masters in creative writing ph

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Master of Arts in Creative Writing

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Becoming part of the program.

We are a Catholic institution of learning dedicated to advancing the frontiers of knowledge in the theoretical and applied fields through quality graduate education that is comprehensive and responsive to the needs of society.

We are committed to the formation of scholars and high-quality professionals who are ethical, competent, compassionate, and committed to the service of their respective professions, the Church, the nation, and the global community.

We envision a Graduate School that stands for excellence and innovation and that is globally recognized for its distinct degree programs and quality research outputs.

The Graduate School commits itself to develop: 

• Competent professionals who, inspired by the ideals of St. Antoninus of Florence, promote excellence in the production, advancement, and transmission of specialized knowledge and skills in the sciences, the arts, and community service; 
• Scholarly researchers and creative thinkers who, kindled by St. Thomas Aquinas’s ardour for truth, aspire to become fonts of intellectual creativity and, in their quest for quality research, are proficient and critical in assessing and communicating information in various fields that impact the professions, the Church, the nation, and the global community; 
• Professional Christian leaders who, touched by St. Dominic de Guzman’s apostolic fire and warmed by Mary’s motherly care, articulate ethics and truth, high level of moral maturity in resolving issues and promoting social justice and compassion for the poor, and care for the environment; 
• Globally engaged citizens who, with ardent advocacy for life, promote a deeper understanding of tolerance and justice as well as linguistic, religious, and cultural diversities as a result of precise evaluation of modern problems and inquiries; 
• Committed scholars who, nurtured by the dogmas of Christian faith and values, are dedicated to the pursuit of truth through the promotion of an intellectual culture that values academic rigor and freedom of scientific investigations; and 
• Lifelong learners who, empowered by St. Antoninus of Florence’s zeal for learning, are committed to the advancement of a higher culture through a continuous search for intellectual inquiries and new knowledge as well as faithfulness to Catholic intellectual traditions. 

After completing the degree program, the student must be able to: 

• Demonstrate an updated knowledge of current developments in the discipline of creative writing, as well as a richer and more formal background in literature (particularly Philippine literature, and in the genre in which they work); 
• Exhibit a higher level of writing, both in terms of craft and of philosophical/socio-political/moral insights, as well as articulate their own poetics. 
• Epitomize a high level of professionalism as creative writers, as well as take their place as leaders of the literary community, not just in the University but in the larger society; 
• Write their own books of poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction and/or drama that effectively communicate their ideas to their intended audience; 
• Exhibit a deeper and broader understanding of the role of creative writing and literature in the development of a highly cultured society both in the local and global contexts; 
• Demonstrate a richer and more formal background in literature (particularly Philippine literature, and in the genre in which they work), as well as articulate their own poetics. 

Click here for the  Admission Policies and Procedures  of the Graduate School.

Go to  THIS PAGE and look for the “Graduate School” tab for the tuition fees.

Program Curriculum

GS 500 – St. Thomas and Critical Thinking As the philosophical foundation of Research Methodology, it isa study of the principles of skills in critical thinking according to St. Thomas Aquinas in the three areas of mental cognition: simple apprehension, judgement, and reasoning; and of common fallacies toward the acquisition of the art of argumentation. 

GS 501 – Literary Research (From Concept to Framework) Methodical study and application of the historical, descriptive and textual and textual methods of literary investigation for the retrieval, authentication, interpretation and evaluation of literary texts in view of the goals of literary criticism and appreciation. By the way of framework and background, it involves familiarity with literary theory and Philosophy of Literature as bases for content and direction of research agenda. 

CW 601 – Poetry Writing Workshop 1 (Fundamentals of Poetry Writing)

CW 602 – Fiction Writing Workshop 1 (Fundamentals of Fiction Writing)

CW 603 – Creative Non-fiction Writing Workshop 1 (Fundamentals of Creative Non-fiction Writing)

CW 604 – Theories for Writers (Theories of Literary Criticism)

CW 605 – Poetics for Writers (Philosophy of Writing)

CW 606 – Children’s/Young Adult Literature Writing Workshop

CW 607 – Travel Writing Workshop

CW 608 – Poetry Writing Workshop 2 (Special Problems in Poetry Writing)

CW 609 – Fiction Writing Workshop 2 (Special Problems in Fiction Writing)

CW 610 – Creative Nonfiction Workshop 2 (Special Problems in Creative Nonfiction Writing)

CW 611 – Playwriting Workshop 1 (Fundamental of Playwriting)

CW 612 – Playwriting Workshop 2 (Special Problem in Playwriting)

CW 613 – Special Topics (Food Writing, Science/FantasyFiction, Performance Poetry/Spoken Word, Crime/ Detective Fiction, Film Scriptwriting, etc.)

LIT 609 – Literary Translation 

LIT 904 – Philippine Poetry*

LIT 905 – Philippine Fiction*

LIT 906 – Philippine Creative Nonfiction*

LIT 907 – Philippine Drama*

Anglo-American Literature Latin American Literature   Or any other Literature subject

Other Requirements:

Written Comprehension Examinations (WCE) TW I – Thesis Proposal (3 units) TW II – Research Colloquium (3 units) TW Ill – Thesis Defense (3 units)

The University of Santo Tomas is one of the leading private research universities in the Philippines and is consistently ranked among the top 1000 universities in the whole world. With academic degrees and research thrusts in the natural, health, applied, social, and sacred sciences, as well as business and management, the University continuously strives to make a positive impact on the society.

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MA in Creative Writing

• About this Course

About this course

Things you might need for this course, about the provider.

What does University of the Philippines Diliman (UP Diliman, UP) stand for?

The University of the Philippines (UP) is a state university system, founded in 1908. It was established to provide advanced education in Science and Arts, Philosophy, Literature, and Technical training for Filipino students under the Act No. 1870 of the first Philippine Legislature. It has eight constituent universities (Diliman, Los Baños, Manila, Visayas, Open University, Mindanao, Baguio, and Cebu). Aside from the universities, UP has also expanded and added new programs to cater the basic education with UP Integrated School.

University of the Philippines offers a wide array of programs in different fields for undergraduate, graduate, diploma, and certificate courses. The Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) awarded the institution’s various programs with Centers of Excellence and Centers of Development. The courses offered by UP vary by campus.

