best creative writing colleges in ohio

Best Creative Writing colleges in Ohio 2024

Best creative writing colleges in ohio for 2024.

Miami University-Oxford offers 2 Creative Writing degree programs. It's a large, public, four-year university in a outlying town. In 2022, 46 Creative Writing students graduated with students earning 34 Bachelor's degrees, and 12 Master's degrees.

Bowling Green State University-Main Campus offers 4 Creative Writing degree programs. It's a large, public, four-year university in a outlying town. In 2022, 26 Creative Writing students graduated with students earning 14 Bachelor's degrees, 11 Master's degrees, and 1 Certificate.

University of Cincinnati-Main Campus offers 5 Creative Writing degree programs. It's a very large, public, four-year university in a large city. In 2022, 53 Creative Writing students graduated with students earning 30 Bachelor's degrees, 13 Certificates, 9 Doctoral degrees, and 1 Master's degree.

Ohio University-Main Campus offers 1 Creative Writing degree programs. It's a very large, public, four-year university in a faraway town. In 2022, 24 Creative Writing students graduated with students earning 24 Bachelor's degrees.

Kent State University at Kent offers 1 Creative Writing degree programs. It's a very large, public, four-year university in a large suburb. In 2022, 6 Creative Writing students graduated with students earning 6 Master's degrees.

Youngstown State University offers 2 Creative Writing degree programs. It's a large, public, four-year university in a small city. In 2022, 4 Creative Writing students graduated with students earning 4 Master's degrees.

Oberlin College offers 1 Creative Writing degree programs. It's a small, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a outlying town. In 2022, 28 Creative Writing students graduated with students earning 28 Bachelor's degrees.

University of Akron Main Campus offers 1 Creative Writing degree programs. It's a large, public, four-year university in a midsize city. In 2022, 4 Creative Writing students graduated with students earning 4 Master's degrees.

Cleveland State University offers 1 Creative Writing degree programs. It's a large, public, four-year university in a large city. In 2022, 6 Creative Writing students graduated with students earning 6 Master's degrees.

Baldwin Wallace University offers 1 Creative Writing degree programs. It's a small, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a large suburb. In 2022, 3 Creative Writing students graduated with students earning 3 Bachelor's degrees.

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List of all creative writing colleges in ohio.

15 Best colleges for Creative Writing in Ohio

Updated: February 29, 2024

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Below is a list of best universities in Ohio ranked based on their research performance in Creative Writing. A graph of 48.8K citations received by 5.13K academic papers made by 15 universities in Ohio was used to calculate publications' ratings, which then were adjusted for release dates and added to final scores.

We don't distinguish between undergraduate and graduate programs nor do we adjust for current majors offered. You can find information about granted degrees on a university page but always double-check with the university website.

Please note that our approach to subject rankings is based on scientific outputs and heavily biased on art-related topics towards institutions with computer science research profiles.

1. Ohio State University

For Creative Writing

2. Case Western Reserve University

3. Bowling Green State University

4. Miami University - Oxford

5. Kent State University at Kent

6. University of Cincinnati

7. Cleveland State University

8. University of Toledo

9. University of Dayton

10. Wright State University

11. Oberlin College

12. University of Akron

13. Denison University

14. John Carroll University

15. Kenyon College

Closest to Ohio states to learn Creative Writing

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MFA in Creative Writing

The Master of Fine Arts Program in Creative Writing at The Ohio State University is designed to help graduate students develop to the fullest their talents and abilities as writers of poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction. Creative writing classes are conducted as workshops or tutorials, and there are numerous opportunities for related study both within and beyond the Department of English.  All students are fully funded for three years in a program that is well known for its sense of community and a faculty that is as committed to teaching as to their own writing.

Approximately 36 graduate students are taught by tenure track, visiting and affiliated (Film Studies) faculty, who also teach in the undergraduate program. Graduate student TAs teach introductory and intermediate special topics undergraduate creative writing courses, undergraduate literary publishing, as well as first-year and second-year writing (required courses for all Ohio State undergraduates). TAs teach two classes a year, one in autumn and one in spring. In addition, they have the opportunity to work as editors of Ohio State's prize-winning, nationally distributed literary magazine, The Journal , and to serve on the editorial staff of our two annual book prizes, one in poetry and one in prose.

Course offerings are varied and numerous. Special topics graduate workshops (in the long poem, in characterization, in literary translation, in humor writing, and so on) ensure that, in addition to "regular" workshops, opportunities abound for experimentation. Our graduate program includes coursework designed for "crossing over," such as, poetry workshops for MFA fiction writers or essayists with little experience writing poems; and "forms" classes in prosody, the novel, the memoir, novellas, for example. 

Screenwriting for MFAs is offered regularly, and many students also elect to study playwriting or writing for performance as an elective. Some MFAs choose to pursue the Graduate Interdisciplinary Specialization in the Fine Arts (GISFA), which allows them to take graduate courses in other arts disciplines. Indeed, Ohio State's size and breadth offer our students the chance to explore many disciplines that enrich their study and practice of creative writing.

ABOUT THE PROGRAM

Core faculty.

Marcus Jackson is the director of the Creative Writing Program. He earned a BA from the University of Toledo and continued his poetry studies at New York University (NYU) and as a Cave Canem fellow. His poems have appeared in such publications as  The American Poetry Review ,  The New Yorker  and  Tin House . His first collection of poetry,  Neighborhood Register , was released in 2011, and his second collection,  Pardon My Heart  (Northwestern University Press/TriQuarterly Books) came out in 2019. Please visit Marcus Jackson's  website . Email:   [email protected]

Kathy Fagan Grandinetti  is the author of five books of poems:  Sycamore  (Milkweed Editions, 2017);  The Raft , a National Poetry Series Award Winner;  MOVING & ST RAGE , winner of the 1998 Vassar Miller Prize for Poetry;  The Charm  (2002); and  LIP  (2009). Her poems have been widely anthologized and her work has appeared in such publications as  Poetry ,  The Paris Review ,  FIELD ,  The Kenyon Review ,  Slate ,  Ploughshares ,  The New Republic  and  Blackbird . She is the recipient of fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the Ingram Merrill Foundation, The Frost Place and the Ohio Arts Council. Director of the Creative Writing Program, she continues to serve as advisor to  The Journal , for which she and Michelle Herman were awarded the 2004 Ohioana Award for Editorial Excellence. Fagan is also series editor for The Ohio State University Press/ The Journal  Wheeler Poetry Prize. Please visit Kathy Fagan's  website . Email:  [email protected]

Lee Martin  is the author of the novels  The Bright Forever ( a finalist for the 2006 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction);  River of Heaven ;  Quakertown ;  Break the Skin ; and  Late One Night . He has also published three memoirs:  From Our House ,  Turning Bones  and  Such a Life . His first book was the short story collection,  The Least You Need To Know , and a new collection,  The Mutual UFO Network , was published in 2018. His craft book,  Telling Stories: The Craft of Narrative and the Writing Life , came out in 2017. He is the co-editor of  Passing the Word: Writers on Their Mentors.  His fiction and nonfiction have appeared in such places as  Harper's, Ms., Creative Nonfiction, The Georgia Review, The Kenyon Review, Fourth Genre, River Teeth, The Southern Review, Prairie Schooner, Glimmer Train, The Best American Mystery Stories  and  The Best American Essays . He is the winner of the Mary McCarthy Prize in Short Fiction and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Ohio Arts Council. He was the winner of the 2006 Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching from Ohio State, where he is a College of Arts and Sciences Distinguished Professor of English. Please visit Lee Martin's  website . Email:   [email protected]

Elissa Washuta  is a member of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe and a writer of personal essays and memoir. She is the author of three books:  Starvation Mode,   My Body Is a Book of Rules , named a finalist for the Washington State Book Award, and  White Magic , named a finalist for the 2022 PEN Open Book Award. With Theresa Warburton, she is co-editor of the anthology  Exquisite Vessel: Shapes of Native Nonfiction,  forthcoming from University of Washington Press. Her work has appeared in  Salon ,  The Chronicle of Higher Education ,  BuzzFeed  and elsewhere. She has received fellowships and awards from the National Endowment for the Arts, Artist Trust, 4Culture, Potlatch Fund and Hugo House. Please visit Elissa Washuta's website . Email: [email protected]

Nick White is the author of the story collection  Sweet and Low  and the novel  How to Survive a Summer.  His fiction and essays have appeared in  The Kenyon Review, The Literary Review, Indiana Review, Guernica  and elsewhere. A native of Mississippi, he earned a PhD in English and creative writing from The University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Please visit Nick White's  website . Email: [email protected]

Affiliated faculty

Angus Fletcher  is the Black List and Nicholl award-winning screenwriter of MIDDLE EARTH (produced by Bob Shaye and Michael Lynne, directed by Michel Apted), WEE FREE MEN (produced by Allison Thomas and Gary Ross, based on the novel by Terry Pratchett), and VARIABLE MAN (produced by Isa Dick and Electric Shepherd, based on the novella by Philip K. Dick). He earned his PhD from Yale and has published articles on dramatic ethics and practice in Critical Inquiry, New Literary History, The Journal of the History of Philosophy, and a dozen other academic journals. His book Evolving Hamlet appeared on Palgrave in 2011, and his research and writing has been supported by grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Science Foundation, and the Mellon Foundation. Prior to coming to Ohio State, he taught at USC, Stanford and Teach for America. Email: [email protected]

Alumni of the MFA Program in Creative Writing have had their fiction, poetry and creative nonfiction appear in  The Best American Essays, The Best New American Voices, The Best American Travel Writing, Tin House, Southern Review, Kenyon Review, Gettysburg Review, Glimmer Train, Creative Nonfiction, Fourth Genre, River Teeth, The Yale Review, Poetry, American Poetry Review, New Criterion, Field, Iowa Review, The Paris Review, Prairie Schooner, North American Review, Ploughshares, The Washington Post Magazine, The New York Times Magazine, Quarterly West, Epoch, Five Points , and other notable venues.

Below are just a few of these outstanding alumni poets and writers.

Maggie Smith  is the author of  Weep Up  (Tupelo Press, forthcoming 2018);  The Well Speaks of Its Own Poison  (Tupelo Press 2015), winner of the Dorset Prize and the 2016 Independent Publisher Book Awards Gold Medal in Poetry  Lamp of the Body  (Red Hen Press 2005), winner of the Benjamin Saltman Award; and three prizewinning chapbooks. Her poems regularly appear in journals such as  The Paris Review, The Southern Review, The Gettysburg Review, Plume, Virginia Quarterly Review,  and  Guernica . The recipient of fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Ohio Arts Council, the Sustainable Arts Foundation, and elsewhere, Smith is a freelance writer and editor in Bexley, Ohio, and she serves as a consulting editor to the  Kenyon Review . (MFA, 2003) Maggie Smith's website . 

Photo credit: Lauren Powell

Claire Vaye Watkins  (MFA, 2011) is the author of the novel  Gold, Fame, Citrus  (2015) and  Battleborn  , a collection of stories (2012).  Battleborn  was awarded The Story Prize and the 2013 Dylan Thomas Prize and listed by the  San Francisco Chronicle  as one of the Best Books of 2012. Watkins was awarded an American Academy Arts & Letters Prize in 2012 and has received fellowships from the Writers’ Conferences at Sewanee and Bread Loaf. Her stories and essays have appeared in  Granta ,  One Story,   The Paris Review ,  Ploughshares ,  Glimmer Train ,  Best of the West 2011 , and  Best of the Southwest 2013.  Watkins is an assistant professor at Bucknell University and the co-director, with Derek Palacio, of the Mojave School, a non-profit creative writing workshop for teenagers in rural Nevada.

