certificate design for creative writing

Creative Writing

One of the nation's most prestigious open-enrollment creative writing programs..

Whether you're looking to improve your writing for personal fulfillment, want to be published, or are preparing to apply to an MFA program, the Writers' Program can help you achieve your goals. You will find a supportive community of instructors, academic counselors and fellow students to help you on your journey.

We offer a wide range of open-enrollment courses, all of which may be taken individually. A guide on where to get started is provided below.

We also offer a fully customizable 21-unit Certificate in Creative Writing  where you can develop professional creative writing skills in the genre of your choice.

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Creative Writing Certificate

Develop your skills in the genre of your choice, including fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and more.

This customizable program culminates in a capstone project where you will make significant progress on a polished collection of work.

Taught by a prestigious roster of instructors who are published writers and active professionals, courses can be taken onsite, online, or a combination of both.

Annual Writers Studio

4-day in-person, intensive workshops in Creative Writing & Screenwriting.

Perfect for both aspiring and experienced writers looking for new inspiration.

August 1-4, 2024 Registration opens Monday, February 5

Writers' Program Consultations

If you have a completed draft of a manuscript and need feedback for your work, you may consider a one-on-one consultation with a Writers’ Program instructor.

Consultations give you a full cover-to-cover read of your work, a written evaluation, and a follow-up conversation in person, via phone, or web chat.

Expect more from your education.

MFA, fiction writer, author of the story collection Once Removed (UGA Press) and winner of the Flannery O’Connor Award for Short Fiction. 

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Writers' Program Network of Writers (WP NOW)

Stay immersed in the Writers' Program community. Our optional membership program offers exclusive access to a range of discounts and benefits, including members-only networking, professional development opportunities, and course discounts. 

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My UCLA Extension coursework, teachers, and colleagues have shaped my writing life, fueled the creation of my novel, and provided continual inspiration.

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Professional Certificate

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About the Creative Writing Program

Delivery method.

• Live Online

Required Courses

Students must complete all 5 courses listed below. Classes can be taken in any order.

Grammar Lab WCWP-40234

Units:  3.00

Grammar Lab (WCWP-40234)10 Weeks | OnlineThis ten-week online Grammar Lab course is skillfully designed to meet the needs of all students. It is beneficial for those with little grammar experience and...

Upcoming Start Dates:

The art and craft of creative writing wcwp-40107.

The Art and Craft of Creative Writing 10 Weeks | Online Course Description/Goals: Creative writing begins when the spark of an idea ignites the fuel of language. The writer picks up a pen or presse...

Developing Unforgettable Characters WCWP-40245

Units:  2.00

Whether you are writing short fiction, a novel, or memoir, characters are what draw your reader in and make them care enough to read on. This course offers methods for creating three-dimensional chara...

Finding Our Voices, Telling Our Stories: Part I WCWP-40142

Within you there dwells an innate sense of storytelling and a unique voice with which to tell your stories. In this course you will explore writing techniques to help you locate and refine the natura...

Writers' Workshop: Read and Critique WCWP-40252

­­­Literary criticism is not a form of negatively critiquing a writing piece, but rather conscientiously and carefully analyzing written works through various lenses. Reading and critiquin...

Students must choose minimum 2 units of Literature from any of the classes below

Women and Madness LIT-40069

In the 19th century, a strange marriage of art, literature, science, and psychology catapulted society’s obsession with the archetypal madwoman into the mainstream. Pathologies that had once been used...

Gender Identity and Literature: Him, Her, Us LIT-40071

Gender is infinitely more intricate than the biological question of sex. Uncover the cultural, social and political implications of gender identity in three powerful works. Kiss of the Spider Woman, b...

Ernest Hemingway: Titan of American Literature LIT-40064

Ernest Hemingway wrote “All good books are alike in that they are truer than if they had really happened and after you are finished reading one you will feel that all that happened to you and afterwar...

American Literature: Stories of Immigration LIT-40022

Explore this Unique Take on Immigration Stories Immigration has once again taken center stage in the national spotlight, giving artists, writers and thinkers another opportunity to consider and help r...

