new york university creative writing program

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Creative Writing

Degrees and fields of study.

• M.F.A. in Creative Writing - Fiction
• M.F.A.  in Creative Writing - Poetry
• M.F.A.  in Creative Writing - Creative Nonfiction
• M.F.A.  in Writers Workshop in Paris - Fiction
• M.F.A.  in Writers Workshop in Paris - Poetry
• M.F.A.  in Writers Workshop in Paris - Creative Nonfiction

Application Deadlines

Applications and all supporting materials must be  submitted online by 5PM  Eastern Time. If a listed deadline falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or U.S. federal holiday, then the next business day will be the actual deadline.

Creative Writing Programs

• December 18 : Fall admission

Writers Workshop in Paris Programs

• September 1 : January residency (spring application)
• February 1 : June residency (summer application)

Requirements

In addition to the general application requirements, the department specifically requires:

Test Scores

• Please do not send GRE test scores — they will not be reviewed by our Admissions Committee.

TOEFL/IELTS

Applicants must submit official TOEFL or IELTS scores unless they:

Are a native English speaker; OR

Are a US citizen or permanent resident; OR

Have completed (or will complete) a baccalaureate or master's degree at an institution where the language of instruction is English.

Statement of Academic Purpose

In a concisely written statement, please describe your past and present work as it relates to your intended field of study, your educational objectives, and your career goals. In addition, please include your intellectual and professional reasons for choosing your field of study and why your studies/research can best be done at the Graduate School of Arts and Science at NYU. The statement should not exceed two double-spaced pages.

Writing Sample

A creative writing sample is required. It should not exceed 25 double-spaced pages for fiction and nonfiction applicants and 10 single-spaced pages for poetry applicants. The font size should be 12 point or larger.

Useful Links

• Department Website
• Email [email protected]
• Application Portal
• Back to Programs, Requirements and Deadlines

The Graduate School of Arts and Science reserves the right to change this information at any time. This page supersedes all previous versions.

Last updated August 2023.

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Creative Writing

Creative writing experiments.

Creative Writing Experiments provides a foundation in at least two genres or areas of creative writing (i.e. fiction, poetry, screenwriting, playwriting, creative nonfiction, literary journalism, memoir, and/or translation). The conversations and writing assignments will be guided by a reading list that emphasizes modern and contemporary global voices. Students will write extensively and participate in workshops as they experiment with various forms and techniques. They’ll look at published works alongside student works-in-progress to better understand the strategies of creative writing. The goal is for students to practice and refine techniques drawn from a diversity of approaches, explore them through their own creative pieces, and to leave the class with a heightened appreciation for the complexity of making creative works.

Creative Writing Studio

Creative Writing Studio provides a focused workshop in one genre or area of creative writing (i.e. fiction, poetry, screenwriting, playwriting, creative nonfiction, literary journalism, memoir, or translation) with an emphasis on modern and contemporary global writing. The course situates creative practices within the cultural context that shaped the particular genre or area of creative writing at the center of the course—in fiction, for example, magical realism and its ties to Latin America, the varied approaches to memoir across different cultures, or the haiku or tanka and its connection to Japan and East Asia. Central to the course is the development of students’ own creative skills and practices. Students will write extensively and participate in workshops as they explore various approaches and techniques. They will look at published works alongside peer drafts to better understand the craft. The goal is for students to become more skilled at writing and revising creative pieces of their own, and to leave the course with a stronger understanding of the strategies, elements, and imaginative possibilities of one area of creative writing.

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• Program of Study

Course Offerings

Creative writing (2022 - 2024).

In addition to the on-campus creative writing courses offered throughout the year, special January term and summer programs offer students a chance to study intensively and generate new writing in Florence, New York, and Paris.

Creative Writing: Introduction to Prose and Poetry CRWRI-UA 815  Formerly Creative Writing: Introduction to Fiction and Poetry. Identical to CRWRI-UA 9815. Not repeatable for credit. Workshop. Offered in fall, winter, spring, and summer. 4 points. An exciting introduction to the basic elements of poetry and prose, with in-class writing, take-home reading and writing assignments, and substantive discussions of craft. Structured as a workshop: students receive feedback from their instructor and their fellow writers in a roundtable setting and should be prepared to offer their classmates responses to their work.

Intermediate Workshops in Fiction, Poetry, and Creative Nonfiction CRWRI-UA 816   (Intermediate Fiction Workshop), CRWRI-UA 817 (Intermediate Poetry Workshop), CRWRI-UA 825 (Intermediate Creative Nonfiction Workshop) Prerequisite for Fiction : Creative Writing: Introduction to Prose and Poetry (CRWRI-UA 815), or Creative Writing (CRWRI-UA 9815), or Writers in New York: Fiction (CRWRI-UA 818), or Writers in New York: Poetry (CRWRI-UA 819), or Writers in New York: Creative Nonfiction (CRWRI-UA 835), or Writers in Paris: Fiction (CRWRI-UA 9818), or Writers in Paris: Poetry (CRWRI-UA 9819), or Writers in Florence: Fiction (CRWRI-UA 9828), or Writers in Florence: Poetry (CRWRI-UA 9829), or Intensive Seminar in Fiction (CRWRI-UA 861; formerly Master Class in Fiction, CRWRI-UA 860), or equivalent. Workshop. Offered in fall, winter, spring, and summer. 4 points. Prerequisite for Poetry : Creative Writing: Introduction to Prose and Poetry (CRWRI-UA 815), or Creative Writing (CRWRI-UA 9815), or Writers in New York: Fiction (CRWRI-UA 818), or Writers in New York: Poetry (CRWRI-UA 819), or Writers in New York: Creative Nonfiction (CRWRI-UA 835), or Writers in Paris: Fiction (CRWRI-UA 9818), or Writers in Paris: Poetry (CRWRI-UA 9819), or Writers in Florence: Fiction (CRWRI-UA 9828), or Writers in Florence: Poetry (CRWRI-UA 9829), or Intensive Seminar in Poetry (CRWRI-UA 862; formerly Master Class in Poetry, CRWRI-UA 870), or equivalent. Workshop. Offered in fall, spring, and summer. 4 points. Prerequisite for Creative Nonfiction : Creative Writing: Introduction to Prose and Poetry (CRWRI-UA 815), or Creative Writing (CRWRI-UA 9815), or Writers in New York: Fiction (CRWRI-UA 818), or Writers in New York: Poetry (CRWRI-UA 819), or Writers in New York: Creative Nonfiction (CRWRI-UA 835), or Writers in Paris: Fiction (CRWRI-UA 9818), or Writers in Paris: Poetry (CRWRI-UA 9819), or Writers in Florence: Fiction (CRWRI-UA 9828), or Writers in Florence: Poetry (CRWRI-UA 9829), or Intensive Seminar in Creative Nonfiction (CRWRI-UA 863; formerly Master Class in Creative Nonfiction, CRWRI-UA 880), or equivalent. Workshop. Offered in fall and spring. 4 points. Offer an opportunity to continue the pursuit of writing at the intermediate level. Integrate in-depth craft discussions and extensive outside reading to deepen students' understanding of their chosen genre and broaden their knowledge of the evolution of literary forms and techniques. Each may be repeated three times for credit.

