

If your aim is to enter professions associated with the media, culture, creative or knowledge industries, or if you already have a career in one of these areas and are seeking a further qualification as a means of career development, then a Masters degree, supplemented by relevant skills and experience, can prove invaluable. This degree is pertinent to those careers that directly call upon knowledge of the craft of writing, editing and critiquing (for instance, journalism, publishing, copywriting). It may also be relevant for careers that demand skills in the creative use and analysis of texts of various sorts, critical thinking and organisation, and understanding of culture in a broad sense.

Careers and Employability Services have more information on how OU study can improve your employability.

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Professional Writing

What is Professional Writing?

The Professional Writing (PW) program at Gaylord College helps students develop the skills needed to succeed in the publishing industry. Those skills, which include the ability to communicate clearly, think logically, manage large-scale projects and craft a compelling narrative, are critical to virtually all careers. PW majors are in the business of writing; learning how to pitch a story, marketing themselves as an author and preparing for careers as freelance authors of books, short stories, magazine articles and screenplays, both fiction and nonfiction, in print and online. Who knows, you could be the next New York Times Best Seller or win an Academy Award for Best Screenplay! 

Gaylord Hall has more than 100,000 square-feet of high-tech classroom, presentation, studio and computer lab space. Gaylord Hall includes four computer classrooms, two complete digital broadcast studios, 14 video editing bays, classrooms and two state-of-the-art open multimedia labs available for all students. 

View Checksheet

Do my interests fit?

PW students typically have interests in:

• Writing/editing
• Fiction/nonfiction
• Grammar and style
• Creative expression
• Communication skills

High school preparation could include journalism, creative writing, broadcast production or yearbook. 

How can OU PW help me?

Thousands of books in all genres of fiction and nonfiction have been published by faculty and former students in the PW program including novelists Deborah Chester, J. Madison Davis, Jim Butcher, Louis L'Amour, Ross Thomas, Carolyn Hart and Tony Hillerman. Gaylord College has built an incredible alumni network that exists to help yOU! With graduates in PW all over the world, alumni look forward to meeting with, donating and awarding internships to Gaylord students. Advisors and faculty encourage and help supplement traditional classroom experience with on-the-job training. With opportunities like career fairs, networking events, premier student organizations, faculty guided trips and tours and study abroad opportunities, there’s no limit to the possibilities with a PW degree. 

How can I get involved?

There are numerous organizations PW students can be a part of. Check them out:

• Professional Writing Student Association
• The Oklahoma Daily
• Student Media/Yearbook
• National Association of Black Journalists
• Lindsey + Asp Agency
• Society of Professional Journalists
• Kappa Tau Alpha Society
• Student Film Production Club
• Creative Incubator
• SoonerVision HD

What courses will I take?

PW courses include:

• Introduction to Mass Communication
• Writing for Mass Media
• Introduction to Professional Writing
• Writing the Novel
• Writing the Short Story
• Category Fiction
• Theories of Professional Writing
• Business of Professional Writing - Capstone
• Mass Communication Law
• Gaylord Electives
• Minor Classes

Wait, I can have a minor?

Gaylord students have the opportunity to minor in a non-Gaylord program as part of their program degree sheet. Typically, PW students minor in:

• A foreign language ( Spanish (pdf) , French (pdf) , etc.)
• Film & Media Studies (pdf)
• Nonprofit Organizational Studies (pdf)
• Political Science (pdf)
• General Business (pdf)
• Enterprise Studies (pdf)
• Communication (pdf)
• Entrepreneurship (pdf)

Click here to view the full list of available minors please check out Minor Checksheets website. 

How can I study abroad?

PW students have the chance to study abroad with:

• British Media Study Abroad in the United Kingdom
• Communicating Culture: Travel writing in Puerto Rico 
• International Advertising to either Europe or Asia
• Summer Program in Communication at Erfurt (SPICE) in Germany
• Summer in Washington, D.C.  
• JMC: Professional Media Program in OU in Arezzo, Italy
• Students also have the opportunity for Club Trips in Austin, Dallas, New York City and San Francisco

For more information please visit Gaylord College Study Abroad website.

What kind of career could I pursue?

• Novel writing
• Publications specialist
• Law/government angencies
• Publishing houses
• Corporate and online publications
• Newspaper/magazines journalist

How much will I make?

Visit the  U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics website to explore the median pay for jobs you can pursue with this degree. 

Program Accreditation

The Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication is a founding member of the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. The college has had continuous accreditation since 1948. A professional writing student graduates with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism degree. Master of Professional Writing degrees are also available.