Throughout its history, University of the Philippines upholds its mandate as the country’s state university shaping minds and producing competent students. Notable alumni who graduated from UP include presidents of the Philippines, senators, supreme court justices, and National Artists. The University of the Philippines is one of the top 1000 universities in the world, and is also one of the only three Philippine higher learning institution that is a member of the ASEAN University Network.

University of the Philippines Facts:

UP is one of the top 1000 universities in the world according to the World University Rankings UP held its centennial celebration in 2008 Aside from its quality education, University of the Philippines is also known for its annual Oblation Run where the members of the Alpha Phi Omega organization run completely naked around the university area to expresses the group’s stance on socially relevant issues. Sources: https://www.up.edu.ph/index.php/about-up/university-seal/

3 Best universities for Creative Writing in the Philippines

Updated: February 29, 2024

• Art & Design
• Computer Science
• Engineering
• Environmental Science
• Liberal Arts & Social Sciences
• Mathematics

Below is a list of best universities in the Philippines ranked based on their research performance in Creative Writing. A graph of 1.38K citations received by 693 academic papers made by 3 universities in the Philippines was used to calculate publications' ratings, which then were adjusted for release dates and added to final scores.

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

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

1. Ateneo de Manila University

For Creative Writing

2. University of the Philippines Diliman

3. De La Salle University

The best cities to study Creative Writing in the Philippines based on the number of universities and their ranks are Quezon and Manila .

Art & Design subfields in the Philippines

Join the World’s Most Respected

Content writing course by iim skills, table of contents, top 6 creative writing courses in the philippines.

• Nazima Rizvi
• April 1, 2024
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No one is born with the ability to tell stories, but everyone has one to share. The capacity to communicate through storytelling, poetry and other forms is a skill that may be acquired, refined, and elevated to the level of an art. The majority of us actually have some creativity, albeit it is frequently muted or overlooked because of external factors or other pressing needs. The creative writing courses in the Philippines, being offered by various institutions, provide a window through which we can let our thoughts and emotions out.

Each of us has gone through a range of feelings and has encountered our own set of difficulties. Through lovely expressions and words, creative writing expresses these feelings and emotions. But creative writing is more than just using words and jargon, it is the ability to come up with characters and plots, and be able to place both against a realistic backdrop. Writing using captivating language and judicious use of numerous literary tropes are skills that only experienced creative writers possess.

What is Creative Writing?

Any writing that goes beyond the traditional norms of professional, journalistic, academic, or technical forms of literature is considered creative writing. This writing is typically characterized by an emphasis on narrative craft, character development, the use of literary tropes, or different poetic traditions.

Benefits of Creative Writing Courses in the Philippines

·    Building confidence

Writing creatively is a technique that will enable you to fully develop your unique voice and perspective without artificial constraints. You have more freedom to research and voice your opinions on subjects, points of view, philosophies, people, etc. Additionally, doing so will give you more confidence and ease when expressing your viewpoints in other writings.

·    Clarification of Thoughts

You may express your thoughts and emotions more clearly through creative writing. You’ll be able to see things clearly in the workplace and throughout the rest of your life, enabling you to solve challenges in the future.

·    Meeting with Like-Minded people

When one meets other writers, one can pick up different methods and approaches. Meeting like-minded individuals also facilitates the exchange of fresh viewpoints and thoughts on the same subject. While some dissertation writing services allow students to readily express their ideas on paper, others find it difficult or unpleasant to write these essays due to laziness or a lack of writing ability.

·    Improvement in Vocabulary

Writing promotes vocabulary and gives insight into reading and writing processes. Additionally, you will have a thorough understanding of grammar and how to use it in your compositions. Therefore, after being aware of the methods used by an essay writing service, a person will likewise be able to bend and break the laws.

·    Boosting the Imagination

By thinking beyond the box while writing, a person can engage and enhance their creativity. Becoming more adept at identifying alternatives and solutions to challenges, also aids in igniting his imagination.

Eligibility Criteria for Creative Writing Courses in the Philippines

It’s a common misconception that you don’t need a degree in creative writing to be a writer, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. For those who are passionate about writing, a creative writing degree is a blessing—not because of the worth of the degree once you’ve earned it, but rather because of the lessons you acquire while doing the course.

A creative writing degree allows you three years to concentrate on your writing, refine your style, and explore the intricacies of this craft. It entails being exposed to a world of excellent reading, which will influence both your artistic vision and your complete worldview.

A creative writing degree is therefore worthwhile if you are serious about improving the caliber of your work. The courses, whether taken at the bachelor’s or master’s level, are meant to give students the necessary skills in their chosen specialty to prepare them for the industry’s high demand and rapid growth.

Higher secondary education, or 10+2, with humanities or the arts as the primary discipline, is required to enroll in a bachelor’s program in Creative Writing Courses in the Philippines. You must possess a bachelor’s degree in the relevant discipline to meet the normal requirements to enroll in master’s level courses at universities overseas. Your advantage will increase if you have a fine arts bachelor’s degree.

How to Improve Your Writing Skills

Many people find writing to be scary, especially those who don’t write often or for a living. The good news is that writing doesn’t have to be painful, and almost anyone can develop their writing skills with a little discipline and openness to learning. Here are four ways you may immediately start honing your writing abilities.

• Writing: Just like anything else, writing requires practice if you want to improve. Regular writing will help you build a distinct style and lessen your dread of the blank page if you want to improve your writing abilities. Therefore, keep writing even if no one reads it. A man becomes flawless through practice.
• Reading: The best writers are avid readers and reading regularly is a simple approach to start improving your writing abilities. Read more difficult material than you usually do, and pay close attention to the sentence structure, word choice, and overall flow of the writing.
• Research: Aside from copying someone else’s work, not doing your homework will quickly damage your credibility. Therefore, be sure to conduct enough study on your subject.
• Journaling: Keeping a journal is a good approach to increasing your sensitivity to your surroundings. Making it a daily habit to write about anything will help you improve your writing. It encourages gathering ideas and introspection, two skills that are essential for creative authors. Additionally, it will boost your self-assurance.

Job Opportunities After Doing Creative Writing Courses in the Philippines.