For more information about Watkins, her work, and the Mojave School, visit her website .

Photo credit: Heike Steinweg

Donald Ray Pollock  (MFA, 2009) is the author of the novel  The Devil All the TIme  (2011) and  Knockemstiff  (2008), a collection of stories. Pollock grew up in southern Ohio. At 17, He dropped out of high school to work in a meatpacking plant and then spent 32 years employed in a paper mill in Chillicothe, Ohio.  Knockemstiff  won the 2009 PEN/Robert Bingham Fellowship, and  The Devil All the Time  was listed by Esquire as one of the Three Books Every Man Should Read. Pollock's work has appeared in  Third Coast, The Journal ,  Sou’wester ,  Chiron Review ,  River Styx ,  Boulevard ,  Folio, Granta ,  The New York Times Book Review ,  Washington Square , and  The Berkeley Fiction Review . He is the 2012 recipient of the Grand Prix de Littérature Policière, the most prestigious award for crime and detectives novels in France.

For more information about Pollock and his work, visit his website .

Yona Harvey  (MFA, 2001) is a literary artist living in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She is the author of the poetry collection  Hemming the Water  (Four Way Books: New York), which won the Kate Tufts Discovery Award from Claremont Graduate University.

She is also the recipient of an Individual Artist Grant in literary nonfiction from The Pittsburgh Foundation. Her poems can be found in  jubilat, Gulf Coast, Callaloo, West Branch,  and various journals and anthologies, including  A Poet’s Craft: A Comprehensive Guide to Making and Sharing Your Poetry  (Ed. Annie Finch). She lives not far from where jazz pianist and composer Mary Lou Williams grew up. Williams married the spiritual to the secular in her music, and is a regular muse in Yona’s writing. She is an assistant professor in the Writing Program at the University of Pittsburgh.

Visiting Writer John Murillo

Friday, September 22, 2023, at 5 p.m. in Denney Hall 311

John Murillo is the author of the poetry collections  Up Jump the Boogie  (Cypher 2010, Four Way Books 2020), finalist for both the Kate Tufts Discovery Award and the Pen Open Book Award and  Kontemporary Amerikan Poetry (Four Way 2020), winner of the Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award and the Poetry Society of Virginia’s North American Book Award and finalist for the PEN/Voelcker Award for Poetry, Believer Poetry Award, Maya Angelou Book Award, Hurston/Wright Foundation Legacy Award and the NAACP Image Award.  His other honors include the Four Quartets Prize from the T.S. Eliot Foundation and the Poetry Society of America, two Larry Neal Writers Awards, a pair of Pushcart Prizes, the J Howard and Barbara MJ Wood Prize from the Poetry Foundation, an NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship, and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Bread Loaf Writers Conference, Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, Cave Canem Foundation and the Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing.   

Visiting Writer Melissa Faliveno

Friday, November 3, 2023, at 4 p.m. in Denney Hall 311

Melissa Faliveno is the author of the debut essay collection  TOMBOYLAND , named a Best Book of 2020 by NPR, New York Public Library, Oprah Magazine and Electric Literature and recipient of a 2021 Award for Outstanding Literary Achievement from the Wisconsin Library Association. Her essays, interviews and reviews have appeared in  Esquire, Paris Review, Bitch, Literary Hub, Ms Magazine, Brooklyn Rail  and  Prairie Schooner , among others, and in the anthology  SEX AND THE SINGLE WOMAN: 24 WRITERS REIMAGINE HELEN GURLEY BROWN’S CULT CLASSIC (Harper Perennial, 2022). Melissa is the Fall 2022 Distinguished Visiting Writer in the MFA program at UNC–Wilmington, was the 2020-21 Kenan Visiting Writer at UNC–Chapel Hill, and has also taught creative writing at Kenyon College, Sarah Lawrence College, Catapult and to incarcerated men, high school students and adults in and around New York City.

Visiting Writer Thao Thai

Friday, February 23, 2024, at 4 p.m. in Denney Hall 311

Thao Thai is a writer based out of Ohio, whose work has been published or is forthcoming in the  Los Angeles Review of Books, WIRED, Real Simple, Catapult, The Sunday Long Read, Cup of Jo  and other publications. Thao’s debut novel,  Banyan Moon , is set to come out in June of 2023 (Mariner|HarperCollins). The novel has already been selected as an Indie Next pick, Indies Introduce Title, Book of the Month pick and the HarperCollins Lead Read of Summer 2023. Thao received her MFA in Creative Writing from the Ohio State University in 2012.

Visiting Writer Daisy Hernández

Friday, October 28, 2022 at 4 p.m. in Denney Hall 311

Daisy Hernández is the author of  The Kissing Bug: A True Story of a Family, an Insect, and a Nation’s Neglect of a Deadly Disease  (Tin House, 2021), which won the PEN/Jean Stein Book Award and was selected as an inaugural title for the National Book Foundation’s Science + Literature Program.  The Kissing Bug  was named a top 10 nonfiction book of 2021 by  Time  magazine and was a finalist for the New American Voices Award. Daisy is also the author of the award-winning memoir,  A Cup of Water Under My Bed  (Beacon Press, 2014), and co-editor of the classic feminist anthology,  Colonize This! Young Women of Color on Today’s Feminism  (Seal Press, 2002). Her essays and fiction have appeared in numerous publications, and she has reported for  National Geographic, The Atlantic, The New York Times  and  Slate .

Visiting Writer Yona Harvey

Friday, November 18, 2022 at 4 p.m. in Denney Hall 311

Yona Harvey is the author of the poetry collections  You Don’t Have to Go to Mars for Love  (Four Way Books, 2020), which won the Believer Book Award for Poetry, and  Hemming the Water  (Four Way Books, 2013), which won the Kate Tufts Discovery Award. She co-wrote  Marvel’s World of Wakanda  with Roxane Gay, as well as  Black Panther & the Crew  with Ta-Nehisi Coates. Yona has worked with teenagers writing about mental health issues in collaboration with  Creative Nonfiction  magazine and is a 2022 Guggenheim Fellow. She is also a 2001 alumna of the Ohio State University’s MFA in Creative Writing Program.

Visiting Writer Jamel Brinkley

Friday, March 3, 2023 at 4 p.m. in Denney Hall 311

Jamel Brinkley is the author of  A Lucky Man: Stories  (Graywolf Press, 2018), which was a finalist for the National Book Award, the Story Prize, the John Leonard Prize, the PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize and the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award; and winner of a PEN Oakland Award and the Ernest J. Gaines Award for Literary Excellence. Jamel’s writing has appeared in  A Public Space, The Paris Review, Ploughshares, Gulf Coast, The Threepenny Review, Glimmer Train, American Short Fiction, The Believer  and  Tin House , and it has been anthologized twice in  The Best American Short Stories . Jamel was also the 2016-2017 Carol Houck Smith Fellow at the Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing, a 2018-2020 Wallace Stegner Fellow at Stanford University, and he has been awarded a 2021 O. Henry Prize.

Visiting Writer Laura van den Berg

Friday, October 1, 2021 at 4 p.m. virtually. 

Laura van den Berg was born and raised in Florida. Her most recent collection of stories, I Hold a Wolf by the Ears , was published by FSG in July and named a “best summer read” by The New York Times, Time Magazine, Esquire, Harper’s Bazaar and Entertainment Weekly , among others. She is the author of two previous collections, The Isle of Youth (FSG, 2013) and What the World Will Look Like When All the Water Leaves Us (Dzanc Books, 2009) and the novels Find Me (FSG, 2015) and The Third Hotel (FSG, 2018). The Third Hotel was a finalist for the Young Lions Fiction Award, an IndieNext Pick, a Powell’s Books Indispensable Pick and named a “best book of 2018” by over a dozen publications. Laura’s honors include the Rosenthal Family Foundation Award from the American Academy of Arts & Letters, the Bard Fiction Prize, a MacDowell Colony Fellowship, a Civitella Ranieri Foundation Fellowship, a Pushcart Prize, an O. Henry Award and the Jeannette Haien Ballard Writer’s Prize.

Visiting Writer LaTanya McQueen

Friday, November 5, 2021 at 4 p.m. in Denney Hall 311

McQueen’s novel  When the Reckoning Comes  was published with Harper Perennial , an imprint of HarperCollins . She’s also the author of  And It Begins Like This , an essay collection. She received her MFA from Emerson College, her PhD from the University of Missouri, was the 2017-2018 Robert P. Dana Emerging Writer Fellow at Cornell College and is currently an Assistant Professor of English and Creative Writing at Coe College. She writes both fiction and nonfiction and has been published in  Carve Magazine, Passages North, Bennington Review, Fugue, Ninth Letter, Grist, The Florida Review, Black Warrior Review, Fourteen Hills, New Orleans Review, Nimrod, New South and Booth . She’s won the Disquiet Literary Prize and the Walker Percy Prize in Fiction.

Visiting Writer Ilya Kaminsky

Friday, March 4, 2022 at 5:30 p.m. in Denney Hall 311

Ilya Kaminsky was born in Odessa, former Soviet Union in 1977, and arrived to the United States in 1993, when his family was granted asylum by the American government. He is the author of  Deaf Republic  (Graywolf Press) and  Dancing In Odessa  (Tupelo Press) and co-editor and co-translated many other books, including  Ecco Anthology of International Poetry  (Harper Collins) and  Dark Elderberry Branch: Poems of Marina Tsvetaeva  (Alice James Books). His work won The Los Angeles Times Book Award, The Anisfield-Wolf Book Award, The National Jewish Book Award, the Guggenheim Fellowship, The Whiting Award, the American Academy of Arts and Letters' Metcalf Award, Lannan Fellowship, Academy of American Poets’ Fellowship, NEA Fellowship,  Poetry  magazine's Levinson Prize, and was also shortlisted for the National Book Award, National Book Critics Circle Award, Neustadt International Literature Prize and T.S. Eliot Prize (UK).

Visiting Writer Aimee Nezhukumatathil

Friday, March 26, 2021, at 4 p.m. on Zoom

Aimee Nezhukumatathil is the author of the New York Times best selling illustrated collection of nature essays and Kirkus Prize finalist, World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments  (2020, Milkweed Editions), which was chosen as Barnes and Noble’s Book of the Year. She has four previous poetry collections: Oceanic (Copper Canyon Press, 2018), Lucky Fish (2011), At the Drive-In Volcano  (2007) and Miracle Fruit  (2003), the last three from Tupelo Press. Her most recent chapbook is Lace & Pyrite , a collaboration of garden poems with the poet Ross Gay. Her writing appears twice in the Best American Poetry Series , The New York Times Magazine , ESPN , Ploughshares , American Poetry Review  and Tin House .

Visiting Writer Liza Wieland

Friday, September 13, 2019 at 4 p.m. in Denney Hall 311

Liza Wieland is the author of eight works of fiction and a volume of poems. She has received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Christopher Isherwood Foundation and the North Carolina Arts Council. She is the 2017 winner of the Robert Penn Warren Prize from the Fellowship of Southern Writers. Her novel,  A Watch of Nightingales , won the 2008 Michigan Literary Fiction Award and her previous novel,  Land of Enchantment , was a longlist finalist for the 2016 Chautauqua Prize. She lives in Oriental, North Carolina, and she teaches at East Carolina University.