Chandler Lindsey – PW Academic Advisor Phone:  (405) 325-0918 Email:   [email protected] Website:  gaylord.ou.edu

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The Purpose of this Guide

This is a guide to resources available to the OU community and beyond for those who write fiction, poetry, personal narrative, and other forms categorized as Creative Writing. It points to interviews with writers, blogs and books on the creative process, organizations for writers, and helps you browse the shelves of OU's collection.

The guide was created and is maintained by Liorah Golomb , Humanities Librarian at the University of Oklahoma. I welcome your suggestions and comments! Happy writing!

  Pieter Claesz - Still Life with a Skull and a Writing Quill (1628).  Image from  ARTstor  database.

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MA in Creative Writing

Open university, different course options.

• Key information

Course Summary

Tuition fees, entry requirements, similar courses at different universities.

Distance without attendance

Key information DATA SOURCE : IDP Connect

Qualification type.

MA - Master of Arts

Subject areas

Creative Writing English Language

Course type

This qualification is an opportunity to develop your skills as a writer in fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction and scriptwriting for film, radio and the stage. You'll be able to write in a genre of your choice and experiment with at least one other through practical and inspiring activities. You’ll work towards producing a substantial piece of your own creative writing to a professional standard. You'll also hone your practice through sharing, reading and critiquing the writing of your peers in online forums. You’ll work towards producing a substantial piece of your own creative writing to a professional standard.

UK fees Course fees for UK students

For this course (per year)

International fees Course fees for EU and international students

You must hold a UK honours degree (or equivalent), preferably with at least a 2:1 classification. Although your degree does not need to be in Creative Writing or a closely related subject, you will need some knowledge of the subject to successfully complete this qualification, as the MA in Creative Writing assumes all candidates have the knowledge and skills usually acquired by pursuing the subject at undergraduate level.

MA Scriptwriting

Bournemouth university, ma creative writing and publishing, ma creative writing, manchester metropolitan university, mfa creative writing, phd in creative writing and english literature.

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• School of Arts & Humanities
• English and Creative Writing

The writing study and desk of Dylan Thomas, Laugharne, Wales

Since 2003 The Open University has recruited over 50,000 students to its undergraduate and postgraduate creative writing modules . These have proved enormously popular with students and have been acclaimed by publishers, leading authors, and teachers at other universities. Our modules are devised and run by a team of published writers – see our Meet the team page.  

Creative writing is taught by a vibrant and experienced group of over 150 practising writers employed by The Open University as associate lecturers. Many of these tutors teach at other universities. By pooling and exchanging resources and experience, they have built up a unique archive of practical strategies for the teaching of writing. Go to Our tutors to find out more.  

Our current activities

To find out more about our research and current activities, take a look at our English and creative writing blog which has articles and reviews about the field of English and creative writing. The creative writing team also runs a Contemporary Cultures of Writing research group .  

Study options available

We offer creative writing as part of several degree programmes, including BA (Honours) English Literature and Creative Writing and BA (Honours) Arts and Humanities with Creative Writing , or students can combine creative writing with a number of other subjects as part of a humanities degree. We also offer an MA in Creative Writing for more experienced writers and supervise a number of PhD students . If you want to know more see our Creative writing qualifications page. And see our How our courses fit together page if you would like to find out how we teach creative writing.  

Find out more

• Read more about studying with us
• To sample some of our study materials, see our tasters and exercises
• Listen to interviews with authors
• Via FutureLearn we offer a Start writing fiction MOOC (Mass Online Open Course) ­­­– this is free and will give you an introduction to creative writing study.

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Creative Writing Graduate Programs in California

1-20 of 20 results

Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

Los Angeles, CA •

University of Southern California •

Graduate School

University of Southern California ,

Graduate School ,

LOS ANGELES, CA ,

UC Irvine School of Humanities

Irvine, CA •

University of California - Irvine •

University of California - Irvine ,

IRVINE, CA ,

Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts

Loyola Marymount University •

Blue checkmark.

Loyola Marymount University ,

College of Law and Public Service - University of La Verne

University of La Verne •

Graduate School •

ONTARIO, CA

• • Rating 4.67 out of 5   6

College of Liberal and Creative Arts - San Francisco State University

San Francisco State University •

SAN FRANCISCO, CA

College of Science and Engineering - San Francisco State University

Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences

Orange, CA •

Chapman University •

Chapman University ,

ORANGE, CA ,

University of San Francisco College of Arts and Sciences

San Francisco, CA •

University of San Francisco •

University of San Francisco ,

SAN FRANCISCO, CA ,

College of Liberal Arts - California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA •

California State University - Long Beach •

California State University - Long Beach ,

LONG BEACH, CA ,

• Find college scholarships

College of Arts and Letters - San Diego State University

San Diego, CA •

San Diego State University •

• • Rating 5 out of 5   2 reviews

Master's Student: The SDSU program for Social Work is amazing!! You get to practice real scenarios and are prepared for when you have to apply tools when emplyed. Professors are amazing and help you throughout your journey! By far the best experience. ... Read 2 reviews

San Diego State University ,

SAN DIEGO, CA ,

2 Niche users give it an average review of 5 stars.

Featured Review: Master's Student says The SDSU program for Social Work is amazing!! You get to practice real scenarios and are prepared for when you have to apply tools when emplyed. Professors are amazing and help you throughout your... .