Writers in New York: Fiction, Poetry, or Creative Nonfiction CRWRI-UA 818   (Writers in New York: Fiction), CRWRI-UA 819 (Writers in New York: Poetry), CRWRI-UA 835 (Writers in New York: Creative Nonfiction) Application required. Workshop. Offered in the summer. 8 points per course. Offer poets and fiction writers an opportunity to develop their craft while living the writer's life in Greenwich Village. Students participate in daily workshops and craft classes, are mentored by accomplished professional writers, and attend readings, lectures, panel discussions, and seminars led by New York-based writers and editors. Assignments encourage immersion in the city. Students work intensively to generate new writing and also attend a lively series of readings, lectures, literary walking tours, and special events. May be repeated once for credit.

Advanced Workshops in Fiction, Poetry, and Creative Nonfiction CRWRI-UA 820 (Advanced Fiction Workshop), CRWRI-UA 830 (Advanced Poetry Workshop), CRWRI-UA 850 (Advanced Creative Nonfiction Workshop) Prerequisite for Fiction : Intermediate Fiction Workshop (CRWRI-UA 816), or Writers in New York: Fiction (CRWRI-UA 818), or Writers in Paris: Fiction (CRWRI-UA 9818), or Writers in Florence: Fiction (CRWRI-UA 9828), or Intensive Seminar in Fiction (CRWRI-UA 861; formerly Master Class in Fiction, CRWRI-UA 860), or equivalent. Workshop. Offered in fall and spring. 4 points. Prerequisite for Poetry : Intermediate Poetry Workshop (CRWRI-UA 817), or Writers in New York: Poetry (CRWRI-UA 819), or Writers in Paris: Poetry (CRWRI-UA 9819), or Writers in Florence: Poetry (CRWRI-UA 9829), or Intensive Seminar in Poetry (CRWRI-UA 862; formerly Master Class in Poetry, CRWRI-UA 870), or equivalent. Workshop. Offered in fall and spring. 4 points. Prerequisite for Creative Nonfiction : Intermediate Creative Nonfiction Workshop (CRWRI-UA 825), or Writers in New York: Creative Nonfiction (CRWRI-UA 835), or Intensive Seminar in Creative Nonfiction (CRWRI-UA 863; formerly Master Class in Creative Nonfiction, CRWRI-UA 880), or equivalent. Workshop. Offered in fall and spring. 4 points. Provide students with the opportunity to hone their individual voices and experiment with different aesthetic strategies in genre-specific workshops taught by eminent writers in the field. Focus on revision techniques, the development of sustainable writing processes, and the broadening of students' knowledge of classical and contemporary masters. Each workshop has a distinct emphasis and area of exploration; course descriptions are available online prior to registration. Each may be repeated three times for credit.

Intensive Seminars in Fiction, Poetry, and Creative Nonfiction CRWRI-UA 861 Intensive Seminar in Fiction, CRWRI-UA 862 Intensive Seminar in Poetry, CRWRI-UA 863 Intensive Seminar in Creative Nonfiction Prerequisite for Fiction : Creative Writing: Introduction to Prose and Poetry (CRWRI-UA 815), or Creative Writing (CRWRI-UA 9815), or Intermediate Fiction Workshop (CRWRI-UA 816), or Writers in New York: Fiction (CRWRI-UA 818), or Writers in New York: Poetry (CRWRI-UA 819), or Writers in New York: Creative Nonfiction (CRWRI-UA 835) or Writers in Paris: Fiction (CRWRI-UA 9818), or Writers in Paris: Poetry (CRWRI-UA 9819), or Writers in Florence: Fiction (CRWRI-UA 9828), or Writers in Florence: Poetry (CRWRI-UA 9829), or Advanced Fiction Workshop (CRWRI-UA 820), or equivalent. Recommended prerequisite: Advanced Fiction (CRWRI-UA 820). Application required. Workshop. Offered in fall and spring. 4 points. Prerequisite for Poetry : Creative Writing: Introduction to Prose and Poetry (CRWRI-UA 815), or Creative Writing (CRWRI-UA 9815), or Intermediate Poetry Workshop (CRWRI-UA 817), or Writers in New York: Fiction (CRWRI-UA 818), or Writers in New York: Poetry (CRWRI-UA 819), or Writers in New York: Creative Nonfiction (CRWRI-UA 835), or Writers in Paris: Fiction (CRWRI-UA 9818), or Writers in Paris: Poetry (CRWRI-UA 9819), or Writers in Florence: Fiction (CRWRI-UA 9828), or Writers in Florence: Poetry (CRWRI-UA 9829), or Advanced Poetry Workshop (CRWRI-UA 830), or equivalent. Recommended prerequisite: Advanced Poetry (CRWRI-UA 830). Application required. Workshop. Offered in fall and spring. 4 points. Prerequisite for Creative Nonfiction : Creative Writing: Introduction to Prose and Poetry (CRWRI-UA 815), or Creative Writing (CRWRI-UA 9815), or Writers in New York: Fiction (CRWRI-UA 818), or Writers in New York: Poetry (CRWRI-UA 819), or Writers in New York: Creative Nonfiction (CRWRI-UA 835), or Writers in Paris: Fiction (CRWRI-UA 9818), or Writers in Paris: Poetry (CRWRI-UA 9819), or Writers in Florence: Fiction (CRWRI-UA 9828), or Writers in Florence: Poetry (CRWRI-UA 9829), or Intermediate Creative Nonfiction Workshop (CRWRI-UA 825), or Advanced Creative Nonfiction Workshop (CRWRI-UA 850), or equivalent. Recommended prerequisite: Advanced Creative Nonfiction (CRWRI-UA 850). Application required. Workshop. Offered in fall and spring. 4 points. Taught by acclaimed poets and prose writers to select NYU undergraduates. Application is required for admission. Each is limited to 12 students and provides intensive mentoring and guidance for serious and talented undergraduate writers. Full details of these courses and their applications are shared on the program’s undergraduate listserv; students are added to the listserv when they enroll in Creative Writing: Introduction to Prose and Poetry (CRWRI-UA 815). They may also contact [email protected] for information.

Creative Writing Internship CRWRI-UA 980 Prerequisites: a declared minor in creative writing, two CRWRI-UA courses or the equivalent, and approval of the program. An internship may not be used to fulfill the minimum requirements of the minor. For full policies, registration procedures, and the application form, please visit the program's website. Offered in fall, spring, and summer. 2 points. Requires 8 to 12 hours of work per week. Must be with an external (non-NYU) organization related to creative writing (e.g., a literary agency, magazine, publisher, or outreach program) and should involve some substantive aspect of writerly work. Requires a final five- to seven-page report, and an evaluation is solicited from the intern's supervisor. Grading is pass/fail. Students are responsible for finding the internship and receiving program approval before the end of the Albert add/drop period each term.

Writers in Paris: Fiction or Poetry CRWRI-UA 9818   (Writers in Paris: Fiction), CRWRI-UA 9819 (Writers in Paris: Poetry) Application required. Workshop. Offered in the summer. 8 points per course. Offer poets and fiction writers an opportunity to experience the writer's life in Paris. Students participate in daily workshops and craft classes, are mentored by accomplished professional writers, and attend readings and special seminars led by Paris-based writers and editors. Assignments encourage immersion in the city. Students work intensively to generate new writing and also attend a lively series of readings, lectures, literary walking tours, and special events. May be repeated once for credit.