Native Craft Reading Series presents Billy-Ray Belcourt

Wednesday, September 18, 2019 at 4 p.m. in Denney Hall 311

Billy-Ray Belcourt (he/him) is a writer and academic from the Driftpile Cree nation. He is a PhD candidate and 2018 Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Scholar in the Department of English and Film Studies at the University of Alberta; his doctoral project is a creative-theoretical one called "The Conspiracy of NDN Joy." He is also a 2016 Rhodes Scholar and holds an MSt in women's studies from the University of Oxford and Wadham College. In the First Nations Youth category, Belcourt was awarded a 2019 Indspire Award, which is the highest honor the Indigenous community bestows on its own leaders. In January 2020, he will be an assistant professor of Indigenous creative writing at the University of British Columbia.

Visiting Writer Nicole Sealey

Friday, October 18, 2019 at 4 p.m. in Denney Hall 311 MFA Workshop: Saturday, October 19 in Denney Hall 311

Born in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands and raised in Apopka, Florida, Nicole Sealey is the author of  Ordinary Beast , finalist for the PEN Open Book and Hurston/Wright Legacy Awards, and  The Animal After Whom Other Animals Are Named , winner of the Drinking Gourd Chapbook Poetry Prize. Her other honors include a 2019 Rome Prize, the Stanley Kunitz Memorial Prize from The American Poetry Review, the Poetry International Prize and a Daniel Varoujan Award, grants from the Elizabeth George and Jerome Foundations, as well as fellowships from the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference, CantoMundo, Cave Canem, MacDowell Colony and the Poetry Project. Her work has appeared in  The New Yorke r and elsewhere. Sealey holds an MLA in Africana studies from the University of South Florida and an MFA in creative writing from New York University. Formerly the executive director at Cave Canem Foundation, she is a 2019-2020 Hodder Fellow at Princeton University.

Visiting Writer Robert Fieseler

Friday, January 10, 2020 at 4 p.m. in Denney Hall 311

Robert W. Fieseler is the 2019 National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association "Journalist of the Year" and the acclaimed debut author of  Tinderbox: The Untold Story of the Up Stairs Lounge Fire and the Rise of Gay Liberation , winner of the Edgar Award in Best Fact Crime and Lambda Literary's Judith A. Markowitz Award for Emerging Writers. He graduated co-valedictorian from the Columbia Journalism School and lives with his husband and dog in New Orleans.

Visiting Writer Dan Kois

Friday, January 24, 2020 at 4 p.m. in Denney Hall 311 MFA Workshop: Saturday, January 25 in Denney Hall 311

Dan Kois is the author of  How to Be a Family  and the co-author of  The World Only Spins Forward .

Visiting Writer Amy Fusselman

Wednesday, September 12 at 4:30 p.m. at the Wexner Center for the Arts Bookstore

Amy Fusselman  is a writer, artist and publisher based in New York City. She is the author of three books of nonfiction:  Savage Park: A Meditation on Play, Space and Risk for Americans Who Are Nervous, Distracted and Afraid to Die  (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015);  The Pharmacist’s Mate  (McSweeney’s, 2013); and  8  (McSweeney’s, 2013). Her new book,  Idiophone , was released from Coffee House Press on July 3rd, 2018. Her writing has appeared in  ARTnews, Ms., The New York Times, Artnet, The Believer, McSweeney’s Internet Tendency,  and  The Atlantic , among other places. Fusselman is the publisher at  Ohio Edit , a digital art and literary journal that offers 99-cent downloadable essays  on thought-provoking topics. 

Visiting Writer Danez Smith

Reading: Friday, September 14 at 4:30 p.m. in 311 Denney Hall. MFA Student Workshop: Saturday, September 15.

Danez Smith  is a Black, queer, poz writer and performer from St. Paul, MN. Danez is the author of  Don’t Call Us Dead  (Graywolf Press, 2017), a finalist for the National Book Award, and  [insert] boy  (YesYes Books, 2014), winner of the Kate Tufts Discovery Award and the Lambda Literary Award for Gay Poetry. Danez is also the author of two chapbooks,  hands on your knees  (2013, Penmanship Books) and  black movie  (2015, Button Poetry), winner of the Button Poetry Prize. They are the recipient of fellowships from the Poetry Foundation, the McKnight Foundation, and is a 2017 National Endowment for the Arts Fellow. Danez's work has been featured widely including in/on  Buzzfeed, The New York Times, PBS NewsHour, Best American Poetry, Poetry Magazine,  and on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Danez is a member of the Dark Noise Collective and is the co-host of VS with Franny Choi, a podcast sponsored by the Poetry Foundation and Postloudness. 

Visiting Writer Alice McDermott

Reading: Friday, September 28 at 4:30 p.m. in 311 Denney Hall. MFA Student Workshop: Saturday, September 29.

Alice McDermott ’s first novel,  A Bigamists' Daughter , was published to wide acclaim in 1982.  That Night  (1987), her second novel, was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, and for the  Los Angeles Times  Book Prize.  At Weddings and Wakes  (1992), her third novel, became a  New York Times  bestseller.  Charming Billy  (1998), won the National Book Award. Ms. McDermott's other books include  Child of My Heart  and  After This .  Ms. McDermott received her BA from the State University of New York at Oswego, and her MA from the University of New Hampshire. She has taught at the University of California at San Diego and American University, has been a writer-in-residence at Lynchburg and Hollins Colleges in Virginia, and was lecturer in English at the University of New Hampshire. Her short stories have appeared in  Ms., Redbook, Mademoiselle  and  Seventeen . The recipient of a Whiting Writers Award, Ms. McDermott is currently writer-in-residence at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. 

Visiting Writer Melissa Febos

Reading: Friday, March 1 in 311 Denney Hall. Time: 4 p.m. MFA Student Workshop: Saturday, March 2.

Melissa Febos  is the author of the critically acclaimed memoir,  Whip Smart  (St. Martin’s Press 2010) and the essay collection,  Abandon Me  (Bloomsbury 2017), which  The New Yorker  called “mesmerizing,” and was an Indie Next Pick and named a Best Book of 2017 by  Esquire, Book Riot, The Cut, Electric Literature, The Brooklyn Rail, Bustle, Refinery29, Salon , and  The Rumpus . The recipient of an MFA from Sarah Lawrence College, she is currently Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at Monmouth University. She serves on the Board of Directors of VIDA: Women in Literary Arts, the PEN America Membership Committee, and co-curated the Manhattan reading and music series, Mixer, for ten years. She curates literary events, teaches workshops, and speaks widely. The daughter of a sea captain and a psychotherapist, she was raised on Cape Cod and lives in Brooklyn. 

Native Craft Reading Series presents Tommy Pico

Friday, April 13, 2018 at 4 p.m. in Denney 311

Tommy “Teebs” Pico  is the founder and editor-in-chief of birdsong, an antiracist/queer-positive collective, small press and zine that publishes art and writing. The author of absentMINDR (VERBALVISUAL, 2014)—the first chapbook APP published for iOS mobile/tablet devices—Pico was a Queer/Art/Mentors inaugural fellow and a 2013 Lambda Literary fellow in poetry and has published poems in BOMB, Guernica, [PANK] and elsewhere. Originally from the Viejas Indian reservation of the Kumeyaay nation, he now lives in Brooklyn, where he co-curates the reading series Poets With Attitude (PWA) with Morgan Parker.

Visiting Writer Gabe Habash

Friday, April 6, 2018 at 4 p.m. in Denney 238

Columbus native Gabe Habash comes back to read from his debut novel,  Stephen Florida .  Hanya Yanagihara, author of  A Little Life , says, "In  Stephen Florida , Gabe Habash has created a coming-of-age story with its own, often explosive, rhythm and velocity. Habash has a canny sense of how young men speak and behave, and in Stephen, he's created a singular character: funny, ambitious, affecting, but also deeply troubled, vulnerable and compellingly strange. This is a shape-shifter of a book, both a dark ode to the mysteries and landscapes of the American West and a complex and convincing character study."  Gabe is currently the fiction reviews editor for  Publishers Weekly . He holds an MFA from New York University.

Visiting Writer Lina María Ferreira Cabeza-Vanegas (creative nonfiction)

Friday, February 23, 2018 at 4 p.m. in Denney 311 MFA Student Workshop: Saturday, February 24

Lina María Ferreira Cabeza-Vanegas received a 2016 Writer’s Award from the Rona Jaffe Foundation. Her nonfiction book,  Don’t Come Back , was released in 2017 from Mad River Books, an imprint of the Ohio State Press. She has MFA degrees in both creative nonfiction and literary translation, both from the University of Iowa. She is also the author of  Drown Sever Sing .

Native Craft Reading Series presents Toni Jensen

Reading:  Monday, November 13, 2017 at 4:30 p.m. in 311 Denney Hall

Toni Jensen ’s first story collection,  From the Hilltop , was published through the Native Storiers Series at the University of Nebraska Press. Her stories have been published in journals such as  Ecotone ,  Denver Quarterly , and  Fiction International  and have been anthologized in  New Stories from the South ,  Best of the Southwest , and  Best of the West: Stories from the Wide Side of the Missouri . She’s working on a collection-in-progress, called  Cowboyistan , about fracking and the sex trafficking of Indigenous women. She teaches in the Programs in Creative Writing and Translation at the University of Arkansas. She is Métis.

Visiting Writer Garth Greenwell (fiction)

Reading:  Saturday, November 4, 2017 at 5 p.m. in 311 Denney Hall MFA Student Workshop:  Saturday, November 4, 2017

Garth Greenwell  is the author of  What Belongs to You , which won the British Book Award for Debut of the Year, was longlisted for the National Book Award, and was a finalist for six other awards, including the PEN/Faulkner Award, the James Tait Black Memorial Prize, and the  Los Angeles Times  Book Prize. A  New York Times Book Review  Editors' Choice, it was named a Best Book of 2016 by over fifty publications in nine countries, and is being translated into eleven languages. His short fiction has appeared in  The New Yorker, The Paris Review ,  A Public Space , and  VICE , and he has written criticism for  The New Yorker , the  London Review of Books , and the  New York Times Book Review , among others. He lives in Iowa City.

MFA Alumna Molly Patterson

Reading:  Tuesday, October 24, 2017 at 4 p.m. in 311 Denney Hall

Molly Patterson  was born in St. Louis and lived in China for several years. Her work has appeared in several magazines, including  The Atlantic Monthly  and  The Iowa Review . She was the 2012-2013 Writer-in-Residence at St. Albans School in Washington, D.C., and is the recipient of a Pushcart Prize. Her debut novel,  Rebellion , was published by Harper (HarperCollins) in August 2017.

Visiting Poet Tarfia Faizullah

Reading:  Friday, October 20, 2017 at 4:30 p.m. in 311 Denney Hall MFA Student Workshop:  Saturday, October 21, 2017

Bangladeshi American poet  Tarfia Faizullah  grew up in Midland, Texas. She earned an MFA from the Virginia Commonwealth University program in creative writing. Her first book,  Seam  (2014), won the Crab Orchard Series in Poetry First Book Award. Faizullah’s honors and awards include an Associated Writers Program Intro Journals Award, a Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Prize, a Copper Nickel Poetry Prize, a Ploughshares’Cohen Award, and a Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference Margaret Bridgman Scholarship in Poetry. A Kundiman fellow, she lives in Detroit where she teaches at the University of Michigan and is an editor for the Asian American Literary Review and Organic Weapon Arts Chapbook Series. Her second book is  Registers of Illuminated Villages  (Graywolf Press, 2018).

