does penn state have a creative writing major

Creative Writing at PENN STATE

BA/MA Students

Second-year ba/ma students.

Maggie Dressler : Born in New York, raised in Palestine, and graduating from high school in Germany before crash-landing in State College, Maggie often turns to her own life as inspiration for her creative nonfiction writing. Her first journeys into creative writing began in preschool with inventing stories for her friends and siblings and continued through elementary school with a particular interest in writing fake wills. While she no longer does that, writing is still a central part of her life and her preferred mode of self-expression. She is dedicated to her family, friends, and campus church, Alliance Christian Fellowship, without whom her life would feel significantly less extraordinary. Maggie loves talking to people, making them laugh, painting, and going on long walks. Her future is unclear, but she knows she wants to help people and keep writing, no matter what.

Emmanuela Eneh is a second-year BA/MA student with a fiction concentration and English Major. She was born in Enugu, Nigeria before moving to London, England and then New York, New York where she spent most of her childhood. As a middle school student, Emmanuela moved to State College, Pennsylvania where she was inspired to enroll in Penn State University during her junior year of high school. She learned to love the art of storytelling as a child and would often bring in short stories to read to her classes in elementary. Middle grade fantasy books are some of her greatest inspirations, as Emmanuela believes that stories can present mature narratives regardless of their surface-level content and intended audience. At Penn State, she has learned to consciously incorporate more of herself into her work in order to strengthen her authorial voice. She strives to learn as much as she can from the creative writing community around her and dreams of publishing her own fantasy series in the future.

Barbara Kutz is a second-year BA/MA student double majoring in Digital & Print Journalism and English. Growing up in Gloucester City, New Jersey, she has had a love for storytelling, particularly through poetry, ever since childhood. She wishes to tell her own stories of life, as well as the stories of those around her that need to fall onto ears besides her own. If she’s not off in a corner somewhere writing or reading, you can find Barbara at a pop-punk show, doing someone’s makeup (often but not always her own), playing the same two playlists on a never-ending loop, or dying her hair. Barbara hopes to continue pushing her creative boundaries and to one day release a poetry collection that would make her 14-year-old self proud.

Eliza Nicewonger   is a second-year BA/MA student with a concentration in fiction. She received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English with a double minor in Theatre Studies and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies in May 2023 from Penn State. She was born and raised in Massachusetts and made countless visits to relatives in Pennsylvania over the years, making her a self-proclaimed Pennsylvanian. On campus, Eliza is a Student Supervisor at the Berkey Creamery, an avid theatre-goer, a big football fan, and enjoys spending time with friends downtown. She has been writing fiction for countless years, starting as early as the second grade. After schooling, Eliza plans to pursue a career in the publishing industry and higher education.

Cindy Rodi  is a second-year BA/MA student with a focus in fiction writing. She completed her undergraduate years at Penn State with an English major and music studies minor. Though she grew up in Los Angeles, she has a home in Great Falls, Virginia (outside of D.C.) and is excited for wherever her future might take her. During the school year, spends most of her time as a member of the Penn State Blue Band as a piccolo player. When she isn’t running around from class to practice, she loves relaxing at home with a cup of coffee, a comfort-show, and a craft.  

Kiera Sargent is a second-year BA/MA student born and raised in Clifton, Virginia, and is focusing on creative non-fiction writing while in the program. As an undergraduate student, she majored in English and minored in Italian. Some things that she likes to do in her free time are save up enough money to travel or spend all that money on hanging out with friends. Kiera hopes that, through this program, she will find what genre of writing she loves and will find a career to pursue that values writing as much as she does.

Ava Wendelken is a second-year BA/MA student specializing in the composition of creative nonfiction. Born in Monterey, California to a Navy family, she has lived all over the damn joint, though she has spent the majority of her adult life in South Central Pennsylvania. Her work is primarily inspired by her observations on culture and her upbringing as an extremely online person. In addition to essay writing, she has also been known to compose poetry. Further, she has been known to dabble in comedy writing, and is proud to say that she formerly served as editor-in-chief of Phroth, Penn State’s century-old humor magazine and the second oldest college humor publication in the nation. Ava is unsure where her education in writing will take her in the future, but she’s open to just about any job that doesn’t require anything above an eleventh grade competence in math, and closed to any job that requires closed toe shoes.