Writers in Florence: Fiction or Poetry CRWRI-UA 9828   (Writers in Florence: Fiction), CRWRI-UA 9829 (Writers in Florence: Poetry) Application required. Workshop. Offered in the summer. 8 points per course. A literary retreat in Florence for poets and fiction writers. Students participate in daily workshops and craft classes, are mentored by acclaimed writers, and attend readings and special seminars on all aspects of the writer's life. Assignments are designed to encourage serious literary study, as well as immersion in the local landscape, and students are expected to work intensively to generate new writing. May be repeated once for credit.

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• MS in Professional Writing

Master’s (MS) in Professional Writing

Your words, your world. Professional writing offers a broad array of career opportunities across a wide range of industries and fields. If you are interested in technical writing/UX writing, science writing, business communications, writing for digital media/content creation, medical writing or financial writing, the MS in Professional Writing offered by the NYU SPS Center for Publishing and Applied Liberal Arts prepares you for innovative full-time and freelance writing careers . Through elective course choices, you can hone your writing skills in one area or across related fields, making you highly valuable to multiple industries. This 36-credit, fully online graduate degree provides the convenience of learning from any location. You will build a solid foundation in writing, style, and rhetoric with in-depth explorations of emerging communication practices, document design, and the principles of professional writing. Real-world assignment in core and elective courses allow you to build a comprehensive, digital writing portfolio before you graduate to showcase your writing expertise and the quality of your NYU graduate degree. Our MS in Professional Writing students develop their creative abilities with a focus on professional stability.

Degree Advantages

• 36-credit program of study
• Fully online curriculum provides location flexibility
• Develop your writing and editing skills, styles, and techniques
• Build a professional-quality, digital writing portfolio from coursework
• Customize your elective courses to match your interests and in demand writing specializations
• Learn from expert faculty who are business communication specialists, science and medical writers, digital media strategists, technical writers, and more
• Complete your MS in Professional Writing in full-time or part-time study options

VIEW FULL CURRICULUM AND DEGREE REQUIREMENTS>

Explore graduate opportunities at nyu sps.

Join an upcoming online session to learn more about our graduate degree programs including the MS in Professional Writing. As an attendee of an Explore Graduate Opportunities at NYU SPS session, you will meet members of our team and have the opportunity to ask questions about the program and application process.

Graduate Instant Decision Days

Ready to complete and submit your application? During the event, you will have the opportunity to meet with Admissions Officers to discuss your complete application and receive a decision.

Who Should Apply for the MS in Professional Writing?

Turn your passion for writing into a lucrative career. This graduate writing degree is a springboard to a myriad of flexible career opportunities. Our workshop-model curriculum is an exciting fit for English majors, journalists, creative writers, educators; those working in technology, medicine, and the sciences; as well as individuals in the fields of digital media and advertising or business communications. Guided by industry expert faculty-members, you will work through assignments that target corporate, academic, and real-world audiences to build professional-quality writing portfolios before you graduate.

Become Part of an Online Learning and Writing Community

Mirroring the increasingly digital, global, and collaborative work environment of today’s professional world, the MS in Professional Writing brings faculty members, students, and guest lecturers together as part of an interactive, online educational community. Learn, write, edit, and revise writing projects with a cohort of classmates from NYC, across the country, and around the world.

Prepare for a Professional Writing Career

Words saturate our global business world and advances in communication technology and social media have increased the demand for highly skilled, professional writers across industries. Companies and clients rely on professional writers who are detail-oriented and able to produce timely and accurate copy with measurable impact on target audiences.

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Your request has been submitted, department highlights, networking with confidence: janel abrahami tells how, ai in the professions: professional writing, translation, and the new face of content creation, 2023 ms in professional writing convocation award recipients, mspw faculty speaker series recap, interview with tami herndon, class of 2017, professional communications consultant, mspw student spotlight: kayleigh jensen freelance creative coordinator, mspw student spotlight: vivian udeh’s ux writer internship at google, nyu sps club owls wins community engagement prize, 2022 nyu mspw convocation award recipients, mspw student spotlight: brandi addison, mspw student spotlight: nandi dabrowski, mspw student spotlight: gabriella evans and justcleanstyle, mspw announces documenting global pandemic experiences project, dr. kristine rodriguez kerr, academic director of the ms in professional writing, speaks at the 2019 words without borders gala, professional writer at work: interview with megan diamondstein, acting deputy director of marketing and communications & digital director for the center for reproductive rights, mspw & msti academic directors awarded faculty innovation and antiracism microgrant, nyu sps academic director and associate professor kristine rodriguez kerr is named an upcea diversity in leadership scholar, katherine newhouse, edd, receives nyusps 2021 teaching excellence award, guided by adjunct instructor clea mahoney, ms in professional writing students share their thoughts with future students in an end-of-semester reflection newsletter, ms in professional writing adjunct instructor, emily bailin wells, edd, launches anti-racist dialogue and artifact-based initiative, frequently asked questions, what is professional writing.

Professional writing is everywhere! Professional writing includes copy created across industries for websites, emails, communication plans, pamphlets, prescription drug inserts, policy documents, FAQs (like this one), instructions, annual reports, grant proposals, white papers, chatbots scripts, social media posts, onboarding documents ... the list goes on.

Professional writers are at the forefront of creating strategic copy; applying style guides; building a unified voice and tone company-wide; tracking success measures; and editing to better engage, persuade, and influence target audiences.

Shifts in technology allow writers to combine words, images, and sounds in ways that merge digital spaces with printed documents. These new tools have created new habits in how we communicate and new avenues for professional writing to shape our society. Words have power and professional writers have impact.

What industries/who hires professional writers?

Company websites, online publications, and digital services are growing in number, sophistication, and readership every day. This has increased the demand for professional writers that can create timely and accurate copy across traditional, digital, and media experiences. 

Our alumni go on to have active and engaging professional writing careers in sectors that include: government, technology, education, financial, nonprofit/fundraising, medical/healthcare/wellness, science/environment/energy, and corporate communications/marketing.  Our graduates are engaged in professional writing careers that include the following roles:

• Technical Editor/Technical Writer
• Senior Director of Institutional Partnerships
• Content Designer/UX Writer
• Senior Medical Editor/Writer
• VP, Marketing & Communications
• Head Writer, in-house Marketing
• Head of Content 
• Assistant Director of Communications & Engagement
• Freelance Writer/Editor

Why do I need a graduate degree in Professional Writing?

Earning an MS in Professional Writing from NYU will move you forward in your professional writing career—at any stage. We pride ourselves on a curriculum that has real-world relevance and prepares confident writers with the skills to craft strategic, ethical copy for companies and clients across industries. Our coursework will help you improve your craft as a writer and you will graduate with a professional-quality writing portfolio and access to a network of professional peers.

Guided by industry-experienced faculty, you will hone your writing and editing abilities and develop leadership, project management, and media literacy skills. Employers value the education our students receive, the skills they obtain, and their ability to confidently lead communication projects forward. This helps set our students apart and advances their job prospects and pathways.

With this degree, you can advance in your current career to a leadership role or pivot writing full-time for a passion project/industry you care about. You can also use your time in the program to try a range of industries and writing roles before launching a career that matches your writing strengths and interests.  

Does every student graduate with a writing portfolio?

Yes! Every MS in Professional Writing student builds a digital, professional-quality portfolio in their final semester. The digital writing portfolio pulls from course work throughout the program and is individualized to students’ professional goals and personal interests.