Read 2 reviews.

College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences

Riverside, CA •

University of California - Riverside •

• • Rating 4.25 out of 5   4 reviews

Master's Student: I hope to learn a lot from the Teacher Education Program at UCR! I love the opportunities that are offered to me and my peers. ... Read 4 reviews

University of California - Riverside ,

RIVERSIDE, CA ,

4 Niche users give it an average review of 4.3 stars.

Featured Review: Master's Student says I hope to learn a lot from the Teacher Education Program at UCR! I love the opportunities that are offered to me and my peers. .

Read 4 reviews.

Saint Mary's College of California

Moraga, CA •

• • Rating 4.26 out of 5   34 reviews

Alum: As a former student at Saint Mary's College, I can confidently say that the best part of my experience was my exceptional education. The dedicated and supportive teachers fostered a stimulating learning environment, encouraging us to think critically and strive for academic excellence. The picturesque campus provided a tranquil setting for studying and reflection. Most importantly, the coursework was thoughtfully designed, balancing theoretical knowledge and practical application. However, what truly made my time at Saint Mary's memorable was the strong sense of camaraderie among students, creating a supportive and inclusive community. Overall, the education I received at Saint Mary's College was unparalleled and prepared me for future success in my career. ... Read 34 reviews

MORAGA, CA ,

34 Niche users give it an average review of 4.3 stars.

Featured Review: Alum says As a former student at Saint Mary's College, I can confidently say that the best part of my experience was my exceptional education. The dedicated and supportive teachers fostered a stimulating... .

Read 34 reviews.

Mills College at Northeastern University Graduate Programs

Oakland, CA •

Mills College at Northeastern University •

Alum: I did a Post Baccalaureate in Pre-Medicine and the instructors and advisors were top-notch. I learned a lot and did very well. Highly recommend although they have been taken over by another school Northwestern they are still a great school and campus! ... Read 2 reviews

Mills College at Northeastern University ,

OAKLAND, CA ,

Featured Review: Alum says I did a Post Baccalaureate in Pre-Medicine and the instructors and advisors were top-notch. I learned a lot and did very well. Highly recommend although they have been taken over by another school... .

School of Critical Studies - California Institute of the Arts

Valencia, CA •

California Institute of the Arts •

California Institute of the Arts ,

VALENCIA, CA ,

Mount Saint Mary's University Los Angeles

• • Rating 4.54 out of 5   46 reviews

Master's Student: The professors are very professional and care about their students. The faculty and staff including the dean are very caring and interested in there there students. There business program is awesome! ... Read 46 reviews

46 Niche users give it an average review of 4.5 stars.

Featured Review: Master's Student says The professors are very professional and care about their students. The faculty and staff including the dean are very caring and interested in there there students. There business program is... .

Read 46 reviews.

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College of Letters and Sciences - National University

National University •

National University ,

College of Arts and Humanities - California State University - Fresno

Fresno, CA •

California State University - Fresno •

California State University - Fresno ,

FRESNO, CA ,

College of Humanities and the Arts - San Jose State University

San Jose, CA •

San Jose State University •

San Jose State University ,

SAN JOSE, CA ,

California State University - San Bernardino College of Arts and Letters

San Bernardino, CA •

California State University - San Bernardino •

Master's Student: This tight knit community is surrounded by students, faculty, and staff who encourage and uplift each other in order to reach personal and acadmic goals. It is just as connected inside the classroom as it is outside. There is not trouble reaching out to other for questions and concerns as it is always an open door. ... Read 2 reviews

California State University - San Bernardino ,

SAN BERNARDINO, CA ,

Featured Review: Master's Student says This tight knit community is surrounded by students, faculty, and staff who encourage and uplift each other in order to reach personal and acadmic goals. It is just as connected inside the classroom... .

Otis College of Art and Design

• • Rating 4.33 out of 5   3 reviews

Master's Student: It’s a great school, and I’m glad I was accepted based upon my art portfolio. This is my dream school to attend, and the courses are very well organized, and educational. This contribute s to my knowledge, and prepares me for a great career in my field. ... Read 3 reviews

3 Niche users give it an average review of 4.3 stars.

Featured Review: Master's Student says It’s a great school, and I’m glad I was accepted based upon my art portfolio. This is my dream school to attend, and the courses are very well organized, and educational. This contribute s to my... .

Read 3 reviews.