If you have a passion for creative writing, you’d probably want to pursue a career that would allow you to spend most of your time doing what you love, if not the entire day. There is a potential for an opportunity with every difficulty. For creative authors, there are several employment options available. Innovative writers can currently hold a variety of titles, including:

• Book writer (Author) – By telling a tale or exploring a subject of interest, one can become an author. Depending on the type of tale you want to tell for a specific audience, it could fall under the fiction or non-fiction category.
• Copywriters – Mainly in the field of marketing/advertising field. The job of a copywriter is to create content highlighting the feature of a particular product/ service in a compelling manner for the customer. These people are accountable for writing brochures, publicity letters, product catalogs, circulars,s, etc.
• Article writers – Article writers can write on the subjects of Fashion, food, travel, health, trade, entertainment, sports, education, politics, etc. are just a few of the topics. You can also choose to write for different newspapers, magazines, websites, etc. Publishing a book demands a lot of marketing efforts after you are done writing the book. You have the option of collaborating with a reputable publishing house or self-publishing the book.
• Scriptwriters – The content and tales for movies, plays, television shows, etc. are written by scriptwriters. They do extensive research and work hard to develop a narrative and a storyline for a certain theme or issue. Writing real, original, and well-crafted dialogue can be difficult for screenwriters.

Besides these options, a person can begin their own freelance creative writing portfolios or can choose to write for a newspaper or a digital media outlet. The quality of your work and the professionalism you bring to the table will play a major role in determining your level of success in this field.

Check here the other best courses in the Philippines:

• Content Writing Courses in the Philippines
• Digital Marketing Courses in the Philippines
• Technical Writing Courses in the Philippines

Creative Writing Courses in the Philippines

1. iim skills.

IIM SKILLS is a reputable and expert training company for aspiring writers. Their Content Writing Course includes a module on creative writing, including 16 hours of lectures, 60 hours of practical assignments, and free tools worth INR 30,000/. IIM SKILLS also provides coaching on writing and then publishing your first book on Kindle.

• Course Duration

The course is a four-week program along with three months of internship.

The course is priced at 9,893.21   Philippine pesos.

IIM SKILLS students who have graduated from the institute and are leading meaningful lives give great praise to the program. If are looking for assistance to turn your writing into creativity that will create a whole new imaginative world for the reader, then IIM SKILLS  should be on your wish list

Phone: +91 9580 740 740

Email:  [email protected]

2. De La Salle University

On the list of Creative Writing Courses in the Philippines, next, we have De La Salle University in Manila. A Master’s in creative writing is offered by the university. Instructions will be mostly by workshops, including weekend workshops off-campus. The students will have the chance to write their own creative works while participating in these workshops alongside skilled professionals.

Key Features

• The Master of Fine Arts in creative writing program at De La Salle University is aimed to assist students who are passionate about writing in enhancing their abilities and becoming successful writers.
• The students are exposed to the theoretical and practical aspects of writing, including the prospects and possibilities of publication and performance.
• Assessment of the learners’ own work under the mentorship of established writers through intensive examination.

Key Information

Duration: Full-time:  12 Months

Language: English

Delivered: On Campus

Disciplines

Creative writing

Tuition Fee: 2,484 Eur/year (3,930 Philippine Pesos)

Program Structure

Courses include:

• Fiction Writing Techniques
• Fiction Writing
• Poetry Writing Techniques
• Poetry Writing
• Playwriting Techniques
• Playwriting
• The Art of Literary Journalism
• Creative Non-fiction

3. University of Philippines, Diliman

Next, on the list of Creative Writing Courses in the Philippines, we have the University of Philippines, Diliman. The University’s Department of English and Comparative Literature offers Graduate and Postgraduate programs in Creative Writing in various approaches and techniques in the writing of fiction, poetry, essay, and drama. Young writers’ skills are being honed in these courses by published and multi-award-winning authors who are experts in their field.

Course Checklist

• BA Creative Writing
• MA Creative Writing
• Ph.D. Creative Writing

Course Offerings (Undergraduate and Graduate)

• Introduction to Creative Writing: The workshop approach and the notion of genre in creative writing.
• Creative Writing and Criticism: creative writing-specific criticism theory and practice.
• Fiction I: The craft of fiction, specifically that of the contemporary short story, including an analysis of how its techniques have evolved.
• Fiction II: The emphasis of the student’s fiction writing is on his or her critical and creative range, which is demonstrated in their capacity to depict more complex themes and fictional forms, such as the short novel.
• Poetry I: The craft of poetry, especially modern poetry, as well as an analysis of how its techniques have developed.
• Poetry II: poetry writing with a focus on the student’s critical and creative abilities.
• Playwriting I: The techniques of writing for the stage; the one-act play and various dramatic genres.
• Playwriting II: The three-act play and other long-form dramatic genres.
• Essay: Development of advanced writing skills in several types of formal and informal essays.
• Criticism Workshop: Critical writing workshop covers both evaluations of the performing and visual arts.
• Fiction Workshop I: techniques for using fiction writing approaches, such as the short story, novelette, tale, and non-traditional forms.
• Poetry Workshop I: poetry writing techniques, such as non-conventional forms, oral poetry, and classic lyric and narrative genres.
• Playwriting Workshop I: techniques for using playwriting principles, such as writing for film, television, and radio.
• Playwriting Workshop II: Workshop on playwriting.
• Playwriting Workshop III: Workshop on playwriting.
• Essay Workshop: Essay writing workshops for formal and informal writing.
• Writing for Children Workshop: writing class for young readers.
• Non-fiction Narrative Workshop: Workshop on the nonfiction story.
• Special Problems: Special concerns with translation, creative writing, the arts, etc.
• Creative Writing Thesis: works of creativity or important literary translations.
• Fiction Workshop I: Workshop on the writing of short stories, novels, and special problems in the theory and practice of fiction.
• Poetry Workshop I: Workshop on the writing of lyric poetry, and narrative poetry.
• Doctoral Dissertation.

Duration for Graduation:   4 years

Duration for Masters:   2 years

Tuition Fees for B.A program :    P20,000-25,000 per Semester

Tuition Fees  for the M.A program:    P2,700-7,200 per Semester

For foreign students, Tuition Fee is usually higher.

