is an ma in creative writing worth it

Is a Creative Writing Degree Worth It? Let’s Get Into It.

In my day—by which I mean the early 2000s—a creative writing degree was considered one of the less practical academic pursuits, only a little more reasonable than a philosophy degree and a theatre arts degree (which, incidentally, is what I have).

These days, we have a bit more appreciation for what a person can do with some well-rounded creative writing skills. Such a person can write novels and poetry, sure, but they can also compose speeches for politicians, create written content to refresh a major corporation’s brand, and craft compelling ad copy.

There’s no question about it. Creative writing is a skill that earns , depending on how you use it.

But as is the case in a lot of modern industries, we’re starting to see that a degree doesn’t carry the weight it used to. And not having a degree isn’t always a barrier to entry.

So where does that leave aspiring writers? Should you bother to pursue a creative writing degree? If so, what should you be trying to get out of it?

We’re about to go over all the ins and outs of this educational path. We’ll talk about:

• The advantages of pursuing a degree in creative writing
• The different types of creative writing programs
• How to choose the program that’s best for you
• How creative writing is taught
• The career opportunities that come with a creative writing degree

Let’s start by looking at the perks.

Benefits of Pursuing a Creative Writing Degree

I’m about to list the four biggest benefits of attending a creative writing program. But I want to be clear about something:

Every one of these perks is something you can also get without a degree in creative writing.

I don’t say that to discourage you from taking this path. This might still be the best next step for your career. See, the biggest difference between getting a formal education and DIY-ing one isn’t what you learn but how you learn it.

That’s why we’re not just looking at what these four benefits are but also how you achieve them in a creative writing program.

Develop Strong Writing Skills

This is the reason most creative writing students pursue a degree. A good program offers a range of courses to help you sharpen your skills, faculty members who have real-life experience with the publishing industry, and access to visiting writers who can offer additional inspiration and insight .

Most programs incorporate writing workshops where you and your fellow students share and give feedback on your work, all under the guidance of a professor. Many universities also put out literary journals, giving students the opportunity to participate in the publishing process .

And of course, enrolling in a creative writing program ensures that you’ll be constantly writing , which is the best way to sharpen your skills.

Explore Diverse Genres and Styles

A self-guided learner has full authority to choose which areas of writing and literature they’ll explore. This is mostly a good thing, but the benefit of pursuing a creative writing degree is that your professors will see to it that you get familiar with a range of formats, genres , and styles .

This is especially true in undergraduate creative writing programs. Expect to read and analyze a wide spectrum of literature, from ancient epic poems to modern mainstream novels.

Build Your Network

This is such a notable perk that many of my friends who went to graduate school for screenwriting highlight this as the number one benefit.

Of course, you can build a network of peers and mentors without shelling out a ton of money for a formal education. But in a creative writing program, you spend all your time with other writers. You read each other’s work, struggle through the same coursework, and connect on a personal level.

Plus, if you happen to go to a school with a robust alumni network, you might find it easier to connect with those in your industry who share your alma mater after you graduate.

Widen Career Options

There are plenty of writers who don’t have a degree in creative writing—or don’t have a degree at all —who are making a decent living off of their words.

Nevertheless, a formal education can offer a wider range of options. It will give you a better shot with employers who place high value on college degrees or want to know that you have specialized knowledge regarding a specific type of writing.

And if you think you might enjoy teaching creative writing, a degree is a must. 

Types of Creative Writing Degrees

Intrigued? Then let’s explore your options more in depth.

There are several different types of creative writing degrees you can pursue, each with a slightly different focus and different opportunities once you leave school to practice your craft in the real world.

We’ll break this down one by one.

Undergraduate Degrees

It typically takes four years to complete an undergraduate creative writing program, though the timeline can be longer or shorter depending on your schedule and any credits you’ve already earned and transferred over.

We’re covering some general creative writing degrees available at the undergraduate level, but I highly recommend doing additional research. There are several more specific degrees that zero in on a particular aspect of writing, like a Bachelor of Arts in Communication or Journalism.

If you have a clear-cut vision for your writing career, start there and work backward to find the degree that makes sense for you. If you only know that you want to be writing one way or another, start by looking at these three options:

Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Creative Writing

When you pursue a Bachelor of Arts, you can expect to get a well-rounded education that includes writing instruction as well as a balanced emphasis on the sciences and humanities.

It’s a liberal arts degree, basically, and it’s the most common choice for students seeking a creative writing education. 

Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Creative Writing

BFA programs are much rarer than BA programs, but it’s worth considering one if you want an education that puts a heavy emphasis on the “arts” part.

This type of program focuses less on sciences and humanities. It often includes hands-on writing workshops (more on those in a bit) and is favored by students who fully intend to become authors, playwrights, screenwriters, or poets.

Bachelor of Science (BS) in Writing

If you think you might enjoy applying your creative writing skills to something more scientific or analytical, a BS might be the best option for you.

This is a popular option for students who see themselves getting into technical writing, cultural studies, or communication.

Graduate Degrees

Postgraduate education—or grad school, as the cool kids call it—comes after you’ve earned an undergraduate degree. The most common reasons to seek out a graduate degree in creative writing include:

• You think you might like to teach creative writing at the college level one day
• You earned an undergraduate degree in a different field and now you want to study writing
• You just really want to go deep on this subject

Just as with undergrad degrees, there are highly specific grad programs you can explore. Or you can dive into one of these:

Master of Arts (MA) in Creative Writing

While an MA program doesn’t have the humanities and sciences components of a BA program, it still maintains a balance between participating in the arts and observing them. 

That is to say, you’ll do a ton of writing in this program, but you’ll also read and analyze a fair amount of literature.

Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Writing

MFA programs tend to be super hands-on, with workshops in which students share and give feedback on each other’s writing. Over the course of the program, you’ll complete a book-length work like a novel or poetry collection.

You also might find that you need more credits to earn an MFA degree than an MA in creative writing. 

PhD in Creative Writing

Now you’re just stalling. Write your book already.

I’m kidding. A PhD is a perfectly reasonable option if you want to study literature and creative writing in great depth. Most students who take their writing education this far are also planning to build a career in academia in addition to being a published author.

PhD programs are extremely rigorous, can last four years, and conclude with a dissertation project.

Writing Workshops vs. Writing Courses

At this point, we should probably discuss the difference between writing courses and workshops in an academic setting. You’ll find both in many programs, but the balance between these two educational experiences will depend on which type of creative writing degree you pursue.

It will also influence your entire learning experience.

What Makes a Course a Course?

A creative writing course is exactly what you think of when you imagine any class in a formal education setting.

In a course, a professor lectures on specific topics, assigns projects, and grades students on their performance. There may be class discussions and even opportunities for students to share and engage with each others’ writing. But the overall structure of a course focuses on conveying information.

What Makes a Workshop a Workshop?

A creative writing workshop is more hands-on. While the professor will share insights and guide discussions, the primary purpose of a workshop is to help students refine their craft. They share their work and give each other feedback.

You see much more of this learning style in BFA and MFA programs, which put greater emphasis on honing creative skills. If you want your writing education to include analyzing literature or studying the business end of publishing, you’ll probably want to look into more course-heavy BA or MA programs.  

Renowned Creative Writing Programs

This is usually when a person wants to know where they should go to get these degrees. What are the best creative writing programs out there?

Really, the best program is the one that fits you. Reputation is just one of many factors you should consider when you decide where to pursue a degree in creative writing. 

That said, it’s always a good move to know the respected institutions in your field. It helps you sound informed at cocktail parties. To that end, here are some of the most revered schools in the world of creative writing (in the U.S., anyway):

• The Iowa Writers’ Workshop
• Brown University
• Columbia University
• Duke University
• Emory University
• Mizzou (Journalism)
• Northwestern University

Choosing the Right Creative Writing Program

If prestige shouldn’t be a top consideration when deciding where to earn a degree in creative writing, what should you prioritize?

Here are a few factors to keep in mind as you research your options:

Career goals - Do you want a program that’s going to prepare you for a job in marketing that pays the bills while you write poetry on the side? Do you want to become a globe-trotting journalist or a high-earning technical writer?

Decide what will be the best degree for you, then zero in on the schools that excel in that area of study.

And don’t forget to consider genre! If you want to earn an MFA but are interested in commercial fiction writing, make sure you find a program that matches your goals. Literary fiction tends to get all the love in higher education.

Faculty - Research who you’ll be learning from. Do they seem like the right folks to guide you on your professional journey?

Curriculum - Learn everything you can about a school’s course options and creative writing majors before you commit. Will you be able to focus on the area of writing that matters most to you? Will the skills you learn help you do fun things in the real world like eat and pay rent?

Location - There are accredited creative writing programs that are entirely online. However, many of your best options will be in-person or low residency . Not only is the location relevant for practical reasons—you have to be able to get there—it can also influence how much you pay to go. 

If you attend a state school in your own state, for example, you can expect to pay less than the out-of-state students.

Results - Do a little digging to find out what graduates say about their experience in the program. What did they like about it? What didn’t they like? Would they say it was worth it? What are they doing with their creative writing degree now?

Cost - You’re probably way ahead of me here, but I’ll mention it, anyway. The less you pay for a degree in creative writing, the greater your return on investment will be. Look at tuition costs, possible scholarships, out-of-state versus in-state expenses, and the local cost of living.

Career Opportunities with a Creative Writing Degree

Maybe you decided long ago that you definitely want to go to college. Maybe for you, the question isn’t whether you want a degree at all but whether a degree in creative writing is a good use of your college fund.

In that case, we should talk career opportunities. What exactly can you do with a creative writing degree?

A lot, as it turns out. In fact, we have this ridiculously long list of jobs that require strong creative writing skills. You can follow the link to explore them in depth, but here’s a quick sample of what’s in there:

• Proofreader
• Content writer
• Technical writer
• Social media writer
• Screenwriter
• Speechwriter
• Literary agent
• Brand strategist
• Corporate communications specialist

That’s really only scratching the surface, and it doesn’t even touch on the ways your writing skills might serve you in less creative professions. I know multiple lawyers with a creative writing degree they credit for making them significantly better at drafting legal arguments. (On the flip side, an alarming number of lawyers become screenwriters or novelists.)

The important thing is to consider different creative writing majors carefully. Between the different schools, degrees, and areas of concentration, you’ve got lots of options and plenty of opportunities to select the education path that leads to your ideal writing career.

Whatever You Do, Keep Learning

Only you can decide if a creative writing degree is the right move for you. Whether you go for it or not, remember that continuous learning is the best thing you can do to ensure a successful and fulfilling writing career.

Keep reading work that inspires you. Build and nurture your writer network. Proactively seek out workshops, seminars, conferences , books, articles… anything you can get your hands on that will help you sharpen your skills.

And while I wouldn’t claim it’s a one-to-one replacement for the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, remember that Dabble is always here for you with a shocking amount of free educational resources and a supportive community in the Story Craft Café .

Peruse the hundreds of articles, templates, and worksheets in DabbleU . Subscribe to our newsletter for weekly guidance delivered straight to your inbox. Download this free, 100-page ebook walking you through the entire novel-writing process.

Even if you need a little more time to decide if you want a degree in creative writing, you can start boosting your skills now.

So what are you waiting for?

Abi Wurdeman is the author of Cross-Section of a Human Heart: A Memoir of Early Adulthood, as well as the novella, Holiday Gifts for Insufferable People. She also writes for film and television with her brother and writing partner, Phil Wurdeman. On occasion, Abi pretends to be a poet. One of her poems is (legally) stamped into a sidewalk in Santa Clarita, California. When she’s not writing, Abi is most likely hiking, reading, or texting her mother pictures of her houseplants to ask why they look like that.

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What to Know About Creative Writing Degrees

Many creative writing degree recipients pursue careers as authors while others work as copywriters or ghostwriters.

Tips on Creative Writing Degrees

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Prospective writing students should think about their goals and figure out if a creative writing degree will help them achieve those goals.

Many people see something magical in a beautiful work of art, and artists of all kinds often take pride in their craftsmanship. Creative writers say they find fulfillment in the writing process.

"I believe that making art is a human need, and so to get to do that is amazing," says Andrea Lawlor, an author who this year received a Whiting Award – a national $50,000 prize that recognizes 10 excellent emerging authors each year – and who is also the Clara Willis Phillips Assistant Professor of English at Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts.

"We all are seeing more and more of the way that writing can help us understand perspectives we don't share," says Lawlor, whose recent novel "Paul Takes the Form of a Mortal Girl" addresses the issue of gender identity.

"Writing can help us cope with hard situations," Lawlor says. "We can find people who we have something in common with even if there's nobody around us who shares our experience through writing. It's a really powerful tool for connection and social change and understanding."

Creative writing faculty, many of whom are acclaimed published authors, say that people are well-suited toward degrees in creative writing if they are highly verbal and enjoy expressing themselves.