Visiting Writer Camille Dungy

Co-sponsored by project narrative.

Panel Discussion "A Conversation about Camille Dungy's Writing": Tuesday, September 19 at 4 p.m. in 311 Denney Hall Reading:  Wednesday, September 20, 2017 at 11 a.m. in 311 Denney Hall 

Camille T. Dungy  is the author of four collections of poetry:  Trophic Cascade  (Wesleyan UP, 2017),  Smith Blue  (Southern Illinois UP, 2011),  Suck on the Marrow  (Red Hen Press, 2010), and  What to Eat, What to Drink, What to Leave for Poison  (Red Hen Press, 2006). Her debut collection of personal essays is  Guidebook to Relative Strangers  (W. W. Norton, 2017). Dungy’s honors include an American Book Award, two Northern California Book Awards, two NAACP Image Award nominations, and a California Book Award silver medal. Her poems and essays have been published in Best American Poetry, The 100 Best African American Poems, nearly thirty other anthologies, and over one hundred print and online journals.

Lia Purpura

April 7-9, 2017

Lia Purpura is the author of three collections of essays ( Rough Likeness, On Looking,  and  Increase ) in addition to a collection of translations and three books of poems. A Finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award (for  On Looking ), she has also been awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship, an NEA Fellowship, a Fulbright Foundation Fellowship (Translation, Warsaw, Poland), and three Pushcart Prizes. Lia Purpura is Writer in Residence at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, in Baltimore, MD and teaches at the Rainier Writing Workshop  in Tacoma, WA. Recently, she has served as Bedell Visiting Writer at the University of Iowa’s MFA Program in Nonfiction.  www.liapurpura.com

Carl Phillips

October 22-23, 2016

Carl Phillips  is the author of numerous books of poetry, including  Reconnaissance ,  Silverchest ,  Double Shadow ,  Quiver of Arrows: Selected Poems 1986-2006 , and  Riding Westward . His honors include the 2006 Academy of American Poets Fellowship, an Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Pushcart Prize, the Academy of American Poets Prize, induction into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the Library of Congress. Phillips served as a Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets from 2006 to 2012. He is Professor of English and of African and African American Studies at Washington University in St. Louis, where he also teaches in the Creative Writing Program.

Benjamin Percy

September 23-25, 2016 

Benjamin Percy is the author of three novels, the most recent among them  The Dead Lands   (Grand Central/Hachette, April 2015), a post apocalyptic reimagining of the Lewis and Clark saga. He is also the author of   Red Moon  (Grand Central/Hachette, May 2013) and  The Wilding  (Graywolf Press, 2010), as well as two books of short stories,  Refresh, Refresh  (Graywolf Press, 2007) and  The Language of Elk  (Grand Central/Hachette, 2012; Carnegie Mellon University Press, 2006).  His craft book —  Thrill Me: Essays on Fiction  — will be published by Graywolf Press in October of 2016. And his next novel,  The Dark Net , is due out in 2017 with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. He also writes the Green Arrow and Teen Titans series at DC Comics.  His honors include a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Whiting Writers’ Award, two Pushcart Prizes, the Plimpton Prize, and inclusion in Best American Short Stories and Best American Comics. He is a member of the WGA screenwriters’ guild and has sold scripts to FOX and Starz. He currently has several film and TV projects in development. 

Stuart Dybek

November 20-22, 2015

Stuart Dybek is the author of three books of fiction: I Sailed With Magellan , The Coast of Chicago , and Childhood and Other Neighborhoods . Both I Sailed With Magellan and The Coast of Chicago were New York Times Notable Books, and The Coast of Chicago was a One Book One Chicago selection.  Among Dybek’s numerous awards are a PEN/Malamud Prize “for distinguished achievement in the short story,” a Lannan Award, a Whiting Writers Award, an Award from the Academy of Arts and Letters, several O.Henry Prizes, and fellowships from the NEA and the Guggenheim Foundation. 

Meghan Daum

January 29-31, 2016

Meghan Daum is the author of four books, most recently the collection of original essays The Unspeakable: And Other Subjects of Discussion . She is also the editor of Selfish, Shallow and Self-Absorbed: Sixteen Writers on the Decision Not To Have Kids . Her other books include the essay collection My Misspent Youth , the novel The Quality of Life Report , and Life Would Be Perfect If I Lived In That House , a memoir. Since 2005, Meghan has been an opinion columnist at The Los Angeles Times, covering cultural and political topics. She is the recipient of a 2015 Guggenheim Fellowship and is currently an adjunct associate professor in the M.F.A. Writing Program at Columbia University's School of the Arts.

Natalie Diaz

February 19-21, 2016

Natalie Diaz was born in the Fort Mojave Indian Village in Needles, California. She is Mojave and an enrolled member of the Gila River Indian community. She is the author of the poetry collection When My Brother Was an Aztec (2012). Her honors and awards include the Nimrod/Hardman Pablo Neruda Prize for Poetry, the Louis Untermeyer Scholarship in Poetry from Bread Loaf, the Narrative Poetry Prize, and a Lannan Literary Fellowship. Diaz lives in Mohave Valley, Arizona, where she works with the last speakers of Mojave and directs a language revitalization program. 

BOOKS THAT COOK: The Making of a Literary Meal, A Food Writing Extravaganza

Thursday, March 26, 2015, Denney Hall 311 Food Writing Panel at 3 p.m. Reading at 4 p.m. Cooking Class (off-campus) at 6 p.m. (more details below and on  this flyer [pdf] )

Organized like a cookbook, Books that Cook:  The Making of a Literary Meal is a collection of American literature written on the theme of food.  The literary works within each section are an extension of these cookbooks, while the cookbook excerpts in turn become pieces of literature — forms of storytelling and memory-making all their own.  Each section offers a delectable assortment of poetry, prose and essays, and the selections all include at least one tempting recipe to entice readers to cook this book.    Edited by OSU alumni  Jennifer Cognard-Black  and  Melissa A. Goldthwaite , and including work by OSU creative writing professor  Kathy Fagan .

Food Writing Panel from 3-4 p.m. featuring:

Melissa Goldthwaite , Editor,  Books that Cook Jennifer Cognard-Black , Editor,  Books that Cook Colleen Leonardi , Managing Editor,  Edible Columbus Mike Bierschenk , Food Writer,  Optional Kitchen Nancy Yan , Lecturer, The Ohio State University Newark Jonathan Buehl , Associate Professor, Ohio State English

Literary Reading from 4-5 p.m. featuring:

Jennifer Cognard-Black , Editor,  Books that Cook Melissa Goldthwaite , Editor,  Books that Cook Kathy Fagan , Poet and Professor, MFA Faculty, OSU

Cooking Class (Hors d'Oeuvres) from 6-8 p.m.

with  Sarah Lagrotteria , Cooking Instructor and Recipe Editor for  Edible Columbus  at The Seasoned Farmhouse Cooking School in Clintonville

Gail Caldwell

Saturday, November 8, 2014 at 8 p.m. OSU Bookstore - Barnes & Noble Event Space, Second Floor 1598 N. High Street

Gail Caldwell was the chief book critic for The Boston Globe and the winner of the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for Criticism. Her work was noted for “her insightful observations on contemporary life and literature.” She wrote  A Strong West Wind: A Memoir  (2006) about her native Texas, and Let's Take the Long Way Home (2010), a memoir of her friendship with author Caroline Knapp. Her latest book, New Life, No Instructions, was released in April 2014.  She has a Samoyed named Tula. 

Zadie Smith

Thursday, November 13, 2014 Mershon Auditorium/Wexner Center for the Arts 1871 N. High Street 5 p.m.

As of 2012, Zadie Smith has published four novels, all of which have received substantial critical praise. In 2003, she was included on Granta's list of 20 best young authors, and was also included in the 2013 list.[ She joined New York University's Creative Writing Program as a tenured professor on September 1, 2010. Smith has won the Orange Prize for Fiction in 2006 and her novel  White Teeth  was included in Time magazine's TIME:  100 Best English-language Novels from 1923 to 2005 list.

Presented by the President and Provost's Diversity Lecture and Cultural Arts Series, with co-host The Humanities Institute.

Friday, January 16, 2015 at 7 p.m. OSU Bookstore - Barnes & Noble Event Space, Second Floor 1598 N. High Street

Jamaal May is a poet, editor and educator from Detroit, where he taught poetry in public schools and worked as a freelance audio engineer and touring performer. He is the author of  Hum  (2013), winner of the Beatrice Hawley Award, and two poetry chapbooks ( The God Engine  and  The Whetting of Teeth ). A graduate of Warren Wilson's MFA program for writers, Jamaal teaches in the Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA program.  

Sarah Shun-Lien Bynum

Friday, February 6, 2015 at 8 p.m. OSU Bookstore - Barnes & Noble Event Space, Second Floor 1598 N. High Street

Sarah Shun-lien Bynum is the author of two novels,  Ms. Hempel Chronicles , a finalist for the 2009 PEN/Faulkner Award, and  Madeleine Is Sleeping , a finalist for the 2004 National Book Award and winner of the Janet Heidinger Kafka Prize. The recipient of a Whiting Writers’ Award and an NEA Fellowship, she was named one of “20 Under 40” fiction writers by the New Yorker. She lives in Los Angeles and teaches in the Graduate Writing Program at Otis College of Art and Design. 

January 25, 2014 OSU Bookstore - Barnes & Noble Event Space, Second Floor 1598 N. High Street 8 p.m.

Dan Chaon is the acclaimed author of  Among the Missing , which was a finalist for the National Book Award, and  You Remind Me of Me , which was named one of the best books of the year by  The Washington Post ,  Chicago Tribune ,  San Francisco Chronicle ,  The Christian Science Monitor , and  Entertainment Weekly , among other publications. Chaon’s fiction has appeared in many journals and anthologies, including  The Best American Short Stories ,  Pushcart Prize , and  The O. Henry Prize Stories . He has been a finalist for the National Magazine Award in Fiction, and he was the recipient of the 2006 Academy Award in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Chaon lives in Cleveland, Ohio, and teaches at Oberlin College, where he is the Pauline M. Delaney Professor of Creative Writing. 

November 25, 2013 311 Denney Hall 164 W. 17th Avenue 3 p.m.

Born in Miami,  Joy Castro  is the author of the novel Hell or High Water and the memoir The Truth Book . She teaches literature, creative writing, and Latino studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and her work has appeared in Fourth Genre , Seneca Review  and The New York Times Magazine . 

Terrance Hayes

November 16, 2013 OSU Bookstore - Barnes & Noble Event Space, Second Floor 1598 N. High Street 7:30 p.m.

Terrance Hayes  was born in Columbia, South Carolina in 1971. He received a BA from Coker College in Hartsville, South Carolina, and an MFA from the University of Pittsburgh writing program. He is the author of  Lighthead  (Penguin, 2010), which won the National Book Award for Poetry;  Wind in a Box  (2006);  Hip Logic  (2002), which won the 2001 National Poetry Series and was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Award; and  Muscular Music  (1999), winner of the Kate Tufts Discovery Award. He has received many honors and awards, including a Whiting Writers Award, a Pushcart Prize, three Best American Poetry selections, as well as fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship and the Guggenheim Foundation. He is professor of creative writing at the University of Pittsburgh. 

Hope Edelman

October 20, 2013 OSU Bookstore - Barnes & Noble Event Space, Second Floor 1598 N. High Street 4 p.m.