First-Year BA/MA Students

Ashleigh Earyes is a first-year BA/MA student specializing in fiction. She also works on poetry and non-fiction in her free time. She utilizes music in her writing and likes to have a more musical feel to her words as if they are singing the story. She also likes to draw anything abstract or cute. Her hopes are to be a college professor teaching other students creative writing and to hopefully relate to people through her writing.

Paige Harris is a first-year BA/MA student with a concentration in fiction, majoring in English with a double minor in Anthropology and Women’s Studies. Originally from Florida, she now enjoys marginally more temperate summers in Northern Virginia. Paige is a lifelong bookworm bursting at the seams with her own stories to tell and is ecstatic for the opportunity to nurture her passion. When she’s not running around juggling classes, extracurriculars, and her job, she’s losing her voice at football games, hanging out with friends, or unwinding by binge-watching shows like she’s being paid to do so.

Julianna Herriott is a first-year BA/MA student focusing on fiction and a senior studying English and Biology. She is drawn to stories that bridge science and humanity through prose and seeks to accomplish similar goals in her own writing. Julianna likes to spend her free time traveling or at home with her three Golden Retrievers. After graduation, she hopes to continue writing while starting a career as a literary agent.

Karysa Infante is a first-year BA/MA student and senior undergraduate student studying English. She is a poet at heart and has been writing poetry since she was fifteen years old. She loves retro music, especially seventies folk rock, to the likes of Joni Mitchell and other lyricists of that time. Jewel, Björk, and Alanis Morisette are modern influences. Her favorite poets are Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, Sylvia Plath, and countless others. These writers are known to be open and honest with their readers, harboring less of a focus on form and more on emotion; something she really admires and tries to incorporate in her own work.

Dana Lynch is a first-year BA/MA student concentrating in Creative Nonfiction at the Pennsylvania State University. She is the current Creative Writing Department Intern and works at the Pattee and Paterno Library to pay for her book addiction. Dana was formally an English and Computer Science double major before getting accepted into graduate school. She is an avid writer of both nonfiction and fiction, focusing on her bi-racial Korean identity. She hopes to escape the desk job lifestyle and write for a living. For now, you can find her buried underneath writing submissions at a State College local coffee shop near you.

Maria Pavlenko prefers writing in the third person except when it comes to talking about herself. Hailing from Pittsburgh, she’s spent all her life (minus a semester abroad in Brighton!) in the glorious, agricultural state of Pennsylvania, which is incentive enough to leave it after her time at Penn State as an English major and world lit minor. She’s grateful to be in the BA/MA program with a concentration in fiction, especially to collaborate and grow with similarly passionate people. She plans to pursue a career in writing and prove to her Ukrainian parents that she’s capable of following through on risky choices—have a little faith, Mama and Papa! The remaining time she has left after writing and procrastinating in equal amounts is spent in the following ways: forming strong opinions on the media she consumes, practicing keyboard (piano, not typing), becoming a better cook, and having sick dance breaks both on and off the dance floor.

Ellie Pearson is a first-year BA/MA student from Palos Verdes, California, pursuing a major in English and a minor in Business in the Liberal Arts. Growing up so close to the world’s entertainment capital, she always had a proximity to storytelling, which led her to fall in love with novels and short stories. By spending time with enthusiastic professors, Ellie found her passion for storytelling herself. On campus, Ellie is an executive member of her sorority, a THON committee member, and a performer in the club Volé. She has been writing fiction for years and dreams of working for a publishing company and publishing a novel of her own one day.  

Matthew Ramos is a first-year BA/MA student with a focus on fiction writing. An English major who grew up in Bogotá, Colombia, which is a relevant topic in his writing. During his free time, he enjoys anything soccer-related, both playing the sport and supporting his favorite team, Liverpool. When he’s not watching soccer, he’s going out with his friends.  After graduation, he intends to go into a career of teaching at a university or pursuing a Ph.D.