"Creative imaginative types who have stories burning inside them and who gravitate toward stories and language might want to pursue a degree in creative writing," Jessica Bane Robert, who teaches Introduction to Creative Writing at Clark University in Massachusetts, wrote in an email. "Through formal study you will hone your voice, gain confidence, find a support system for what can otherwise be a lonely endeavor."

Read the guide below to gain more insight into what it means to pursue a creative writing education, how writing impacts society and whether it is prudent to invest in a creative writing degree. Learn about the difference between degree-based and non-degree creative writing programs, how to craft a solid application to a top-notch creative writing program and how to figure out which program is the best fit.

Why Creative Writing Matters and Reasons to Study It

Creative writers say a common misconception about their job is that their work is frivolous and impractical, but they emphasize that creative writing is an extremely effective way to convey messages that are hard to share in any other way.

Kelly Caldwell, dean of faculty at Gotham Writers Workshop in New York City, says prospective writing students are often discouraged from taking writing courses because of concerns about whether a writing life is somehow unattainable or "unrealistic."

Although creative writers are sometimes unable to financially support themselves entirely on the basis of their creative projects, Caldwell says, they often juggle that work with other types of jobs and lead successful careers.

She says that many students in her introductory creative writing class were previously forbidden by parents to study creative writing. "You have to give yourself permission for the simple reason that you want to do it," she suggests.

Creative writing faculty acknowledge that a formal academic credential in creative writing is not needed in order to get writing published. However, they suggest, creative writing programs help aspiring authors develop their writing skills and allow space and time to complete long-term writing projects.

Working writers often juggle multiple projects at once and sometimes have more than one gig, which can make it difficult to finish an especially ambitious undertaking such as a novel, a play for the screen or stage, or a well-assembled collection of poems, short stories or essays. Grants and fellowships for authors are often designed to ensure that those authors can afford to concentrate on their writing.

Samuel Ace, a published poet and a visiting lecturer in poetry at Mount Holyoke, says his goal is to show students how to write in an authentic way that conveys real feeling. "It helps students to become more direct, not to bury their thoughts under a cascade of academic language, to be more forthright," he says.

Tips on Choosing Between a Non-Degree or Degree-Based Creative Writing Program

Experts note that someone needs to be ready to get immersed in the writing process and devote significant time to writing projects before pursuing a creative writing degree. Prospective writing students should not sign up for a degree program until they have reached that sense of preparedness, warns Kim Todd, an associate professor at the University of Minnesota College of Liberal Arts and director of its creative writing program.

She says prospective writing students need to think about their personal goals and figure out if a creative writing degree will help them achieve those goals.

Aspiring writers who are not ready to invest in a creative writing degree program may want to sign up for a one-off writing class or begin participating in an informal writing workshop so they can test their level of interest in the field, Todd suggests.

How to Choose and Apply to a Creative Writing Program

In many cases, the most important component of an application to a writing program is the writing portfolio, writing program experts say. Prospective writing students need to think about which pieces of writing they include in their portfolio and need to be especially mindful about which item they put at the beginning of their portfolio. They should have a trusted mentor critique the portfolio before they submit it, experts suggest.

Because creative writing often involves self-expression, it is important for aspiring writing students to find a program where they feel comfortable expressing their true identity.

This is particularly pertinent to aspiring authors who are members of minority groups, including people of color or LGBTQ individuals, says Lawlor, who identifies as queer, transgender and nonbinary.

How to Use a Creative Writing Degree

Creative writing program professors and alumni say creative writing programs cultivate a variety of in-demand skills, including the ability to communicate effectively.

"While yes, many creative writers are idealists and dreamers, these are also typically highly flexible and competent people with a range of personal strengths. And a good creative writing program helps them understand their particular strengths and marketability and translate these for potential employers, alongside the more traditional craft development work," Melissa Ridley Elmes, an assistant professor of English at Lindenwood University in Missouri, wrote in an email.

Elmes – an author who writes poetry, fiction and nonfiction – says creative writing programs force students to develop personal discipline because they have to consistently produce a significant amount of writing. In addition, participating in writing workshops requires writing students "to give and receive constructive feedback," Elmes says.

Cindy Childress, who has a Ph.D. in English from the University of Louisiana—Lafayatte and did a creative writing dissertation where she submitted poetry, says creative writing grads are well-equipped for good-paying positions as advertising and marketing copywriters, speechwriters, grant writers and ghostwriters.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual compensation for writers and authors was $63,200 as of May 2019.

"I think the Internet, and writing communities online and in social media, have been very helpful for debunking the idea that if you publish a New York Times Bestseller you will have 'made it' and can quit your day job and write full time," Elmes explains. "Unless you are independently wealthy, the odds are very much against you in this regard."

Childress emphasizes that creative writing degree recipients have "skills that are absolutely transferable to the real world." For example, the same storytelling techniques that copywriters use to shape public perceptions about a commercial brand are often taught in introductory creative writing courses, she says. The ability to tell a good story does not necessarily come easily to people who haven't been trained on how to do it, she explains.

Childress says she was able to translate her creative writing education into a lucrative career and start her own ghostwriting and book editing company, where she earns a six-figure salary. She says her background in poetry taught her how to be pithy.

"Anything that we want to write nowadays, particularly for social media, is going to have to be immediately understood, so there is a sense of immediacy," she says."The language has to be crisp and direct and exact, and really those are exactly the same kind of ways you would describe a successful poem."

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• Academics /

Creative Writing and Literature Master’s Degree Program

Unlock your creative potential and hone your unique voice.

Online Courses

11 out of 12 total courses

On-Campus Experience

One 1- or 3-week residency in summer

$3,220 per course

Program Overview

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

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

Program Benefits

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

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

Writer's residency with agent & editor networking opportunities

Personalized academic and career advising

Thesis or capstone options that lead to publishable creative work

Harvard Alumni Association membership upon graduation

Customizable Course Curriculum

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

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

11 Online Courses

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

Writers’ Residency

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

Thesis or Capstone Track

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

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

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

Getting Started

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

A Faculty of Creative Writing Experts

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

Bryan Delaney

Playwright and Screenwriter

Talaya Adrienne Delaney

Lecturer in Extension, Harvard University

Elisabeth Sharp McKetta

Our community at a glance.

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

Download: Creative Writing & Literature Master's Degree Fact Sheet

Average Age

Course Taken Each Semester

Work Full Time

Would Recommend the Program

Professional Experience in the Field

Pursued for Personal Enrichment

Career Opportunities & Alumni Outcomes

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

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

Our alumni hold titles as:

• Marketing Manager
• Director of Publishing
• Senior Research Writer

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

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

Career Advising and Mentorship

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

Your Harvard University Degree

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

Expand Your Connections: the Harvard Alumni Network

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

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

Tuition & Financial Aid

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

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

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

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

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

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

Is a degree in creative writing and literature worth it?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Harvard Division of Continuing Education

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

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MA in Creative Writing: are the fees worth it?

• January 11, 2021
• Books , Culture

Margaret explores the pros, the cons, and the alternatives to a Creative Writing post-grad .

Say you enjoyed creative writing in school, so much so that you wished to become a writer. The thought “pick something sensible” leads you to English Literature, but after four years of studying it, you still feel that there’s more to learn before you try to make a living this way. If so, you may face this question: “Is an MA in Creative Writing worth it?” Well, with the University of Glasgow charging over £9,000 for the privilege, you better be damn sure. 

For some, the community the course offers will be invaluable; being surrounded by like-minded students, all similarly dedicated to writing, who can share and discuss ideas at length, and whose differing styles and tastes offer influence and evolution. It’s also the rare kind of social circle that can provide meaningful feedback and critique, which you need, without varnish. If your story is dull, you pay the heaviest price. Not all the feedback will be useful, but there’ll be that little gem that makes you go “huh”. And this is not to mention the feedback from the seasoned lecturers whose counsel you are paying for.

For good or ill, networking is a vital asset in and beyond your course, and the relationships you form during your course may be invaluable: should the course be good and well-attended, your colleagues will go on to become the writers, editors, and agents you may work with in the future. 

And if that sounds a bit slimy as a benefit, perhaps the biggest one is this: your course will involve a lot of writing and a lot of reading, and through both, you get to refine your style and approach in a way that a vacuum never could. Not all of it will be fun, obviously, but nothing teaches you what doesn’t work better than reading it in another’s bad writing.

 You may hate the phrase “transferable skills”, but not everyone can win a Pulitzer, and courses like these can be a jump start in fields like publishing. Ellie Pike, a Penguin HR adviser, maintains that the skills you learn can help set applications apart: “For positions in marketing and publicity as well as to some extent, editorial, the skills that come from creative writing degrees can be very valuable.” That £9,000 is a lot less painful if it gets you a higher paying job.

 But don’t give up hope that you can’t make a career in writing: MA programmes have produced Ian McEwan and Kazuo Ishiguro, the latter a Nobel Prize for Literature winner. Then again, others have reached literary stardom without so much as an English degree: J.K. Rowling studied French & Classics. 

 Returning to the original question then: is the MA worth it? The answer is entirely dependent upon the kind of person you are. For some, it could be a great career boost. For others, it may be terrible. Those who hate the university approach to creative subjects – with its set assignments, eye-watering fees (£15,600 for the MA at Cambridge), and peers who begrudgingly give half-hearted feedback – are paying for little more than demotivation.

Writing is always best when informed by experience and life lived, and a classroom can’t supplement that. Perhaps then, pocket the fees, join a local creative writing group for the feedback without the pressure and cost, get a job suited to your skills, read in your spare time, and use your savings for informative experiences. A rented beachside cabin may produce better work than a course, and will be a lot more pleasant. Or it might not, and the structure and feedback could really sharpen your tools.

 A great MA course may illuminate what you really needed to grow, or help you discover what you really want to do. The more free-spirited may be ready to kick the academic dust off their heels and venture into the world. Just write and do whatever is right for you. 

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Is A Creative Writing Degree Worth Your Time (And Money)?

• by Hannah Collins
• March 20, 2017

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I got my Creative Writing degree by accident. My college, in the UK, was unusual in requiring first-year students to pick an additional subject in their first year – partly to widen their interests, and partly as an escape route if their first choice wasn’t everything they hoped . My major was Fine Art, so naturally I scanned down the list of related arts subjects that A) I was vaguely competent in and B) didn’t clash with anything else on my timetable. Out of everything, Creative Writing seemed the best answer. I figured it would be fun distraction from the studio during the first year of my degree. Little was I to know that I’d be graduating with both subjects emblazoned on my degree certificate.

For most people, a Creative Writing degree isn’t something you sleepily sign up to like I did. Since you’re reading this article, you’re obviously thinking a lot harder about the pros and cons than I ever did. I can tell you straight off the bat that a degree is not an iron-clad guarantee of career success, or even enhancement, nor an automatic ticket to fame and fortune as a writer.

That’s not to say that a Creative Writing degree won’t help your career (especially if you’ll need to pitch for work, like a ghost or travel writer ), but it’s far from a sure thing. Really, the best question isn’t where a Creative Writing degree can take you next , but what it can do for your craft and method.

To help you with this all-important decision, I’ll take you through the pros and cons, as well as some alternative paths that may meet your needs just as well (if not better).

Pros of a Creative Writing degree

1. you’ll be part of a community of writers.

Half (or more) of the appeal of college is socialization. Even if you study part-time; seminars, lectures, group study and extracurricular activities will keep you busy both socially and intellectually. Being regularly entrenched in a fertile learning environment with so many other like-minded people can develop and grow your skills – both writerly and socially – exponentially. You’ll encounter different people with vastly different experiences, tastes, and writing styles to you, and you’ll find unexpected sources influencing and evolving your work.

You’ll also be networking almost constantly, and without the usual unpleasant effort of finding a suitable event. This may sound trivial, but you’ll be learning alongside the influential writers, editors, agents, and reviewers of the future – people who are only going to grow in influence as time wears on. While there’s no guarantee you’ll meet the next huge publisher, you may well form a relationship that will benefit you down the line. Even passing acquaintance makes you a more known quantity when someone is checking manuscripts or organizing a literary fair down the line. And all that’s before the opportunities you’ll have to write for college newspapers, literary collections, and reading events.

2. You’ll be given regular feedback on your work

Criticism can be double-edged sword, but we’ll just focus on the positive side, for now. Unless you already have a bank of reliable and relatively unbiased alpha and beta readers at your disposal, it’s likely that, beyond school teachers, you’ve been relying on family and friends for feedback. The problem with that is that, no matter how much they swear to be as honest as possible, they’re going to be far more inclined to pull their punches when your work really needs beating into shape.

Now, there will be some in your seminars or critique groups who may show you similar kindness, but there will certainly be others who won’t – for better or worse. The thin-skinned may find this a rough ride, but they’ll also find that it almost unavoidably toughens them up. As well as your peers, you’ll of course have the opportunity to pick the brain of your tutors and lecturers, who can sometimes offer counsel worth the steep price of admission by itself.

You’ll also be asked to critique and evaluate the work of others, which not only sharpens your own skills and powers of observation, but will help you define your personal brand .