Hope Edelman  holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Northwestern University and a master's degree in writing from the University of Iowa. She is the author of six nonfiction books: the international bestseller  Motherless Daughters  (1994), which was published in sixteen countries and translated into eleven languages;  Letters from Motherless Daughters  (1995), an edited collection of letters from readers;  Mother of My Mother  (1999), which looks at the depth and influence of the grandmother-granddaughter relationship;  Motherless Mothers  (2006), about the experience of being a mother when you don't have one; and  The Possibility of Everything  (2009), her first book-length memoir, set in Topanga Canyon, California, and Belize. In 2012 she collaborated with actors and filmmakers Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez to help them write their father-son memoir,  Along the Way .    

To find dates, times and locations for these events, check the event calendar.

• Alumni Writers Extravaganza The Alumni Writers Extravaganza is a celebration of Ohio State alumni creative writers and of creating writing at The Ohio State University. This major event takes place every three years. The next AWE will be in 2021. Please check back for more information as it becomes available. 
• Editors Panel This event, coordinated by the Writer's Guild, provides MFA students, as well as the greater university and Columbus community, with the opportunity to get firsthand advice from editors and, in some cases, literary agents. MCs ask questions provided to them by students. 

Epilog is an annual public performance which showcases creative work by third-year students in the MFA Program in Creative Writing. Epilog is an opportunity for the public to discover the prose and poetry that is being created by current MFA students. Following brief introductions by creative writing faculty, participating students give readings of their poetry, essays and stories in a formal, gala-like atmosphere. Chapbooks including selections from each of the presenting students are available at the event. This event is sponsored by the Writer's Guild.

• Student-Faculty Readings Twice each semester, a faculty member teams up with several MFA students to give a reading that is open to all. These events are a special showcase for the MFA students to read their work.
• Mother Tongue (MoTo) Mother Tongue evenings offer MFA students an opportunity to read work to their peers in a spirited setting off campus. Students often dedicate much time and creativity to their introductions of one another, fostering an entertaining evening rich with camaraderie. This event is coordinated by the Writer's Guild.
• Native Craft Reading Series

Writer's Guild

Each Ohio State University MFA candidate is a member of Writers Guild, an organization dedicated to enhancing student life and the university community through fundraisers, social activities, industry panels and recognition of graduating classmates. Its board serves as a liaison between graduate students and faculty to discuss developments and communicate news.

English Graduate Organization

The English Graduate Organization is a professional development, networking and advocacy group for all graduate students in the English department. EGO allows graduate students to have a tangible impact on departmental decisions and policies. Elected to specific committees, EGO officers coordinate academic and social events, serve on faculty committees and act as liaisons between graduate students and administration, providing a crucial voice in discussions that affect students’ day-to-day lives and future careers. In addition to promoting the interests of a dynamic graduate student body, EGO offers a valuable opportunity for its officers to prepare for service responsibilities in a profession that thrives on self-governance. EGO officers can vote at monthly English Department Council meetings, which all graduate students can attend.

The award-winning literary journal of The Ohio State University,  The Journal  contributes significantly toward the literary landscape of Ohio and the nation.  The Journal  seeks to identify and encourage emerging writers while also attracting the work of established writers to create a diverse and compelling magazine. 

The Young Writers Workshop is a week-long summer program for high school students in Columbus City Schools, charter schools in the City of Columbus, South-Western City Schools, and Reynoldsburg City Schools. Each year, the Ohio State creative writing faculty choose 30 students from the application pool to come live on campus and study writing with writers from around the country, including current students in and alumni of the Department of English's MFA Program in Creative Writing. Students are selected based on the promise of their writing — we don’t ask for grades or letters of recommendation, just a statement of intent and writing samples. The program is entirely funded by a generous donor, and all participating students receive full scholarships. 

Students attend daily workshops and courses taught by Ohio State faculty, graduate alumni and graduate students and have time to work on their own writing every day as well as attend readings, sessions with visiting writers in various fields, and other events, and participate in an open mic reading of their own work. The program concludes with a capstone event honoring the students and their families.

The deadline for all awards is  Wednesday, February 21, 2024, at 11:59 pm EST . Please open the attachment below for award information, submission links and instructions.

To view a list of award winners, visit the Graduate Student Awards page.

Students in the MFA program must complete 39 semester hours of graduate-level course work, including:

• English 6763.01 Graduate Workshop in Poetry (3 credits)
• English 6763.02 Graduate Workshop in Poetry for MFA Students in Fiction or Creative Nonfiction (3 credits)
• English 6765.01 Graduate Workshop in Fiction (3 credits)
• English 6765.02 Graduate Workshop in Fiction for MFA Students in Poetry or Creative Nonfiction (3 credits)
• English 6768 Graduate Workshop in Creative Nonfiction (3 credits)
• English 6768.02 Graduate Workshop in Creative Nonfiction for MFA Students in Poetry or Fiction (3 Credits)
• English 6769 Graduate Workshop in Creative Writing - Special Topics (3 credits)
• English 6764 Graduate Workshop in Screenwriting (3 credits)
• Nine (9) hours of English other than creative writing courses. A maximum of 3 hours of Independent Study may be counted toward fulfilling this requirement.  English 6781 (Introduction to the Teaching of First-Year English) may be counted toward  this total. Students are encouraged, but not required, to choose additional courses from OSU's broad offerings in literary studies, including the study of narrative, as well as folklore, film, linguistics and other areas.
• Three (3) hours of a course in literary forms (English 7871). Forms of Poetry and Forms of Fiction or Nonfiction are offered every year.  Topics vary; this course may be repeated.
• Three (3) hours of electives in related areas (e.g., other art forms such as music, theater or the visual arts; philosophy; history; literature as offered by departments other than our own, such as foreign language departments; comparative studies–or another relevant course approved by the student's advisor).  Courses must be taken at the graduate level (5000 level or above).  (Other elective courses, not counted toward credits required for graduation, may be taken at any level.)
• Nine (9) hours of creative thesis tutorial (English 8998); and an approved creative thesis, followed by an oral defense.

APPLICATION INFORMATION

All admitted students are fully funded for our three-year MFA program in Creative Writing. In addition, all students receive either a graduate teaching associateship, a Graduate School fellowship or a combination of the two. Funding is renewed on a yearly basis as long as the student maintains satisfactory academic progress.

• Graduate teaching associateships: Departmental funding is most often in the form of a graduate teaching associateship, for which the student receives a stipend of at least $22,000 for the nine-month academic year. The university also subsidizes 100% of student health insurance premiums and provides a tuition waiver for all GTAs. Students are responsible for COTA bus, student activity, Student Union and Recreation Center fees. Students on GTA appointments teach one course per term during the regular academic year.  
• Graduate School fellowships:  In addition to the funding provided by the Department of English, the Graduate School awards Recruitment Fellowships  on a competitive basis to students who are new to graduate education at Ohio State. The Department of English's admissions committee submits nominations to the Graduate School’s competition, and a selection committee reviewing nominations from across all graduate programs in the university awards the fellowships. Students may not apply directly for fellowship support. Each graduate program has a limited number of students who may be nominated for fellowship consideration. All Graduate School fellowships provide a monthly stipend, academic tuition and fees and a subsidy of 100% of the student health insurance premiums. These fellowships are nonrenewable and may not be deferred. 

The Graduate Admissions Committee for the Department of English will accept applications to the MFA program from students with an undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university.

The Graduate School requires that those admitted have an undergraduate grade point average of at least 3.0 on a scale of 4 (where 4.0=A) and at least a 3.0 on all previous graduate work. Our departmental criteria are higher: A GPA of at least 3.2 overall is preferred. Coursework in a foreign language is not required for admission.

If you have already earned an MFA in creative writing or are in the process of completing an MFA program in creative writing, you are not eligible for admission to our program. 

Submit all following items through the  Graduate Admissions Office :

• Application form and fee:  If you are interested in a fee waiver, please visit  this Graduate and Professional Admissions webpage .
• Three letters of recommendation: Please have your recommenders submit letters electronically using the link that will be provided when you select this option in the online application. Our preference is that your recommenders be faculty who have taught you or writers familiar with your work, as these are likely to be most useful to us.  But we understand that for those who have been out of school for some time and those who have not participated in writing workshops or conferences, this may be impossible. You will not be penalized for this, but we do ask that you choose your recommenders carefully from among the options you do have — those who have had the opportunity to work with you or supervise your work, for example. 
• Transcripts or record of marks for each university-level school attended:  Visit  this Graduate and Professional Admissions page   for detailed information about transcript submission. Send transcripts to the Office of Graduate and Professional Admissions; do not send transcripts to the Department of English. Include English translation of each of any foreign documents. Please do not send transcripts of course work taken at Ohio State as the Office of Graduate and Professional Admissions will obtain them directly from the Office of the University Registrar (at no cost to you).
• Personal statement  (one to two single-spaced pages): that describes your background as a writer and your purpose in pursuing this degree; this statement should address your writing interests and can also briefly describe your interest and/or experience in teaching.
• Creative writing sample:  15 to 25 pages of poetry; or 20 to 40 double-spaced pages of fiction; or 20 to 40 double-spaced pages of nonfiction. On the application uploader, upload your creative writing sample to the “Writing Sample” option. The writing sample is the most important part of your application. Please note that admission is to a single genre, so applicants should choose carefully the genre in which they wish to be considered.
• Curriculum vitae/resume  of no more than two pages.

Please note: As of autumn 2018, the Department of English at Ohio State no longer requires GRE scores for applications to its PhD or MFA programs. 

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

If your native language is not English:

• 19 on each section of the paper-based TOEFL
• 79 on the TOEFL iBT or TOEFL iBT Home Edition
• 550 on the TOEFL ITP for students in the American Language Program
• 7.0 on the IELTS Academic test or IELTS Indicator 
• 120 or higher

You can read more about the university's proof of English proficiency requirements here .

All admissions to the MFA program are made for the autumn semester only; the application portal for autumn 2025 will open on September 1, 2024. The application deadline for domestic applicants is December 2, 2024, and the application deadline for international applicants is November 25, 2024

Students must apply online and submit all materials (Graduate Admissions and Department requirements) electronically through the  Office of Graduate Admissions . Please note that your recommenders will receive an email from the university 1-3 days after you submit your application and they should follow the instructions in that email for uploading their letters.

• Do you accept applications for genre fiction? While we don’t in any way dislike or discourage genre fiction, our program is known for its literary fiction, nonfiction and poetry instructors and graduates. Familiarizing yourself with them and their work might be your best and most productive research as you consider to which programs you will apply.  
• Can I talk to current students and/or faculty at Ohio State? We very much appreciate your interest in our program, and we wish that all prospective students had the opportunity to speak with current students and/or faculty. With the volume of applications we receive each year, however, we are unfortunately unable to accommodate these requests. Admitted students are invited to attend our open house in the spring and meet current students and faculty members at that time.  
• I don’t have the required amount of English coursework listed on this page. What should I do? We would encourage you to apply. If your writing sample and application materials match what the committee is looking for, the credit requirement will be waived. It will not negatively impact your application in any way.  
• Can I apply for a fee waiver? If you are interested in applying for a fee waiver, please visit  this  webpage. Please note that the “PGD Program” option is unavailable to students applying for admission to the Department of English.  
• What if my recommenders don’t know me in a creative writing capacity? Our preference is that your recommenders be faculty who have taught you or writers familiar with your work, as these are likely to be most useful to us. However, we understand that for those who have been out of school for some time, and those who have not participated in writing workshops or conferences, this may be impossible. You will not be penalized for this, but we do ask that you choose your recommenders carefully from among the options you do have — those who have had the opportunity to work with you or supervise your work, for example.