Our curriculum is designed so that every class has multiple real-world assignments that could be included in a students’ digital writing portfolio. In your final semester, you select the coursework that best fits your career goals to build a digital portfolio that you can use as soon as you graduate.

How long does it take to earn an MS in Professional Writing?

The MS in Professional Writing is a 36 credit degree program. If you choose to study full-time, you can complete your degree in as little as 3 semesters. Most part-time students complete the MS in Professional Writing degree in 6 semesters. We believe graduate school should fit the busy lives of our students and you can opt to study full-time or part-time to find a work/life/student balance that is right for you.

Is Financial Aid available for the MS in Professional Writing?

Yes!  We encourage our applicants to explore the financial aid resources available to graduate students.  This includes a unique scholarship opportunity for first-semester MS in Professional Writing students.  

What’s unique about the MS in Professional Writing program at NYU School of Professional Studies?

You! Our students build an online writing community that grows with each class you take. Students join the MS in Professional Writing program with a variety of interests, experiences, and individual goals. From NYC, across the country, and around the world, our students share a love of writing and a commitment to improving their craft. They are motivated by curiosity and by the possibilities of professional writing. They know that their writing can build understanding, communicate important messages, and create change in the world. And they have fun along the way.

A few other things that make our MS in Professional Writing unique:

• We are a high-touch, fully online program, providing the convenience of learning from any location, on your own schedule, as part of the NYU learning community. Renowned for our innovative workshop-model curriculum, our program is designed to match the flexible and tech-forward working life of professional writers. Learn more about the courses available in the MS in Professional Writing.
• We encourage students to explore a range of industries and writing styles in their coursework. You don’t have to narrow to one type of writing or industry until you’ve tried out a few. Alternatively, you can select electives that are clustered in one area to provide a deep dive (and targeted writing portfolio) if you already know your career path. 
• We have industry-experienced faculty who are leaders in their professions and care deeply about impacting the next generation of writers in their fields. In the MS in Professional Writing program, faculty and industry leaders work together to continuously update our courses, preparing our students to meet today’s unique communication demands.
• We partner with the NYU Wasserman Center for Career Development at NYU SPS , providing students and alumni with career coaching and connection to a global network of peers and professionals.

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NYU Creative Writing Program

New york, united states.

The Graduate Creative Writing Program at New York University has distinguished itself for more than three decades as a leading national center for the study of literature and writing. The program enables students to develop their craft while working closely with some of today's finest poets and writers. Students also have an opportunity to enjoy America's most literary terrain, benefiting from the extensive cultural resources of the University and New York City.

Each year the faculty selects a talented group of writers and offers them rigorous and supportive teaching. Most candidates take one workshop and one other course each semester and complete the program in two years; only one writing workshop may be taken per semester. In the final semester, students present a creative thesis consisting of a substantial body of finished work in poetry, fiction, or nonfiction.

The NYU Creative Writing program provides an environment which enables students to work seriously at their craft and, through outreach programs, the literary journal Washington Square, and public readings, bring the art of writing to the larger community of New York City. This is a serious community of writers engaged in an exceptional program of study.

Washington Square is the literary review of New York University's Graduate Creative Writing Program. A biannual literary magazine, it is staffed and edited by CWP students. It includes work by established writers as well as NYU alumni. It sponsors a student reading series open to the public and enables students to experience working on a literary magazine in all phases of its production.

NYU's Creative Writing Program offers a prestigious literary reading series, free and open to the public. (Support is provided by NY Community Trust, the NY State Council on the Arts, Poets & Writers, Inc., Poetry Society of America, the NYU Book Center, and many more.) Guest writers are invited to meet informally with students during their visits. Recent guests have included André Aciman, Kaveh Akbar, Donald Antrim, Amy Bloom, Jericho Brown, Anne Carson, Alexander Chee, Susan Choi, Sandra Cisneros, Lydia Davis, Stuart Dybek, Mark Doty, Deborah Eisenberg, Melissa Febos, Joshua Ferris, Rivka Galchen, Jorie Graham, Terrance Hayes, Marie Howe, Etgar Keret, Maxine Hong Kingston, Rachel Kushner, Dorothea Lasky, Victor LaValle, Kiese Laymon, Jonathan Lethem, Sam Lipsyte, Patricia Lockwood, Layli Long Soldier, Carmen Maria Machado, James McBride, Dinaw Mengestu, Claire Messud, Lorrie Moore, Eileen Myles, Joyce Carol Oates, Sharon Olds, Morgan Parker, Carl Phillips, Claudia Rankine, Karen Russell, Tracy K. Smith, Gary Shteyngart, Edmund White, and Colson Whitehead.

Students may apply for fellowships that involve teaching in literary outreach programs. These programs, which have become national models for excellence in literary outreach, include The Starworks Fellowship Program, The Goldwater Writing Workshop, and the Veterans Writing Workshop.

Contact Information

58 West 10th Street Lillian Vernon Creative Writers House New York New York, United States 10011 Phone: 2129988816 Email: [email protected] https://as.nyu.edu/cwp.html

Minor / Concentration in Creative Writing +

Undergraduate program director.

The Minor in Creative Writing offers undergraduates the opportunity to hone their skills while exploring the full range of literary genres including poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. The Minor is a sixteen-point credit load consisting of three to four creative writing courses. V39.0815 Creative Writing: Introduction to Fiction & Poetry (or V39.9815 Creative Writing, or equivalent) is generally the foundational course, to be followed by twelve additional points in the form of three higher-level workshops (Intermediate/Advanced/Master Class; four points each) or one higher-level workshop combined with one of our summer intensives (Writers in New York or Writers in Paris; eight points each).

Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing +

Graduate program director.

The Graduate Creative Writing Program at New York University has distinguished itself for more than two decades as a leading national center for the study of literature and writing. The program enables students to develop their craft while working closely with some of today's finest poets and writers. Students also have an opportunity to enjoy America's most literary terrain, benefiting from the extensive cultural resources of the University and New York City.

Washington Square Review is the literary review of New York University's Graduate Creative Writing Program. A biannual literary magazine, it is staffed and edited by CWP students. It includes work by established writers as well as NYU alumni. It sponsors a student reading series open to the public and enables students to experience working on a literary magazine in all phases of its production.

NYU's Creative Writing Program offers a prestigious literary reading series, free and open to the public. (Support is provided by NY Community Trust, the NY State Council on the Arts, Poets & Writers, Inc., the NYU Book Center, and many more.) Guest writers are invited to meet informally with students during their visits. Recent guests have included Andre Aciman, Fred Moten, Claire Messud, Carl Phillips, Rigoberto Gonzalez, Ladan Osman, Jenny Offill, Susan Choi, Khaled Mattawa, Layli Long Soldier, Chang rae-Lee, Curtis Sittenfeld, Pamela Sneed, Patricia Lockwood, Melissa Febos, Rachel Cusk, Karen Russell, Aimee Bender, Eliot Weinberger, Douglas Kearney, Kaveh Akbar, and Maggie Nelson, among many others.