3. You’ll read. A lot

Bookworms, rejoice! It goes without saying that the key to great writing is reading great writing. A Creative Writing degree will have you reading for study as well as just pleasure, and reading a lot of things you might not normally choose.

A less obvious benefit is that you’ll also read a lot of poor-quality and early work from other writers. Nothing will help you catch lazy decisions, easy clichés, and damaging writing devices quicker than looking out for them in the work of others. Plus, seeing someone else’s work go from first-draft mess to fourth-draft promise will reassure you that your own early efforts can be redeemed.

4. You’ll also write. A lot

It seems almost redundant to say this, but doing a Creative Writing degree will have you doing, well, a lot of creative writing. Probably a good 1000+ words per week. Yes, it can be draining , but writing, like any other skill, needs a lot of practice, and you’ll certainly get that.

5.  You’ll learn discipline

The rigorous structure of education – whether full or part-time – can be ideal for those of us who thrive within that kind of environment, and you might be surprised to find yourself in that category. Actively receiving feedback, week after week, incentivizes good writing behavior, and having others depend on you for the same will hone your study of, and appreciation for, the craft.

Cons of a Creative Writing degree

1.  college is expensive.

Let’s talk about the gauche subject of money, shall we? America has both the most sought-after and most expensive colleges in the world, ranging at the time of writing between about $11,000 and about $45,000, depending on the length of the course and whether you need bed and board while you study. For many of us who are less financially fortunate, this changes the question from, ‘Should I get a degree?’ to ‘Is it really worth me getting a degree?’

Unfortunately, as I mentioned earlier, there’s no absolute guarantee that pouring your hard-earned savings into a costly course will yield tangible results, and if money is your biggest barrier, then you may want to consider the cheaper alternatives abroad (particularly Canada), or the other options I’ll be sharing soon.

2. Not all the feedback you receive will be useful or constructive

Remember that double-edged sword? Having your work regularly scrutinized can be hugely beneficial, but bear in mind that you’ll be getting a mixed bag each week. We creative people tend to also be a little precious with our work, so turning in something you’re proud of only to have it harshly savaged by your class in an unfriendly (possibly caffeine-deprived) attack can be hard to take, especially if your creative writing journey is in its infancy. The worst part is they might all be wrong, too, as sometimes the pressure of having to contribute something to the class can induce unnecessary opinions.

3. You might not be suited to college

We all learn differently and flourish in different environments. I started my Fine Art degree with a class of about 35—40. By graduation, that group had been whittled down to under 30. College isn’t for everyone, and I don’t mean that those people are in any way stupider or less motivated. The intensive, results-driven, traditional academic system doesn’t work for everyone.

4. The pressure to succeed could make or break you

This goes back to harsh critiquing and the college environment not being everyone’s cup of tea. The students that dropped out of my Fine Art course did so for many different reasons. Some felt they’d picked the wrong course, or even the wrong college. Some felt homesick. Others sadly crumbled under the pressure – which can feel substantial. A lot of that pressure comes from your tutors pushing you to succeed (sometimes to their definition of success), but a lot of it can come from yourself, which is far trickier to deal with.

5. Creative Writing may not be the best subject for your creative writing

Creative writing can be a beneficial degree for writers, but it’s often best as an accompaniment to another subject. It’s possible that the wider knowledge of a Literature degree, the expanded knowledge base of a History or Law degree, the non-fiction applications of a Journalism degree, or even the technical thinking of an Engineering degree will benefit your work more. Before settling on a Creative Writing degree as default, ask yourself what your writing (and your life) really needs.

Alternatives

There may have been a time when a college education was not only highly affordable, but reliably opened doors to well-paid and suitable jobs. Sadly, that’s just not the case anymore. Happily, there’s also more in the way of alternative (and cheaper) educational paths than ever before. To ensure you’re making a totally informed decision, it wouldn’t hurt to consider the other options available to you, such as:

• Joining a creative writing group ,
• Starting a creative writing group,
• Enrolling in a community college course,
• Getting a Writing Certificate ,
• Taking an online class ,
• Joining a low-residency creative writing program ,
• Starting a blog or becoming a journalist (learn on your feet!)

To degree or not to degree

It can be just as hard to decide against pursuing a degree as it is to start one. If you feel that something is holding you back from reaching your full potential as a writer, there’s a lot to be said for, well, just being a writer. Read a lot of books. Start a blog. Go out and experience the world. Meet new people. And write – as much as possible. If you’re still feeling stuck in a rut, maybe a degree – or one of the alternatives – could help you.

Ultimately, you get out of a degree what you put into it. Do thorough research, visit as many campuses as you can, listen to what others have to say about certain courses and/or tutors, and – most importantly – figure out exactly what you want.

If you’re committed to improving as a writer, a Creative Writing degree is one of the best places to do so. If you’re not, all you’re really getting is a really expensive piece of paper. Of course, the best way to find out more is to ask those who know. If you have a Creative Writing degree, are currently studying for one, or just want to find out what they’re like, let me know in the comments.

For more advice on honing your writing as part of a group, check out Why Joining A Writing Group May Be The Best Thing You Do All Year , or for a choice of non-college classes, try 10 Online Creative Writing Courses For Every Kind Of Writer .

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Hannah Collins

4 thoughts on “is a creative writing degree worth your time (and money)”.

As you said, a Creative Writing degree is no guarantee of success as a writer. But, here in the States, no degree is guarantee of anything, including employment in a degree field. I have friends with degrees that don’t come close to the jobs they have. With the exception of Law and Medicine, I don’t think there is a degree program (especially at what we call the undergrad level) that really prepares a student for a job in any particular area better than any other degree program. That is, Bachelor’s Degrees are all pretty much the same.

That said, I’m now in graduate school pursuing a Master’s Degree in English with an emphasis in Creative Writing/Fiction. It will allow me to teach, should I need or desire to go that route, or to write professionally (by virtue of the demands it makes on clarity and honing craft). Most of the writers I admire have Master’s degrees either in English or in Fine Arts/Creative Writing. Does that mean I’ll automatically make a spot beside them when I graduate? No. But, it just may be the deciding factor in whether or not I have the skill to do so. Are there successful writers with no college at all? Yes. Just as there are successful writers whose credentials read like alphabet soup. I think there is happy medium to be had and I think everybody needs to figure out where that is for themselves.

In the end, I think the decision of whether to attend grad school for a Creative Writing degree should depend almost entirely upon your skill level. If you’re satisfied taking a chance as you work through your learning curve, cool. If you want a bit more guidance in the most efficient way to do so, by all means enroll in a good writing program. At the very least, you’ll be employable by every company on the planet that fears putting their brand on poor grammar and lazy usage… which I’m still assuming is all of them.

My wife works for a company that demands a Master’s degree for their managers (they don’t specify a subject, which tells me that it isn’t really necessary, just a way to thin the herd of applicants). Increasingly, employers in the States are doing this. With this in mind, you may just as well get some real personal satisfaction out of your degree program. And what better way to do that than to spend all your time reading and writing?

Hi Michael,

Thanks for the comprehensive insight. That’s really interesting to hear in regards to Master’s requirements for recruitment. I wonder if that will sway opinion more in favour of getting a degree for those reading this.

You’re right – if you love doing something, doing it intensively and frequently while becoming more qualified in it sounds ideal. I certainly enjoyed it, but it was still quite draining at times. That being said, I was doing both a Fine Art AND Creative Writing course, so my creative juices were stretched to the limit!

I completely understand the challenges you faced! Congrats, by the way, for doing it! Too many people think of FA/CW degrees as easy. But I’ll match the work necessary to comprehend most philosophy with that of Quantum Physics, any day. It’s all the same process, just different signifiers. The result is, you’re really smart and the world, according to Cormac McCarthy, became personal to you. In the end, that’s the most compelling reason of all to pursue education.

I plan to do a Creative Writing degree, and reading this article and comments help me@

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An MA in writing – is it worth it?

The influential blogger @dovegreyreader contributed to the debate, responding to a reader: ‘Sadly, I am even starting to avoid the books which tell me the author has an MA in Creative Writing now. Worse is the fact that if you do some checking, the cover puffs … often from very good authors about virtual unknowns, turn out to be their tutors.’

All this has led me to reflect on my own experiences of writing courses. They began at an adult education centre in Acton, where I attended an evening class. One of my fellow students was a feature-writer for a national magazine, and she persuaded me to produce a couple of short stories for the journal.

After moving to Reading in Berkshire I signed up for an evening course at the University, led by the novelist Leslie Wilson. She brought a friend along one evening, to offer some helpful tips to us students. The friend was Hilary Mantel, who has – of course – gone on to twice win the Booker Prize.

When I explained to Hilary that I wanted to write a novel, but felt daunted by the enormity of plotting and sustaining such a long piece of writing, she replied that a novel is nothing more than a collection of scenes, framed by plot. Her own technique was to summarise episodes on post-it notes and pin them to a board; the advantage of post-it notes, was that the scenes could then be moved around to fit new twists to the plot.

Taking time out of paid work, I completed my first book. Full of optimism, I sent it off to an assortment of agents, some of whom said kind things, but all of whom eventually said no. I felt despondent – as if I had fallen into a kind of vacuum – and though I had an idea for a second novel, I felt too demoralised to carry on.

I looked online for a course where I could meet others who were serious about fiction, while at the same time I could learn to improve my writing skills. An advertisement for an MA Writing (Prose Fiction) at Middlesex University offered ‘a rich interaction between new writing and the broad literary landscape,’ so I sent off a sample of my work, went for an interview, and joined a dozen other students on the campus at Tottenham.

The curriculum was designed to be cohesive; we were given writing exercises which reflected the work we were reading. For example, alongside an analysis of Carver’s ‘Are you a Doctor?’ we each had to produce an original story, based on a character who had telephone conversations with three different people.

From other students I gained the support and stimulation that I had sought, and from the tutors I learned to examine the elusive nature of ‘good writing’. We were encouraged to consider certain rules, such as the importance of viewpoint and the avoidance of cliché.

Perversely, we were assured that all rules could be ignored if the question ‘does it work?’ could be answered in the affirmative. (An example might be Don Marquis’ book, ‘Archy and Mehitabel’. Supposedly the work of a cockroach, who could not manage to hurl himself at the shift key and a letter at the same time, the concept might seem ridiculous. Instead, the novel is a classic because of its charm and energy. It works.)

Our final submission was a 20,000 word extract from a new novel, which we were expected to complete, once the course was finished. We were invited to read an extract at a showcase to which various agents and authors had been invited. One of the agents spoke to me afterwards. ‘You write very well,’ he said. ‘What you need is a big-themed subject.’

When I opened up my great great grandfather’s wicker box and found the story of how in the 1860s, my great great aunt travelled to Africa at just eighteen, to set up a multi-racial settlement with her dashing medical missionary husband, I knew that I had found my story and wrote ‘Dappled Light’ which has been published by Matador. Does it work? I do hope you’ll agree that it does.

Jessica Markwell was born in Ghana in 1954. After graduating from Manchester University with a degree in Medieval Studies, she worked as an archaeologist, a nurse, a midwife and a family mediator. She completed an MA in fiction writing at Middlesex University , and now lives high on a hillside in mid-Wales with her husband and two chocolate Labradors.

Find out more about her on her website www.jessicamarkwell.com and follow her on twitter @ JessicaMarkwel1

Tags: creative writing courses. dappled light , MA in writing

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As an aspiring writer, I found a class I took in Creative Non-Fiction to very helpful in building my perspectives and confidence. I was always apprehensive to write even though I had a strong desire and passion to pursue writing. I think benefited from having a great teacher and classmates who were perceptive and encouraging about the elements I needed to fix. At this point I am looking for just that, a writing group I can submit my work to who will critique my work and help me develop my writing effectively and constructively. The class helped give me a foundation to explore and develop my skills, and now I am developing on my own. If another workshop or event is available and peaks my interest, I will consider it, but I don’t think you need a degree to be a writer.

I absolutely agree that you don’t need a degree to be a writer and people like Charles Dickens, Harper Lee and Augusten Burroughs prove the case. I hope you find the sort of group you are looking for Brooke – one that offers encouragement as well constructive criticism.

Some of taking writing workshops is making sure that you get the right class for you. I’m an organic writer, and one of my challenges is that most writing classes are taught by people who outline. The instructors often boasted they wouldn’t have a problem with organic writers and then once they encountered me, they thought I was two-headed alien. I found that once I took workshops by people who were organic writers, I was able to learn a lot more.

I completed my MA in Creative Writing at Newcastle University last year and found it one of the most rewarding years I have ever spent. I read some wonderful literature, some of which I would never have looked at twice in a bookshop. The reading, together with first class teaching has helped me rework my novel and open up my imagination to other forms of writing. My fellow students, all ages and nationalities, brought different perspectives to writing. My only regret is that it ended.

I’m glad your experience was positive Jill – good luck with your novel.