California College of the Arts

• • Rating 4.5 out of 5   4 reviews

Master's Student: The application process was very smooth. The admissions team gave me good advice about how to put together my portfolio. ... Read 4 reviews

4 Niche users give it an average review of 4.5 stars.

Featured Review: Master's Student says The application process was very smooth. The admissions team gave me good advice about how to put together my portfolio. .

Antioch University Los Angeles

Culver City, CA •

• • Rating 4.44 out of 5   18 reviews

Master's Student: I am a new student to Antioch University & so far my experience has been wonderful. They have provided multiple resources such as a writing workshop for the admissions letter. Additionally, the orientation was very informative & helpful for getting my courses selected. ... Read 18 reviews

CULVER CITY, CA ,

18 Niche users give it an average review of 4.4 stars.

Featured Review: Master's Student says I am a new student to Antioch University & so far my experience has been wonderful. They have provided multiple resources such as a writing workshop for the admissions letter. Additionally, the orientation was very informative & helpful for getting my courses selected. .

Read 18 reviews.

Antioch University Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara, CA •

• • Rating 4 out of 5   18 reviews

Master's Student: Antioch University's emphasis on holistic education and social justice resonated deeply with my evolving worldview. The curriculum's integration of real-world scenarios and hands-on experiences aligns perfectly with my desire to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application. As I immerse myself in this rigorous learning environment, I am confident that I will emerge not only with the required expertise but also with a profound understanding of the diverse needs of clients. Antioch's commitment to social justice mirrors my aspiration to create an inclusive therapeutic space that recognizes and values the uniqueness of each individual. The university's focus on addressing systemic inequalities resonates with my intent to offer culturally sensitive and equitable care to all clients, irrespective of their backgrounds. Additionally, the vibrant community at Antioch encourages collaboration, peer learning, and the exchange of ideas. ... Read 18 reviews

SANTA BARBARA, CA ,

18 Niche users give it an average review of 4 stars.

Featured Review: Master's Student says Antioch University's emphasis on holistic education and social justice resonated deeply with my evolving worldview. The curriculum's integration of real-world scenarios and hands-on experiences... .

Southern California Institute of Architecture

LOS ANGELES, CA

• • Rating 4.56 out of 5   9

San Francisco Bay University

FREMONT, CA

• • Rating 3 out of 5   2

Los Angeles College of Music

PASADENA, CA

• • Rating 4 out of 5   3

Showing results 1 through 20 of 20

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San Jose State University

California, united states.

The MFA at SJSU balances literary study with creative writing workshops. The program is designed to give students the opportunity to develop their talents in more than one genre while increasing their knowledge of modern and contemporary literature in a variety of forms and across a diverse range of cultural and critical perspectives. The program also features courses that provide hands-on preparation for beginning one's writing career in a globalized, technologically enhanced world.

Situated in downtown San Jose, in the heart of Silicon Valley's cultural center, the MFA program offers students a portal into the writing life. SJSU is the literary incubator for Silicon Valley. Students will be taught by instructors who are themselves publishing poets, fiction writers, nonfiction writers, translators, and editors - many of whom work in both traditional and cutting-edge forms, and who are involved in the arts and technology networks of Silicon Valley.

The English Department publishes Reed magazine, one of the oldest campus literary journals on the West Coast, with over 60 years of continuous publication. Reed is student-produced and offers opportunity for the editing experience as well as a possible publishing venue.

Contact Information

Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing +

Undergraduate program director.

The goals of the BA in English with a Concentration in Creative Writing are: to provide students the opportunity to concentrate their studies in the field of Creative Writing. To provide these students a course of study in the craft, theory, and practice of writing fiction, creative nonfiction, and/or poetry. To provide these students a course of study in literature and expository writing which will support their studies in Creative Writing courses. Many students earning a BA in English with a Creative Writing concentration will continue on to apply for admission to the MFA Program in Creative Writing, or will pursue a professional Creative Writing career.

Undergraduate classes in Creative Writing at SJSU are supplemented by the readings and other literary programs sponsored by the SJSU Center for Literary Arts (CLA). Since 1986, the CLA has provided readings, lectures and seminars that allow the San Jose community to interact with writers of contemporary literature who have demonstrated exceptional voice and vision. Its mission is to spread the influence of and interest in literature throughout the South Bay area and to facilitate cross-cultural understanding in the region's ethnically diverse population through the appreciation of works of literature. The CLA's Major Authors Series has been the most significant literary series in the region, presenting to the community five winners of the Nobel Prize, fifteen winners of the National Book Award and twenty-eight winners of the Pulitzer Prize.

The CLA is funded by grants and donations from individuals and foundations.

SJSU also publishes REED Magazine, an annual student-run Literary Magazine published every Spring and featuring submissions of original poetry and short stories from across the nation. (For more information click on http://www.reedmag.org/drupal/.)