Glittering Wit: Three Works by Oscar Wilde LIT-40099

Famous, and infamous, for his brilliant turn of phrase, seething social commentary and flamboyant personality, Oscar Wilde was the toast of the literary world throughout the 1880’s and 1890’s. Join us...

History of Children's Literature LIT-40093

Gain a deep understanding of the history of children s literature by studying classics of post-enlightenment writing for children. This course provides children s book writers, illustrators and enthus...

Students must choose 12 units of electives from any of the classes below

Novel Writing I WCWP-40187

The greatest challenge to writing a first novel may be deciding where to start. This course will help you write an engaging first paragraph and a draft of at least the first chapter. You may also work...

Novel Writing II WCWP-40297

Are you ready to develop a significant portion of your novel? This workshop will bring you valuable feedback on your work, including suggestions for revision. Class discussion will focus on the struct...

Novel Writing III WCWP-40254

This class will prepare you for the big picture review of your novel. With the use of contemporary and classic novels as examples, you will evaluate the progress on the plot arc and character developm...

Creative Non-Fiction

Memoir writing wcwp-40200.

Many of us have had fascinating lives, whether lived inwardly or outwardly, during childhood long ago or in the past decade. But when it comes to writing a memoir, where do we begin? The day of our bi...

Self-Editing and Publishing for the Web WCWP-40313

The ability to edit your own written work is a skill that s highly valued by employers and publishers. This class focuses on strengthening your writing for the web using journalistic techniques. Wheth...

News and Feature Writing WCWP-40276

The goal of this course is to introduce you to the purpose of journalism and the fundamentals of news and featue writing. In this ever-changing media landscape, one thing can remain constant: an indiv...

The Writer's Art of Interviewing WCWP-40123

Effective interviewing techniques translate to writing that is clear, lively, and depending on the writer s mission instructive or entertaining. This course will encompass all the integral compone...

Finding Our Voices, Telling Our Stories: Part II WCWP-40338

This course is a continuation of Finding Our Voices, Telling Our Stories: Part I. In this course students will continue to build upon the story they created in the first section of this series of clas...

Children's Writing

Writing children's picture books wcwp-40261.

Let the wild rumpus begin! Do you dream of imaginary lands and mythical creatures? Learn how to inspire a child s imagination by giving them the tools necessary to explore the world around them. The ...

Writing for Children I: Introduction WCWP-40186

Have you ever told yourself that someday you will write a children s book? Now s your chance! Join us as we demystify the writing process and examine the wide variety of books offered to children: pi...

Writing for Children II: Intermediate WCWP-40315

Revision is the key to improving your work to reach the next level: publication. But often the hardest part is to figure out which words to cut, which to leave in, and how to tighten up the rest. Thi...

Writing for the Middle Grade/YA Reader WCWP-40274

Discover how successful middle grade and young adult books are crafted, and begin to plot out and write a tale of your own. In this course, we will consider how a plot works, what makes a compelling ...

Writing Non-Fiction and Informational Books for Children WCWP-40327

The market for children s nonfiction and informational books and articles has never been better. In this course, which can be taken by those familiar with writing for children and those just beginnin...

General Electives

Forms of poetry wcwp-40308.

Amy Lowell wrote, "No one expects a man to make a chair without first learning how, but there is a popular impression that the poet is born, not made, and that his verses burst from his overflowing he...

Nature Writing: The True Muse WCWP-40342

Nature Writing: The True Muse (WCWP-40342)6 Weeks | Online As writers, we are the witness and voice of our time, and as such, we are invited to translate what we experience to share and celebrate wit...

The Business of Writing

Building a business around writing wcwp-40321.

Units:  1.00

There a many avenues to building a business around writing. In this short course we will briefly discuss various possibilities including becoming a book author, freelance writer for hire, or journal...

The Art and Business of Blogging WCWP-40334

In this course students will learn the art of writing for an online audience, how to create a basic Wordpress site, insert blog posts, edit, and brand their blog. This course will also touch on how to...