Great post and just been to buy your book from Amazon, as I’m thinking of writing a memoir of my parents experience as missionaries in Kenya during the 1950s and 1969s. Doing a BA in creative writing at Birkbeck and enrolled just before the fees skyrocketed. Have gained a tremendous amount from the course. Yes, I might have learnt the same skills, slowly and painfully on my own, but it certainly helps to have a structured and supportive class.

I gave up my online MA – it was expensive and I really didn’t feel I was learning enough to justify the outlay. Some of those I studies with have agents now, but none (as far as I know) have a publishing contract. Meanwhile I carry on enjoying my writing, and spend the money buying books!

Spending your online course money on books sounds very sensible Jo – all tutors seem to agree that the best way to learn is to read, read, read. Also, I don’t think I’d have found my MA nearly so helpful without the direct interaction I had with tutors and other students. Best of luck with your writing!

Talent cannot be taught but craft can be honed. And I especially enjoyed trying my hand at different genres and the inspiration of other writers in class. Is it worthwhile? Yes. Is it necessary? No.

Well as a lecturer in creative writing currently marking assessments by first and third year undergrads and MA scripts I’m bound to have an opinion.

I do notice a tremendous difference between the first and the third years. Would they have made that progress if they’d just practised writing? Perhaps, though I think we get them to push boundaries a little more and be a little more open to more risky opportunities.Alongside the writing we teach them critical reflection.

A degree in creative writing anyway leads to all sorts of other things not just a writing career. There are many transferable skills.

Many of our students become published BEFORE they graduate, with some even becoming published novelists before or shortly after graduation.

Time spent with us anyway gives them space, time and permission for their writing.

So, no, it’s not a waste of time. Nor is it necessarily a free ticket into the world of the published writer. It may – or may not – be one thing that helps.

What school is it may I ask? It seems implausible that “many” students are published before they leave! It’s a tough nut to crack in a highly competitive field. If you can afford it, great. If not, don’t take out loans for MA or MFA.

Nice and thoughtful post. I think this is the primary role of MFAs or master’s degrees in writing. They fast forward us and immerse us in that world of literature and writing which can be antithetical (but a welcome relief) to/from the daily reality of the day job and other responsibilities. Like corporations, families and towns, I found that colleges and courses develop and foster their own distinct, between-the-lines cultures. For anyone considering a particular course or degree program, it’s important to look at that departmental culture before plunking down the tuition fees. I wish I had.

Elaine – I like what you said – writing can be a very solitary occupation. It is. I find much needed support, encouragement and motivation in my writing group. For anyone who for any reason cannot take writing classes or workshops, writing (or critique) groups are another way to meet travels sharing your journey.

By the way, Jessica, I am reading the pdf of your first few pages. You have a beautiful writing voice. Best of luck to you!

Thank you so much Julie! I’m glad you like my style of writing and hope you’ll go on to read the whole of Dappled Light.

It is easy for someone who does have the education, experience and resources to say you don’t need creative writing classes or degrees. But for those of us who did not pop out of the womb knowing we wanted/needed to write, for those of us who life did not offer the support and structure to learn and absorb, creative writing classes and programs are the connections in a big puzzle. They take us forward, build our confidence and clears some of the doubt, as you have pointed out in this wonderful post. The greatest part of creative writing classes is the connection to other writers, it is good to find your tribe.

To say classes are programs are not needed or don’t matter is elitist and will only serve to keep creative writing open to a select privileged few. So I say thank god the internet and for the proliferation of creative writing classes and programs. It levels the playing field, it give opportunity to those who otherwise stay silent.

Thank you for the thought provoking piece, Kira

I’m studying a Creative Writing MA at the moment and I’m happy that I took the plunge. As writers we improve all the time and studying more about your craft in any way you can has got to be for the good. I actually got my publishing deal before I started my MA because there are no guarantees in publishing and I thought the MA would improve career prospects in writing related work. My dissertation looms and I’m looking forward to it. Well done on your achievements. Those who sniff at the MA may well have gotten some lucky breaks but we don’t all get them. But we can get some good contacts and experience via the Uni set up. From my little corner of West London I say keep up the good work!

Thank you Fran! And very good wishes from me in my little corner of Mid Wales to you in your little of corner of West London, from Jessica

I agree with Jessica. It’s often as much about gaining confidence in your own writing and the realisation that every successful writer has had to start somewhere.

A creative writing class can give you so much, as I have discovered and am still discovering (thanks to The Writer’s Workshop, Faber Academy and LitReactor). Writing can be a very solitary occupation; the joy of discovering and sharing the experience with others on the same journey as yourself cannot be underestimated. If you love writing, have a story to tell but aren’t sure how to tell it, join a class, I urge you. It may not ‘click’ straight away, but no education is ever wasted.

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Is a Degree in Creative Writing Worth it?

Exploring a Degree in Creative Writing

Do you love words and telling stories?

Creative writing could be the perfect career for you.

But before you dive into a degree in creative writing, it’s vital to understand what such a degree entails and other possible routes that can help you land your dream job in the creative writing field. Let’s look at various aspects of a degree in creative writing – so you can move forward with the clarity to craft your very own happy ending!

What Does a Creative Writing Degree Entail?

A degree in creative writing involves comprehensive study and practice of different writing forms , from prose to poetry, plays to scripts, and beyond. It explores the mechanics of language, the nuances of tone and style, and the art of storytelling.

Candidates learn to:

• develop plotlines
• create compelling characters
• craft engaging dialogue
• gain insights into literary theory and criticism , and become familiar with a wide range of literary works across different genres and periods.

In addition to writing, students typically engage in extensive reading, critique, and revision of their own and their peers’ work. This degree also teaches critical thinking , research skills , and the ability to articulate complex ideas clearly, which are valuable skills applicable beyond just the writing field.

For a more detailed breakdown of what creative writing encompasses, check out our article on what is creative writing .

The Different Types of Creative Writing Degrees

Creative writing degrees come in various types and levels, each catering to a range of aspirations and career goals.

• Bachelor’s Degree in Creative Writing (BA or BFA): This undergraduate program offers a broad introduction to creative writing and is often combined with literature studies. It’s a good starting point for those interested in careers in writing, editing, publishing, or teaching.
• Master’s Degree in Creative Writing (MA or MFA): This is a more specialized program, often focusing on a particular genre of writing. The MFA is considered a terminal degree in this field and can lead to teaching positions at the college level.
• Ph.D. in Creative Writing: This advanced degree caters to those interested in scholarly research or teaching at the university level. It usually involves producing a significant original work and an accompanying critical analysis.

This is a brief overview of the common types of creative writing degrees. Depending on your career aspirations—whether you’re interested in becoming a novelist, a poet, a scriptwriter, a teacher , or exploring other creative writing jobs —you might choose one over the others.

Remember, the journey of a creative writer isn’t limited to formal education. There are numerous paths into the world of creative writing. The key is to find what suits your learning style , your career plans, and, most importantly, your passion for writing.

The Pros of a Creative Writing Degree

While the question, “is a degree in creative writing worth it?” can be subjective and dependent on individual career goals, there are undeniable benefits that come with such an educational pursuit. These benefits can be divided into three main categories:

1. Skill Development

One of the most significant benefits of obtaining a degree in creative writing is the enhancement of writing skills. Students are exposed to various forms of writing, genres, and techniques , expanding their repertoire and understanding of the craft. This direct, academic exploration of what is creative writing can provide a valuable foundation for budding writers.

Critique and feedback are also integral parts of a creative writing program. This structured environment allows students to receive constructive criticism on their work, improving their writing and editing skills. Moreover, students are also exposed to different perspectives and interpretations , which can broaden their thinking and contribute to the development of unique writing styles.

2. Networking Opportunities

A creative writing degree provides students with numerous opportunities to network with peers , professors, and industry professionals . These relationships can be instrumental in opening doors to internships, job opportunities, and collaborations.

Many creative writing programs also host guest lectures, workshops, and events where students can meet and learn from established writers and industry figures. These experiences provide valuable insights into the creative writing jobs and what you can do with a creative writing degree .

3. Portfolio Building

A degree in creative writing aids in building a strong and diverse writing portfolio. The assignments and projects undertaken during the course of study can be honed and polished to form part of a professional portfolio. This collection of work is crucial when applying for writing jobs or freelance opportunities.

Furthermore, many programs offer opportunities for students to get their work published . Whether it’s through the university’s literary journal or connections with external publications, seeing their work in print can be a significant milestone for new writers.

A creative writing degree can provide valuable skill development, networking opportunities, and aid in the building of a robust portfolio. However, it’s crucial to consider these benefits in light of the financial and practical implications – which we will discuss in the following section.

As with any educational pursuit, it’s essential to weigh the pros and cons and consider your personal circumstances and career goals.

The Cons of a Creative Writing Degree

While the benefits of a creative writing degree are plentiful, it’s crucial to consider the potential drawbacks. These may include financial considerations , the realities of the job market , and the question of necessity in the writing field.

1. Financial Considerations

Studying for a creative writing degree can be a financial burden. Tuition fees, textbooks, and living expenses can add up, leading to a significant investment. Furthermore, the return on investment may not be immediate given the often competitive and unpredictable nature of the writing field.

It’s important to consider these costs and explore potential financial aid, scholarships, or part-time work opportunities to offset them.

2. Job Market Considerations

While a degree in creative writing can open doors to various creative writing jobs , it’s important to remember that these positions can often be competitive . The supply of creative writers tends to outweigh demand, which can make finding a job in the field challenging. Additionally, the pay for creative writing jobs can vary significantly, with many roles not offering a high salary.

3. Necessity in the Writing Field

When considering whether a creative writing degree is worth it, it’s essential to weigh these potential drawbacks against the benefits. Consider your personal circumstances, career goals, and other factors such as your passion for writing, your desire to improve your skills, and your willingness to navigate the challenges of the writing field.

For those who decide that a formal degree isn’t the right path, there are numerous other ways to pursue creative writing. From creative writing prompts to creative writing activities for kids , there are many resources available to help aspiring writers develop their skills and express their creativity.

Non-Degree Paths to Creative Writing

In some instances, having a diverse educational background outside of creative writing can be beneficial, providing a unique perspective and a wealth of material to draw from in your writing.

While a degree in creative writing can provide a structured learning path and networking opportunities, many successful writers have honed their skills through non-degree paths . These alternatives to formal education can be equally effective in developing your creative writing abilities.

Self-Study and Practice

Creative writing is a skill that can be developed through consistent practice. Self-study allows you to learn at your own pace and focus on the areas you find most interesting. Whether it’s poetry, short stories, or novels, you can cultivate your writing skills by studying the works of established authors, dissecting their style, and understanding their techniques.

Practicing consistently is key to improvement. Regular writing exercises, such as responding to creative writing prompts , can help you build your skills and explore a variety of writing styles. Over time, this regular practice can help you develop your unique voice and storytelling style.

Workshops and Writing Groups

Workshops and writing groups offer invaluable opportunities to receive feedback on your work, learn from others, and immerse yourself in a community of writers. Whether in person or online , these gatherings can provide constructive criticism, inspiration, and the chance to discuss writing techniques and challenges.

Writing groups also offer the benefit of accountability , as members often commit to sharing their work on a regular basis. This can motivate you to write consistently and push your creative boundaries.

Online Courses and Resources

The internet is a treasure trove of resources for aspiring writers. Online courses cover a wide range of topics, from the basics of what is creative writing to specialized genres and techniques.

These courses often include:

• video lessons
• writing assignments
• feedback from instructors

Additionally, there are countless blogs, podcasts, and forums dedicated to creative writing. These resources can provide advice on everything from crafting compelling characters to overcoming writer’s block. They also serve as platforms for writers to share their work and connect with a wider community.

While pondering the question, ‘is a degree in creative writing worth it’, it’s crucial to consider these non-degree paths. They can provide the flexibility, affordability , and personalized learning experiences that may better align with your personal goals and circumstances.

Making the Decision: Is a Degree in Creative Writing Worth It?

The question “Is a degree in creative writing worth it?” can be challenging to answer definitively as it largely depends on an individual’s personal and career goals.

Personal Considerations

From a personal perspective, a degree in creative writing can be immensely rewarding . It provides a structured environment to learn, experiment, and receive feedback on your writing. This can lead to substantial improvements in your writing ability and a deeper understanding of the craft. A creative writing degree also allows you to immerse yourself in literature and writing, which can be personally fulfilling if you have a passion for these areas.

However, you need to consider if you have the discipline and motivation to pursue a degree over several years. Many successful writers developed their craft through a combination of self-study, practice, and life experiences. They found their unique voice and style outside of an academic setting. You can explore more about what is creative writing in one of our previous articles.

Editor’s Note : Take your personality into account when deciding how to pursue creative writing. A degree is a formal approach that will involve exams and higher stress situations. If you didn’t enjoy school, a degree might sap the joy out of writing.

Career Considerations

Career-wise, a creative writing degree can open up a range of job opportunities. Many creative writing graduates work in fields such as:

• advertising

A degree can provide a competitive edge in these fields as it demonstrates a high level of writing ability and a strong understanding of narrative structures and literary techniques.