Sharon Olds

Sharon Olds is a previous director of the Creative Writing Program at NYU. Her first book of poetry, Satan Says, received the San Francisco Poetry Center Award. Her second book, The Dead and the Living, was both the Lamont Poetry Selection for 1983 and the winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award. She is also the author of The Gold Cell; The Father; The Wellspring; Blood, Tin, Straw; The Unswept Room; Strike Sparks: Selected Poems, 1980- 2002; One Secret Thing; Odes; and most recently, Arias, which was a finalist for the T.S. Eliot Prize. In 2012, her collection Stag's Leap was awarded the T.S. Eliot Prize and the Pulitzer Prize. She received a Lila Wallace-Readers' Digest Grant in 1993, part of which was designated for the NYU workshop program at Goldwater Hospital on Roosevelt Island. In 1997, she received the Harriet Monroe Poetry Award. From 1998-2000 she was the New York State Poet Laureate. Professor Olds holds the Erich Maria Remarque Professorship at NYU.

https://as.nyu.edu/cwp/graduate/faculty.html

Zadie Smith

Zadie Smith was born in north-west London in 1975. Her first novel, White Teeth, was the winner of The Whitbread First Novel Award, The Guardian First Book Award, The James Tait Black Memorial Prize for Fiction, and The Commonwealth Writers' First Book Award. Her second novel, The Autograph Man, won The Jewish Quarterly Wingate Literary Prize. Zadie Smith's third novel, On Beauty, was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize, and won The Commonwealth Writers' Best Book Award (Eurasia Section) and the Orange Prize for Fiction. Her most recent novel, Swing Time, was published in 2016. She is the editor of an anthology of short stories entitled The Book Of Other People and has published several collections of short stories including Martha and Hanwell (2005), and Grand Union (2019), as well as several collections of essays including Changing My Mind (2009), Feel Free: Essays (2018), and the most recent Intimations: Six Essays (2020). She was formerly the New Books columnist for Harper's Magazine. Zadie Smith is a graduate of Cambridge University and has taught at Harvard and Columbia universities. She is a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. She became a tenured professor of fiction at NYU in 2010.

Jonathan Safran Foer

Jonathan Safran Foer is the author of the bestselling novel Everything Is Illuminated, named Book of the Year by the Los Angeles Times and the winner of numerous awards, including the Guardian First Book Prize, the National Jewish Book Award, and the New York Public Library Young Lions Prize. His other novels include Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close and, most recently, Here I Am. He is also the author of the nonfiction books, Eating Animals, and We Are the Weather: Saving the Planet Begins at Breakfast (2019). Foer was one of Rolling Stone's "People of the Year" and Esquire's "Best and Brightest,” and was included in The New Yorker magazine's "20 Under 40" list of writers. He lives in Brooklyn.

Matthew Rohrer

Matthew Rohrer is the author of The Sky Contains the Plans (Wave Books, 2020), The Others (Wave Books, 2017), which was the winner of the 2017 Believer Book Award, Surrounded by Friends (Wave Books, 2015), Destroyer and Preserver (Wave Books, 2011), A Plate of Chicken (Ugly Duckling Presse, 2009), Rise Up (Wave Books, 2007) and A Green Light (Verse Press, 2004), which was shortlisted for the 2005 Griffin Poetry Prize. He is also the author of Satellite (Verse Press, 2001), and co-author, with Joshua Beckman, of Nice Hat. Thanks. (Verse Press, 2002), and the audio CD Adventures While Preaching the Gospel of Beauty. With Joshua Beckman and Anthony McCann he wrote the secret book Gentle Reader! It is not for sale. Octopus Books published his action/adventure chapbook-length poem They All Seemed Asleep in 2008. His first book, A Hummock in the Malookas was selected for the National Poetry Series by Mary Oliver in 1994.

His poems have been widely anthologized and have appeared in many journals. He's received the Hopwood Award for poetry and a Pushcart prize, and was selected as a National Poetry Series winner, and was shortlisted for the Griffin International Poetry Prize. Recently he has participated in residencies/ performances at the Museum of Modern Art (New York City) and the Henry Art Gallery (Seattle).

Matthew Rohrer was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, was raised in Oklahoma, and attended universities in Ann Arbor, Dublin, and Iowa City. He teaches in the Creative Writing Program at NYU and lives in Brooklyn.

Darin Strauss

Darin Strauss is the internationally bestselling author of the novels Chang and Eng, The Real McCoy, More Than it Hurts You, the NBCC-winning memoir, Half a Life, the comic-book series, Olivia Twist, and most recently the acclaimed novel, The Queen of Tuesday: A Lucille Ball Story (Random House, 2020). A recipient of a National Book Critics Circle Award, the Guggenheim Fellowship, an American Library Association Award, and numerous other prizes, Strauss has written screenplays for Disney, Gary Oldman, and Julie Taymor. His work has been translated into fourteen languages and published in nineteen countries, and he is a Clinical Professor at the NYU Creative Writing Program.

Deborah Landau

Deborah Landau (Director) is the author of four collections of poetry: Soft Targets (winner of the 2019 Believer Book Award), The Uses of the Body and The Last Usable Hour, all Lannan Literary Selections from Copper Canyon Press, and Orchidelirium, selected by Naomi Shihab Nye for the Robert Dana Anhinga Prize for Poetry. Her other awards include a Jacob K Javits Fellowship and a Guggenheim Fellowship. The Uses of the Body was featured on NPR's All Things Considered, and included on "Best of 2015" lists by The New Yorker, Vogue, BuzzFeed, and O, The Oprah Magazine, among others. A Spanish edition was published by Valparaiso Edici?ones in 2017. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, The Paris Review, American Poetry Review, Poetry, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, CNN, and The Best American Poetry, and included in anthologies such as Resistance, Rebellion, Life: 50 Poems Now, Please Excuse This Poem: 100 New Poets for the Next Generation, Not for Mothers Only, The Best American Erotic Poems, and Women's Work: Modern Poets Writing in English. Landau was educated at Stanford University, Columbia University, and Brown University, where she received a Ph.D. in English and American Literature. She is a professor and director of the Creative Writing Program at New York University.

The Uses of the Body was featured on NPR's All Things Considered, and included on "Best of 2015" lists by The New Yorker, Vogue BuzzFeed, and O, The Oprah Magazine, among others. A Spanish edition is forthcoming from Valparaiso Ediciones.

Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, The Paris Review, Tin House, Poetry, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times, selected for The Best American Poetry, and included in anthologies such as Please Excuse This Poem: 100 New Poets for the Next Generation, Not for Mothers Only, The Best American Erotic Poems, and Women's Work: Modern Poets Writing in English.

Landau was educated at Stanford University, Columbia University, and Brown University, where she was a Javits Fellow and received a Ph.D. in English and American Literature. She teaches in and directs the Creative Writing Program at New York University, and lives in Brooklyn with her husband, sons, and daughter.