For questions that can't be answered by the information above, the Creative Writing Program can be reached by  email   or by phone ( 614-247-9670 ).

[pdf] - Some links on this page are to Adobe .pdf files requiring the use of Adobe Reader. If you need these files in a more accessible format, please contact  [email protected] .

English : Creative Writing

Why study english : creative writing.

Our top-ranked Creative Writing program pairs aspiring undergraduate students with professors and instructors who are award-winning working artists, to study in small, close-knit workshop classes that emphasize the fruitful symbiosis between close reading and inventive writing. Students are encouraged to take courses in writing poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and cross genre or hybrid forms, where they gain a robust understanding of the literary conversation in which they wish to participate, and enjoy careful individual attention to their own original work.

In addition to growing as writers, readers, and thinkers, the workshop model trains students to give and receive criticism, problem-solve in creative and original ways, work effectively in a solo and self-disciplined way as well as in a collaborate group, and think broadly about the application of their work to their communities, in a living and evolving literary tradition. Students go on to work in such areas as advertising, copywriting, writing for television and cinema, arts administration, digital content creation, magazine writing and editing, information analysis, book publishing, law, education, and more.

Admission Requirements

Freshman applicants, please visit the  Admission Requirements  page for more information.

The English degree offers unique opportunities for undergraduate students to shape their curriculum according to their interests and future professional goals. All undergraduate students take a  core group of courses  designed to introduce them to the history, language, and current disciplinary discourses of English studies. Beyond the core courses, students choose a track designed to develop their skills and talents in  Creative Writing  (Fiction, Literary Nonfiction, Poetry),  Literary & Cultural Studies , or  Rhetoric & Professional Writing . We also offer a track in English Education to supplement a major in Secondary Language Arts through the College of Education, or to lead into a Master's degree plus licensure. Undergraduate students can double major in two tracks of English, and can also combine a major in one of the tracks with a certificate in a different track; the program offers certificates in Copyediting & Publishing, Creative Writing, and Professional Writing; Literary Journalism jointly with the Dept. of Journalism; and English courses play a role in the curriculum requirements of several interdisciplinary certificates, including Medical Humanities, Digital Engagement, and Film & Media Studies.

Students who pursue a BA in English – Creative Writing should desire to build on their strengths in writing, reading, and critical thinking. The Creative Writing track of the English major is specifically designed for students who wish to explore the writing of poetry, fiction, and literary nonfiction; improve their editorial skills; and examine works of literature through the lens of craft. Students take a sequence of workshop courses, culminating in a capstone that will result in a substantial body of work. Literature classes in the chosen genre continue to expand students’ reading, writing, and critical thinking skills, as well as their knowledge of both canonical and contemporary works.

English majors enjoy satisfying careers and admission to graduate programs due to their ability to read closely, write clearly, research thoroughly, and think critically. From first-year composition through senior capstone courses, English students engage a wide range of historical and contemporary texts and subject matter, including global, ethnic, minority, and popular literatures; film and visual media; and scientific and professional writing. Our majors are known and respected for their ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing, and find success in such diverse fields as law, business, media, education, publishing, and science. English – Creative Writing graduates are well suited for careers in:

• Book and magazine publishing
• Arts administration
• Marketing and public relations
• Film and television writing
• Advertising

A minor in English complements any major, and offers students from other disciplines the opportunity to develop the reading, writing, and critical thinking skills that employers seek in college graduates. Students choose courses from Creative Writing, Literary & Cultural Studies, and Rhetoric & Professional Writing, and may focus on one particular area of study or take courses from two or all three tracks in order to explore different areas of English.

Students can delcare the minor online through the Program Changes & Readmissions Form .

The department of English offers three certificate programs: Copyediting & Publishing, Creative Writing, and Professional Writing; plus Literary Journalism jointly with the Dept. of Journalism. Certificate programs provide more focus and less time commitment than a minor, and provide an opportunity for undergraduate students to more fully develop skills in reading, writing, and analysis in their chosen area of interest.

The Creative Writing certificate is designed for students who wish to write poems, fiction, or nonfiction, to improve their writing and abilities through workshops taught by practitioners, and possibly to go on to graduate programs in creative writing and careers such as teaching and editing. The program is also for students who wish to broaden their perspectives of literature to include that of the writer.

Students in UC's College of Arts and Sciences enjoy many benefits afforded through study at a research-intensive institution ranked among the nation's top 25 public research universities. UC's urban, Tristate location offers exciting opportunities for global education, research and service learning, while its student-centered focus includes an 11:1 student-faculty ratio, a nationally recognized Center for Exploratory Studies and a highly successful First Year Experience program that teaches critical skills for first-year students and provides connections with important campus resources.

University of Cincinnati 3 + 3 Law School Admissions

This major welcomes eligible students who would like to earn a bachelor’s degree and a UC law degree in just six years, saving a year of tuition and time over the traditional path to becoming a lawyer. Students will receive careful advising to complete their major and A&S core degree requirements in 3 years. More information is available on the College of Law 3+3 Programs page .

Publications and Organizations

English is home to an undergraduate journal,  Short Vine , and the nationally prominent literary journal  The Cincinnati Review . Short Vine is edited by English majors in the practicum course Creative Writing & Literary Publishing. 

The Creative Writing Program’s Visiting Writers Series brings a number of distinguished authors to campus each semester. Visitors often conduct a colloquium with creative writing students in addition to giving a public reading. Each year, through the Elliston Poet-in-Residence Program, a distinguished poet comes to campus to give public lectures and readings, and to conduct poetry seminars and workshops. The biennial Emerging Fiction Writers Festival brings four writers to campus for two days of readings and panels. Past visiting writers have included Rita Dove and Colson Whitehead.

The Undergraduate English Society welcomes all English majors, and hosts events such as roundtable discussions on graduate school, job fairs, film screenings, and outings to plays and readings.

Experiential learning

English students can intern with local businesses, nonprofits, university offices, state agencies, media outlets, and museums, and earn college credit while developing reading and writing skills. Students can also gain valuable experience by taking research-intensive or service learning courses, by studying abroad, and by entering their work in the department’s writing contest each year.

Renowned faculty

Creative Writing faculty have collectively published dozens of books of fiction, poetry, literary nonfiction, and criticism. They have won awards from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Fulbright Program, and the National Book Awards program.

To graduate from the UC College of Arts and Sciences, students must:

• Earn at least 120 credits. This can include transfer credit, AP credit and free electives, but does not include preparatory coursework. Students who have met all other degree requirements must continue earning credit until the total number of their earned hours comes to at least 120.
• Attain a 2.0 grade point average for all courses taken at the University of Cincinnati.
• Be in good academic standing, that is, not on either academic probation or disciplinary probation or suspension.
• Complete the residency requirement by earning at least 30 credits after matriculating into the college.
• Complete all of the requirements of at least one major (see major requirements above).
• Complete the College Core Requirements.
• Submit an application for graduation to the registrar's office by their posted deadline.

Students who were not admissible directly from high school must have:

• 24 semester (36 quarter) hours earned
• at least a cumulative 2.0 GPA and a 2.0 at most recent institution

University transfer scholarships  are available to those who meet specific requirements and ANY admitted A&S transfer student might qualify for an  A&S transfer scholarship . Deadlines and eligibility criteria are online via the previous links.

Admission to A&S is generally available for University of Cincinnati students enrolled in other colleges if they were admissible directly from high school, have a cumulative 2.0 GPA and a 2.0 in their most recent UC college.

Students who were not admissible directly from high school must have at least a 2.0 GPA in all college-level courses (both at UC and at other institutions).

• Guide: English (BA) - Creative Writing

Application Deadlines

Early Admission

General Admission

While midyear admission is possible, fall semester is generally the best time to enter the college, since many course sequences begin in that semester. Applicants to the UC College of Arts and Sciences who are enrolled or who were previously enrolled as degree-seeking students in A&S or in other UC colleges should apply for admission directly to A&S (in French West, 2nd Floor). All other applicants who wish to earn an undergraduate degree from A&S should apply through the Office of Admissions  (3rd Floor, University Pavilion).

Contact Information

Find related programs in the following interest areas:.

• Culture & Languages
• Politics, Law & Social Justice

Program Code: 15BAC-ENGL-BA-ENGL-CW

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Best Creative Writing Colleges & Universities in Ohio

It's a great time to get into Creative Writing and find the best school for your undergraduate Creative Writing degree on our list of the Best Creative Writing Colleges and Universities in Ohio.

Oberlin College

4 Year  •  Oberlin ,  OH

Oberlin College is a private not-for-profit university based in Oberlin , Ohio . It is an institution with an enrollment of over 728 bachelor’s degree candidates. The admission criteria is somewhat competitive with the acceptance rate of 33 %.

# 1 in Best Creative Writing Colleges & Universities in Ohio

University of Cincinnati-Main Campus

4 Year  •  Cincinnati ,  OH  •  6 reviews

University of Cincinnati-Main Campus is a public university based in Cincinnati , Ohio . It is an institution with an enrollment of over 5,400 bachelor’s degree candidates. The admission criteria is somewhat competitive with the acceptance rate of 76 %.

# 2 in Best Creative Writing Colleges & Universities in Ohio

Miami University-Oxford

4 Year  •  Oxford ,  OH  •  3 reviews

Miami University-Oxford is a public university based in Oxford , Ohio . It is an institution with an enrollment of over 3,822 bachelor’s degree candidates. The admission criteria is somewhat competitive with the acceptance rate of 68 %.

# 3 in Best Creative Writing Colleges & Universities in Ohio

Ohio Northern University

4 Year  •  Ada ,  OH

Ohio Northern University is a private not-for-profit university based in Ada , Ohio . It is an institution with an enrollment of over 640 bachelor’s degree candidates. The admission criteria is somewhat competitive with the acceptance rate of 66 %.

# 4 in Best Creative Writing Colleges & Universities in Ohio

Ohio University-Main Campus

4 Year  •  Athens ,  OH

Ohio University-Main Campus is a public university based in Athens , Ohio . It is an institution with an enrollment of over 4,049 bachelor’s degree candidates. The admission criteria is somewhat competitive with the acceptance rate of 73 %.

# 5 in Best Creative Writing Colleges & Universities in Ohio

Baldwin Wallace University

4 Year  •  Berea ,  OH

Baldwin Wallace University is a private not-for-profit university based in Berea , Ohio . It is an institution with an enrollment of over 685 bachelor’s degree candidates. The admission criteria is somewhat competitive with the acceptance rate of 78 %.

# 6 in Best Creative Writing Colleges & Universities in Ohio

Otterbein University

4 Year  •  Westerville ,  OH

Otterbein University is a private not-for-profit university based in Westerville , Ohio . It is an institution with an enrollment of over 607 bachelor’s degree candidates. The admission criteria is somewhat competitive with the acceptance rate of 76 %.

# 7 in Best Creative Writing Colleges & Universities in Ohio

Bowling Green State University-Main Campus

4 Year  •  Bowling Green ,  OH

Bowling Green State University-Main Campus is a public university based in Bowling Green , Ohio . It is an institution with an enrollment of over 3,344 bachelor’s degree candidates. The admission criteria is somewhat competitive with the acceptance rate of 73 %.