However, it’s important to note that writing jobs are often competitive, and a degree in creative writing is not always a prerequisite for these roles. You should also consider the financial implications of getting a degree, including tuition fees and potential student loans. For more insights on this topic, check out our article on creative writing jobs and what you can do with a creative writing degree .

Is a Career in Creative Writing for You?

Determining if a degree in creative writing is worth it depends on your personal aspirations, career goals, and the value you place on a formal education in writing. By considering these factors and exploring the alternatives available, you can make an informed decision that best suits your needs and interests.

Remember, while a formal degree has it’s benefits, the path to becoming a successful writer isn’t confined to classrooms. With passion, practice, and persistence , you can hone your creative writing skills and create your unique literary footprint – with or without a degree.

Whatever path you choose, keep writing, keep dreaming, and don’t give up!

Brooks Manley

Creative Primer  is a resource on all things journaling, creativity, and productivity. We’ll help you produce better ideas, get more done, and live a more effective life.

My name is Brooks. I do a ton of journaling, like to think I’m a creative (jury’s out), and spend a lot of time thinking about productivity. I hope these resources and product recommendations serve you well. Reach out if you ever want to chat or let me know about a journal I need to check out!

Here’s my favorite journal for 2024: 

Gratitude Journal Prompts Mindfulness Journal Prompts Journal Prompts for Anxiety Reflective Journal Prompts Healing Journal Prompts Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Journal Prompts Mental Health Journal Prompts ASMR Journal Prompts Manifestation Journal Prompts Self-Care Journal Prompts Morning Journal Prompts Evening Journal Prompts Self-Improvement Journal Prompts Creative Writing Journal Prompts Dream Journal Prompts Relationship Journal Prompts "What If" Journal Prompts New Year Journal Prompts Shadow Work Journal Prompts Journal Prompts for Overcoming Fear Journal Prompts for Dealing with Loss Journal Prompts for Discerning and Decision Making Travel Journal Prompts Fun Journal Prompts

The Important Difference Between Goals and Dreams

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Writing: Is it Worth Doing a Creative Writing MA?

• November 15, 2017

Kate Frost, MA (Creative Writing)

Plenty of universities and colleges are ready to take your money for degree-level courses in creative writing and other writing-related topics, but are such educational avenues the best investment for indie authors keen to hone their writing skills and advance their self-publishing career? It's not as if there aren't plenty of other courses available, largely online and therefore universally accessible, many targetting the specific needs of indie authors more precisely.

British novelist Kate Frost , who writes for both adults and children, shares her perspective on her own Creative Writing MA, for which she studied at one of the UK's leading universities.

Kate Frost's debut novel

I loved doing my Creative Writing MA . A whole year at Bath Spa University, on a beautiful campus, immersed in writing along with dozens of other like-minded writers, poets and novelists.

That was back in 2004-05, when the focus of the MA was on producing a piece of work to a publishable standard with the aim of getting an agent, followed by a traditional publishing deal .

I don’t think self publishing was ever mentioned, and if it was, it was most definitely frowned upon.

I didn’t get an agent or a publishing deal post-MA, despite getting very close on both counts with two different books. However, what I took from the MA was probably more valuable for my long-term career as an author.

What I Gained from a Creative Writing MA

• The ability to stop being precious over my writing I learnt to take criticism (the majority of it helpful and constructive), and, by the end of the year, I was happily paring back my writing and cutting huge swathes of text that didn’t work.
• The courage to go indie This was a biggie. It was having done the MA that gave me the confidence to years later self-publish. I knew I’d written a good book, but without having gone through the process of the MA, I’m not sure I would have taken the plunge to go indie.
• A network of supportive writing friends My best beta reader was on the MA at Bath Spa with me – my manuscript always comes back from her covered in red ink but it’s helpful, encouraging and insightful.

Finnish indie author Helena Halme

Don’t just take my word for it. Author of TheNordic Heart romance s eries, Helena Halme , also did her MA at Bath Spa and would recommend the experience, saying:

“If you like writing, or rather, if you can’t stop yourself from writing, it’ll definitely make you a better writer.”

Would I Urge an Aspiring Author to do an MA?

If you’d ask me back in 2005 when I’d just graduated,or even a couple of years later, I’d have said yes, absolutely.

But nowadays, the amount an author would spend on doing an MA could be put towards the cost of editing, cover design and marketing to produce a professional self-published book.

British indie author Elizabeth Ducie

Medical thriller author Elizabeth Ducie  says of her MA experience at Exeter University, “I had a specific objective – to give myself a structure against which to finish the first draft – and that was achieved.” However, she goes on to say, “but I’m not sure I would recommend this route for other aspiring authors, unless they definitely want to go down the literary and/or academic route.”

A Welcome Boost to Confidence

Getting accepted on to a renowned Creative Writing MA programme such as Bath Spa’s is a confidence boost in itself, an acknowledgement that you can write and write well. You will likely gain confidence and understand your weaknesses.

It’s also a wonderful way to immerse yourself in the literary world with like-minded students and tutors. You’ll make lots of trusted writer friends to critique your writing and, most importantly, give you honest and constructive feedback.

But, unless you’re serious about going down the traditional publishing route (in which case the kudos and networking connections/opportunities an established Creative Writing MA can offer are invaluable), with self-publishing as big as it currently is, I’d agree with Elizabeth Ducie, and suggest going the indie route.

My Final Recommendations

Kate Frost's latest novel has just been published

Therefore, instead of taking a Creative Writing MA, I recommend you:

• perfect your craft
• connect with other writers and authors (as well as MA friends I’ve become great friends with writers I’ve met via Twitter and through ALLi)
• plough your money into a good editor and cover designer

If you still fancy doing a MA but like the idea of self-publishing anyway, then go for it. You will undoubtedly be a better and more confident writer by the end of it.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION If you've taken an MA in Creative Writing or some other aspect of writing craft, how did your experience compare to Kate's? What would you advise other aspiring writers to do?

OTHER INFORMATIVE POSTS ABOUT EDUCATION FOR WRITESR – from the ALLi Archive

Opinion: What To Look for in a University Creative Writing Course

Writing: How to Work with a Writing Buddy

Writing: The Value of Mentor Services for Self-Published Authors

Author: Kate Frost

Kate Frost is the author of women’s fiction novels The Butterfly Storm, Beneath the Apple Blossom and The Baobab Beach Retreat, as well as the first in a time travel adventure trilogy for children called Time Shifters: Into the Past. She has a MA in Creative Writing from Bath Spa University where she also taught lifewriting to Creative Writing undergraduates. When she’s not writing and publishing books, she’s kept busy running around after her energetic and cheeky pre-schooler. To find out more about Kate and her writing life visit her at www.kate-frost.co.uk .

Thank you for this wonderful, inspiring piece of backstory! You’ve also nailed some of the vital sources of creativity, energy, and practice in what we should look for, whether it’s through a Creative Writing MA or something else. I think we need to be reminded of them, again and again when we’re finding our individual paths. Thank you for reminding us! (bows)

I was with Kate on that MA and agree entirely. It was a wonderful year. I learnt lots; met lots of like-minded people and learned to accept – and sift – criticism. The emphasis, however, was very much on finding an agent and publisher – I managed the former but not the latter though my book was eventually published by YouWriteOn. I would recommend the MA as a wonderful opportunity to immerse yourself in a writing bubble but it’s a harsh world when you emerge and does not prepare you necessarily for independent publishing.

I wonder if it would be the same nowadays, Tamsin? It would be interesting to find out from someone doing a Creative Writing MA in 2017 rather than 2004 and whether the emphasis has moved towards indie publishing even a little bit. Either way, I loved our MA year!

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3 Myths About the MFA in Creative Writing

Today’s guest post is an excerpt from DIY MFA by Gabriela Pereira ( @DIYMFA ), just released from Writer’s Digest Books.

Most writers want an MFA for one of three reasons: They want to teach writing, they want to get published, or they want to make room in their life for writing. It turns out these reasons for doing an MFA are actually based on myths.

Myth 1: You Need an MFA to Teach Writing

Many writers get the MFA because they think it will allow them to teach writing at the college or graduate level. Once upon a time this might have been the case, but these days so many MFA graduates are looking for jobs and so few teaching positions exist, that it’s a challenge to get a teaching job with a PhD, much less with a terminal master’s degree. The writers who do manage to snag a coveted teaching position are often so overwhelmed with their responsibilities that they have to put their own writing on the back burner. While in the past an MFA may have served as a steppingstone to becoming a professor, it’s not the case anymore.

More important, many teachers in MFA programs do not have that degree themselves. Some professors are successful authors with prominent careers, while others are publishing professionals who bring the industry perspective to the courses they teach. This goes to show that the MFA has little impact on a writer’s ability to teach writing. Being a successful author or publishing professional is much more important.

Myth 2: The MFA Is a Shortcut to Getting Published

No agent will sign you and no editor will publish your book based on a credential alone. You have to write something beautiful. If you attend an MFA program and work hard, you will become a better writer. And if you become a better writer, you will eventually write a beautiful book. An MFA might help you on your quest for publication, but it’s certainly not required. After all, many writers perfect their craft and produce great books without ever getting a degree.

Ultimately getting published is a matter of putting your backside in the chair and writing the best book possible. For that, you don’t need an MFA.

Myth 3: An MFA Program Will Force You to Make Writing a Priority

If you can find time to write only by putting your life on hold and plunging into a graduate program, then your writing career isn’t going to last very long. Only a small percentage of writers can support themselves and their loved ones through writing alone. This means you must find a balance between your writing and the rest of your life.

Even within your writing career, you must become a master juggler. Forget that glamorous image of the secluded writer working at his typewriter. These days, writing is only a small piece of the writer’s job. In addition to writing, you must promote your books, manage your online presence, update your social media … and likely schedule these tasks around a day job, a family, and other responsibilities.

The danger with MFA programs is that they train you to write in isolation but don’t always teach you how to fit writing into your real life, or even how to juggle writing with all the other aspects of your writing career. Not only that, but external motivators like class assignments or thesis deadlines don’t teach you to pace yourself and build up the internal motivation you need to succeed in the long-term.

Genre Writing in MFA Programs

Most MFA programs focus on literary fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. While these are noble areas of literature, they cover only a tiny slice of the wide and diverse world of writing. Heaven forbid a writer in a traditional MFA program produces something commercial—or worse, genre fiction. While a handful of MFA programs allow writers to study genre fiction or children’s literature, the majority still focus on literary work alone. If you want to write genre fiction, commercial nonfiction, or children’s books, you likely will not learn much about them in your MFA courses.

Writers of genre and commercial fiction are among the most dedicated, driven writers I know. They take their craft seriously and work hard to understand the business side of the publishing industry. In addition, a vast number of associations, conferences, and guilds are dedicated to specific genres or commercial writing. Literary writers are not the only ones who crave knowledge and community. Commercial and genre writers want it, too.

This is why I created DIY MFA : to offer an alternative for writers who do not fit the strict literary mold of the traditional MFA system.

Should You Pursue an MFA?

MFA programs are not a bad thing. In fact, they are exceptional at serving a small and very specific group of writers. If you write literary fiction, creative nonfiction, or poetry, and if you thrive in a formal academic environment, then the traditional MFA is a great option. If you can afford the tuition without taking out loans, and if you have the time to make the most of the experience, then you are one of those ideal candidates for graduate school.

One reason I am extremely grateful for my own MFA is that it gave me the opportunity to work with several phenomenal teachers. I studied YA and middle-grade literature with the brilliant David Levithan. The legendary Hettie Jones was my first workshop teacher. I worked closely with Abrams publisher Susan Van Metre, who served as my thesis advisor and mentor. These experiences were invaluable, and at the time I didn’t think I could make connections with such literary luminaries any other way. Now I know, however, that you can make connections and find great mentors without attending an MFA program.

The “Do It Yourself” MFA

As an MFA student, I discovered the magic equation that sums up just about every traditional MFA. The Master in Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing is nothing more than a lot of writing, reading, and building community. In the workshops, you exchange critiques with other writers and work toward a manuscript that becomes your thesis project. Most programs also require you to take literature courses both in and outside your chosen area of literature. Finally, you are asked to attend readings or talks by other writers—to build your personal writing community. To create a personalized, do-it-yourself MFA, you have to find a way to combine these three elements.

Write with focus. You have to commit to a project and finish it. In traditional MFA terms, this project is your thesis, and it’s a crucial part of your development as a writer. But you don’t need to complete a thesis to get this experience; you just need to finish and polish a manuscript. While you can feel free to play and explore early on, you must eventually choose a project and see it through from beginning to end. When you write with focus, you write with a goal in mind.

Read with purpose.  This means reading with a writer’s eye. If you’re like me, you were a bookworm long before you could hold a pencil in your hand. Writers love books. In fact, many of us become writers so we can create the very books we love to read.

Reading for pleasure is wonderful, and it certainly has its place. Reading with purpose is different: It is reading in a way that serves our writing. It’s not just about finding out what happens in the story; it’s about learning how the author pulls it off. Reading this way isn’t just an intellectual exercise. When we read with purpose, we examine how an author crafts a story so we can emulate those techniques in our own work.