Nathan Englander

Nathan Englander's most recent novel is kaddish.com. He is also the author of the Dinner at the Center of the Earth, the collection What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank, as well as the internationally bestselling story collection For the Relief of Unbearable Urges, and the novel The Ministry of Special Cases (all published by Knopf/Vintage). He was the 2012 recipient of the Frank O'Connor International Short Story Award and a finalist for the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for What We Talk About. His short fiction and essays have appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Atlantic Monthly, The Washington Post, Vogue, and Esquire, among other places. His work has been anthologized in The O. Henry Prize Stories and numerous editions of The Best American Short Stories, including 100 Years of the Best American Short Stories. Translated into twenty-two languages, Englander was selected as one of “20 Writers for the 21st Century” by The New Yorker, received a Guggenheim Fellowship, a PEN/Malamud Award, the Bard Fiction Prize, and the Sue Kaufman Prize from the American Academy of Arts & Letters. He’s been a fellow at the Dorothy & Lewis B. Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers at the New York Public Library, and at The American Academy of Berlin. In 2012 Englander's translation of the New American Haggadah (edited by Jonathan Safran Foer) was published by Little Brown. He also co-translated Etgar Keret's Suddenly A Knock at the Door and Fly Already, published by FSG. His play The Twenty-Seventh Man premiered at the Public Theater in 2012, and his new play, What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank, winner of a 2019 Edgerton Foundation New Play Award, and the 2020 Blanche and Irving Laurie Theatre Visions Fund Prize, was commissioned by Lincoln Center Theater and was supposed to be running at The Old Globe in San Diego right now—sigh. He is Distinguished Writer in Residence at New York University and lives with his family in Toronto.

Terrance Hayes

Terrance Hayes’s most recent publications include American Sonnets for My Past And Future Assassin (Penguin 2018) and To Float In The Space Between: Drawings and Essays in Conversation with Etheridge Knight (Wave, 2018). To Float In The Space Between was winner of the Poetry Foundation’s 2019 Pegasus Award for Poetry Criticism and a finalist for the 2018 National Book Critics Circle Award in Criticism. American Sonnets for My Past And Future Assassin won the Hurston/Wright 2019 Award for Poetry and was a finalist the 2018 National Book Critics Circle Award in Poetry, the 2018 National Book Award in Poetry, the 2018 TS Eliot Prize for Poetry, and the 2018 Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award. Hayes is a Professor of English at New York University.

Joyce Carol Oates

Joyce Carol Oates is a recipient of the National Book Award and the PEN/Malamud Award for Excellence in Short Fiction. She has published numerous essays and memoirs, novellas, plays, children's and young adult fiction, and dozens of works of short fiction, poetry, and fiction, including We Were the Mulvaneys and Blonde (a finalist for the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize), as well as the New York Times bestsellers The Falls (winner of the 2005 Prix Femina Etranger) and The Gravedigger’s Daughter, A Book of American Martyrs, and the most recent, Hazards of Time Travel, My Life as a Rat, and Night. Sleep. Death. The Stars. Her most recent works, published with HarperCollins, include the poetry collection American Melancholy (2021) and a collection of stories The (Other) You (2021). Her next novel Breathe will be published in August 2021. In 2013, she received the Bram Stoker Award for Best Fiction Collection for Black Dahlia and White Swan. Oates is the Roger S. Berlind Distinguished Professor of the Humanities at Princeton University and has been a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters since 1978.

Catherine Barnett

Catherine Barnett is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Whiting Writers Award, the Glasgow Prize for Emerging Writers, and a Pushcart Prize. Her most recent collection, Human Hours, was published in 2018 by Graywolf Press and received the Believer Book Award in Poetry. She is also the author of Into Perfect Spheres Such Holes Are Pierced (Alice James Books, 2004), winner of the Beatrice Hawley Award, and The Game of Boxes (Graywolf Press, 2012), which received the James Laughlin Award from the Academy of American Poets for an outstanding second book. Barnett has taught at Barnard, Princeton, and Hunter, and is currently a Clinical Associate Professor at NYU.

Jeffrey Eugenides

Jeffrey Eugenides was born in Detroit, Michigan. His first novel, The Virgin Suicides, was published to major acclaim in 1993. It has been translated into thirty-four languages and made into a feature film. In 2003, Eugenides received the Pulitzer Prize for his novel Middlesex (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2002). Middlesex also won the WELT-Literaturpreis of Germany and the Great Lakes Book Award, and it was shortlisted for the National Book Critics Circle Award, France’s Prix Medici, and the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. His third novel, The Marriage Plot (FSG, 2011), was a National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist and was named a Best Book of the Year by The New York Times Book Review, NPR, The New Republic, Publisher's Weekly, and numerous other publications. His latest book, the story collection Fresh Complaint (FSG, 2017), was a New York Times Notable Book of 2017, and was named a Best Book of the Year by Kirkus, The Guardian, NPR, and others. His fiction has appeared in The New Yorker, The Paris Review, The Yale Review, Best American Short Stories, The Gettysburg Review, and Granta’s “Best of Young American Novelists.” Eugenides is the recipient of many awards, including fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts, a Whiting Writers’ Award, and the Henry D. Vursell Memorial Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 2018. He taught creative writing at Princeton for many years before joining the NYU Creative Writing Program as a tenured full professor and the Lewis and Loretta Glucksman Professor in American Letters. Eugenides has been inducted into The American Academy of Arts and Letters and The American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

http://as.nyu.edu/cwp/graduate/Faculty1.html

Katie Kitamura

Katie Kitamura’s most recent novel is Intimacies. Longlisted for the 2021 National Book Award, it is a Barack Obama Summer Reading selection and a New York Times Editors’ choice. Her third novel, A Separation, was a New York Times Notable Book and a finalist for the Premio von Rezzori. She is also the author of Gone To The Forest and The Longshot, both finalists for the New York Public Library’s Young Lions Fiction Award. Her work has been translated into nineteen languages and is being adapted for film and television. A recipient of fellowships from the Lannan Foundation and Santa Maddalena, Katie has written for publications including The New York Times Book Review, The New York Times, The Guardian, Granta, BOMB, Triple Canopy, and Frieze. She teaches in the creative writing program at New York University.

Hari Kunzru

Hari Kunzru is a Clinical Professor in the Creative Writing Program. He holds a BA in English Language and Literature from Oxford University and an MA in Philosophy and Literature from Warwick University. He is the author of five novels, including White Tears, a finalist for the PEN Jean Stein Award, the Kirkus Prize, the Folio Prize, the James Tait Black Memorial Prize, One Book New York, the Prix du Livre Inter étranger, and a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. His latest novel Red Pill was published in 2020 by Knopf. He is also the author of The Impressionist, Transmission, My Revolutions, Gods Without Men and a short story collection, Noise. His novella Memory Palace was presented as an exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum in 2013. His work has been translated into over twenty languages. His short stories and essays have appeared in publications including The New York Times, The New Yorker, Guardian, New York Review of Books, Granta, Bookforum, October and Frieze. He has written screenplays, radio drama, and experimental work using field recordings and voice-to-text software. He has taught at Hunter College and Columbia University. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and an Honorary Fellow of Wadham College, Oxford. He has been a Cullman Fellow at the New York Public Library, a Guggenheim Fellow and a Fellow of the American Academy in Berlin. He is a past deputy president of English PEN, a judge for the 2018 Man Booker International Prize and has been a frequent presenter, interviewer and guest on television and radio.

Claudia Rankine

Claudia Rankine is a recipient of the 2016 MacArthur Fellowship, and the author of six collections including Citizen: An American Lyric and Don’t Let Me Be Lonely; three plays including HELP, which premiered in March of 2020 at The Shed, NYC, and The White Card, and the editor of several anthologies including The Racial Imaginary: Writers on Race in the Life of the Mind. She also co-produces a video series, “The Situation,” alongside John Lucas, and is the founder of the Open Letter Project: Race and the Creative Imagination. In 2016, she co-founded The Racial Imaginary Institute (TRII). In addition to the MacArthur, her numerous awards and honors include the Forward Prize, the National Book Critics Circle Award for Poetry, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and fellowships from the Lannan Foundation and the National Endowment of the Arts. Her most recent book is Just Us: An American Conversation (Graywolf, 2020). A Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets, Claudia Rankine joined the NYU Creative Writing Program as a tenured Professor in Fall 2021.