Below are requirements for this focused concentration in Creative Writing.

(To see a detailed description of the SJSU BA Concentration in Creative Writing curriculum and individual courses, click on: http://www.sjsu.edu/english/undergraduate/degreeplans/majorcreatwrit.)

PREREQUISITE: 3 Units.

ENGL 71: Introduction to Creative Writing (3) - NOTE: English 71 does not count toward 48 units listed below, but it does satisfy GE Area Requirement C2.

15 Units of Creative Writing

ENGL 105: Advanced Composition (3)

ENGL 130: Fiction Writing (repeatable up to 3X) (3)

ENGL 131: Poetry Writing (repeatable up to 3X) (3)

ENGL 133: REED Magazine (repeatable 2X) (3)

ENGL 134: Speechwriting (3)

ENGL 135: Creative Nonfiction Writing (repeatable up to 3X) (3)

LITERATURE REQUIREMENTS: 9 UNITS

ENGL 149: The Romantic Period

ENGL 150: The Victorian Age

ENGL 151: Twentieth Century Poetry

ENGL 153B: Nineteenth Century British Novel

ENGL 154: British and Irish Fiction Since 1900

ENGL 161: American Literature to 1830 (3)

ENGL 162: American Literature: 1830-1865 (3)

ENGL 163: American Literature: 1865-1910 (3)

ENGL 164: American Literature: 1910- 1945 (3)

ENGL 165: Topics in Ethnic American Literature (3)

ENGL 166: American Literature Since 1945 (3)

ENGL 167: Steinbeck (3)

ENGL 168: The American Novel (3)

ENGL 169: Ethnicity in American Literature (3)

ENGL 176: The Short Story (3)

ENGL 177: Twentieth Century Fiction

Foreign Language Requirement

One year of foreign langauge study at the college level or equivalency through examination.

CORE REQUIREMENTS: 24 UNITS

A. Core Shared with the General English Major:

ENGL 56A: Survey of English Lit

ENGL 68A: Survey of American Lit

ENGL 68B: Survey of American Lit

ENGL 100W: Writing Workshop (Expository Writing for English Majors)

ENGL 122: Comp Lit, or 123 A, B, C, or D Global Lit

OR 125A: Homer to Dante

ENGL 144: Shakespeare

OR 145: Shakespeare and Performance

B. Core Course For CW Concentration

ENGL 139: Living Writers Seminar

C. Capstone Core Course for CW Concentration

ENGL 193C: Capstone Seminar in Creative Writing and Self-Reflection

Total Concentration Plus Core Units:

Bachelor of Arts in English/Literature +

Minor / concentration in creative writing +.

SJSU offers English Majors a concentration in Creative Writing. All Creative Writing and upper division classes are 4 units.

Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing +

Graduate program director.

The MFA at SJSU is a dual-genre program that balances literary study with creative writing workshops. The program is designed to give students the opportunity to develop their talents in more than one genre while increasing their knowledge of modern and contemporary literature in a variety of forms and across a diverse range of cultural and critical perspectives. The program also features courses that provide hands-on preparation for beginning one's writing career in a globalized, technologically enhanced world.

Situated in downtown San Jose, in the heart of Silicon Valley's cultural center, the MFA program will offer students a portal into the writing life. Students will be taught by instructors who are themselves publishing poets, fiction writers, nonfiction writers, translators, and editors - many of whom work in both traditional and cutting-edge forms, and who are involved in the arts and technology networks of Silicon Valley.

Samuel Maio

Samuel Maio is the author of THE BURNING OF LOS ANGELES (1996), and CREATING ANOTHER SELF: VOICE IN MODERN AMERICAN PERSONAL POETRY (2005), both from Truman State University Press. His poems, essays, and reviews have been published widely in periodicals.

http://www.sjsu.edu/cwmfa/faculty.html

Alan Soldofsky

Alan Soldofsky is a veteran of the San Francisco Bay Area poetry scene. His 2013 collection of poems, IN THE BUDDHA FACTORY, from Truman State University Press, was a finalist for the T. S. Eliot Award. He has been a contributing editor of Poetry Flash, and co-host of the popular poetry show “Planet on the Table” on Berkeley’s KPFA radio. He has published three poetry chapbooks: Kenora Station, Staying Home, and Holding Adam / My Father’s Books, a chapbook that includes a selection of poems by his son, Adam Soldofsky. Over the last three decades, his poems have been published widely in magazines and journals,

http://www.sjsu.edu/people/alan.soldofsky/

Nick Taylor

Nick Taylor is the author of the historical novels The Disagreement (Simon & Schuster, 2008) and FATHER JUNIPERO'S CONFESSOR (Heyday, 2013). Nick's work has earned a Fulbright-Nehru Fellowship and the Michael Shaara Prize for Civil War Fiction. He has also received support from the Virginia Commission for the Arts, the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, and the William R. Kenan, Jr., Fund for Historic Preservation. Currently Nick serves as Associate Professor of English and Director of the Martha Heasley Cox Center for Steinbeck Studies at San José State University. In 2014, Doubleday published his first thriller, The Setup Man, under the pseudonym T.T. Monday.