Build your community.  In the traditional MFA, building a community happens organically. You meet fellow writers in your workshops and literature courses. You go to readings and conferences to connect with authors. You attend a publishing panel and learn about the industry. The community element is baked into the MFA experience.

To learn more about crafting your own customized MFA experience, sign up for the DIY MFA newsletter , and check out the new book, DIY MFA .

Gabriela Pereira is the Creative Director at DIY MFA , the do-it-yourself alternative to a master’s degree in writing. She develops tools and techniques for the serious writer, to help you get the knowledge without the college. With an MFA in creative writing, Gabriela is also a freelance writing teacher, and has led workshops throughout New York City via writing programs like: 826NYC, East Harlem Tutorial Program and Everybody Wins. When she’s not working on DIY MFA, she loves writing middle grade and teen fiction, with a few short stories for “grown-ups” thrown in for good measure.

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[…] Today’s guest post is an excerpt from DIY MFA by Gabriela Pereira (@DIYMFA), just released from Writer’s Digest Books. Most writers want an MFA for one of three reasons: They want to teach writing, they want to get published, or they want to make room in their life for writing. It turns out these reasons …  […]

I find screenwriting programs to be more honest with respect to story telling.

So true, I did a screen writing module in my degree. It was easy, fun and clear to write a script. So weird!

THANK YOU! I needed this. I occasionally doubt myself and my future success possibilities because of my lack of an MFA. I’ve been gradually letting that notion go, and this helps!

Also, I’m not interested in social media with exception of using Twitter as a news aggregator. From my perspective it’s an unwanted hassle. I write fiction and have neither the time nor inclination for blog posts or podcasts, but I do understand the nature of the disadvantage this might impose. And I think reality reliably informs us a social media presence is not necessarily mandatory to find success.

[…] view post at https://janefriedman.com/mfa-creative-writing-3-myths/ […]

[…] 3 Myths About the MFA in Creative Writing (Jane Friedman) Most writers want an MFA for one of three reasons: They want to teach writing, they want to get published, or they want to make room in their life for writing. It turns out these reasons for doing an MFA are actually based on myths. […]

[…] to the rest at Jane Friedman and thanks to Matthew for the […]

[…] the program could help build contacts, at the very least. Here is an article by Jane Friedman with 3 Myths About the MFA in Creative Writing to help answer some of the […]

[…] Jane Friedman […]

[…] Honoree Corder’s Website Removed by S.J. Pajonas How Do You Like Them Apples! MFA: Myths for Authors Write, Camera, Action! DRM Drama Audio on the Go Singles’ Night (1) Singles’ Night (2) Swan […]

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Master's in Creative Writing Online MA Degree Program

Earn a Master's in Creative Writing

• $637/credit (36 credits)
• Inclusive creative writing community
• 24/7 online access – attend class at your convenience
• 100% online – no residency required
• 4 genre options for concentrations
• Complete in as few as 15 months, or at your own pace

Master's in Creative Writing Online Program Overview

Ignite your imagination and jump-start your professional writing career with a Master of Arts (MA) in English and Creative Writing online at Southern New Hampshire University. Learn to use the written word to effectively tell your story and share your ideas with the world. By studying literature and the way accomplished authors have perfected their art, you'll be prepared to enter a number of industries as a creative writer. 

This English and creative writing graduate program fosters your imagination and creativity with a perfect balance of critical analysis and craft, along with an emphasis on literary theory and the history of the English language. You also have the freedom to choose from 4 genre concentrations or to combine your choice of genre courses if, for example, you're interested in both fiction and screenwriting.

This specialized creative writing master's degree can help you develop an ability to communicate in any career path you choose to follow, including:

• Marketing and communications

If you've always dreamed of starting your own novel, writing a collection of poetry or developing your screenplay, you'll gain the foundation you need through this program.

At the end of the program, you'll either complete a creative thesis or submit a portfolio of creative writing, along with a retrospective essay.

.st0{fill:#21386D;} What You'll Learn

• Integrate form, language and literary works into writing style and voice
• Expand upon your own creative process
• Create original literary works of publishable quality
• Reflect on goals, process and ethos as a creative writer
• Use technology as a tool to stylize and promote creative work

.cls-1 { fill: #21386d; } How You'll Learn

At SNHU, you'll get support from day 1 to graduation and beyond. And with no set class times, 24/7 access to the online classroom and helpful learning resources along the way, you'll have everything you need to reach your goals.

Concentration Options

You'll also have the option to master a specialized skill set with one of our 4 genre-focused concentrations .

Fiction Literature has long been a source of inspiration, both for readers and writers. In Southern New Hampshire University's online MA in English and Creative Writing with a concentration in Fiction degree, you can find your creative voice and tell your story. Your knowledge can grow beyond a basic understanding of plot building, narrative, voice and character as you push your creative boundaries. Hone your craft for the kind of fiction you've always dreamed of bringing to life through novels, short stories, children's literature and more. In this degree program, you'll have the opportunity to explore whichever genres in fiction pique your interest, from horror and sci-fi to fantasy, young adult, romance and more.  The art of storytelling has deep historical and societal roots, and it is critical to cross-cultural communication. In your MA in Creative Writing online degree program, you’ll study the work of published writers to help you develop your own creative writing skills. You’ll focus on why authors make specific creative decisions to develop a deeper understanding of fiction in all of its forms, all while writing your own works of fiction. If you decide to pursue this concentration, you'll take a capstone course designed around completing your thesis in your fiction genre of choice. At the culmination of your coursework, you’ll create your own manuscript and apply what you've learned about your own creative voice to your work. If you feel it's time to put pen to paper to tell a tale, this program is for you. "I chose the fiction concentration [because] I believe it will give me a wider range in skills and training that will make me more attractive as a writer," said student Joshua Yarbrough . "Great and imaginative storytelling is always needed, and by having this concentration, it will open doors and avenues in a wide range of projects." Career outlook: Whether you're looking to pen the next great fiction novel, or you'd like to specialize in short stories that capture the imagination for a period of time, this concentration can give you the tools you need to become successful in your field. The MA in English and Creative Writing with a concentration in Fiction can also lead to numerous career opportunities, as this program does more than just expose you to literature and help you develop new writing skills. You can apply the creative skills you gain to any profession, from scriptwriting to marketing. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the median annual wage for writers and authors was $73,150 in 2022. 1 Courses include: Fiction Fundamentals Genres: Fantasy, Sci-Fi and Other Popular Fiction Fiction Thesis Writing Fiction Thesis Completion Request Info Apply Now Nonfiction In the MA in English & Creative Writing with a concentration in Nonfiction degree, you'll learn how and why writers craft nonfiction narratives. These tools can help you develop factual material based on research and experiences of your own - or someone else's. The creative writing master's degree can help you gain insights into publishing, broadcasting and professional production while you explore your creative boundaries. At the culmination of the program, you'll develop your own professional-quality piece of nonfiction, one that takes you deep into subjects that matter to you and helps you develop the skills you need for great storytelling. MA English & Creative Writing nonfiction graduate Alec Biron '17 '21G particularly enjoyed the combined emphasis on creative writing and literature. "While the curriculum allowed me to select a unique genre of creative writing to develop my nonfiction thesis," he said, "it also allowed me to explore traditional forms of literature that I love, such as medieval British and feminist genres." Career outlook: Nonfiction is the art of telling real stories - ones that people can learn from, relate to and understand. It covers a wide range of styles and subjects, encompassing everything from personal essays, autobiographical writing and memoirs, to marketing, travel writing and magazine features. Given the many career paths you could take by adding a concentration in nonfiction writing to your degree, it's worth noting some potential career paths you could explore. During a time when remote work is on the rise, you could consider a career writing freelance nonfiction stories for traditional print magazines and digital publications. Or, if telling stories for brands excites you, you could work in advertising as a copywriter and see your words on websites, billboards, emails, commercials and other types of advertisements. "Employers have been impressed by not only my achievement of a master’s degree, but also by the publications I've subsequently written for following my education," said Biron. If you like finding ways to make factual yet complex topics more digestible, you may enjoy the role of technical writer. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, technical writers earned a median annual salary of $79,960 in 2022. 1 Courses include: Non-Fiction Fundamentals Non-Fiction Thesis Writing Non-Fiction Thesis Completion Request Info Apply Now Poetry Develop the skills you need to convey your poetic vision with a MA in English and Creative Writing with a concentration in Poetry . The poetry concentration within our online creative writing graduate program can take you to a new level of analysis, appreciation and understanding of this art form. Foster your love of verse with the inspiration, passion and creative peer collaboration that only SNHU's concentration in poetry can bring. This curriculum focuses your study of literature on a genre where every word and line counts. Here, you'll be able to use your imagination to create imagery that moves and inspires readers and writers alike. This creative writing graduate program challenges you to gain an appreciation for how the unique craft and vision of poetry is critical to learning to think, understand and communicate with the world at large. Throughout this online program, you’ll broaden your understanding of the art of poetry. You'll also dive deeper into structure, tone and rhythm while analyzing the work of renowned poets. Upon completion of the program, you’ll develop your own manuscript of poetry, one that allows you to expand on subjects you're passionate about. "I chose a poetry concentration because I am a poet at heart, and my career revolves heavily around creative writing, specifically poetry and accessible arts programming," said NaBeela Washington '21G . "I wanted to make sure that my studies preserved time to truly focus on poetry and developing my manuscript and network and connection to other authors." Career outlook: Whether it's getting your own poetry published or becoming the next great poet laureate that interests you, a career in poetry is sure to be one filled with passion for your work. You could work for nonprofits to promote local poetry in your area, or become the poetry curator for an array of journals, magazines and even bookstores. And the ability to write clever, concise and compelling copy is also a great fit for advertising and marketing positions. "Before SNHU, I hadn’t been published since middle school," said Washington. "And before completing the program, I would be invited to read my work at a Poetry Series in Takoma Park, MD; I would start a literary journal, Lucky Jefferson, and I would go on to be published several more times in publications like The Cincinnati Review and The Washington Writers’ Publishing House, even winning an award for my journal and building a network of more than 6,000 writers and artists." Her list of accomplishments doesn't stop there. "I’ve been invited to speak on panels about my work in the literary world as well as to help found a roundtable for Editors of Color," she said. "It's really nice realizing that I could accomplish my goals and that I believed in myself." Courses include: Poetry Fundamentals Poetry Thesis Writing Poetry Thesis Completion Request Info Apply Now Screenwriting We live in an increasingly visual society. The online Master of Arts in English and Creative Writing with a concentration in Screenwriting program at Southern New Hampshire University is an advanced exploration of the world of film and video, from shorts and episodic serials to feature-length blockbusters and documentaries. This concentration is based on a comprehensive study of film, with a special focus on story structure, character development and creative writing. At the culmination of the degree program, you'll have developed your own screenplay that you can then share with others and put out into the world if you so choose. While an understanding and analysis of literature – whatever the genre – is at the core of this MA degree, the screenwriting concentration places a special emphasis on visual storytelling. Designed by experienced and distinguished faculty, this master’s in screenwriting program can give you a powerful understanding of how story, character, theme, action, visuals and dialogue intertwine to create an immersive experience. In this concentration, you'll also have the opportunity to work closely with peers and faculty to workshop your pieces, which can help push your creative work to new heights. Take it from José Roldan Jr. '17G who, with the support of his friends, family and his SNHU advisor, was able to enroll in the online MA in English and Creative Writing with a concentration in Screenwriting program while balancing his full-time job and full-time performance schedule, along with additional acting gigs and auditions.  "That support just allowed me the strength to say, 'You know what? I can get this done. There are so many people who believe in me to do it, that I can get it done,'" Roldan said. "It wasn't easy, but it's possible. It's possible." Career outlook: Whether you dream of writing for the big screen one day or writing scripts at a regional level, in the screenwriting concentration you can hone your craft for television, commercials, news, feature films, short films and even video games. There are multiple ways you could use this degree in the media world, from adapting an existing work into a movie or writing your own script, to working closely with producers on funding and producing projects. While the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the median annual wage for writers and authors was $73,150 in 2022, it also reports that producers and directors earned a median annual wage of $85,320 the same year. 1 Courses include: Screenwriting Fundamentals Fiction and Film Screenwriting Thesis Writing Screenwriting Thesis Completion Request Info Apply Now if (typeof accordionGroup === "undefined") { window.accordionGroup = new accordion(); } accordionGroup.init(document.getElementById('322677cfabe042d9a55551dc7b079012')); Career Outlook

Whether it's telling your story or telling someone else's, your online master's in creative writing can equip you with detailed knowledge about the worlds of publishing, communications, copywriting and the role of the professional writer. As world markets continue to shift toward a demand for online education and digital media technology, the technical skills learned in this program should continue to be in demand for a long time. The enhanced writing and communication skills you'll develop can be applied to many professions, from publishing, print and film to journalism and marketing.