Conditions for Admission

Students should have a native level of fluency in English and be able to write clear, logical and grammatically-correct sentences.

Certificate Guidelines

The program consists of earning at least 28 quarter units in Creative Writing and related courses. Students should be able to complete the entire certificate program in 2.5 years or less depending on their work load.

Students must pass all 14 units of required classes, 2 units of Literature, and choose 12 units from our listed electives in order to receive the certificate.

Advisory Board

Benjamin Doller

Professor and Author

UC San Diego

Author and Professor Emerita of Writing and Literature

University of CA, San Diego

Judy Reeves

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Certificate in Creative Writing

About the Online Creative Writing Certificate

The Certificate in Creative Writing offers an innovative, collaborative course of study for those who have always wanted to unlock their creativity. Each online course is designed as a workshop in which you explore new ideas, tackle new writing tools, generate original insights and discover your own powers of expression. You create, collaboratively discuss and revise your original writing with feedback from your instructors and your peers. You also engage with a range of assigned readings and multimedia that inform and grow your innovative practice.

The Certificate in Creative Writing offers both basic and advanced workshops and appeals to students new to creative writing as well as students with writing experience who want to learn new skills. Through a series of online courses in fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, and screenwriting, the Certificate in Creative Writing focuses on creative writing as a form of critical thinking as a way to reimagine audience and as a space of innovation. Taught by professionals in the field, our courses cultivate both individual and group learning, providing an overview of the field as well as deep dives into literary genres. These online creative writing courses are designed as hands-on, intensive study of the subtleties and power of language.

Creative Writing Certificate Requirements

The Certificate in Creative Writing is a 4-course, 4 c.u.* credit program of study taught by University of Pennsylvania faculty. To earn a certificate, students complete any four courses offered, in any order.  Students who complete the basic certificate may pursue an advanced certificate (6-course, 6 c.u.*) by adding two additional creative writing courses.

Flexible Course Schedule and Tuition

Penn LPS Online courses in the Certificate in Creative Writing are offered in accelerated 8-week terms and full terms. Courses in the online certificate program are largely asynchronous with some optional synchronous sessions to be scheduled by the instructors.

You have the option to enroll in individual creative writing courses without committing to the entire online certificate, enjoying the flexibility and expertise offered by Penn LPS Online to suit your schedule and interests. Visit the Cost of Attendance page for course tuition and fee rates.

Watch a video of a recent virtual information session to hear from the program team about the Certificate in Creative Writing.

If you are having trouble viewing this video, watch it on YouTube .

*Academic credit is defined by the University of Pennsylvania as a course unit (c.u.). A course unit (c.u.) is a general measure of academic work over a period of time, typically a term (semester or summer). A c.u. (or a fraction of a c.u.) represents different types of academic work across different types of academic programs and is the basic unit of progress toward a degree. One c.u. is usually converted to a four-semester-hour course.

The Certificate in Creative Writing prepares you to:

• Understand how text conveys meaning across a variety of literary genres and styles
• Explore how to use innovation, flexibility, and collaboration to cultivate a creative writing practice
• Create, revise and edit your original writing in multiple literary genres, including poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and screenwriting

Online Creative Writing Courses

Certificate students who complete four of the online courses listed below earn a Certificate in Creative Writing. Those students are then eligible to pursue an Advanced Certificate in Creative Writing by taking two additional courses.

• CRWR 1010: The Craft of Creative Writing
• CRWR 1600: Modern and Contemporary US Poetry
• CRWR 2010: Poetry Workshop
• CRWR 2400: The Art of Editing
• CRWR 2500: Writing and Meditation
• CRWR 2600: Fiction Workshop
• CRWR 2800: Narrative Collage
• CRWR 3000: Writing About Place
• CRWR 3200: Screenwriting
• CRWR 3600: Advanced Nonfiction *
• CRWR 3700: Journalism

*This course may not be offered every academic year. Check the course page or our course guide to see when upcoming terms are added.