• Creative Writing Courses in the UK
• Creative Writing Courses in Singapore
• Creative Writing Courses in Amsterdam
• Creative Writing Courses in Scotland
• Creative Writing Courses in Vancouver
• Creative Writing Courses in Wales

4. Ateneo de Manila University

Next, among the list of Creative Writing Courses in the Philippines is Ateneo de Manila University which offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts Major in creative writing.

The program aims to produce writers who are skilled in the craft of their chosen genre specialty (fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or drama) while remaining conscious of literature’s place and influence in one’s life and society by combining these methods with the academic study of literary and critical texts, the creative process, and the pertinent contexts that influence literary production.

Peer-to-peer instruction in workshops and apprenticeships with more seasoned writers are both institutionalized.

Areas of Interest

• Creative Writing and Literature
• Genres of Writing
• Philippine Literature
• Theories of Writing
• The Novel and Other Book-length Works

Career Opportunities                                                                                              

Graduates of the BFA in Creative Writing are qualified to work as journalists, screenwriters, producers, and in the media and entertainment industries as well as in academia as language and literature instructors.

In addition to being practitioners of literature, these graduates are also qualified to work in the creative industries, public relations, advertising, and publishing as copywriters and content developers. Graduates are eligible to continue on to law school.

Duration: Four years

Tuition Fees:

80,000 – 90,000 Pesos per Semester

1,60,000- 1,80, 000 Pesos per year

5. Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, Philippines

Next, on the list of Creative Writing Courses in the Philippines is the Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, Philippines. Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing is offered by the Faculty of Arts and Letters- Department of Literature. It is a 4-year program that nurtures and guides student writers with emphasis on four major genres:

• Creative nonfiction, and

Students will receive instruction in specialized styles of writing, such as crafting tales for kids, teens, or even people of all ages. The planned goal of program learning for BA Creative Writing majors is the production of a creative writing thesis in the form of a book-length manuscript of a collection of plays, short tales, CNF works, or poetry.

  The Creative writing classes consist of both lecture sessions in which literary models will be analyzed, highlighting the effectiveness of their literary techniques and rhetorical strategies, and

• Workshop sessions, where the lecturer and the peers will critique the students’ creative writing draughts.
• The program also features a significant literary component that will introduce students to literary topics like Philippine literary history.

Duration: 4 years

Tuition Fee: 46,046 Pesos per Semester

Job Opportunities

• Academic and Commercial Publishing Houses
• Business Companies/International Agencies

6. Henry Harvin

Henry Harvin’s Creative Writing Courses in the Philippines empower writers to put their imagination in words using mesmerizing vocabulary. This practical creative writing course has been developed to motivate you about formulating your own endeavors of

• Creative non-fiction
• Poetry, and

Course Features

• 24 Hrs training (8 Hrs writing assignments and +16 Hrs of live sessions)
• Three months paid internship.
• Free access to creative writing tools worth INR20K.
• Regular boot camps spread out throughout the ensuing year.
• Get certification of certified creative writing course from Henry Harwin, Govt Of India Recognized and award-winning institute.
• 100% placement guarantee support for 1- year, post successful completion.
• Get 1-year Gold Membership of Henry Harwin writing academy to the certified creative writing course.

Who can enroll?

• Content Writers
• Digital Marketers
• Professors/ teachers/thinkers
• Housewives/ retired/unemployed individuals.
• Learning period: 24 Hrs
• Total program fee: INR 12,500/-

FAQs on Creative Writing Courses in the Philippines

1. how much is the tuition fee for creative writing courses in the philippines.

The tuition fees for creative writing courses in the Philippines totally depend on the institute and the type of training they provide. The course curriculum and content covered and the duration are also the counting factors that affect the fees. You can visit the institute’s website to know about the exact fees.

2. What are the fundamental requirements to become a creative writer?

The prerequisite for being a creative writer is the desire to write and the drive to communicate with words. It is desirable to have critical reading and thinking skills to pursue this career. One should also have an interest in current events and a general thirst for knowledge.

3. How much does a creative writer earn in India?

The average salary for a creative writer is INR 3,60,000/- per annum.

Creative writing can be a lucrative and rewarding career path for those who want to pursue their creativity. Also, creative writing can be an extremely flexible career path. If you want to work as a freelance writer and are interested in exploring, you may choose your own hours, work from home, and select the subjects you want to write about. To enhance your creative writing skills, all you need is persistence and confidence. If you have the required expertise and viewpoint, following your creative instincts and writing can lead to a rewarding life.

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University of the Philippines Diliman

Literature & writing courses offered at up diliman.

• Quezon City
• Metro Manila
• Philippines

8 Best Creative Writing Courses in The Philippines

Creative writing is one of the most exciting as well as rewarding skills that has the power to execute an idea and transform one’s moods or notions in one read. but, it requires a great understanding of the subject to dig into the people’s hearts and make them feel your words. there are a number of creative writing courses in the philippines you can opt for in order to master creative writing skills..

Have you ever considered creating a story using your imagination while it’s raining at a resort, after reading a book, or watching a movie?  Yes, a majority of us did and several of us also had bought a pen and paper to write. However, as soon as you started writing, you realized the story doesn’t flow as fascinatingly as it did in your head.

You start to wonder what you’re missing when you see the grammar, and sentences in the text are not flowing smoothly. The missing part is your creative writing skills. Your writing abilities prevent you from reproducing the amazing effect that your mind has so eloquently imagined in that story.

To arouse a reader’s emotions, a writer must use his imagination and inspiration and master writing skills. It could be fiction, nonfiction, a movie script, or a poem, creating writing skills helps in developing your writing and conversational skills. Being able to speak and write in poetic language has the power to win or break hearts.

Learning creative writing also improves your ability to express yourself and sharpen your mind.  If you are one of those who have always wanted to make the most of your writing skills then taking a course on creative writing is the best option to consider.

What is Creative Writing?

Many people believe that writing is a talent, one either possesses or does not possess. To an extent, this is true, since some people are naturally talented and others learn and master their abilities. The desire to write creatively starts within and grows into something much more attractive and knowledgeable. 

It is such a beautiful and bountiful world, allowing a creative brain to make the most of its creativity, which in turn would assist in the development of knowledge.  The world’s best plays, books, articles, fiction, drama, and non-fiction are merely examples of authors’ and playwrights’ creative writing skills.  