Read more about Jacob Powers in this Q&A.

"The major takeaway I have gotten from my classes is that there is a viable career in literature, creative writing, and English," said student Joshua Yarbrough . "I feel confident in having the necessary skills to either work for myself or an employer and the training I have received at SNHU has made it possible."

.cls-1 { fill: #21386d; } Job Growth

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment of writers and authors is projected to grow 4% – about as fast as average for all occupations –  through 2032. 1

.cls-1 { fill: #21386d; } Salary

The BLS reports the median wage for writers and authors was $73,150 in 2022. 1

Understanding the Numbers When reviewing job growth and salary information, it’s important to remember that actual numbers can vary due to many different factors — like years of experience in the role, industry of employment, geographic location, worker skill and economic conditions. Cited projections do not guarantee actual salary or job growth.

The master's in creative writing is also ideal if you're interested in pursuing your PhD or teaching at the collegiate level. Additionally, the MA in Creative Writing is also a great option for high school instructors or other educators who wish to level up their salaries, as well as those whose districts require a Master of Arts for sustained career growth.

"I believe there’s a nice balance here for the program — for students who wish to pursue publication, we offer the tools, resources and faculty to help guide them. For students who wish to advance in their current career, or learn creative writing skills but also strengthen other skills (like editing, proofreading, etc.), the program offers that, as well," Powers said.

SNHU does not guarantee that the completion of this program will result in endorsements or rank and salary increases for teachers and strongly encourages interested individuals to contact their state education licensure board prior to enrolling. SNHU provides additional information for education-related outcomes on our Licensure and Certification Disclosures page.

Where Could You Work?

Graduates of the online master's in English and creative writing program will find that, according to the BLS¹, there is opportunity for employment in a variety of fields, including:

Self-Employment

Tech companies, public relations, start your journey toward an online english and creative writing degree, why snhu for your master's in creative writing flexible with no set class meeting times, you can learn on your schedule and access online course materials 24/7. affordable as part of our mission to make higher education more accessible, we’re committed to keeping our tuition rates low. in fact, we offer some of the lowest online tuition rates in the nation. prior coursework and work experience could also help you save time and money. snhu’s transfer policy  allows you to transfer up to 12 credits from your previous institution. you could also earn college credit for previous work experience . respected founded in 1932 , southern new hampshire university is a private, nonprofit institution with over 160,000 graduates across the country. snhu is accredited by the new england commission of higher education (neche), a regional accreditor, which advocates for institutional improvement and public assurance of quality.  recently, snhu has been nationally recognized for leading the way toward more innovative, affordable and achievable education: “most innovative” regional university honors from u.s. news & world report each year since 2015 a $1 million grant from google.org to explore soft skills assessments for high-need youth recognition as a 2017 digital learning innovator by the online learning consortium network at southern new hampshire university, you'll have access to a powerful network of more than 300,000 students, alumni and staff that can help support you long after graduation. our instructors offer relevant, real-world expertise to help you understand and navigate the field. plus, with our growing, nationwide alumni network, you'll have the potential to tap into a number of internship and career opportunities. 93.2% of online students would recommend snhu according to a 2023 survey with 21,000+ respondents. discover why snhu may be right for you . admission requirements expanding access to quality higher education means removing the barriers that may stand between you and your degree. that’s why you can apply at any time and get a decision within days of submitting all required materials: completed free application undergraduate transcripts, which we can retrieve for you by submitting a transcript request form acceptance decisions are made on a rolling basis throughout the year for our 5 graduate terms . master's degree candidates must also submit a personal statement. students with an undergraduate gpa below 2.75 are eligible for provisional acceptance. how to apply if you’re ready to apply, follow these simple steps to get the process going: complete free graduate application submit undergraduate transcripts work with an admission counselor  to explore financial options  and walk through application process if (typeof accordiongroup === "undefined") { window.accordiongroup = new accordion(); } accordiongroup.init(document.getelementbyid('e835202be13f4497bc29372de09b8f42')); get the skills you need.

Alec Biron '17 '21G

"The skills that I learned in nonfiction writing have helped me to build a career in freelance journalism and content writing."

Courses & Curriculum

The master's in creative writing online exposes you to powerful examples of writing and provides you with an outlet to refine your skills as a writer. SNHU is home to the New Hampshire Writer’s Project and is also a destination for nationally recognized writers who perform readings and participate in workshops and lectures. This can give you additional context and insight into the industry you'll eventually be joining. All of our courses were also created by subject matter experts in their field, many of whom are critically acclaimed writers themselves.

Not only are the courses created by experts, they're taught by them, too. Just ask student Joshua Yarbrough .

"I have worked with professors who are well versed and accomplished in their field," he said. "They have provided valuable feedback to me in terms of preparing for my next steps as a writer and educator."

If you're looking for a degree program with collaboration built in, look no further. The online MA in English and Creative Writing has an added emphasis on peer workshops for additional feedback. Each concentration requires students to take three workshops, so you'll have the chance to fine-tune your editing and proofreading skills both for your peers and for yourself.

You'll also be required to take one of two teaching courses, Seminar in Writing Instruction or Online Teaching Experience . This can give you a background for teaching creative writing or English composition, depending on which interests you more. As a whole, this degree program is highly customizable, allowing you to focus on what types of creative writing interest you most.

In addition to working on your writing craft, you'll take several literary courses that focus on analysis and reflection, while learning about the history of the publishing industry. This can give you the chance to sharpen your editing and professional communication skills, while also giving you the edge you need to advance your writing career.

Graduate Alec Biron '17 '21G agrees. "One course that stood out to me, in particular, was “The Editor”. This course was both writing and editing intensive, allowing us to review the work of our peers while optimizing our own narratives," he said. "The Editor went beyond simple proofreading, and taught me how to edit for structure, character development, syntax, language and tone."

You'll also have the choice of four literary genres:

• Screenwriting

Or, you can customize your program and study multiple genres.

What's more, there's plenty of opportunity to build your network and hone your craft outside of normal class time. Once enrolled, you'll have access to SNHUconnect, a community built exclusively for our online learners. With plenty of clubs and events at your disposal, you might find that the Creative Writing Review Club is right up your alley. Wrote a few poems and want a critique? Need an audience to run your plot ideas by? Here, you can share your nonfiction, fiction, poetry and screenplay works – and even seek peer revising if you desire.

Joan Garner

Joan Garner came from a family of activists. Now she’s earning her master’s in creative writing to write her family’s story.

“The classes that I am taking are helping me in writing the book by stretching my limitations as a writer,” she said.

Read Joan’s story.

Minimum Hardware Requirements Component Type   PC (Windows OS)   Apple (Mac OS)   Operating System  Currently supported operating system from Microsoft.   Currently supported operating system from Apple.  Memory (RAM)  8GB or higher  8GB or higher  Hard Drive  100GB or higher  100GB or higher  Antivirus Software  Required for campus students. Strongly recommended for online students.  Required for campus students. Strongly recommended for online students.  SNHU Purchase Programs  Visit Dell   Visit Apple   Internet/ Bandwidth  5 Mbps Download, 1 Mbps Upload and less than 100 ms Latency  5 Mbps Download, 1 Mbps Upload and less than 100 ms Latency  Notes:   Laptop or desktop?   Whichever you choose depends on your personal preference and work style, though laptops tend to offer more flexibility.  Note:   Chromebooks (Chrome OS) and iPads (iOS) do not meet the minimum requirements for coursework at SNHU. These offer limited functionality and do not work with some course technologies. They are not acceptable as the only device you use for coursework. While these devices are convenient and may be used for some course functions, they cannot be your primary device. SNHU does, however, have an affordable laptop option that it recommends: Dell Latitude 3301 with Windows 10.  Office 365 Pro Plus  is available free of charge to all SNHU students and faculty. The Office suite will remain free while you are a student at SNHU. Upon graduation you may convert to a paid subscription if you wish. Terms subject to change at Microsoft's discretion. Review system requirements for  Microsoft 365 plans  for business, education and government.  Antivirus software:  Check with your ISP as they may offer antivirus software free of charge to subscribers.  if (typeof accordionGroup === "undefined") { window.accordionGroup = new accordion(); } accordionGroup.init(document.getElementById('f756dce5bd874c61855f6f6e92d88470')); University Accreditation

Tuition & Fees

Tuition rates for SNHU's online degree programs are among the lowest in the nation. We offer a 25% tuition discount for U.S. service members, both full and part time, and the spouses of those on active duty.

Tuition rates are subject to change and are reviewed annually. *Note: students receiving this rate are not eligible for additional discounts.

Additional Costs: Course Materials ($ varies by course). Foundational courses may be required based on your undergraduate course history, which may result in additional cost.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a History Degree Worth It?

​Why is History Important?​

Why is Poetry Important? Celebrating National Poetry Month

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 Oct. 25, 2023)
• https://www.bls.gov/ooh/media-and-communication/technical-writers.htm (viewed Oct. 25, 2023)
• https://www.bls.gov/OOH/entertainment-and-sports/producers-and-directors.htm (viewed Oct. 25, 2023)

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

• Creative Writing Programme (In-person)
• Creative Writing Programme (Online)
• The Life Writing Programme (In-person)
• Advanced Writing Workshops (In-person)
• Advanced Poetry Workshops (In-person)
• Advanced Poetry Workshops (Online)
• Creative Writing Programme (Blended)

Is it worth getting qualified as a writer?

by Mark Slater | 0 comments

Is it worth getting qualified as a writer? If you’re an aspiring writer, should you do a degree, or an MA or MFA in creative writing?

There are now hundreds of creative writing courses, undergraduate degrees, mfa’s and ma’s being offered by american and english universities. are they worth the money is it worth getting  qualified as a writer.

Is it worth getting qualified as a writer? There comes a time in most writer’s lives where they find themselves scanning University websites, searching for a creative writing course that will polish their native genius to untarnished brilliance. Why? What is it that motivates this quest?

Well, I think I can tell you. I’m a product of the UK university creative writing system and have lived and worked in it most of my life. I now run the Creative Writing Programme as an independent college and am no longer part of the academic system. As a result, I consider myself and the writers I work with to be in a much better place.

Forty odd years ago I applied to Malcolm Bradbury’s MA in Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia . What motivated me? Here is a list of my hopes and aspirations and an account of the actual experience.

Firstly, I had the rather naïve idea that being accepted would be a recognition of my talent – that I would be part of a select community. Bradbury’s MA was, at the time, one of the first to be offered in the UK and, like the Harvard MFA, had real literary cachet.

The thought that I could finally share my uncontainable enthusiasm for writing with like-minded people was a great pull. On top of that I wanted to be challenged, to be qualified, to be recognised … Oh, yeah, and I wanted to learn how to write.

And that was the first big disappointment. There was no teaching of creative writing. Zero. It was simply assumed we could all write. There was a lot of teaching of LITERATURE. The great man (… and Bradbury was impressive) would extemporise long lectures on Modernism. They were mind-blowing in their breadth and, at first, we hung on his every word.

Until of course, we realised, that all the literary theory in the world was not going to teach us how to create a first person, present tense narrator, or to swerve narrative viewpoints in the middle of a scene from one character to another, or to learn how to write for the reader and not for ourselves.

It was like being on the raft of the Medusa. We clung to ourselves for support and managed to salvage something from the wreckage. We taught each other to write, commenting as best we could on each other’s work, eating and socialising together and we were fortunate to have the writer Rose Tremain as one of our tutors. Rose managed to inject some writerly reality into our workshops.

There is a LOT of literary theory in an MA or MFA in creative writing

As Bradbury and the other academics intoned in the background we prepared for our EXAMS. We crammed it in: Structuralist theory, Post-Structuralist theory, Deconstructionism … the ‘isms’ were endless. All the time muttering under our breath about the lost opportunity to get on with our writing.

It wasn’t that the theory was pointless. Some of it was quite interesting. It was just that it didn’t have anything to do with writing. That is the main point I want to make. University creative writing courses are great if you have an intellectual interest in literary theory. If you enjoy reading Jacques Derrida and Edward Said … go for it. If on the other hand you are more artistically inclined and want to learn how to tell stories, give them a wide berth.

I finished my MA in creative writing buried under a pile of incomprehensible literary theory. I read for a doctorate, partly to rid myself of the curse of Post-Structuralist theory forever and partly to work out whether it was actually possible to teach people how to write.

How do you, then, learn to write?

The first question I asked myself was: How in the past had writers learnt to write? I discovered that with the advent of printing they copied and stole each other’s stories and storylines: Chekhov copied Turgenev, Mansfield copied Chekhov. Literally copied. Taking whole stories and re-writing them sentence by sentence in their own words. Prior to the printing press, in the age of Renaissance rhetoric they apprenticed themselves to a master and learnt by watching and listening.

More recently, we have learned to write in other ways. Schools and colleges have taken over from the process of auto-didacticism. In the 1930’s and 40’s creative writing was encouraged in American and English universities as an extra-curricular activity. During the post-war consensus in the 50’s and 60’s, English became a popular subject. New, exciting working-class voices were finding their way into print and students flocked to universities to read the novel: the great book of life.

