snhu ma creative writing

Southern New Hampshire University Online MA in English and Creative Writing

Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) offers an online MA in English and Creative Writing program that gives students the choice of a general path or one of four concentrations: fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and screenwriting. Students will learn how form, language, and literacy integrate into the voice and style of writing, delve into their own creative process, and study cultural contexts and historical traditions of classic and contemporary writing.

The MA in English and Creative Writing program helps writing students develop a professional identity of confidence in media platforms and presentations. Additionally, students learn to use technology in writing and promoting their work. Throughout the program, students develop writing goals and find their own voice and style of writing. The curriculum allows for unique combinations of courses befitting each student’s style and career aspirations.

The SNHU MA in English and Creative Writing program comprises 36 credits and can be completed in as few as 15 months by taking two courses per 10-week session, or students can complete the program at their own pace. Graduate online programs at SNHU begin five times per year in 10-week increments, landing in September/October, December, February/March, May, and July/August, depending on the year.

The program requires no campus visits. Online courses are delivered asynchronously for maximum flexibility, and students can log in at their convenience to complete coursework. Southern New Hampshire University makes online learning systematic by posting all requirements for the upcoming week on the dashboard. Course components may include readings, quizzes, presentations, writing samples, and original written works of publishable quality.

Graduates of the SNHU online MA in English and Creative Writing may go on to careers in journalism, publishing, proofreading and editing, technical writing, screenwriting, public relations, marketing, writing in various genres, or freelance writing.

Courses for the online MA in English and Creative Writing include Studying the Craft; Story and Concept; Graduate Studies in English Language; English and Creative Writing Capstone; and Graduate Studies in Literary Theory. Students also take either Seminar in Writing Instruction or Online Teaching Experience, six credits from upper-level literature classes, and two of the following: Screenwriting Fundamentals; Poetry Fundamentals; Fiction Fundamentals; Nonfiction Fundamentals; Fiction and Film; Studies in Place and Setting; Genres: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, and Other Popular Fiction; Contemporary Writers and Publishing; and The Editor.

Those following a general English and Creative Writing path also take two of the following: Screenwriting Fundamentals; Poetry Fundamentals; Fiction Fundamentals; Non-Fiction Fundamentals; or Internship (which includes 150 internship hours).

Fiction concentration courses include Fiction Fundamentals, Genres: Fantasy, Sci-Fi, and Other Popular Fiction; Fiction Thesis Writing, and Fiction Thesis Completion.

Nonfiction concentration courses include Non-Fiction Fundamentals, Non-Fiction Thesis Writing, and Non-Fiction Thesis Completion.

Poetry concentration courses include Poetry Fundamentals, Poetry Thesis Writing, and Poetry Thesis Completion.

Screenwriting concentration courses include Screenwriting Fundamentals, Screenwriting Thesis Writing, and Screenwriting Thesis Completion. For all concentrations, the Fundamentals course listed takes the place of English and Creative Writing Capstone in the major.

Southern New Hampshire University is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE).

Southern New Hampshire University

Online ma in english and creative writing.

• Students can choose a general path or concentrations in fiction, non-fiction, poetry and screenwriting
• The curriculum includes a course on the English language covering topics such as the history of English, etymology, phonology, syntax, semantics, dialects, and more
• One course on teaching or writing instruction is required

To Learn More About SNHU's Online MA in English and Creative Writing - visit degrees.snhu.edu

Online MA in English And Creative Writing - Fiction

• Graduate students go beyond the basics of storytelling to an exploration of genres, audiences, and their creative voice
• At the end of the program, fiction students create their own manuscript, applying their creative voice to their work
• Graduates can apply learned skills to writing novels and other works, or to scriptwriting, marketing, and freelance work

Online MA in English And Creative Writing - Nonfiction

• Students gain the tools needed to create factual works based on research and human experiences
• The curriculum includes information on broadcasting, publishing, and professional production
• The curriculum offers the flexibility to tailor the degree toward each student's career goals

Online MA in English And Creative Writing - Poetry

• Poetry students use their imaginations to create poetic imagery that is vivid, moving, and inspiring
• Students learn to appreciate how poetry affects thinking, communication, and understanding of the world around them
• Poets may work for nonprofits, journals, bookstores, and magazines, or publish their own poetry

Online MA in English And Creative Writing - Screenwriting

• Students delve into the world of film and video, including a focus on story structure, creative writing, theme, action, dialogue, character development, and visuals
• The curriculum focuses on visual storytelling to create an immersive experience
• By the end of the program, students will have developed their own screenplay

Earn your degree in creative writing at SNHU - 100% Online

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Tuition and financial aid.