A skilled writer may uniquely reveal life’s realities. Through them, the truth of life can be communicated clearly, and straightforwardly. A creative writer once came up with the phrase saying  “An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away” which would never have achieved fame if it had just been put down as Eat Fruit every day.

By combining the phrase with Doctor, he implied a dignified manner of eating apples. Creative writing understands and promotes hard truths in a style that can inspire learners and readers. To become a successful writer, one must have more than talent. Talent to be able to write.

There are many brilliant writers in the field but very few have the desire to work on their craft. And some individuals aspire to become authors and put in time and effort to improve their writing skills.  

Creative Writing in Psychology

Creative writing is frequently used in psychology as a form of treatment that fosters self-expression develops self-awareness and produces literary output. Creative writing can be very distinctive and experimental. Several creative writing approaches are used to make the writing process more efficient. 

Importance of Creative Writing Course

Creative writing has many benefits; if you are interested in creative writing, it may relate to you:.

• It’s a great way to express yourself, you can even solve problems with creative writing just by asking questions and starting to come up with solutions.  
• The more you read,  the more creatively you can write. It helps in understanding.    
• Creative writing can serve as an anti-depressant for many. Develop personality, identity, and way of thinking.  
• Creative writing helps you write professional writing, one of the most in-demand skills in the world today.   
• Creative writing skills can create a variety of career opportunities where you can work as a content writer, editor, or copywriter for MNCs and SMEs, and NGOs.

  Types of Creative Writers

• Authors:  They write novels, stories, articles, short stories, columns, and essays.  
• Ghost Writers : They write everything from novels, stories, articles, and blogs, but to individuals, brands, and organizations. They do not take credit for their work.  
• Content writers: They write specifically on a topic, subject idea, or business. They charge their work based on niche.  
• Freelancers write blogs, articles, and stories and charge on an assignment basis.
• Copywriters specifically write for marketing campaigns, slogans, and other marketing-related assignments for companies.  
• Scriptwriters specialized in writing plays, and film scripts and work for theatres, movies, series, etc.  

Techniques of Creative Writing 

Follow other writers of your niche: .

By merely reading the work of other writers of similar niches, you can get smarter at your writing. That’s because reading others’ work exposes you to various writing approaches and inspires you to write new things. There are many books, blogs, and videos available for creative writing like fiction, nonfiction, novels, poetry, and so on.  

Go Wild with Your Imagination:

Creative writing is all based on imagination, so leave your horses loose and run through a world of no rules. And start creating an engaging story in a distinctive setting and with believable people playing at your fingertips. You can even create a language also like in the famous Sci-fi movie Avatar in 2009. The Navi language was fictionally created. You can also give try on creating a language that people would believe existed.  

Recognize Yourself as a Writer:

The best creative writers have distinctive writing styles . Research other creative writers for inspiration to create your writing style. Your writing style should be appropriate for the niche in which you want to specialize like comics, novels, and so on.  

Why Do You Wish to Publish Your Work? Ask Yourself:

You write because writing is your passion, it’s the love of your life to write and let your audience read and praise your creativity. So publishing your creative piece of work is for your audience. You must be attentive to your reader’s preferences so you can compose your work that resonates with your reader.  Authors of best-selling books closely analyze their reader’s interests by using several analytical tools. 

Engage Your Reader from the Start to the End:

To keep your reader interested throughout your work, you must hook them from the beginning itself.  They won’t continue reading the story if the first few pages bore them, they’ll just stop reading after that.  

You May Also Want to Explore Some Other Best Courses in the Philippines:

• Content Writing Courses in the Philippines
• Digital Marketing Courses in the Philippines
• Technical Writing Courses in the Philippines

8 Best Creative Writing Courses in the Philippines

Rank# 1. creative writing courses in the philippines, 1. iim skills.

IIM SKILLS is one of the top leading institutes that offers one of the best creative writing programs along with many other skill development courses. They are well known for their online training. The creative writing course is one of their very popular programs which is a 4-week-long course.

It includes 16 hours of lectures, 60 hours of practical assignments, and several tools. The course comes with 10+ hours of internship lectures. They offer authorized certifications after the course is finished. The students are well-trained under industry specialised mentors.

The students are offered access to the tools and are given practical assignments for better understanding and practical learning. They offer confirmed job placements to their students. After completing the course, they offer internships that help students to gain practical knowledge.

Even after finishing the course, IIM SKILLS offer career guidance to their students in making the right career choices in their fields. If you enjoy writing and are interested in showcasing your talents, then this course is for you. Among the other types of writing, they also offer training in writing blogs, e-books , business listings, and press releases.  

Their Content Writing Course Offers the Following:  

• Introduction to content writing
• WordPress web development
• Digital content
• Copywriting
• Marketing collaterals
• Email writing
• Social media writing
• Video scripts
• Creative writing
• Business listing
• Legal writing
• Technical 101
• Content marketing
• Affiliate marketing
• Freelance writing
• Resume writing

The course will help you to develop the habit of writing regularly and gain confidence in your writing skills that are easy to understand. 

IIM SKILLS CONTENT WRITING COURSE MODULES & CONTENT

More professional courses from iim skills:.

• Digital Marketing Course
• Technical Writing Course
• Financial Modeling Course
• Business Accounting And Taxation Course
• CAT Coaching

Contact: +919580740740,  [email protected]

Learn more about the best Creative Writing Courses in Amsterdam

Rank# 2. Creative Writing Courses in the Philippines

2. coursera creative writing master class course.

Have you read the famous book – The Handmaid’s Tale By Margaret Atwood?  The course is instructed by the author herself in the Master class for Creative Writing. This course is for experienced writers looking to enhance their writing skills  The creative writing courses in the Philippines unfold into 23 videos highlighting the importance of the following areas:    

• Introduction  
• Getting Started as a Writer  
• Story and Plot  
• Structuring Your Novel  
• Who tells the story  
• Case Studies  
• Bringing characters to life 
• Character creation  
• Overcoming  roadblocks  
• Writing Dialogues  
• Reveling sensory imaginary  
• Prose Structure  
• Time in Fiction  
• Importance of the first five pages of your book  
• Writing middle and end  
• Revision of works  
• Writers Objectives  
• Speculative Fiction
• Inspiration from Handmaid’s Tale  
• Accuracy of research  
• Writers Path  
• Parting Words  
• Dealing with Negative reviews after publishing. 