But English became a victim of its own success. Academics are only human and the popularity of literary studies caused a rush of blood to the brain. English departments all over America and Europe felt they were at the centre of intellectual debate and developed their own schools of critical theory, vying with each other for intellectual ascendency.

The result was an intellectual omnishambles of irreconcilable ideas that puts the Tower of Babel to shame. Along with the introduction of fees for students, the 80’s and 90’s saw a decline in applications to English departments.

The reality of Creative Writing in Higher Education

Creative Writing at the time was being taught on the fringes of academia, in local bookshops, community organisations, continuing education, the Workers Educational Association etc. but not in mainstream universities. Faced with a slump in the popularity of their subject, English academics held their noses and let the creative writing tutors in. Management, keen to keep the tills ringing supported the move and began to cram writers onto their courses.

I’ve met many people, who in the last twenty years have applied for university creative writing courses and been bitterly disappointed. Arriving at universities to find 30-40 (I once heard of 60) students in a seminar, packed into lectures with English students, being taught be academics who are brilliant at using critical frameworks to analyse literature but often appear to have no real understanding of the process of creative writing.

The key take-away here is that creative writing and universities are not a natural fit. Their connection was born out of financial expedience. Universities, desperate for money and students opened their doors to writers. Good that writers can earn some kind of living. But not so good for people who want to learn to write and find themselves having to study literary theory that doesn’t seem applicable to anything they do. And all this in an intellectual culture that doesn’t, in the main, consider anything that happens below the neck to be of any real significance. And, of course, this once again begs the question: Is it worth getting qualified as a writer?

The Creative Writing Programme as an alternative to University

So, is there an alternative? Is spending a lot of money on a degree or an MA or MFA a good idea? Is it worth getting qualified as a writer? In moving the Creative Writing Programme out of the university, we believe we have freed ourselves up to offer a course of study that focuses on creativity and an understanding of the creative process. We believe there is much about this process that can be taught and that the rest needs to be nurtured through support, confidence building and a careful and considered approach towards teaching. Our online and face to face courses are built like those in art schools and music academies. We start small, focusing on individual creativity and gradually build to the bigger picture.

We are a group of writers who want to share the writing process with others and we’ve worked hard to develop practical exercises that focus on particular aspects of technique, that allow the writer to understand how to render the effect they want to achieve and for that knowledge to become part of the intuitive flow of their writing.

We believe in being small. Existing outside of a large educational institution allows us to be more human, to treat each other with respect and to build up long term relationships with our writing students and the publishing professionals we work with. A consideration of the individual value of everyone permeates our teaching and our professional relationships. We keep our classes small. There is a maximum of 15 in a face to face class and that number is usually smaller for our online courses. This way everyone is recognised, is part of our community and is able to contribute.

If I was to sum up our approach, I would say that we aspire to teach creative writing as an art. Writers and readers are not academics. They don’t want to put everything they are reading through the meat grinder of critical theory. They want to be carried by the story and that process of being carried is physical and emotional as well as intellectual. So, we focus on how language interacts with the body and how you, as a writer, can dissolve your reader into the world of your story.

But, how do you nurture creativity and self-expression? I have long dispensed with the myth of perfection and have come to realise that the best writers are so good at what they are good at that readers don’t notice their imperfections. This is how we build individual style on the Creative Writing Programme. By getting to know each individual writer we can work to their strengths, make sure they have a comprehensive understanding of the craft of writing and encourage them to develop in the areas in which they excel. This is the best way, we believe, to encourage a strong, confident, individual style.

Of course, we don’t offer qualifications. If we did we would have to hike up the fees for our courses – which we believe in keeping as low as possible. We don’t offer a qualification. We offer a kind of apprenticeship. We believe that at a fraction of the cost of a university qualification we can offer you a course, designed by writers for writers that will help you understand the wonderful craft of story telling.

So, if you want to learn to write, is it really worth getting qualified as a writer?

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• Credits measure the student workload required for the successful completion of a module or qualification.
• One credit represents about 10 hours of study over the duration of the course.
• You are awarded credits after you have successfully completed a module.
• For example, if you study a 60-credit module and successfully pass it, you will be awarded 60 credits.
• MA in Creative Writing

This qualification is an opportunity to develop your skills as a writer in fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction and scriptwriting for film, radio and the stage. You'll be able to write in a genre of your choice and experiment with at least one other through practical and inspiring activities. You’ll work towards producing a substantial piece of your own creative writing to a professional standard. You'll also hone your practice through sharing, reading and critiquing the writing of your peers in online forums. You’ll work towards producing a substantial piece of your own creative writing to a professional standard.

• Develop writing skills and awareness of approaches to writing
• Progress and hone sophisticated writing skills in at least one genre
• Gain a sound knowledge of, and ability in, a secondary genre
• Engage in sharing, critiquing and reviewing a variety of writing by your peers.

Study for free We’ve a limited number of scholarships available to UK students for the 2023/24 academic year. If you’re passionate about creative writing, you could be eligible for an Open Futures Scholarship. To apply, visit our Creative Writing Scholarship page. Applications close on 24 July 2023.

How to register

Select the module you will study first, read the full description, and follow the instructions to register.

To gain the 180 credits you require for this qualification, you must study the modules in the order shown below and pass part 1 before progressing to part 2:

Please note that MA Creative Writing part 2 (A803) is worth 120 credits. Module fees for postgraduate modules are based on the number of credits you study. Therefore the fee for this 120-credit postgraduate module will be double that for the 60-credit module MA Creative Writing part 1 (A802).

You should note that the University’s unique study rule applies to this qualification. This means that you must include at least 60 credits from OU modules that have not been counted in any other OU qualification that has previously been awarded to you.

Learning outcomes, teaching and assessment

The learning outcomes of this qualification are described in four areas:

• Knowledge and understanding
• Cognitive skills
• Practical and professional skills

If you’ve successfully completed some relevant postgraduate study elsewhere, you might be able to count it towards this qualification, reducing the number of modules you need to study. You should apply for credit transfer as soon as possible, before you register for your first module. For more details and an application form, visit our Credit Transfer  website.

On completion

On successful completion of the required modules you can be awarded the Master of Arts in Creative Writing, entitling you to use the letters MA (CW) (Open) after your name. You will have the opportunity of being presented at a degree ceremony.

If you leave the programme before you qualify for a degree you can qualify for a  Postgraduate Certificate in Humanities (C20)  after successfully completing 60 credits.

Regulations

As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the qualification-specific regulations below and the academic regulations that are available on our Student Policies and Regulations  website. 

We regularly review our curriculum; therefore, the qualification described on this page – including its availability, its structure, and available modules – may change over time. If we make changes to this qualification, we’ll update this page as soon as possible. Once you’ve registered or are studying this qualification, where practicable, we’ll inform you in good time of any upcoming changes. If you’d like to know more about the circumstances in which the University might make changes to the curriculum, see our Academic Regulations or contact us . This description was last updated on 19 March 2024.

You must hold a UK honours degree (or equivalent), preferably with at least a 2:1 classification. Although your degree does not need to be in Creative Writing or a closely related subject, you will need some knowledge of the subject to successfully complete this qualification, as the MA in Creative Writing assumes all candidates have the knowledge and skills usually acquired by pursuing the subject at undergraduate level. Please note that this is not a qualification for those who are just starting to write creatively

If your degree is not in Creative Writing or a closely related subject, we strongly recommend that you read the preparatory work indicated on the MA Creative Writing part 1 . Alternatively, you could undertake our open-access creative writing courses on OpenLearn  and FutureLearn to ensure your skills (writing, reading, editorial, reflective, analytical) are at an appropriate standard.

If you don’t have a Creative Writing degree, please also make sure that you provide evidence of your experience of writing when you apply – whether through short courses, workshops, or publications.

How long it takes

You will be able to complete this masters qualification within two years by studying one module each year. If you do not study the modules consecutively, you must complete them in a maximum of 10 years to qualify for the degree.

Career relevance

If you wish to pursue a freelance writing career this Masters degree will equip you with necessary writing and editorial skills, as well as equipping you with a raft of highly valued transferable communication and collaborative skills necessary to the modern writer’s usual portfolio of occupations.

If you are aiming for an academic career in higher education, this qualification will provide a route towards a higher level research or writing practice degree (e.g. PhD), which is essential for such a career. A Masters degree can help to enhance your career prospects as a teacher in secondary and higher education (HE); most HE creative writing teaching now demands an MA in the subject.

If your aim is to enter professions associated with the media, culture, creative or knowledge industries, or if you already have a career in one of these areas and are seeking a further qualification as a means of career development, then a Masters degree, supplemented by relevant skills and experience, can prove invaluable. This degree is pertinent to those careers that directly call upon knowledge of the craft of writing, editing and critiquing (for instance, journalism, publishing, copywriting). It may also be relevant for careers that demand skills in the creative use and analysis of texts of various sorts, critical thinking and organisation, and understanding of culture in a broad sense.

Careers and Employability Services have more information on how OU study can improve your employability.

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Creative Writing MFA Alumni Spotlight: Madison McCartha ('18)

Published: May 30, 2024

Author: Paul Cunningham

"Coming closer we might find that Solaris isn't a planet at all, but a fugitive surface—a 'fictive copy' illegible as a speculative ecological fiction alone. I consider instead that this complex of readings, and maybe Solaris itself, form an assemblage, and a model for Black artistic expression—an expression that sees a connection between the treatment of politically marginalized bodies, and of the nonhuman world; because the ways we ask our technology and our environment to labor, and to mediate the violent apparatuses of the state that pass through them, that use them, is connected to the ways we ask politically marginalized bodies to labor and to mediate, perhaps like Solaris , the violences they are made to be complicit with." — from Madison McCartha's "Notes toward a Virtual Poetics: An Essay on Solaris, Assemblage, and Blackness"

Madison McCartha is a poet, critic, and multimedia artist whose debut book of poetry and visual art, Freakophone World , was published by Inside the Castle in 2021. McCartha's writing appears in Black Warrior Review , BOMB , Denver Quarterly , jubilat , The Spectacle , and elsewhere. Their work has been exhibited through the Lower Manhattan Cultural Center, the Poetic Research Bureau, and digitally through Small Press Traffic. Shortlisted for the 2019-2021 CAAPP Creative Writing Fellowship, they have received support from The Electronic Literature Organization, Blue Mountain Center, Millay Arts, Winter Tangerine, and the Ucross Foundation.

John Keene (the MacArthur winning author of  Counternarratives ) has called McCartha's debut a "marvel of continuous lyric transformation." Douglas Kearney (author of  Sho ) describes McCartha's poetic voice as "assured, inventive, irradiated," likening the speaker to a "chimera of grievance, sensuality, insight, and orneriness chucking the shit-talk of those who’ve been below long enough to know what’s been sown, where everything is buried." In a review of Freakophone World , Oliva Cronk and Philip Sorenson write:

"McCartha has written an erotics of bodies smashing together, of words colliding. These are not only “human” bodies. In fact, not human at all: this is about uncanny bio-flotillas, cadavers, trash, and technology: about getting outside of oneself, while still keeping one’s ability to speak: a talking wall, a grub, a slime mold, some kind of free-floating memory, or (possibly most especially) virtual reality. All of this, too, is predicated on and happening in ecological catastrophe: this is the erotics of collapsing ecosystems and the rise of squid-ruled seas." — from Oliva Cronk and Philip Sorenson's "Madison MCartha's Freakophone World" ( Tarpaulin Sky)

Remarking on the visual aspects of the book, Asiya Wadud (author of  No Knowledge Is Complete Until It Passes Through My Body ) writes, “In the paintings inside Freakophone World , there are moments where we enter a whole wilderness of longing, where McCartha invites us to reconsider the empirical limits of scale, scope and containment.” In their own words, McCartha compares the paintings of Freakophone World to "virtual diorama[s]" influenced by 70s sci-fi films and Detroit House music.  One can read excerpts from Freakophone World as well as view McCartha's own kinetic films by visiting their website .

McCartha's second book, The Cryptodrone Sequence , is forthcoming from Black Ocean in 2025. They describe the book as a "simulation glitch, a cypher, a queer assemblage diary with a cutup persona—much like Kathy Acker’s Janey Smith from Blood and Guts in High School —an anarcho-punk-bot-tremor using as its source material a technical handbook on Computer Security Basics (circa 2002), as well as some chewed-up texts from Jean Genet, Édouard Glissant, Clarice Lispector, and others who together constitute this poetic intervention."

As a contributor to the Action Books Blog , McCartha has interviewed authors like Anaïs Duplan and Will Alexander . Their "Notes toward a Virtual Poetics" blog series was eventually published as a peer-reviewed essay by Catalyst: Feminism, Theory, Technoscience in 2022.

McCartha holds an MFA from the University of Notre Dame. As a PhD Candidate at the University of California, Santa Cruz, they investigate the ways media art and electronic literature might tell us something new about boundaries, permission, and race. ​