http://www.sjsu.edu/faculty_and_staff/faculty_detail.jsp?id=2136

Cathleen Miller

Cathleen Miller's biography of Dr, Nafis Sadik, CHAMPION OF CHOICE, is the result of ten years of work and many, many strange circumstances. Other publication credits include travel stories for a variety of newspapers and anthologies. Miller is also the coauthor of DESERT FLOWER, the life story of activist Waris Dirie which describes the Somali nomad's experience with female genital mutilation. This book's print version has sold 11 million copies in 55 languages, and was later adapted as a feature film released in 34 nations. Cathleen Miller is a professor of creative writing at San José State University.

http://www.sjsu.edu/people/cathleen.miller/

Scott Sublett

Scott Winfield Sublett, a veteran screenwriter screenwriting teacher, is known for writing BYE-BYE BIN LADEN (2009), GENERIC THRILLER (2009) and PIZZA WARS: THE MOVIE (2002). He also has published a screenwriting guide, SCREENWRITING FOR NEUROTICS (2014).

Sally Ashton

Sally Ashton is a poet, writer, teacher, and Editor-in-Chief of DMQ Review, an online journal featuring poetry and art. She earned her BA in English with a creative writing minor from SJSU, and her MFA in Poetry and Literature from the Bennington Writing Seminars.

She is the recipient of an Artist Fellowship, Poetry, from Arts Council Silicon Valley and a fellowship from Montalvo Arts Center. She is the author of three books of poetry, two of which were nominated for Pushcart Prizes. Poems also appear in the textbook, An Introduction to the Prose Poem, and Breathe: 101 Contemporary Odes, as well as in literary journals such as Sentence: A Journal of Prose Poetics, Brevity, Zyzzyva, 5am, Mississippi Review, and Poet Lore. She was awarded the Fish Flash Fiction First Prize, an international award, in 2014.

Ashton was appointed the second Santa Clara County Poet Laureate on April 1, 2011. During her term, she compiled a collection of the favorite poems of County residents posted on a project blog. Besides teaching at San Jose State University, she teaches private workshops and at writer’s workshops including Disquiet: An International Literary Program in Lisbon, Portugal.

http://www.sjsu.edu/people/sally.ashton/

Selena Anderson

Selena Anderson is a writer from Texas. She completed her MFA at Columbia University where she won the Transatlantic/Henfield Prize, and her Ph.D. from the University of Houston. Her stories have appeared in Glimmer Train, Kenyon Review, AGNI, and Cosmonauts Avenue, and The Best of Gigantic Anthology. She is working on a collection and a novel.

Publications & Presses +

Reed Magazine

Visiting Writers Program +

Kim Addonizio, Daniel Alarcon, Tim Cahill, Cristina Garcia., Sandra M. Gilbert, Molly Giles, Andrew Sean Greer, James D. Houston, James Kelman, Caroyln Kizer, Ursula K. Le Guin, Andrew Lam, Ishmael Reed, Julia Scheeres, Simon Winchester, Vendala Vida, Al Young. The 2018 Lurie Distinguished Author-in-Residence is novelist Don George.

Reading Series +

Center for Literary Arts ( http://www.litart.org/ )

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Department of English and Comparative Literature

M.F.A. Faculty

Mfa core faculty.

• Alan Soldofsky (poetry)
• Nick Taylor (fiction)
• Selena Anderson (fiction)
• Keenan Norris (fiction, nonfiction)
• J. Michael Martinez (poetry)
• Tod Edgerton (poetry)

Visiting Faculty

• Jessica Hollander

Apr. 22, 2024

Empowering voices: the future of creative writing at rice university.

Creative writing transcends conventional academic boundaries, serving as both a discipline and a practice that invites diverse perspectives and influences. According to Ian Schimmel, associate teaching professor of English at Rice University, creative writing is characterized by its openness to exploration and expression.

“It does not define the scope of what a thought project should be,” Schimmel said, adding that creative writing encompasses a wide range of forms and styles, from traditional genres like fiction, poetry, nonfiction and drama to emerging mediums that shape contemporary discourse. “It’s very permeable to other parts of the university that want to participate in it.”

Extending beyond mere poetic imagery or storytelling, creative writing delves into the depths of human experience, capturing the rhythm, themes and pauses that define individual narratives.