Rank# 3. Creative Writing Courses in the Philippines

  This creative writing course by Udemy lets learners develop their portfolios with sample works. The course helps you create a digital portfolio easily.  Here, learners create their work on fiction, drama, poetry, and non-fiction which serve as your sample work. The course aims to familiarize the genres of writing and apply creative techniques for writing. 

The course ends with the submission of a writing assignment to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the writer. The course also offers you a public platform where you can share your work and develop confidence.  

The Course Comes Into 43 Video Lessons and 37 Online Quizzes Over the Following Topics: 

• About the course  
• Creative Non-Fiction 
• Create your  Digital Portfolio 

Rank# 4. Creative Writing Courses in the Philippines

4. writing ad copy – linkedin  .

  The writing Ad copy online course is great for you to create ad copy to convey your company or brand to attract traffic and convert them to leads.  This course teaches important rules for writing ads for social media platforms.  

The Course Covers the Following:

• Rules of Ad Copy 
• Advertising Goals  
• How to write Ads for websites, email marketing, and social media platforms  
• Understand your audiences
• Creating personas  and target audiences  
• Dos and Don’ts when writing ads.  

Also Read: Creative Writing Courses in Singapore

Rank# 5. Creative Writing Courses in the Philippines

5. coursera.

  This course is best for writers willing to learn scriptwriting skills for television or web series. The instructor effectively focuses on breaking down the creative process into small components stretched into 20 weeks. Learners will be able to learn a structured process to develop a script.  

The course has 95% positive ratings and many learners reported this case as an eye-opening learning experience. The course comes into weekly parts as below:

Highlights of Creative Writing Courses in the Philippines

Week 1 Creating Idea

Week 2 Pitching Logline and Dramatic Question  

Week 3 Create your characters  

Week   4 Three-Act Structure  

Week 5 Screenplay and Formatting  

Week 6 Screenplay  

Week 7 Act One

Week 8 Writing the Final Part  

Week 9 Table reading  

Week 10 Act two 

Week 11- 14 Writing Pages  

Week 15 Table read of Act one and Two  

Week 16 -17 writing pages  

Week  18 Writing page for Final Act  

Week 19 Table reading of the Entire script  

Week 20 Synopsis  

Rank# 6. Creative Writing Courses in the Philippines

6. secret sauce of great writing – udemy.

  This free beginner-level course is excellent for identifying your weaknesses and learning to combine the four main concepts of writing –  Simplicity, Clarity, elegance, and evocativeness to your writing.  

This Free Course Covers the Following Topics:

• The Secret sauce of Flair  
• Flairs Crucial ingredients  
• Power of Simplicity, Clarity, Elegance, and Evocativeness 

Must check the best Creative Writing Courses in Scotland

Rank# 7. Creative Writing Courses in the Philippines

7. seth godin’s freelancer course – udemy.

  This course from Udemy has a star rating of 4.8 and more than 26k students enrolled. The course is for freelancers of beginner and intermediate levels to learn to make creative work for businesses and increase their clientele. The course is expensive and covers interesting topics to learn as a freelancer.  

Section 1 How to Move up. 

Section 2 Building Assets (forms of merits and ranking yourself) 

Section 3 Choose your customers  

Section 4 Strategies 

Section 5 Art of Storytelling

Section 6 Choosing the right business 

Section 7 Knowing your worth, Pricing, or working for free  

Section 8 Branding yourself  

Section 9 Reputation  

Section 10 Promotion  

Section 11 Define communities, organize and connect  

Section 12 Leveraging your publishing platform  

Section 13 Selling and Buying  

Section 14 Stepping into the market 

Section 15 Making time and becoming a Pro  

Section 16  Bonus Q/A session  

Rank# 8. Creative Writing Courses in the Philippines

8. best o nline creative writing courses wesleyan university- creative writing specialization .

  The course offered by Wesleyan University on Coursera is best for beginners looking to improvise their plot structuring, write scenes and revise their work through a 21-point checklist. The course focuses on the difference between a plot and a story.

The Creative Writing Courses in the Philippines Cover the Following:

• Structuring  and Organizing your plot to the story  
• Key elements of a scene  
• A 21-point checklist for editing your work  
• ABDCE Structure 

Tips On How to Choose An Online Creative Writing Course 

There is a plethora of online writing courses available on various learning platforms, and choosing the right one will help you learn the right skills among them is often a difficult decision to make since it involves money, time, and effort. So, here are my top tips for choosing an online writing course.  

  Identify Your Goal

Since creative writing is a wide field of sturdy, so you should be very clear about where exactly you want to plow into. For example, you might want to polish your grammar skills, learn about copywriting , want to learn to write a novel, freelance, and so on.    

As you might have read above many of the courses picked are offered free on good learning platforms. So, before you decide on a course, just go through the course highlights and then choose if those concepts are maybe available on free courses. However, if you want to learn an advanced course like I mentioned for Scriptwriters, then definitely go for it.  

Check your Online Tutor

Doing a background check on the instructor is important. You must check if the tutor is actively publishing high-quality content and not just basic ideas and concepts. And if you can access the instructor during the course lastly, scroll down the page of the webpage and go through the reviews from other learners about the instructor. 

The Flexibility of the Course

 If you are already working or studying, you must also check the schedules of online courses like weekends and weekends and if you can accommodate their schedule.  

Certification

If you are interested in enrolling in a course with a view to career progress in a prospective job then choosing a course with certification and accreditation is a must. This way you can make it easier for your prospective HR manager or employer to verify your skills and offer you that job.  

Some Best books by Authors in the Philippines  

• Trashed By Mia Hopkins  
• Jar of Hearts  By  Jennifer Hillier  
• The Farm by Joanne Ramos  
• When the Elephants Dance  By  Tess Uriza Holthe  
• Everlasting Nora  By Marie Marinda Cruz  

Also Read: Creative Writing Courses in the UK

Creative Writing as a Career  

Creative Writers are skilled in writing, reading, proofreading, researching, and communicating. They can pursue several roles in fields like marketing, education, business, media, and communications. It depends upon the niche they want to apply the skill.  