Claire Williams is a first-year BA/MA student focusing on poetry. She is originally from Hershey, PA, but has found a new home in State College. She works as a peer writing tutor with Penn State Learning and is the Bednar Intern for Penn State Libraries’ Open Publishing Department. Claire has also been a Penn State THON volunteer since her first year as a student. Beginning in 2022, she has been shaving her head each February in support of the cause and plans on continuing the tradition until she graduates. In her free time, Claire loves being outside, writing, listening to music, reading, playing guitar, and doing puzzles. 

Melissa Zavala is a Mexican-American nonfiction writer in the BA/MA program at Penn State. Having immigrated at the age of two with her parents and sisters, Melissa struggled to identify with her peers in Las Vegas, Nevada. She developed a passion for reading and writing at a young age to fill the loneliness of her childhood. It was then she realized storytelling was not just a form of entertainment, but a way for her to connect with her family and make new friends. On warm days, you can find Melissa looking for rabbits in the bushes on campus and calling to squirrels on her way to class in a stylish outfit and soft pink makeup.

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Every year, the Penn State Program in Writing and Rhetoric reaches approximately 13,000 students spread over approximately 550 sections of courses in First-Year Writing and Writing in the Professions.

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In 2013, the Program was awarded a Conference on College Composition and Communication (CCCC) Writing Program Certificate of Excellence .

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A central part of Penn State education, the Program in Writing and Rhetoric reaches every student—without exception—through its two-part writing sequence .

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• 2023 High School Writing Day is March 31 February 14, 2023
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Creative Writing, Minor

Program Code: CWRIT_UMNR

At which campus can I study this program?

Requirements for a minor may be completed at any campus location offering the specified courses for the minor. Students may not change from a campus that offers their major to a campus that does not offer their major for the purpose of completing a minor.

Program Description

This minor offers students not majoring in English the opportunity to explore different forms of creative writing--fiction, poetry, and nonfiction--or to focus primarily on one of them. Students receive instruction and practice the art and craft of writing in small, workshop courses.

What is Creative Writing?

Creative writing is a liberal arts discipline concerned with the practice of literary art, the life of the imagination, and the capacities of language. Creative writing students analyze masterworks of fiction, poetry, and literary nonfiction from different periods and cultures; compose their own original works; develop editing and communication skills; and explore the world of contemporary publishing.

You Might Like This Program If...

The qualities we encourage in our students prepare them to be dynamic employees who are creative thinkers and problem-solvers. Many of our students have gone on to careers as published writers, novelists, poets, essayists, short story writers, and writers of young adult literature. Other students find they are well prepared for careers in writing for the media, business, public and private foundations, and government. Higher and secondary education careers have been popular choices as well. Our students often pursue advanced degrees in fields such as creative writing, literature, law, psychology, linguistics, and ethnic and gender studies.

Program Requirements

Requirements for the minor.

Some courses may require prerequisites.

A grade of C or better is required for all courses in the minor, as specified by Senate Policy 59-10 . In addition, at least six credits of the minor must be unique from the prescribed courses required by a student's major(s).

Academic Advising

The objectives of the university's academic advising program are to help advisees identify and achieve their academic goals, to promote their intellectual discovery, and to encourage students to take advantage of both in-and out-of class educational opportunities in order that they become self-directed learners and decision makers.

Both advisers and advisees share responsibility for making the advising relationship succeed. By encouraging their advisees to become engaged in their education, to meet their educational goals, and to develop the habit of learning, advisers assume a significant educational role. The advisee's unit of enrollment will provide each advisee with a primary academic adviser, the information needed to plan the chosen program of study, and referrals to other specialized resources.