Courses are subject to change.

See Course Tuition

Meet The Faculty

Julia Bloch

• Faculty Director, Penn LPS Online Certificate in Creative Writing
• Director, Creative Writing Program

• Director, Center for Programs in Contemporary Writing

Laynie Browne

• Poet, prose writer, teacher and editor

Scott Burkhardt

• Lecturer in cinema and media studies

Christy Davids

• Teacher, poet and assistant editor at The Conversant

Lise Funderburg

• Lecturer in creative writing

• 2017-2018 Digital Studies Fellow at Rutgers University-Camden

Dick Polman

• Povich Writer-in-Residence at the Center for Programs in Contemporary Writing (CPCW)

• Writer, editor, teacher

Zachary Tyler Vickers

Careers related to creative writing.

The Certificate in Creative Writing is designed to enhance your writing and storytelling skills and provide a framework for a creative process that can be applied to a myriad of professional roles including:

• Advertising copywriter
• Fundraising/development consultant
• Author and journalist

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At a Glance

Classes Begin June 17

Term Length 10 Weeks

4 Course Certificate Tuition $13,344

6 Course Certificate Tuition $20,016

Format Asynchronous and Hybrid Online

Admission No GRE or GMAT

Duration As few as 6 months

Duration As few as 12 months

Top-Ranked University

U.S. News & World Report Rankings

Talk to an Enrollment Manager

Chris Heriza 303-871-4785 Schedule an appointment Email me

Free Application

University College is committed to educational access, and given the difficult circumstances currently impacting millions of people, we are waiving application fees.

Skills You’ll Learn

Annual Schedule 5

Which certificate is right for me?

• 4-Course Certificate
• 6-Course Certificate

Concentration Courses

Focus on a specific professional area within the larger industry sector and master the skills needed to excel in that area.

Elective Courses

Popular electives for students in the Professional Creative Writing program include:

Electives may be chosen from among all courses in the Professional Creative Writing program. You may also select courses from other University College graduate programs with approval from the academic director.

Your academic advisor will help you select electives that align with your career and personal goals, and your advisor will obtain any necessary approvals from the academic director.

MORE ELECTIVES

More Electives 5

Featured Instructors

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Patricia Dubrava Keuning

Linda Sanders

L.A. Jennings

Joseph Hutchison

Jonah Bornstein

Jenn Zukowski

Jeff Schwartz

Hilary Leftwich

Sample schedule.

Plan your schedule to complete your graduate certificate. Finish quickly in just six months or take up to two years (four course certificate) or three years for a six-course certificate.

Interested in a master’s degree?

Take a course before you apply, career outcomes, predicted outcomes for graduates of professional creative nonfiction writing, writer and author salary​: national average, (u.s. bureau of labor statistics), get ahead with career services.

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Professional Creative Writing

Flexible online classes.

We understand the demands of balancing work, friends and family, and school can be challenging. That's why at University College, you can complete your program entirely online. Our online learning platform makes it easy to work anywhere at any time.

Accreditation

University College programs maintain the highest level of accreditation offered by The Higher Learning Commission, one of the regional accrediting bodies recognized by the federal government. The University of Denver and all of its academic programs are regionally accredited by this commission, and regional accreditation is the highest standard for universities in the United States.

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Creative Writing

About this program.

Have you longed to explore your creative potential?

Embrace the unknown and start your journey here. As part of one of the largest Creative Writing programs in Canada, you can learn the essentials of excellent writing and put them into practice. Whether you aspire to write a novel or short story, explore poetry, pen a script or screenplay, or explore other writing styles, we have the courses you need to improve your skills.

Class sizes and writers workshops are kept small to ensure you receive the individual attention you need to help your writing thrive, whether you take your class in-class or online. 