Top Jobs for Creative writers:

• Journalist 
• Freelance writer  
• Social Media and Content Manager  
• Public Relations Officer (PRO) 
• Copywriter  
• Creative Director
• Marketing  Specialist  
• Writing Tutor 

Difference Between Technical  Writing and Creative Writing 

  difference between academic writing and creative writing .

Academic Writing is less imaginative, more factual, and standardized.  The writer has to uphold the gathered data and facts. Academic writing demands citing from trusted sources to support the hypothesis. Academic writing is done mostly for academic content. On the other hand, Creative writing is informal and personal.

There are no established guidelines to follow Unlike Academic writing, the writer does not have to cite any source nor show any supporting evidence. The writer is free to express his imagination provided with unique content that grabs a reader’s attention from start to end.  Stories, Dramas, fiction, Podcasts, poetry, and journals are all great examples of creative writing.

FAQs About Creative Writing Courses in the Philippines

Q1. is creative writing difficult to learn .

Since it takes a long time to acquire and perfect the craft of writing, creative writing is a challenging genre for many students to master.  

Q2. What is the most important element in creative writing? 

As creative writing is based on imaginative writing, the mood and mindset of the writer play a crucial role in creating a piece of work.    

Q3. Is English considered a high-rated skill in the Philippines?

Yes, English is the first language in the Philipines and creative writing is a high-rated skill. Most Filipinos speak English very fluently. And there are several high-rated freelancers in the country. 

Conclusion About Creative Writing Courses in the Philippines:

All you need is patience and optimism to learn creative writing skills. Once you learned the skill and start writing, you will be able to unlock many job opportunities, and if you already run a business, you can also expand it over various digital media platforms and increase global clientele.    

Happy Learning!  

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Ph.D. Creative Writing

Ph.d. in creative writing.

A rigorous program that combines creative writing and literary studies, the Ph.D. in Creative Writing prepares graduates for both scholarly and creative publication and teaching. With faculty guidance, students admitted to the Ph.D. program may tailor their programs to their goals and interests.

The creative writing faculty at KU has been widely published and anthologized, winning both critical and popular acclaim. Faculty awards include such distinctions as the Nebula Award, Hugo Award, Osborn Award, Shelley Memorial Award, Gertrude Stein Award, the Kenyon Review Prize, the Kentucky Center Gold Medallion, and the Pushcart Prize.

Regarding admission to both our doctoral and MFA creative writing programs, we will prioritize applicants who are interested in engaging with multiple faculty members to practice writing across genres and forms, from speculative fiction and realism to poetry and playwriting/screenwriting, etc.

The University of Kansas' Graduate Program in Creative Writing also offers an  M.F.A degree .

Opportunities

A GTA appointment includes a tuition waiver for ten semesters plus a competitive stipend. In the first year, GTA appointees teach English 101 (first year composition) and English 102 (a required reading and writing course). Creative Writing Ph.D. students may have the opportunity to teach an introductory course in creative writing after passing the doctoral examination, and opportunities are available for a limited number of advanced GTAs to teach in the summer.

Department Resources

• Graduate Admissions
• Graduate Contacts
• Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.)

Affiliated Programs

• LandLocked Literary Magazine
• The Project on the History of Black Writing
• Center for the Study of Science Fiction
• Ad-Hoc African/Americanists and Affiliates

Degree Requirements

• At least 24 hours of credit in appropriate formal graduate courses beyond the M.A. or M.F.A. At least 15 hours (in addition to ENGL 800 if not taken for the M.A.) of this course work must be taken from among courses offered by the Department of English at the 700-level and above. English 997 and 999 credits cannot be included among the 24 hours. Students may petition to take up to 6 hours outside the Department.
• ENGL 800: Methods, Theory, and Professionalism (counts toward the 24 required credit hours).
• The ENGL 801/ENGL 802 pedagogy sequence (counts toward the 24 required credit hours).
• Two seminars (courses numbered 900 or above) offered by the Department of English at the University of Kansas, beyond the M.A. or M.F.A. ENGL 998 does not fulfill this requirement.
• ENGL 999, Dissertation (at least 12 hours).

If the M.A. or M.F.A. was completed in KU’s Department of English, a doctoral student may petition the DGS to have up to 12 hours of the coursework taken in the English Department reduced toward the Ph.D.

For Doctoral students,  the university requires completion of a course in responsible scholarship . For the English department, this would be ENGL 800, 780, or the equivalent). In addition, the Department requires reading knowledge of one approved foreign language: Old English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Japanese, Greek, Latin, or Hebrew. Upon successful petition, a candidate may substitute reading knowledge of another language or research skill that is studied at the University or is demonstrably appropriate to the candidate’s program of study.

Doctoral students must fulfill the requirement  before  they take their doctoral examination, or be enrolled in a reading course the same semester as the exam. Students are permitted three attempts at passing each foreign language or research skill. Three methods of demonstrating reading knowledge for all approved languages except Old English are acceptable:

• Presenting 16 hours, four semesters, or the equivalent of undergraduate credit, earned with an average of C or better.
• Passing a graduate reading course at the University of Kansas or peer institution (e.g., French 100, German 100, etc.) with a grade of C or higher. In the past, some of these reading courses have been given by correspondence; check with the Division of Continuing Education for availability.
• Passing a translation examination given by a designated member of the English Department faculty or by the appropriate foreign language department at KU. The exam is graded pass/fail and requires the student to translate as much as possible of a representative text in the foreign language in a one-hour period, using a bilingual dictionary.
• Passing a translation examination given by the appropriate foreign language department at the M.A.-granting institution. Successful completion must be reflected either on the M.A. transcript or by a letter from the degree-granting department.

To fulfill the language requirement using Old English, students must successfully complete ENGL 710 (Introduction to Old English) and ENGL 712 (Beowulf).

Post-Coursework Ph.D. students must submit, with their committee chair(s), an annual review form to the DGS and Graduate Committee.

Doctoral students must take their doctoral examination within three semesters (excluding summers) of the end of the semester in which they took their final required course. If a student has an Incomplete, the timeline is not postponed until the Incomplete is resolved. For example, a student completing doctoral course work in Spring 2018 will need to schedule their doctoral exam no later than the end of Fall semester 2019. Delays may be granted by petition to the Graduate Director in highly unusual circumstances. Failure to take the exam within this time limit without an approved delay will result in the student’s falling out of good standing. For details on the consequences of falling out of good standing, see “Falling Out of Good Standing,” in General Department Policies and Best Practices.