“We’re all an amalgamation of stories,” said Kiese Laymon, the Libbie Shearn Moody Professor of English. “The rigor of having to explore your imagination and memory with these tools we have is hard work. We try to make it enjoyable work, but it’s definitely hard work.”

Creative writing plays a pivotal role in understanding and interpreting societal narratives, Schimmel pointed out, highlighting the significance of studying hybrid forms that blend elements of journalism, memoir and personal reflection, reflecting the multifaceted nature of contemporary storytelling.

“I prefer the term ‘imaginative writing’ or ‘public writing,’” said Justin Cronin, writer-in-residence in English. “‘Creative writing’ pays less attention to the idea that this is a discipline. It really is a very particular kind of discipline that you need to learn to do.”

At its core, creative writing is about having something to say — a point of view or an urgency that compels expression.

“We are equipping students with the tools to say what they feel is most important and urgent,” Schimmel said. “That’s where the fulfillment comes from.”

For Cronin, teaching creative writing is a dynamic process of self-discovery and exploration.

“Anyone who teaches creative writing is teaching themselves, full stop,” Cronin said. “We are doing both all the time.”

He emphasized the interdisciplinary nature of the discipline, drawing connections between literature, film and societal trends. Cronin’s spring 2024 course titled “The End of the World as We Know It: Writing (and Reading) Apocalypse” exemplifies this interdisciplinary approach, blending literary analysis with creative expression to explore existential themes.

“There is a lot to learn about craft, about how to make a good sentence, how essays really work, how stories or novels work,” Cronin said. “But then there are also the broader questions: Why do we do this? Where does it come from, and where does it go?”

‘It feels like home’

It’s worth reflecting on the latter question in relation to Rice’s creative writing program. Of the current faculty, Cronin has the longest institutional knowledge. He came to Rice in 2003, effectively doubling the program’s full-time faculty.

“It was just me teaching fiction and one poetry professor,” Cronin said. “That was creative writing in 2003.”

A couple of years later when he sold a partial manuscript of what evolved into his trilogy “The Passage,” Cronin stepped down from his full-time teaching role to focus on the series.

Schimmel later joined Rice during a two-year fellowship starting in 2011. After his first year, the two other creative writing faculty members retired.

“I was one of only one or two other people teaching creative writing at Rice in 2012,” Schimmel said.

Associate professor Amber Dermont joined the faculty followed by assistant professor Paul Otremba then Lacy Johnson in 2016, which is when Cronin returned to teach at Rice.

“We made a strategic plan that involved investing in creative writing, trying to make Rice the best undergraduate creative writing program in the country,” said Lacy Johnson, associate professor of creative writing and director of undergraduate studies in English. “We proposed hiring a few more writers so that we could continue to grow.”

And they did, adding Laymon, professor in the practice Andrea Bajani, assistant professor Bryan Washington and associate professor Tomás Q. Morín.

“When I saw the job posting at Rice, every writer I knew was applying for the job,” Morín said. “Every writer I knew wanted to work at Rice because it was a dream job.”

Morin said his desire to join the faculty only grew after visiting the campus during the interview process when he got to meet the people he’d be working with and the students he’d be teaching.

“I felt like this job could be my last stop in terms of my academic career,” Morín said. “This is a place where I could retire. Once I actually did start teaching here, all of that was affirmed. I don’t want to ever teach anywhere else again. This doesn’t feel like a job. It feels like home.”

“With Lacy Johnson, Ian Schimmel, Kiese Laymon, Bryan Washington, Tomás Morín, Amber Dermont, Andrea Bajani and Justin Cronin, Rice boasts some of the most significant writers in the United States,” said Kathleen Canning, dean of the School of Humanities, in sharing her assessment of the creative writing faculty she calls “amazing.”

“Spectacular” is the word Cronin choses to describe his colleagues.

“The amount of raw achievement in so many areas is unparalleled,” Cronin said, pointing to Laymon’s selection as a MacArthur Fellow and Johnson’s creation of the Houston Flood Museum. “We have short story writers, essayists, novelists, poets, screenwriters. We have it all.”

Laymon, who started teaching at Rice in January 2022, expressed that he’s been impressed by how dynamic and thoughtful his colleagues are.

“Our ability to work together is one of the reasons why the creative writing program is growing at such an incredible rate,” Laymon said.

"The learning and the doing"

The program’s not growing just in terms of faculty; the academic powerhouse has captured the imagination and enthusiasm of students, sparking a surge of interest that far exceeds available capacity. Most creative writing classes have waitlists at least 20 students deep, while the waitlists for intro workshops are closer to 75.

“I’ve never worked anywhere where there was such a tremendous curiosity, passion and interest in creative writing at the undergraduate level,” Morín said.