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Liberal Arts Academic Advising 814-865-2545 Use the Liberal Arts Meet the Academic Advisers web page to see the contact information for the specific adviser(s) of this program

Tom Noyes, Ph.D. Professor of English and Creative Writing 170 Kochel Erie, PA 16563 814-898-6209 [email protected]

Maggie Gerrity, Ph.D. Program Coordinator Olmsted Building, W355 Middletown, PA 17057 717-948-6629 [email protected]

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH 434 Burrowes Building University Park, PA 16802 814-863-0258 [email protected]

https://english.la.psu.edu/undergraduate/

SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES 170 Kochel Center Erie, PA 16563 814-898-6108 [email protected]

https://behrend.psu.edu/school-of-humanities-social-sciences

SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES Olmsted Building, W356 Middletown, PA 17057 717-948-6189     [email protected]

https://harrisburg.psu.edu/humanities/creative-writing-minor  

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, the 12 best creative writing colleges and programs.

College Info

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

The Best Creative Writing Programs: Ranking Criteria

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

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

In ranking the schools, I considered five major criteria:

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

The Best Creative Writing Schools

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

#1: Northwestern University

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

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

#2: Columbia University

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

#3: University of Iowa

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

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

#4: Emory University

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

#5: Oberlin College

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

#6: Hamilton College

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

#7: Brown University

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

#8: Washington University in St. Louis

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

#9: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

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

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

#10: University of Michigan

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

#11: Johns Hopkins University

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

#12: Colorado College

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

Bonus School: New York University

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

How To Pick the Best Creative Writing School for You

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

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

Does It Have Courses You're Interested In?

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

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

What Opportunities Are There To Pursue Writing Outside of Class?

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

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

Who Will Be Teaching You?

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

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

What Are the Alumni Doing Now?

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

What About the Rest of the School?

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

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

What's Next?

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

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

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

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Creative Writing at Penn’s College of Liberal and Professional Studies

Creative writing at penn’s college of liberal and professional studies.

Become a Penn-made writer—your way. Designed with working adults and nontraditional students in mind, Penn’s College of Liberal and Professional Studies (LPS) offers a range of opportunities to study the craft of creative writing with expert faculty and a community of like-minded peers. As a Penn student, you have access to world-class resources including Penn Libraries and Kelly Writers House, as well as personalized advising to help you make the most of your Penn experience. 

What’s your story?

Whether you are an experienced writer hoping to focus and polish your work or a beginner exploring the arts of creative expression, Penn LPS workshops, and writing-intensive Proseminars offer inspiration, technique, and constructive feedback. Wherever you are, whatever level of education you’ve achieved, there’s a program for you at Penn.

Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences >

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Master of Philosophy in Liberal Arts >

Certificate in Creative Writing >

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Post-Baccalaureate Studies >

Beginning or completing a bachelor’s degree?

The Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences (BAAS) degree is an accredited degree program that offers an Ivy League liberal arts education—fully online.

• Earn a bachelor’s degree, with the option to complete related certificates at the same time
• Complete 30 courses (or less, if eligible for credit transfer) through full-time study or a part-time flexible pace
• Take immersive, fully online courses from anywhere in the world; does not require residence in Philadelphia
• Tailor your studies with a degree concentration such as Creative Studies , Individualized Studies , or Literature, Culture, and Tradition
• Apply through the standard admissions process, or “prove your way in” by demonstrating academic ability
• Apply for a fall, spring, or summer start

Learn more about BAAS >

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Looking for a graduate degree that isn’t terminal?

The Master of Liberal Arts (MLA) program allows you to design your own curriculum by choosing courses across the University and combining different disciplines to tackle the question or project that motivates you. Anchored by writing-intensive Proseminar courses, the MLA is ideal for students who wish to draw from different disciplines to approach a creative project or research query.

Designed for students who already have a master’s degree and want a short, focused degree program to extend their studies, the Master of Philosophy in Liberal Arts (MPhil) program balances all the benefits of the MLA with the independence of self-directed study.

• Earn a graduate degree with the option to complete a graduate certificate in creative writing at the same time
• Complete coursework and a capstone project in one year of full-time study or at a part-time flexible pace
• Take daytime or evening courses on campus, and online courses when available
• A bachelor’s degree in any field is required to apply, and the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) is optional

Learn more about MLA >

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Just want to write—without committing to a degree program?