# 8 in Best Creative Writing Colleges & Universities in Ohio

Ohio Wesleyan University

4 Year  •  Delaware ,  OH

Ohio Wesleyan University is a private not-for-profit university based in Delaware , Ohio . It is an institution with an enrollment of over 448 bachelor’s degree candidates. The admission criteria is somewhat competitive with the acceptance rate of 71 %.

# 9 in Best Creative Writing Colleges & Universities in Ohio

The University of Findlay

4 Year  •  Findlay ,  OH

The University of Findlay is a private not-for-profit university based in Findlay , Ohio . It is an institution with an enrollment of over 598 bachelor’s degree candidates. The admission criteria is somewhat competitive with the acceptance rate of 75 %.

# 10 in Best Creative Writing Colleges & Universities in Ohio

Youngstown State University

4 Year  •  Youngstown ,  OH

Youngstown State University is a public university based in Youngstown , Ohio . It is an institution with an enrollment of over 2,215 bachelor’s degree candidates. The admission criteria is somewhat competitive with the acceptance rate of 63 %.

# 11 in Best Creative Writing Colleges & Universities in Ohio

Malone University

4 Year  •  Canton ,  OH

Malone University is a private not-for-profit university based in Canton , Ohio . It is an institution with an enrollment of over 338 bachelor’s degree candidates. The admission criteria is somewhat competitive with the acceptance rate of 65 %.

# 12 in Best Creative Writing Colleges & Universities in Ohio

Creative Writing

The creative writing major at Miami is a thriving program, one of the largest in the United States, with an increasingly global curriculum and outlook. With eight full-time creative writing faculty, over 200 undergraduate majors and minors (as well as 20-25 graduate students), there’s a creative writing buzz at Miami.

There are many ways to get involved in our large and lively community, from student-run publications to an extensive reading series and exciting creative writing workshops taught by award-winning faculty.

Our flexible curriculum makes it easy to double major, and employers and graduate schools value the skills our students gain in a variety of professions. English majors enjoy some of the highest acceptance rates into law, medical, and business schools

Program Highlights

• Fiction, poetry, creative non-fiction and screenwriting workshops led by award-winning, actively publishing faculty writers.
• Flexible curriculum makes it easy to double major. 
• Employers in a variety of professions value the skills that English Creative Writing majors develop, such as communication and interpersonal abilities, and creative and analytical thinking. Similarly, English majors have some of the highest  acceptance rates  into medical, law and business schools.
• Literature courses offer global perspectives, understanding of literary and historical traditions, and models for literary experiment.
• Literary Marketplace and Issues in the Profession courses focus on the business side of the literary life.
• New emphases in the program include translation, live performance, and writing for digital media.
• A senior capstone in creative writing gives students the opportunity to hone ambitious writing projects.

Opportunities for Majors

• Many ways to get involved with our lively community.
• Meet the many prominent and emergent authors and publishing professionals who come to campus each year to visit classes and give readings and craft talks.
• Study abroad in the popular  Literary London program .
• Gain editorial experience staffing literary magazines such as  Happy Captive Magazine   and  Inklings .  Build your resume, make friends, publish.
• Opportunities to apprentice with creative writing faculty.

Student Learning Outcomes for Creative Writing Majors

• Writes with considered and creative attention to style and form, exhibiting proficiency in manipulating elements of craft to a well-chosen intentional effect.
• Produces writing that shows evidence of engagement with diverse contemporary and historic literary traditions.
• Demonstrates advanced close reading skills in description and analysis of creative writing (peer and/or published), showing evidence of familiarity with craft, structure, and conventions of genre in contemporary and/or historical works. 
• Exhibits familiarity with conventions and expectations of the literary field and marketplace, demonstrating awareness of customs and etiquette in publishing and competency in offering constructive editorial assistance.

After Graduation

Miami creative writing majors have enjoyed considerable career success. A partial list of honors received by former students includes the Pulitzer Prize (one winner, one finalist), the National Medal of the Arts, the PEN/Robert Bingham Award for Fiction, the Asian American Literary Award, the Whiting Fellowship, and the national Poet Laureateship.

Many creative writing majors pursue MFAs or other advanced graduate and professional degrees at top programs including the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, Columbia, Cambridge and Brown. 

Recent data show  that employers value the skills English majors acquire. Our graduates pursue successful careers in publishing, editing, advertising, law, medicine, and the business world. 

Creative Writing Blog

Our faculty.

• Joseph Bates | Associate Professor, Miami University Press Co-Editor | [email protected]
• Lizzie Hutton | Assistant Professor, Director of the Howe Writing Center | [email protected]
• Margaret Luongo | Professor | [email protected]
• TaraShea Nesbit | Associate Professor | [email protected]
• Brian Roley | Director of Creative Writing, Professor | [email protected]
• Jen Sammons | Visiting Assistant Professor | [email protected]
• Emily Spencer | Assistant Professor | [email protected]
• Keith Tuma | Professor, Miami University Press Co-Editor | [email protected]
• Cathy Wagner | Professor | [email protected]

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Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Creative Writing

In a world polarized through hatred and fear, well-written stories and poetry have the capacity to enlarge our compassion, sharpen our senses, and offer new visions for the future. Those who can write and tell stories well hold the keys to helping people, institutions, and businesses navigate a changing world. Creative Writing marries concrete, pragmatic skills with creative exercise and dreaming big. Becoming a better writer is not easy. It takes passionate, committed students to listen deeply, explore inquisitively, and inspire fiercely.

Creative Writing at John Carroll University

The best way to become a better writer? To write. The Creative Writing major and minor at John Carroll allows you to gain intensive workshop experience in writing poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. Another way to become a better writer? Read. Writing practice combined with critical review and analysis from the classics to modern creative works and everything in between.

As a Creative Writing major, you will learn to:

• Read texts with active, critical skills to form and articulate accomplished interpretations
• Produce multiple drafts of original creative works that are honed and revised through the peer workshop and faculty review process
• Produce written analyses of creative texts that demonstrate awareness of audience, artistic form, organizational sophistication, and clear argumentation
• Build oral communication skills by listening to others' ideas and articulating their own responses and questions clearly to situate themselves in the conversation
• Gain knowledge of cultural and historical contexts of Anglophone and translated creative works that enhance their appreciation for the voices either within or marginalized by the texts

Each of these is honed by faculty mentors who care deeply about your growth as a writer and human being.

As a Creative Writing major at John Carroll, you will gather intensive workshop experience in writing poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. These workshops are intimate with not more than 15 students. Your professors are actively publishing, dynamic writers and instructors, which is why John Carroll boasts one of the most respected Visiting Writers programs in Ohio. You’ll have a chance to meet and work with nationally known visitors to our campus, people like Billy Collins, Rita Dove, Simon Armitage, Paul Muldoon, and Robert Pinsky.

The Creative Writing minor is the perfect complement to any other degree – from biology to pre-law. Whether you’re set on graduate school, or seeking a career in business, every industry seeks good writers who can effectively put complex thoughts into digestible, understandable terms. Whether you’ve always had a love of writing poems or you’d like to keep exercising your storytelling muscle, the creative writing minor is an examination into all kinds of writing – fiction and nonfiction, narrative and poetry –  as well as the important, foundational skills for doing so. Set yourself apart and bring with you a skill that is useful in every field.

job growth predicted over the next decade

Percentage of employers that want a candidate with strong written communication skills. A skill among the top three most desired overall.

of all writers are self employed

BA in Creative Writing Program Highlights

Real teaching, amazing experience, jobs & internships, featured faculty.

At John Carroll, your professors are actively publishing, dynamic writers and instructors, which is why we boast one of the most respected Visiting Writers programs in Ohio. You’ll have a chance to meet and work with nationally known visitors to our campus, people like Billy Collins, Rita Dove, Simon Armitage, Paul Muldoon, Reginald Dwayne Betts, Roxane Gay, Kiese Laymon, Naomi Shihab Nye, and Robert Pinsky, in intimate discussion-based classes.

Find real-world, transformative experiences that build on your writing and reading skills, as well as your worldview through unique, collaborative opportunities like peace-building classes in Ireland, Environmental Literature courses, workshops with actors from the London Stage, or chances to publish something brilliant from start to publication of the  Carroll Review

Our students take advantage of a range of internship and professional development opportunities both on and off campus. Work as a consultant in the University Writing Center; serve as both an editor for or contributor to the  Carroll Review , our student-run literary journal; or gain experience at every level of a campus newspaper, from beat reporter to executive editor at the award-winning  Carroll News.  Over your summer, land a paid internship with the Young Writers’ Workshop, a weeklong camp for students in 8th-12th grades. Or go off campus, and intern at organizations like Lake Erie Ink, Cleveland Magazine, American Greetings, or a number of locally headquartered, multinational companies.

"I'm a firm believer that every person has a universe of stories to share. But fiction isn't simply an escape to another realm. Fiction is resistance, an avenue for self-reflection, a way to find a piece of ourselves in other worlds. The best stories I've read shook my perceptions of the real world and have aided me in my own purpose to write." —Isaiah Hunt, Hopkins Post-Graduate Fellow - English

Featured Courses

En 133 introduction to creative writing workshop.

Fundamentals and practice of creative writing across genres. Prerequisite: EN 125 or equivalent.

EN 402 ADVANCED FICTION WRITING WORKSHOP

Intense, advanced work in crafting short stories.Prerequisites: EN 131, EN 132, EN 133, or EN 134.

EN 491 FEMINIST LITERARY CRITICISM

Women have used writing as a means to express their perspectives for centuries. This course studies the various theories of feminist literary criticism, including the social construction of gender and identity, the possibilities for women’s creative expression, and the influence of gender-related issues on the study of literary texts.

Notable Alum

Christopher Kempf, Creative Writing ’07

Status:  Author, MFA Professor at University of Illinois

What inspired your future?

Studying Creative Writing at John Carroll taught me to recognize the power and possibilities of language, and how, in ways great and small, it shapes our lives on a daily basis. Not only did the small class sizes and committed professors make for a highly enjoyable experience, but Creative Writing at John Carroll prepared me for a wide range of careers in which creativity, imagination, and inventiveness with language are necessary. I am extraordinarily grateful to have been a part of those classes.

Creative Writing Alumni Across the Region

John Carroll University alumni live, work, teach and support communities throughout the region from Northeast Ohio to Chicago, Indianapolis, Detroit, Columbus, Buffalo, Rochester, Pittsburgh, New York City, Washington D.C., Maryland and Virginia.

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Do you have a story the world needs to hear?

Our majors in the creative writing program work closely with faculty who are also working writers to hone their craft, expand their imaginations and create works that witness the concerns of our time.

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A High-Quality Education

Interested in learning more about creative writing? We'd love to meet with you. Schedule an academic appointment by calling our department at 937-229-3434. You can also choose to schedule a general campus tour and admission presentation.

The Roger Brown Residency in Social Justice, Writing and Sport

An opportunity for a distinguished writer to engage the University and wider Dayton communities in conversation about the intersections of athletics, literature and justice.

A creative festival of literary arts that brings the UD and Dayton communities together in a celebration of diverse and accessible poetry.

Orpheus: The University of Dayton Literary Magazine

An expression of visual media and literature, Orpheus is published twice a year entirely by students.

Dean's Summer Fellowship

Work with a faculty mentor on your self-directed research project as a Dean's Summer Fellow.