Publications & Presses +

Washington Square Review

Visiting Writers Program +

Nick Laird, Nadifa Mohamed, Ocean Vuong, Marie-Helene Bertino, Kiran Desai, Alex Dimitrov, Uzodinma Iweala, David Lipsky, Leigh Newman, Idra Novey, Meghan O'Rourke, Julie Orringer, Jana Prikryl, Jess Row, Nicole Sealey, Parul Sehgal, Brandon Taylor, Hannah Tinti, Phillip B. Williams

Reading Series +

NYU Reading Series ( http://as.nyu.edu/cwp/reading-series.html )

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Best Creative Writing colleges in New York 2023

Best creative writing colleges in new york for 2023.

Cornell University offers 1 Creative Writing degree programs. It's a very large, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a small city. In 2020, 8 Creative Writing students graduated with students earning 8 Master's degrees.

Columbia University in the City of New York offers 2 Creative Writing degree programs. It's a very large, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a large city. In 2020, 168 Creative Writing students graduated with students earning 128 Master's degrees, and 40 Bachelor's degrees.

Binghamton University offers 1 Creative Writing degree programs. It's a large, public, four-year university in a midsize suburb. In 2020, 47 Creative Writing students graduated with students earning 47 Bachelor's degrees.

Stony Brook University offers 3 Creative Writing degree programs. It's a very large, public, four-year university in a large suburb. In 2020, 18 Creative Writing students graduated with students earning 16 Master's degrees, and 2 Certificates.

Syracuse University offers 1 Creative Writing degree programs. It's a very large, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a midsize city. In 2020, 12 Creative Writing students graduated with students earning 12 Master's degrees.

Hamilton College offers 1 Creative Writing degree programs. It's a small, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a midsize suburb. In 2020, 20 Creative Writing students graduated with students earning 20 Bachelor's degrees.

University at Buffalo offers 2 Creative Writing degree programs. It's a very large, public, four-year university in a large suburb. In 2020, 14 Creative Writing students graduated with students earning 14 Certificates.

University of Rochester offers 1 Creative Writing degree programs. It's a large, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a midsize city. In 2020, 10 Creative Writing students graduated with students earning 10 Bachelor's degrees.

CUNY City College offers 1 Creative Writing degree programs. It's a large, public, four-year university in a large city. In 2020, 24 Creative Writing students graduated with students earning 24 Master's degrees.

CUNY Hunter College offers 1 Creative Writing degree programs. It's a very large, public, four-year university in a large city. In 2020, 13 Creative Writing students graduated with students earning 13 Master's degrees.

Find local colleges with Creative Writing majors in New York

List of all creative writing colleges in new york.

January and Spring Term 2024 course registration is now open!

Creative Writing and Literature Master’s Degree Program

Online Courses

11 out of 12 total courses

On-Campus Experience

One 1- or 3-week residency in summer

$3,220 per course

Unlock your creative potential and hone your unique voice.

Build a strong foundation in literary criticism and writing across multiple genres — including fiction, nonfiction, and drama — in our live online writing and literature program with an in-person writer’s residency at Harvard.

Program Overview

Through the master’s degree in creative writing and literature, you’ll hone your skills as a storyteller — crafting publishable original scripts, novels, and stories.

In small, workshop-style classes, you’ll master key elements of narrative craft, including characterization, story and plot structure, point of view, dialogue, and description. And you’ll learn to approach literary works as both a writer and scholar by developing skills in critical analysis.

Program Benefits

Instructors who are published authors of drama, fiction, and nonfiction

A community of writers who support your growth in live online classes

Writer's residency with agent & editor networking opportunities

Personalized academic and career advising

Thesis or capstone options that lead to publishable creative work

Harvard Alumni Association membership upon graduation

Customizable Course Curriculum

As you work through the program’s courses, you’ll enhance your creative writing skills and knowledge of literary concepts and strategies. You’ll practice the art of revision to hone your voice as a writer in courses like Writing the Short Personal Essay and Writing Flash Fiction.

Within the creative writing and literature program, you will choose between a thesis or capstone track. You’ll also experience the convenience of online learning and the immersive benefits of learning in person.

11 Online Courses

• Primarily synchronous
• Fall, spring, January, and summer options

Writer’s Residency

A 1- or 3-week summer master class taught by a notable instructor, followed by an agents-and-editors weekend

Thesis or Capstone Track

• Thesis: features a 9-month independent creative project with a faculty advisor
• Capstone: includes crafting a fiction or nonfiction manuscript in a classroom community

The path to your degree begins before you apply to the program.

First, you’ll register for and complete 2 required courses, earning at least a B in each. These foundational courses are investments in your studies and count toward your degree, helping ensure success in the program.

Getting Started

We invite you to explore degree requirements, confirm your initial eligibility, and learn more about our unique “earn your way in” admissions process.

A Faculty of Creative Writing Experts

Studying at Harvard Extension School means learning from the world’s best. Our instructors are renowned academics in literary analysis, storytelling, manuscript writing, and more. They bring a genuine passion for teaching, with students giving our faculty an average rating of 4.7 out of 5.

Bryan Delaney

Playwright and Screenwriter

Talaya Adrienne Delaney

Lecturer in Extension, Harvard University

Elisabeth Sharp McKetta

Our community at a glance.

80% of our creative writing and literature students are enrolled in our master’s degree program for either personal enrichment or to make a career change. Most (74%) are employed full time while pursuing their degree and work across a variety of industries.

Average Age

Course Taken Each Semester

Work Full Time

Would Recommend the Program

Professional Experience in the Field

Pursued for Personal Enrichment

Career Opportunities & Alumni Outcomes

Graduates of our Creative Writing and Literature Master’s Program have writing, research, and communication jobs in the fields of publishing, advertising/marketing, fundraising, secondary and higher education, and more.

Some alumni continue their educational journeys and pursue further studies in other nationally ranked degree programs, including those at Boston University, Brandeis University, University of Pennsylvania, and Cambridge University.

Our alumni hold titles as:

• Marketing Manager
• Director of Publishing
• Senior Research Writer

Our alumni work at a variety of leading organizations, including:

• Little, Brown & Company
• New York University (NYU)
• Bentley Publishers

Career Advising and Mentorship

Whatever your career goals, we’re here to support you. Harvard’s Mignone Center for Career Success offers career advising, employment opportunities, Harvard alumni mentor connections, and career fairs like the annual on-campus Harvard Humanities, Media, Marketing, and Creative Careers Expo.

Your Harvard University Degree

Upon successful completion of the required curriculum, you will earn the Master of Liberal Arts (ALM) in Extension Studies, Field: Creative Writing and Literature.

Expand Your Connections: the Harvard Alumni Network

As a graduate, you’ll become a member of the worldwide Harvard Alumni Association (400,000+ members) and Harvard Extension Alumni Association (29,000+ members).

Harvard is closer than one might think. You can be anywhere and still be part of this world.

Read Julia Antuerpem's Story

Tuition & Financial Aid

Affordability is core to our mission. When compared to our continuing education peers, it’s a fraction of the cost.

After admission, you may qualify for financial aid . Typically, eligible students receive grant funds to cover a portion of tuition costs each term, in addition to federal financial aid options.