As a nonprofit university, your success is our only mission. That means we’re committed to keeping our costs low, and to providing ways for you to reduce your overall tuition cost – so your education can be even more affordable.

As part of our commitment to affordability, SNHU offers some of the lowest online tuition rates in the nation:

• $320/credit for undergraduate degrees
• $627/credit for graduate degrees
• No undergraduate or graduate application fee

Whether you’re interested in an undergraduate or graduate degree, our Student Financial Services team is ready to help you understand how to cut down costs and explore all opportunities for financial aid.

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Southern New Hampshire University is a leader in online education. Our online programs are developed by industry leaders who have relevant, real-world experience and professionals in online learning. Each program is designed to deliver applicable course outcomes that can help prepare you to succeed in the workplace.

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Transferring credits.

Got college credits you worked hard to earn and hope to transfer? The majority of our online students are transfers, and we stop at nothing to give you the credit you deserve. That’s why we offer generous transfer credit policies where students can transfer up to 45 credits toward an associate degree and up to 90 credits toward a bachelor’s degree.

• Free Transfer Credit Evaluation – We’ll perform an official credit evaluation free of charge to help you determine which credits will transfer.
• Transfer Credits From Community Colleges – SNHU partners with community colleges and specialized schools around the country.
• Military Education Credits – Through partnerships, specialized pathways and dedicated support, we can help you turn military education into college credit.
• Get Credit for Work/Life Experience – Graduate faster and for less when you earn credit for what you already know.

Expanding the boundaries of higher education since 1932

Southern New Hampshire University is a private, nonprofit, accredited institution with more than 170,000 online students, making it one of the fastest growing universities in the nation. Since its founding in 1932, the University has transformed from a school of accounting and secretarial science into an institution offering over 200 degree programs ranging from business, education, liberal arts, social sciences and STEM.

Here are just a few of our accolades:

• Named 2020 Most Innovative University in the North and one of the nation’s “Best Regional Universities” by U.S. News & World Report.
• Awarded the 21st Century Distance Learning Award for Excellence in Online Technology by The United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA)
• Named “Great College to Work For” by the Chronicle of Higher Education every year since its inception
• One of Fast Company’s 50 Most Innovative Companies (2012)

What our students are saying about SNHU

“When I saw my books on a bestseller list for the for the first time, it was unbelievable.”

“Earning a degree as a mother means my children have something to be proud of and they can look at me and say my mom finished school and look at her now. She’s amazing!”

“Being with an organization that’s working to better the world, it made a big difference to also go to a nonprofit university that had the same mindset.”

“My parents immigrated to the United States to provide me with a good education…It feels good to see myself where I am today because of them.”

“My degree in Southern New Hamsphire University helped me to grow my organization to greater self-sustainability…”

Accreditations and Accolades

Southern New Hampshire University is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE). All Programs offered by SNHU are encompassed by this regional accreditation.

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Southern New Hampshire University MA in Creative Writing

Creative Writing is a concentration offered under the writing studies major at Southern New Hampshire University. We’ve gathered data and other essential information about the master’s degree program in creative writing, such as diversity of students, how many students graduated in recent times, and more.

If there’s something special you’re looking for, you can use one of the links below to find it:

• Graduate Cost
• Online Learning
• Student Diversity

Featured Programs

Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.

MFA in Creative Writing - Online

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.

MA in English & Creative Writing

Refine your writing skills and take a step toward furthering your career with this online master's from Southern New Hampshire University.

Low-Residency MFA in Fiction and Nonfiction

Harness your passion for storytelling with SNHU's Mountainview Low-Residency MFA in Fiction and Nonfiction. In this small, two-year creative writing program, students work one-on-one with our distinguished faculty remotely for most of the semester but convene for weeklong intensive residencies in June and January. At residencies, students critique each other's work face-to-face, meet with major authors, agents and editors and learn how to teach at the college level.

How Much Does a Master’s in Creative Writing from SNHU Cost?

Snhu graduate tuition and fees.

Part-time graduates at SNHU paid an average of $627 per credit hour in 2019-2020. This tuition was the same for both in-state and out-of-state students. The average full-time tuition and fees for graduate students are shown in the table below.