Unlock your creativity from anywhere in the world through accelerated online courses. The Certificate in Creative Writing allows you to choose four courses from a variety of collaborative workshops—including genres such as poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction—to earn a certificate, or a total of six courses to qualify for an advanced certificate. Want to test the waters first? Enroll in individual courses in creative writing without committing to a program of study, enjoying the flexibility and expertise offered by Penn LPS Online to suit your schedule and interests.

• Earn academic credit with each course, with the option to complete a certificate
• Complete the certificate program in less than one year, or take courses at your own pace
• Fully online and asynchronous; does not require residency in Philadelphia
• No application or prerequisites required; you are eligible if you have attained a high school diploma
• Enroll any time for a fall, spring, or summer start

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If you’ve completed a bachelor’s degree or higher, the Post-Baccalaureate Studies (or post-bacc) program is a unique opportunity to hand-pick courses from more than 50 academic departments—including creative writing, literature, and related studies.

• Earn academic credit with each course
• Complete coursework through full-time study or a part-time flexible pace
• A bachelor’s degree in any field is required to apply

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If you’ve committed to a degree program at Penn or another institution, you may still have an opportunity to practice writing at Penn.

• Anyone with a high school diploma can enroll as a visiting student during Penn Summer Sessions —no application needed
• Undergraduates can enroll as a Domestic Guest Student to spend a term at Penn
• Penn graduate students can enroll in writing-focused MLA courses as electives

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While LPS values creating a community of diverse lived experiences, in considering your application for admissions, LPS has not in the past and will not in the future consider racial or ethnic identity as a factor in the admissions decision. We are in the process of revising our application language. Applicants are not required to respond to any questions regarding race or ethnicity.

The lifelong learning division of Penn Arts & Sciences

3440 Market Street, Suite 100 Philadelphia, PA 19104-3335

(215) 898-7326 [email protected]

• University of Pennsylvania
• School of Arts and Sciences
• Penn Calendar

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Creative Writing

The English Major with a Concentration in Creative Writing provides students with a solid grounding in literature as well as advanced study in creative writing. Penn’s premier undergraduate creative writing program includes courses in poetry, fiction, nonfiction, screenwriting, playwriting, writing for children, journalistic writing, and review.

The English Major with a Concentration in Creative Writing consists of 13 courses distibuted as follows:

• 6 courses to complete the English Core
• 3 Creative Writing Seminars—any courses within these ranges: ENGL 0051, 0700-0799, or 3000-3999
• 1 course from The One Series (anything within this range: ENGL 4500-4998)
• 1 Literature Seminar in either Literature Before 1700 (a course with the AEB7 attribute) or Literature Before 1900 (a course with the AEB9 attribute)
• 1 Literature Seminar in any area (this can be an additional Creative Writing Seminar)
• Elective(s)

If you are interested in this concentration, please contact Julia Bloch, Director of Creative Writing ( [email protected] ).

Our faculty of award-winning writers teach more than sixty workshops each year in fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, speculative writing, journalism, playwriting, screenwriting, and writing for children and young adults. We also offer a number of innovative workshops in cross-genre, experimental, and hybrid writing, including writing that engages with community organizing, multimedia and visual arts, and performance. Our program is home to for-credit apprenticeships and programs in independent study, a number of student honors and awards, and events throughout the year that are open to the public.

Creative Writing courses as well as the Creative Writing Minor and the Journalistic Writing Minor are open to any student in the four undergraduate schools (College, Wharton, Engineering, Nursing) or in the College of Liberal and Professional Studies. Additionally, English majors can choose to concentrate in Creative Writing, one of the most popular paths in the English major.