What can you do with a master’s degree in creative writing and literature?

A master’s degree in creative writing and literature prepares you for a variety of career paths in writing, literature, and communication — it’s up to you to decide where your interests will take you.

You could become a professional writer, editor, literary agent, marketing copywriter, or communications specialist.

You could also go the academic route and bring your knowledge to the classroom to teach creative writing or literature courses.

Is a degree in creative writing and literature worth it?

The value you find in our Creative Writing and Literature Master’s Degree Program will depend on your unique goals, interests, and circumstances.

The curriculum provides a range of courses that allow you to graduate with knowledge and skills transferable to various industries and careers.

How long does completing the creative writing and literature graduate program take?

Program length is ordinarily anywhere between 2 and 5 years. It depends on your preferred pace and the number of courses you want to take each semester.

For an accelerated journey, we offer year round study, where you can take courses in fall, January, spring, and summer.

While we don’t require you to register for a certain number of courses each semester, you cannot take longer than 5 years to complete the degree.

What skills do you need prior to applying for the creative writing and literature degree program?

Harvard Extension School does not require any specific skills prior to applying, but in general, it’s helpful to have solid reading, writing, communication, and critical thinking skills if you are considering a creative writing and literature master’s degree.

Initial eligibility requirements can be found on our creative writing and literature master’s degree requirements page .

Harvard Division of Continuing Education

The Division of Continuing Education (DCE) at Harvard University is dedicated to bringing rigorous academics and innovative teaching capabilities to those seeking to improve their lives through education. We make Harvard education accessible to lifelong learners from high school to retirement.

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Creative Writing (M.F.A.)

The Master in Creative Writing, (MFA)  is a 42 credit program, which prepares students to be professionals in dissecting contemporary, modern, and classic literature as well construct literature pieces of their own.

Our students are published in literary journals and by publishers. Students often explore jobs in teaching from middle school to graduate level.

The MFA in Creative Writing offers students a chance to improve their stories, poems, scripts and non-fiction writing.  The ideal students are those passionate about improving their creative writing skills and would like to explore becoming a writer.

Additional Requirements:

Program Director:  Michelle Valladares [email protected]  

Last Updated: 10/18/2023 12:19

Young Adult Creative Writing

This event will take place in person at 53rd St.

Get ready for some creative writing! Share your writing, bounce ideas off of other writers, and unleash some creative energy! Each week will have a different theme/challenge for aspiring writers to try their hand at. Feel free to share your work at the very end if you'd like!

This program is for young adults, and will take place in the teen zone.

• Audience: Teens/Young Adults (13-18 years), Young Adults/Pre GED (16-24 years)

Fall ’23 Creative Writing Open House

October 31, 2023.

Quantá Holden | Duke English Digital Communication Specialist

A group of students recently joined the Duke English Creative Writing faculty for an Open House. The Open House allowed students to chat with faculty informally about creative writing from all facets, ranging from course offerings to advice on how creative writing can continue beyond the classroom. Among the students in attendance was a local high school senior who has applied to Duke and is interested in majoring in English and minoring in Creative Writing.

“I thought it was a super great opportunity to meet creative writing professors and learn about their classes and their experiences. I found the advice they gave was inspiring and helpful, such as how learning poetry can help with prose writing and to find groups of students who are also interested in English to bounce ideas off of and to push you in your writing.” – Annette Lu , ’25,  Chemistry and Math and English minor

Each of the creative writing faculty members on the panel shared information about the courses they often teach, their writing background, and what classes they will teach during the Spring 2024 semester.

Professor Mesha Maren spoke about being a novelist and pairing her love for writing with her passion for teaching the art of writing. Professor Maren is currently teaching in the Duke in New York program and participated in the Open House virtually through Zoom. She will return to campus in Spring 2024 to teach  English 110S.01  - Intro to Creative Writing , an introductory-level multi-genre creative writing course, and  English 421S.01  - Advanced Workshop in Writing of Fiction , designed to build upon the skills students have already developed from other creative writing courses.

Professor Faulkner Fox encouraged students in attendance to study various genres and pointed out how studying different genres can help you develop the one you are most passionate about. For example, she noted how poetry can help train one's ear for other genres. This Spring, Fox will teach  English 110S.02  - Intro to Creative Writing , which will allow students to explore four genres of creative writing: creative nonfiction, fiction, drama, and poetry. She will also teach  English 218S.01  -  Plays that Change the World , a creative writing course for aspiring playwrights.

Blackburn Distinguished Artist in Residence, Toby Martinez de las Rivas, shared his insight as a poet and how he incorporates his interest in multi-media into his poetry. Martinez, a visiting professor with the Duke English Department for the 2023-24 academic year, will teach two writing courses during the Spring 2024 semester. He will teach  English 220S.01 - Intro to the Writing of Poetry , which Martinez describes as a course that will allow one to create a short portfolio of poems in a supportive setting. He will also teach  English 290S-4.04  -  Poetry Beyond the Page , which will invite students to "challenge the image of the solitary poet and explore approaches to writing that de-centre the author and question the primacy of text."

Professor JP Gritton led the Open House and shared that as a novelist and short-story writer, he is interested in the psychology of what makes characters in literary works tick. This Spring, he will teach  English 221S.02  -  Intro to the Writing of Fiction , which will have students reading the works by writers who have mastered the short form. Students will compose short fiction pieces while exploring the narrative craft's building blocks. He will also teach  English 290S-4.02  -  Anti-Villains, or How to Write a Good Bad Character , a course that seeks to understand what makes a good "bad" character.

While discussing paths to continue writing beyond the class, Professor Cathy Shuman shared that she doesn't have an MFA degree like some of the other members of the panel but instead a Ph.D. in Literature and noted how vital reading is to one honing their writing skills. In the Spring of 2024, Professor Shuman will teach  English 217.S.01 -   Writing Flash Nonfiction , in which her students will experiment with the creative nonfiction style, tone, and structure while exploring the flash nonfiction genre. She will also teach  English 222S.01 -   Intro to the Writing of Creative NonFiction : Writing the Self , focusing on autobiographical writing.

Key pieces of advice that Professor Joe Donahue shared with the students were to consider doing an Independent Study in a creative writing area not taught as a course and the opportunity to complete an Honors project. Donahue will teach  English 320S.01 - Intermediate Workshop Writing of Poetry  that is designed to "deepen students' engagement with the history and practice of poetic art in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.”  

The Open House concluded with a Q&A session in which the students asked about developing one's craft, careers, getting published, how to keep the passion for writing going, and how to complement their love for writing with a career that allows them to incorporate writing or at least supports them while they write. 

"Interest in writing has a value that goes beyond dollars and cents..." -  Professor Faulkner Fox

Other Creative Writing courses being offered in the Spring 2024 semester include:

English 110S.03   Intro to Creative Writing , taught by Akhil Sharma, intends to introduce students to the intense pleasure of working with language.

English 221S.01   Intro to the Writing of Fiction , taught by Akhil Sharma, plans to introduce students to the building blocks of fiction: point of view, tenses, and plotting.

English 321S.01   Intermediate Workshop Writing of Fiction: "Detectives, Robots and Talking Frogs: Writing Altered/Alternate Realities,"  taught by Professor Amin Ahmad – "Reading like writers, we will analyze each genre to understand how it creates a new but authentic world..."

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