Does SNHU Offer an Online MA in Creative Writing?

Looking for online learning options? Good news, you can take online classes in the creative writing master’s degree program at SNHU. To see if the school offers distance learning options in other areas, visit the SNHU Online Learning page.

SNHU Master’s Student Diversity for Creative Writing

Male-to-female ratio.

Women made up around 76.7% of the creative writing students who took home a master’s degree in 2019-2020. This is higher than the nationwide number of 66.6%.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

Around 14.0% of creative writing master’s degree recipients at SNHU in 2019-2020 were awarded to racial-ethnic minorities*. This is lower than the nationwide number of 24%.

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online

More about our data sources and methodologies .

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Online MFA in Creative Writing

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Undergraduate Major Creative Writing & English (BA)

Tell your story with a creative writing major from snhu.

Unleash your creativity with Southern New Hampshire University's Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing and English.

This undergraduate creative writing major prepares you for a career in creative writing, publishing, journalism, communications, the law and many other professions, as well as graduate programs such as the university's low-residency Master of Fine Arts in Fiction and Nonfiction Writing.

Plus, creative writing courses begin during freshman year, unlike many other undergraduate writing programs.

Many English majors are involved in the Creative Writing Club, and work on the student-run literary journal, The Manatee, or write for and edit the school paper, The Penmen Press. There are also opportunities to work as a writing tutor and attend writing events throughout the year, including readings and Q&As with published (and sometimes bestselling) writers.

See Yourself Succeed as a Creative Writing Major

Learn from faculty members who are critically acclaimed writers and who understand the industry. Spend classroom and one-on-one time with publishers, agents and editors, and participate in workshops, readings, book-signings and networking events with bestselling authors and poets.

As a private, nonprofit university, SNHU has one mission - to help you see yourself succeed. The benefits of earning your creative writing major at SNHU include:

• Supportive community. Join the SNHU college campus community of fewer than 3,000 students, with faculty and staff dedicated to your success.
• Affordability. It’s our mission to make higher education more accessible. That’s why, SNHU is one of the most affordable private, nonprofit universities in New Hampshire. 
• Accessible faculty. Learn from highly credentialed faculty who are experts in their fields and interact with you in the classroom, dining hall, fitness center and the stands.
• Opportunity. Tap into our nationwide network of alumni and strong connections with employers for internship and career opportunities.
• Campus experience. Enjoy more than 50 student clubs, champion Division II athletics and fun events on our 300-acre campus in Manchester, NH, named a "Best Place to Live" by Money magazine.

Internships & Outcomes

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics , employment of writers and authors is projected to grow 9% through 2030. 1 Specific job titles include:

• Writer/author
• Literary agent
• Manuscript reader 

Get a leg up before you graduate. Publishing opportunities include the student literary journal, The Manatee; the University's national journal, Assignment; high-profile magazines and literary contests. Join the Creative Writing Club and the New Hampshire Writers' Project - the only statewide literary organization for writers of all levels and genres, which is housed on our Manchester campus.

Four creative writing workshops are at the heart of this BA program. Choose three genre workshops followed by an advanced workshop in which you'll write a senior thesis in a genre of your choice, such as fiction, poetry, nonfiction or scriptwriting.

Courses To Prepare You For Your Life & Career

SNHU's bachelor's in creative writing and English program includes:

• General education courses
• Degree-specific courses

General Education Program

SNHU's required general education program, known as The Commons , aims to guide you toward success in not only your academic career, but your personal and professional life too.

Throughout the curriculum, you'll gain some of the most in-demand skills in today's workplace, including:

• Research and information analysis
• Diverse audience communication
• Critical thinking and ethical problem solving
• Leadership, emotional intelligence and collaboration

This expertise will prove practical, transferable and invaluable as you grow in your career and contribute positively to society.

Beyond foundational skill development, the general education program also provides the benefit of allowing you to explore a wide range of fields outside of your intended major.

Campus Undergraduate Tuition

Our Manchester campus aims to keep tuition and related costs  low for our students so that you can pursue your degree and your goals.

University Accreditation

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1 Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, on the internet, at: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/media-and-communication/writers-and-authors.htm (viewed May 03, 2022)

Cited projections may not reflect local and/or short-term economic or job conditions and do not guarantee actual job growth.