Creative Writing Courses in USA

Creative writing plays a vital role in English Literature and Language. Creative writing encompasses a wide variety of genres outside the more formal technical and academic writing like poetry, fiction, nonfiction, screenwriting, playwriting, etc. Taking a creative writing course helps students develop their writing skills; explore the possibilities of contemporary poetry, fiction, nonfiction, screenwriting, translation; and gain special access to the critical understanding of literature through their involvement in the creative process. This blog includes a list of top creative writing courses in the USA.

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Top Universities offering Creative Writing Courses in USA

University	QS World University Ranking 2022
Harvard University	3
The University of California, Berkeley (UCB)	4
Yale University	5
Stanford University	6
Princeton University	=7
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)	9
Columbia University	10
University of Chicago	12
New York University (NYU)	15
Duke University	17
Cornell University	21
University of Pennsylvania	=22
University of Michigan-Ann Arbour	=29
The University of Texas at Austin	33
Brown University	39

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Harvard University 

Havard university provides several creative writing workshops to its undergraduates, graduates, staff and students from other institutions eligible for cross-registration. Each workshop is limited to 12 students. The courses are either offered in the fall term or spring term. Students have to apply to the course of their choice before the closing dates.

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University of California, Berkeley (UCB)

The university offers a creative writing minor program to its undergraduate students. There are several approved courses offered by over 30 departments on campus for students to choose from. In order to complete the minor, the students have to choose 3 creative writing courses and 2 literature courses from any department. The students have to declare their minor no later than the term before their Expected Graduation Term.

UC Berkeley Acceptance Rate

Yale University

Yale University offers creative writing and journalism courses to its students. Students can choose from beginner, intermediate and advanced levels of courses depending upon their preferences. The deadline for applying for Spring 2022 is November 11. For courses that don’t require applying in advance, students can enrol during the registration period (Nov 18- Dec 15).

Stanford University

Stanford’s Creative Writing program is one of the best in the country. It offers workshop-based/independent tutorials for its major and minor creative writing courses. The English major consists of 14 majors, 8 of which are English courses and 6 are creative writing courses. The minor is a six-course minor and students are required to choose from prose, poetry and fiction. Stanford also offers online creative writing courses.

Princeton University

Princeton offers creative writing programs to its undergraduate students to give them the opportunity to craft original work under the guidance of esteemed writers. The program is offered as small workshop courses in poetry, fiction, nonfiction, screenwriting, and translation and each workshop is limited to 8-10 students. All courses require an application process.

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

UCLA offers creative writing courses in multiple genres of interest including fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, etc. There are various courses to choose from and students are required to enrol using an application process. Students from all majors and minors can apply to one or more courses.

Columbia University

Columbia University’s School of the Arts offers a creative writing program in New York City. The undergraduate program combines creative writing workshops and seminars. Students produce original works of fiction, poetry, or nonfiction for critical analysis. The university also offers a major in creative writing. Students can either choose to pursue a single genre or a combination of two genres(Poetry, Fiction, or Nonfiction).

University of Chicago

The University of Chicago offers a major in creative writing. The primary genres are fiction, poetry, or nonfiction. The program includes several courses, advanced workshops, technical seminars and a thesis. Students are required to declare their major no later than Autumn quarter of third year. 

New York University (NYU)

NYU is a leading university for study of literature and writing. The creative writing program of NYU, located at a townhouse on West 10th Street allows students to come and attend workshops, events and attend events. NYU offers a MFA Program in Creative Writing for graduates and a Minor in Creative Writing for undergraduates. The program also includes literary outreach programs, teaching opportunities, a reading series, seminars, contests, and summer programs in New York, Paris and Florence.

Duke University

Duke University offers a creative writing program that includes various courses, a Creative Writing Minor, as well as a Distinction Project in Creative Writing. The courses are offered in a variety of genres like poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, essay, memoir, travel writing, documentary writing, theatre and more. For the minor in creative writing the students are required to opt 5 courses.

Cornell University

Cornell offers a creative writing program that includes workshop courses in fiction and poetry writing. Students can also choose a minor in creative writing. Classes that are open to all undergraduates include Introduction to Creative Writing, Intermediate Narrative Writing, Intermediate Verse Writing and Advanced Creative Writing. The program also offers an MFA degree for graduates

University of Pennsylvania

The University of Pennsylvania offers the Penn Creative Writing program for undergraduates. The program teaches more than sixty workshops in genres such as fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, journalism, playwriting, screenwriting, and writing for children and young adults. It offers more than 30 creative writing courses in various genres and students are also encouraged to apply for the creative writing honours program

University of Michigan-Ann Arbour

The University offers creative writing programs to its undergraduates. It offers a variety of courses and workshops in fiction, poetry and creative nonfiction. It offers a creative writing major for non-English majors and a creative writing sub-concentration for English majors.

University of Texas at Austin

The University of Texas at Austin offers a Creative Writing Certificate to its undergraduate students for advanced study of creative writing both as a writer and reader. It includes a variety of courses. The University also offers the  New Writers Project to its graduate students, which is a 3 year MFA program. The courses offer close mentorship, literary community, and teaching and editing experience.

Brown University

Literary Arts at Brown University offers courses in fiction, poetry, screenwriting, digital & cross-disciplinary writing, and translation, as well as seminar courses in reading and writing about literature to its undergraduate students. It also offers an MFA graduate program to its graduate students and allows them to choose to focus on either fiction, poetry or digital/cross-disciplinary writing.

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Creative Writing Courses in the USA

• BA in English- Creative Writing 
• BA English Literature 
• BA Creative Writing
• BFA in Creative Writing
• BA in Writing Studies
• MA English
• MFA in Creative Writing
• MA in Creative Writing, Language and Literature
• MFA in Writing and Producing for Television
• MFA in Writing
• PhD in English Literature
• PhD in Creative Writing

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