The Creative Writing Program invites visiting writers to the Penn campus for readings and talks, often at the renowned and hospitable literary hub Kelly Writers House. Recent visitors have included poets, fiction writers, screenwriters, playwrights, and memoirists, including Claudia Rankine , John Keene , Margaret Christakos , Rachel Levitsky , Divya Victor , Jenny Zhang , Scott Neustadter , Elizabeth Willis , Maria Dahvana Headley , Bhanu Kapil , Nicole Dennis-Benn , Will Alexander , Edwin Torres , Yolanda Wisher , Paul Lisicky , Madeleine George , Daniel Saldaña París , Rob Sheffield , Lesley Nneka Arimah , Eduardo Espina , and Patterson Hood . We have also hosted a robust roster of journalists from The Washington Post , ProPublica , Politico , The New Yorker , The New York Times, The Atlantic , and elsewhere, including Karen Heller , Brooke Borel , Michael Sokolove , Matthew Nusbaum , Alec MacGillis , Charles M. Blow , Paul Waldman , Ada Calhoun , Patrick Kerkstra , Ariel Levy , and Jennifer Lin .

Rising seniors are encouraged to apply to our Creative Writing Honors Program, through which students complete a capstone project under consultation of a faculty advisor. Through  RealArts@Penn , students are given the opportunity to engage with alumni in writing-related careers and to apply for paid summer internships in creative fields across the country. Each spring, the Creative Writing Program sponsors university-wide writing contests in several categories: poetry, fiction, review, scriptwriting, creative nonfiction, journalistic writing, and translation.

Related Programs and Groups

• Penn's Creative Writing Program
• Kelly Writers House

Undergraduate

At Penn State, our majors explore the imaginative and practical uses of English through courses in literature, writing, rhetoric, and language. They develop perspectives on human nature and cultural values through American, British, and other English literatures; they learn how to gather, analyze, synthesize, and communicate information; they gain mastery over their language. These skills help English majors find careers in such fields as publishing, business, industry, government, and teaching. English majors often go on to postgraduate study not only in English but in such areas as law, business, medicine, education, or other liberal disciplines.

Majors can choose from courses in all the major historical periods and genres of British and United States literature; in the work of individual authors (Shakespeare, Milton, and others); in three genres of creative writing; and in topics in rhetoric, African-American literature and culture, visual culture and media, ethnic studies, gender and sexuality studies, literature and science, and literary and cultural theory. We have recently added new courses in the graphic novel, modern visual culture, culture and sexuality, Asian American literature, and digital media to our curriculum.

English majors can focus their coursework through concentrations in literary and cultural studies, creative writing, professional and media writing, and rhetoric and writing.

The Department of English maintains the longest-running honors program in the College of the Liberal Arts, as well as one of the largest internship programs, including internships with the Hemingway Letters Project. It sponsors the undergraduate literary magazine Kalliope and a number of creative writing awards . Students can study abroad, supervised by department faculty members, for a summer in London or a summer in Ireland — or as exchange students at major universities from around the world. Off-campus study closer to home is provided by courses in the Adventure Literature Series .

For more information about our major, follow the links on this site or contact us directly at the address below.

Interim Director of Undergraduate Studies

For more information, please contact:.

Marcy L. North

Undergraduate Office Department of English The Pennsylvania State University 434 Burrowes Building, University Park, PA 16802-6202

Phone: (814) 863-0258 Email : [email protected]

• College of Arts & Sciences
• Graduate Division
• College of Liberal and Professional Studies

Major & Minors

The Creative Writing Program in Penn’s School of Arts and Sciences offers three paths for students who wish to formalize their study of writing craft. Click the links at right for full details on all requirements.

Creative Writing Concentration

The Creative Writing Concentration for English majors (colloquially referred to as the “Creative Writing Major”) provides students with a solid grounding in literature as well as advanced study in creative writing. Concentrators are eligible to apply for Honors  in English. >>more details

Creative Writing Minor  

The Creative Writing Minor is available to any student in the four undergraduate schools at Penn (College, Wharton, Engineering, Nursing) and provides students with opportunities to pursue their own interests and develop expertise in a range of topics, methods, and approaches to the craft of poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and cross-genre writing.  >>more details

Journalistic Writing Minor  

The Journalistic Writing Minor is available to any student in the four undergraduate schools at Penn (College, Wharton, Engineering, Nursing) and provides opportunities for students to pursue their own interests and develop expertise in a range of topics, methods, and approaches to the craft, from magazine writing to political commentary and reporting, the art of editing, or arts and culture criticism.  >>more details