Courses in the genres listed below can be applied to the Certificate in Creative Writing

• Creative Non-Fiction
• Escritura Creativa en Español
• Literary Fiction
• Multi-genre
• Poetry and Songwriting
• Popular Fiction
• Stage and Screenwriting
• U of T Summer Writing School
• Writing for Children

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Certificate in Professional Writing

The Professional Writing Certificate is an 18-hour credit certificate that provides students the opportunity to develop advanced workplace writing skills that combine creative thinking, analytical skills, and practical application. The certificate requires successful completion of six writing-focused courses above the freshman composition level, including five at the junior and senior levels. As part of their final coursework, students will take E 430 Advanced Professional Writing, a project-based course in which students apply the skills acquired in the other certificate program courses.

Flexible Delivery Format!

The Professional Writing Certificate allows flexibility: students can choose to complete the entire program online or in a hybrid model that allows them to complete some courses in face-to-face format and others online.

Pre-requisites

Successful completion of E 150 English Composition I and E 151 English Composition II

Why get a Professional Writing Certificate?

Communication skills and the ability to compose and edit workplace documents are consistently in the top ten list of skills employers look for in employees. This certificate program can benefit current SC State students in other degree programs and individuals currently in the workforce and desire to enhance their work-related skills for potential advancement.

Advanced oral and written skills, the ability to work in teams, and the ability to compose and edit workplace documents are consistently among the top desired workplace skills. This certificate will be beneficial for a variety of careers.

Students who earn a certificate in Professional Writing at SC State will be able to do the following:

• Compose public, technical, and workplace documents.
• Create documents appropriate for target audiences.
• Collaborate effectively with fellow writers/colleagues.
• Effectively employ a variety of tools used for writing in a digital environment.
• Evaluate primary and secondary research for use in specific writing contexts.
• Design effective documents, including graphics and page design.

Who will teach me?

The courses in the Professional Writing Certificate Program have experience in teaching advanced writing courses, including work-related writing. In addition, the faculty have experience in composing such documents in their fields of English, composition, and mass communications.

What courses will I take?

All of these courses focus on the development of skills that writers need in the 21st-century workplace, including writing for digital contexts. In addition to sharpening their composition skills, students will create workplace documents, such as reports and proposals, and also practice their online skills through the creation of webpages and other digital media.

• JOUR 210 Writing for Mass Communications
• E 302 Advanced Grammar and Composition
• E 313 Creative Writing
• E 314 Public Writing for the Digital Age
• E 330 Professional Writing
• E 430 Advanced Professional Writing

Will I get professional experience?

In E 430: Advanced Professional Writing, students will work throughout the semester on a realistic professional writing project, starting with a formal proposal at the beginning of the semester and closing with the final product. Students may choose a project related to a problem or issue at their current workplace that they would like to address. As they work on their individual projects, students will work in teams assisting each other with feedback on their projects and developing shorter team-composed documents to assist their classroom peers with their work.

It’s Never Too Late!

Application deadlines, more information, technical requirements.

A computer with Internet connectivity is required for coursework delivered online. Additional technology requirements are listed on the course syllabus.

Tuition and Fees

eTuition : $552 (per credit hour)* Fees : $84 (per semester)

*eTuition rates are the same for both in-state and out-of-state students.

Financial Aid

A variety of financial aid and scholarship programs are available for eligible students. Contact the  Financial Aid for more information.

Department of English and Communications [email protected]  

Certificate in Teaching of Creative Writing Location:  AU Los Angeles Credits for Degree: 12 semester credits Standard Mode of Instruction: Low-residency Standard time to completion: 6 months

Program Overview

The Post-MFA Certificate in the Teaching of Creative Writing program, offered by the Creative Writing Department of the Division of Graduate and Professional Studies, is open to any student holding an MFA in Creative Writing from Antioch University Los Angeles (AULA) or another accredited institution, and is one semester beyond the completion of the MFA degree at Antioch. During this semester, the student engages in systematic study of the theory and practice of teaching creative writing and composition, a salutary preparation for working in classroom and workshop settings at any educational level.