“The desire on the part of these students to use creativity to explore critically and intellectually, I’ve never seen anything like this in my life,” Laymon said, adding that he believes the interest is connected to the strength of the faculty. “You don’t find creative writing programs with any sort of growth unless the students are being taught well.”

Laymon suggested the program’s success also lies in its ability to attract students from diverse disciplines, including computer science, biology and engineering.

“There is such a hunger on our campus to make things and to take what you learned in the classroom and apply it,” Schimmel said. “There’s often a gulf between the theoretical and the practical in an education setting. What’s powerful about creative writing, and the arts in general, is the connectivity between the learning and the doing.”

Faculty members say they appreciate the diverse perspectives and interdisciplinary collaborations that emerge from such a dynamic student body.

“There are so many different kinds of expertise for students to use Rice and Houston as a laboratory to think about the issues that are facing us today,” Johnson said. “Thinking about climate, about science, about community, about culture, where better than Houston to come to learn to write about those things?”

"Experimenting with words"

The creative writing program is a catalyst for that exploration and discovery, empowering students to engage with a myriad of topics and formats while honing their skills as storytellers.

For example, on the nonfiction side, Laymon’s spring 2024 course titled "Verses/Versus: Miseducation of Lauryn Hill v. good kid m.A.A.d. city (or 1998 vs. 2012)” allows students to reflect on how music influences their lives, whether through personal experiences or the albums discussed in class. “Nonfiction Nature Writing,” taught by Johnson, merges writing and environmental philosophy.

“We’re giving consideration to the ways that we think about and talk about the environment as well as practicing writing about our relationship to the environment,” Johnson said. “Students often come to that class from the sciences. I have a lot of students from environmental sciences, geology, physics, ecology and evolutionary biology.”

The class is a different application of science, Johnson added, explaining that it provides students an opportunity to apply and translate what they’ve learned in their other classes in creative ways.

Schimmel, meanwhile, teaches podcasting courses, challenging students to report on stories beyond the hedges of Rice. By interviewing real-life characters and crafting compelling narratives, students gain valuable storytelling skills while exploring the power of audio storytelling.

“We deconstruct the narrative structures of radio storytelling to understand how a large amount of material can be condensed into something that is manageable, enjoyable and informative for an audience,” Schimmel said.

Central to the creative writing experience at Rice is the workshop. Through peer critique and experimentation, students refine their writing and gain insights into audience engagement and narrative structure.

“A workshop environment helps you compare your intentions with the realities of your audience,” Schimmel said. “It pulls you out of yourself. It makes you conscious of how form and technique affect your reader’s desire to interact with your work.”

Laymon underscored the importance of experimentation in creative writing. By encouraging students to explore literary traditions and experiment with language, the program fosters a culture of innovation and self-expression.

“We all have these 26 letters. How do we create a story with them?” Laymon said. “We need young people out there experimenting with words and to be encouraged to do that.”

"A unique opportunity"

As Rice’s creative writing program has evolved, its faculty have remained dedicated to fostering a culture of creativity, expression and intellectual inquiry, shaping the next generation of writers and thinkers.

“One of our goals is to broaden the public’s understanding of what creative writing is and how it can serve as a public utility for all,” Schimmel said.

The next step for the program, according to Cronin, is to elevate from a strong program to a national leader in undergraduate creative writing education.

“We want to be the best undergraduate creative writing program in the country, which means students come to Rice specifically for that,” Cronin said. “We want to build the kind of program that people deliberately seek out. Students apply to a university for a thing, and we want to be that thing.”

Faculty members are exploring the possibility of establishing a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in creative writing, which reflects the program’s commitment to furthering its impact and engaging with a broader community of writers.

“There’s a lot of interest,” Johnson said. “We have a really unique opportunity at Rice to build something from scratch.”

“That feels incredibly exciting to me,” Morín said, explaining that the goal is to create a program that addresses the shortcomings of the traditional MFA model while offering a fresh and dynamic approach. “It gives me a lot of energy, because as a group, we can offer the kind of experience that a graduate student in creative writing can’t find anywhere else.”

For more information about Rice’s creative writing program, click here .

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Start writing fiction

Introduction.

This free course, Start writing fiction , looks at how characters might be drawn and how setting is established. It explores the different levels of characterisation, from flat to round, and how character and place interact. It also works on the effect of genre and how genre can be used.

The main teaching material in this course is taken from an existing publication, The Fiction Writer's Workshop by Josip Novakovich (1995).

Novakovich is an award-winning writer (of short stories mainly), who teaches fiction writing at the University of Cincinnati. His chapters on ‘Character’ and ‘Setting’ are included within this course. I’ll indicate when you should read these extracts and I’ll also outline the listening and writing activities that accompany them.

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• BA English Literature and Creative Writing
• MA Creative Writing Part 1
• MA Creative Writing Part 2

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