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The 12 Best Creative Writing Colleges and Programs

College Info

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

The Best Creative Writing Programs: Ranking Criteria

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

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

In ranking the schools, I considered five major criteria:

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

The Best Creative Writing Schools

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

#1: Northwestern University

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

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

#2: Columbia University

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

#3: University of Iowa

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

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

#4: Emory University

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

#5: Oberlin College

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

#6: Hamilton College

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

#7: Brown University

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

#8: Washington University in St. Louis

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

#9: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

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

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

#10: University of Michigan

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

#11: Johns Hopkins University

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

#12: Colorado College

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

Bonus School: New York University

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

How To Pick the Best Creative Writing School for You

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

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

Does It Have Courses You're Interested In?

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

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

What Opportunities Are There To Pursue Writing Outside of Class?

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

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

Who Will Be Teaching You?

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

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

What Are the Alumni Doing Now?

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

What About the Rest of the School?

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

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

What's Next?

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

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

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Alex is an experienced tutor and writer. Over the past five years, she has worked with almost a hundred students and written about pop culture for a wide range of publications. She graduated with honors from University of Chicago, receiving a BA in English and Anthropology, and then went on to earn an MA at NYU in Cultural Reporting and Criticism. In high school, she was a National Merit Scholar, took 12 AP tests and scored 99 percentile scores on the SAT and ACT.

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English—Creative Writing Major B.A.

• Apprenticeship and internship opportunities
• Workshops with renowned authors
• Preparation for M.A. or M.F.A. programs in Creative Writing or Law School
• Preparation for careers in publishing, digital publishing, business, marketing, newspaper and magazines, government, and more
• Sphere , a literary journal run by and for undergraduates

Faculty contact: Dr. Paul Jones

Admission Information

Degree requirements.

Major code: BA5232

The Creative Writing program offers students a range of beginning, intermediate, and advanced workshops in poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. Undergraduate Creative Writing majors will take three writing workshops of their choice, in addition to a Form & Theory course. Creative Writing majors, working closely with a distinguished core faculty of professional writers, can enrich their background in literature provided by the English major curriculum with a rigorous apprenticeship to their craft.

In addition, the program regularly invites writers to campus for residency, workshops, and readings. Each year, five eminent authors are invited to participate in the three-day Spring Literary Festival. These visits provide a unique complement to the student's workshop experience.

Many undergraduates publish their writing in Sphere (the undergraduate literary magazine), while others gain valuable editing experience. Undergraduate writers regularly organize formal and informal readings of their own work.

Undergraduate Creative Writing students have gone on to further study in M.F.A. and/or Ph.D. programs in Creative Writing. Many have gone on to publish their work.

Program Overview

In the English – Creative Writing major, students engage with genres of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry from the inside out, by generating and revising their own work as well as exploring closely how published work uses the techniques of craft.

All creative writing students participate in workshops led by nationally recognized writers which focus on understanding and constructing different literary forms; to achieve these goals, workshops emphasize the study of texts by established writers as well as students’ experimentation with their own creative process. The major is also flexible enough to match your own interests and goals: students can fulfill up to 12 of the required hours in the major with courses focusing on literature, rhetoric, or literary theory, or by combining these with apprenticeship or internship experiences.

To ensure a solid foundation in the skills and knowledge that employers and graduate schools expect from any English graduate, the English – Creative Writing major includes the English Core in analysis, research, and literary history. 

Careers and Graduate School

After a curriculum that emphasizes critical thinking and analytical reading as well as multiple genres of writing, English – Creative Writing students enjoy the same wide variety of opportunity upon graduation that other English majors have.

Many of our graduates go on to graduate programs, not only M.A. or M.F.A. programs in Creative Writing but also programs in information science, education or law. Others work in publishing, web content development, grant-writing and community organizing, advertising, or other creative industries. Having invested in developing their own creativity as well as in the well-rounded education that this degree requires, English – Creative Writing students can face the unexpected challenges of the 21 st -century job market with confidence.

Potential employers for those who hold a degree in Creative Writing include, but are certainly not limited to, newspaper and magazine organizations, the entertainment industry, government agencies, institutions of higher education, public and private K-12 schools, publishing companies, marketing agencies, non-profit organizations, businesses, etc.

Browse through dozens of internship opportunities and full-time job postings for Ohio University students and alumni on Handshake , OHIO's key resource for researching jobs, employers, workshops, and professional development events.

Freshman/First-Year Admission: Enrollment in an English major entails no requirements beyond University admission requirements.

Change of Program Policy: For students currently enrolled at Ohio University, transferring into an English major requires a 2.0 GPA. Students choosing to transfer into the English – Creative Writing major should contact the director of undergraduate studies in the English department for assistance. Students who wish to add an English major in addition to another major program should seek assistance from the director of undergraduate studies; students with a second major outside the College of Arts and Sciences will be responsible for meeting the degree requirements of both the English – Creative Writing major and the College of Arts and Sciences.

External Transfer Admission: For students currently enrolled at institutions other than Ohio University, transferring into an English major entails no requirements beyond University admission requirements. Students should contact the director of undergraduate studies in the English Department for assistance.

• Major code BA5232

University-wide Graduation Requirements

To complete this program, students must meet all University-wide graduation requirements.

Liberal Arts and Sciences Distribution Requirement

View the College-Level Requirements for the College of Arts & Sciences.

English Hours Requirement

For a B.A. degree with a major in English - Creative Writing , a student must complete a total of 42 semester credit hours in ENG coursework.

Intercultural Foundations

Complete the following course:

• ENG 1100 - Crossing Cultures with Text Credit Hours: 3

Literary Reading

Complete one of the following courses:

• ENG 2010 - Introduction to Prose Fiction and Nonfiction Credit Hours: 3
• ENG 2020 - Introduction to Poetry and Drama Credit Hours: 3

British or American Literature I

• ENG 2510 - British Literature I Credit Hours: 3
• ENG 2530 - American Literature I Credit Hours: 3

British or American Literature II

• ENG 2520 - British Literature II Credit Hours: 3
• ENG 2540 - American Literature II Credit Hours: 3

Intercultural Breadth

Complete one course from the following:

• ENG 3240 - Jewish American Literature Credit Hours: 3
• ENG 3250 - Women’s Literature Credit Hours: 3
• ENG 3260 - Queer Literature Credit Hours: 3
• ENG 3270 - Queer Rhetorics and Writing Credit Hours: 3
• ENG 3370 - Black Literature to 1930 Credit Hours: 3
• ENG 3380 - Ethnic American Literature Credit Hours: 3
• ENG 3390 - Black Literature from 1930 to the Present Credit Hours: 3
• ENG 3450 - Intercultural Adaptations Credit Hours: 3
• ENG 3550 - Global Literature Credit Hours: 3
• ENG 3850 - Writing About Culture and Society Credit Hours: 3
• ENG 4660 - International Authors Credit Hours: 3

Writing and Research

• ENG 3070J - Writing and Research in English Studies Credit Hours: 3

Senior Seminar

• ENG 4600 - Topics in English Studies Credit Hours: 3
• ENG 4640 - British Authors Credit Hours: 3
• ENG 4650 - American Authors Credit Hours: 3

Creative Writing Workshops

Complete three of the following workshops with at least one intermediate or advanced workshop:

• ENG 3610 - Creative Writing: Fiction Credit Hours: 3
• ENG 3620 - Creative Writing: Poetry Credit Hours: 3
• ENG 3630 - Creative Writing: Nonfiction Credit Hours: 3

Intermediate:

• ENG 3950 - Creative Writing Workshop: Nonfiction Credit Hours: 3
• ENG 3960 - Creative Writing Workshop: Short Story Credit Hours: 3
• ENG 3970 - Intermediate Creative Writing Workshop: Poetry Credit Hours: 3
• ENG 4860 - Advanced Workshop in Fiction Credit Hours: 3
• ENG 4870 - Advanced Workshop in Poetry Credit Hours: 3
• ENG 4880 - Advanced Workshop in Nonfiction Credit Hours: 3

Creative Writing Form and Theory

• ENG 4810 - Form and Theory of Literary Genres: Fiction Credit Hours: 3
• ENG 4820 - Form and Theory of Literary Genres: Poetry Credit Hours: 3
• ENG 4830 - Form and Theory of Literary Genres: Nonfiction Credit Hours: 3

Major Electives

Complete three additional ENG courses for at least nine hours excluding ENG 2800, ENG 3***J, ENG 4510, ENG 4520, ENG 4911, and ENG 4912. Six hours may be at the 2000-level or higher; three hours must be at the 3000-level or higher.

2024 Best Creative Writing Schools

Choosing a great creative writing school, creative writing rankings by degree level, best schools for creative writing in the united states, 25 top schools in creative writing.

There were about 80 creative writing students who graduated with this degree at Johns Hopkins in the most recent year we have data available.

There were about 119 creative writing students who graduated with this degree at Pitt in the most recent year we have data available.

Embrace your passion for storytelling and learn the professional writing skills you'll need to succeed with our online MFA in Creative Writing. Write your novel or short story collection while earning a certificate in the Online Teaching of Writing or Professional Writing, with no residency requirement.

Related Programs

There were about 12 creative writing students who graduated with this degree at Carnegie Mellon in the most recent data year.

There were about 37 creative writing students who graduated with this degree at UChicago in the most recent year we have data available.

There were approximately 174 creative writing students who graduated with this degree at Columbia in the most recent year we have data available.

There were about 11 creative writing students who graduated with this degree at Northwestern in the most recent year we have data available.

There were about 48 creative writing students who graduated with this degree at Brown in the most recent data year.

There were roughly 37 creative writing students who graduated with this degree at USC in the most recent data year.

There were approximately 53 creative writing students who graduated with this degree at Iowa in the most recent data year.

There were about 10 creative writing students who graduated with this degree at UMN Twin Cities in the most recent year we have data available.

There were roughly 46 creative writing students who graduated with this degree at Miami University - Oxford in the most recent year we have data available.

There were roughly 40 creative writing students who graduated with this degree at Harvard in the most recent year we have data available.

There were roughly 51 creative writing students who graduated with this degree at Emory in the most recent year we have data available.

There were approximately 30 creative writing students who graduated with this degree at Purdue in the most recent data year.

There were about 50 creative writing students who graduated with this degree at UW Seattle in the most recent year we have data available.

There were approximately 28 creative writing students who graduated with this degree at WUSTL in the most recent data year.

There were about 4 creative writing students who graduated with this degree at Notre Dame in the most recent year we have data available.

There were roughly 6 creative writing students who graduated with this degree at Vanderbilt in the most recent data year.

There were about 19 creative writing students who graduated with this degree at Wellesley in the most recent year we have data available.

There were roughly 100 creative writing students who graduated with this degree at UT Austin in the most recent year we have data available.

There were about 8 creative writing students who graduated with this degree at Iowa State in the most recent data year.

There were roughly 17 creative writing students who graduated with this degree at Boston U in the most recent year we have data available.

There were about 53 creative writing students who graduated with this degree at UC in the most recent data year.

There were roughly 73 creative writing students who graduated with this degree at University of Arizona in the most recent data year.

There were roughly 26 creative writing students who graduated with this degree at BGSU in the most recent year we have data available.

Rest of the Top Best Creative Writing Schools

Honorable mentions.

Creative Writing by Region

Other Rankings

Associate degrees in creative writing, master's degrees in creative writing, bachelor's degrees in creative writing, doctor's degrees in creative writing, rankings in majors related to creative writing, majors similar to creative writing.

Notes and References

Popular reports, compare your school options.

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Creative Writing

The creative writing minor provides students options for in-depth study of the craft of creative writing. The progression of courses enhances critical reading skills and gives students the tools they need to create original fiction, poetry and creative nonfiction. (CREATWR-MN)