Although the Post-MFA Certificate in the Teaching of Creative Writing is not a formal teaching “credential,” it benefits the following groups:

• MFA holders who desire to teach, but have little teaching experience;
• MFA holders who are either college/university writing instructors or public school teachers who want to learn more about the intersection of creative and expository writing pedagogies, and to incorporate this knowledge into their teaching;
• MFA holders who desire to improve their marketability as teachers; and
• MFA holders who have teaching careers well under way and seek to improve their current positions through postgraduate professional development encouraged or required by their employers.

Note: The California Community College system does not recognize either the MFA or the Post-MFA Certificate as a valid teaching credential for instructors of English. In addition, the Post-MFA Certificate is not a program that leads to a teaching credential for secondary or elementary education.

Post-MFA Program Learning Outcomes

All Post-MFA students incorporate five program learning outcomes and activities into their project period work. The first four of these are accomplished during the student’s supervised teaching placement (overseen by the on-site supervisor) and one in the student’s independent research on creative writing pedagogy (overseen by the Post-MFA faculty).

Graduates of the Post-MFA program will:

• Accountability to all chains of command (on-site teaching supervisor, Post-MFA mentor, Creative Writing Department chair, and Creative Writing Department office)
• Professional demeanor in all activities related to the program and one’s teaching assignment
• Professional documentation, as needed
• Communicating clearly and in a timely manner with students, supervisors, and colleagues
• Engaging with the life of the department of the host institution, including attending faculty meetings (when invited)
• Demonstrate an understanding of the dynamics that exist in a particular writing classroom or online setting, including the differing viewpoints and learning styles of individual students.
• Professionally critique one’s own strengths and weaknesses as a teacher, and adjust one’s own teaching as needed.
• Demonstrate the ability to develop an assignment or lesson plan that responds to the class’s stated learning goals.
• Develop a critical vocabulary from research in pedagogy to identify and articulate various teaching methodologies and their relation to student learning styles.

Program Progression

The Post-MFA Certificate in the Teaching of Creative Writing is completed in three stages with the following learning activities:

Stage I: Pre-Project Period Residency

The entering Post-MFA Certificate student must attend a ten-day residency on the Antioch University Los Angeles campus during which the student completes the following requirements:

• “Overview of Post-MFA Certificate Program and Readings in Pedagogy” seminar/ orientation
• “Designing a Flexible Workshop Syllabus” seminar
• A Residency Workshop in their chosen writing genre
• Attend all lectures and panels involving Certificate students or pedagogy faculty
• Attend five additional Residency learning activities, such as seminars, lectures, panels, roundtables, etc. 

Post-MFA students are encouraged to generate a list of possible teaching placements (locations and supervisor contact information) before beginning in the program, and to bring it to the first on-campus residency. Students with a list of possible placements prior to Stage I will be able to make the best use of their first on-campus residency.

Stage II: Semester Project Period

During the five-month project period, Post-MFA Certificate students perform the following off-campus activities:

• Teaching Apprenticeship: every student will gain direct experience working as a professional instructor’s “Teaching Assistant.” This apprenticeship will also include some teaching-leadership of the class, guided by the professional instructor.
• Complete Teaching Practicum: every student will have the opportunity to design and lead a teaching experience for real, eager writers, whether in Antioch’s Alumni Circle, or with community organizations like PocketMFA.
• Engage with Contemporary and Urgent Texts: every student will read widely in the pedagogy of creative writing and engage regularly in vigorous zoom discussions with the faculty and other students.
• Develop a Teacher’s Toolkit: A top priority of the program is practicality and flexibility, and every student will leave the program with an immediately useful set of tools and documents to take on their journey to making a living as a creative writing instructor. 

The details of each of the above are negotiated with each student’s mentor and specified in the Project Period Contract.

Stage III: Post-Project Period Short Residency

Post-MFA Certificate students are required to attend at least the first three days of their post-project period residency. A student may choose to attend as many additional days of the post-project period residency as the student wishes. Requirements are as follows:

• Participate in the Post-MFA Panel
• Exit Meeting with Post-MFA Faculty
• Deliver the Annotated Bibliography of Readings in the Field of Writing Pedagogy

Current Tuition and Fees

University Tuition and Fees