A student may not take their doctoral exam until the university’s Research Skills and Responsible Scholarship requirement is fulfilled (ENGL 800 or equivalent and reading knowledge of one foreign language or equivalent).

Requirements for Doctoral Exams

Reading Lists: 

All students are required to submit three reading lists, based on the requirements below, to their committee for approval. The doctoral exam will be held on a date at least twelve weeks after the approval from the whole committee is received. To facilitate quick committee approval, students may copy the graduate program coordinator on the email to the committee that contains the final version of the lists. Committee members may then respond to the email in lieu of signing a printed copy. Students should work with their committee chair and graduate program coordinator to schedule the exam at the same time as they finalize the lists.

During the two-hour oral examination (plus an additional 15-30 minutes for a break and committee deliberation), a student will be tested on their comprehension of a literary period or movement, including multiple genres and groups of authors within that period or movement. In addition, the student will be tested on two of the following six areas of study:

• An adjacent or parallel literary period or movement,
• An author or group of related authors,
• Criticism and literary theory,
• Composition theory, and
• English language.

No title from any field list may appear on either of the other two lists. See Best Practices section for more details on these six areas. See below for a description of the Review of the Dissertation Proposal (RDP), which the candidate takes the semester after passing the doctoral exam. 

While many students confer with the DGS as they begin the process of developing their lists, they are also required to submit a copy of their final exam list to the DGS. Most lists will be left intact, but the DGS might request that overly long lists be condensed, or extremely short lists be expanded.

Review of Literature

The purpose of the Review of Literature is to develop and demonstrate an advanced awareness of the critical landscape for each list. The student will write an overview of the defining attributes of the field, identifying two or three broad questions that animate scholarly discussion, while using specific noteworthy texts from their list ( but not all texts on the list ) as examples.

The review also must accomplish the following:

• consider the historical context of major issues, debates, and trends that factor into the emergence of the field
• offer a historical overview of scholarship in the field that connects the present to the past
• note recent trends and emergent lines of inquiry
• propose questions about (develop critiques of, and/or identify gaps in) the field and how they might be pursued in future study (but not actually proposing or referencing a dissertation project)

For example, for a literary period, the student might include an overview of primary formal and thematic elements, of the relationship between literary and social/historical developments, of prominent movements, (etc.), as well as of recent critical debates and topics.

For a genre list, the Review of Literature might include major theories of its constitution and significance, while outlining the evolution of these theories over time.

For a Rhetoric and Composition list, the review would give an overview of major historical developments, research, theories, methods, debates, and trends of scholarship in the field.

For an English Language Studies (ELS) list, the review would give an overview of the subfields that make up ELS, the various methodological approaches to language study, the type of sources used, and major aims and goals of ELS. The review also usually involves a focus on one subfield of particular interest to the student (such as stylistics, sociolinguistics, or World/Postcolonial Englishes).

Students are encouraged to divide reviews into smaller sections that enhance clarity and organization. Students are not expected to interact with every text on their lists.

The review of literature might be used to prepare students for identifying the most important texts in the field, along with why those texts are important to the field, for the oral exam. It is recommended for students to have completed reading the bulk of (if not all) texts on their lists before writing the ROL.

The Reviews of Literature will not be produced in an exam context, but in the manner of papers that are researched and developed in consultation with all advisors/committee members,  with final drafts being distributed within a reasonable time for all members to review and approve in advance of the 3-week deadline . While the Review of Literature generally is not the focus of the oral examination, it is frequently used as a point of departure for questions and discussion during the oral examination.

Doctoral Exam Committee

Exam committees typically consist of 3 faculty members from the department—one of whom serves as the Committee Chair—plus a Graduate Studies Representative.  University policy dictates the composition of exam committees . Students may petition for an exception for several committee member situations, with the exception of  the Graduate Studies Representative .

If a student wants to have as a committee member a person outside the university, or a person who is not in a full-time tenure-track professorship at KU, the student must contact the Graduate Secretary as early as possible. Applications for special graduate faculty status must be reviewed by the College and Graduate Studies. Requests for exam/defense approval will not be approved unless all committee members currently hold either regular or special graduate faculty status

Remote participation of committee members via technology

Students with committee members who plan to attend the defense via remote technology must be aware of  college policy on teleconferencing/remote participation of committee members .

A majority of committee members must be physically present for an examination to commence; for doctoral oral examinations this requirement is 2 of the 4 members, for master’s oral examinations the requirement is 2 of the 3 members. In addition, it is required that the student being examined, the chair of the committee, and the Graduate Studies Representative all be physically present at the examination or defense. Mediated attendance by the student, chair and Grad Studies Rep is prohibited.

The recommended time between completion of coursework and the doctoral examination is two semesters.

Final exam lists need to be approved and signed by the committee at least 12 weeks prior to the prospective exam date. This includes summers/summer semesters. The lists should then be submitted to the Graduate Program Coordinator. Reviews of Literature need to be approved and signed by the committee at least 3 weeks prior to the exam date. Failure to meet this deadline will result in rescheduling the exam. No further changes to lists or Reviews of Literature will be allowed after official approval. The three-week deadline is the faculty deadline--the last date for them to confirm receipt of the ROLs and confer approval--not necessarily the student deadline for submitting the documents to the faculty. Please keep that timing in mind and allow your committee adequate time to review the materials and provide feedback.

Students taking the Doctoral Exam are allowed to bring their text lists, the approved Reviews of Literature, scratch paper, a writing utensil, and notes/writing for an approximately 5-minute introductory statement to the exam. (This statement does not need to lay out ideas or any aspect of the dissertation project.)

Each portion of the oral examination must be deemed passing before the student can proceed to the Review of the Dissertation Proposal. If a majority of the committee judges that the student has not answered adequately on one of the three areas of the exam, the student must repeat that portion in a separate oral exam of one hour, to be taken as expeditiously as possible.  Failure in two areas constitutes failure of the exam and requires a retake of the whole.  The doctoral examining committee will render a judgment of Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory on the entire examination. A student who fails the exam twice may, upon successful petition to the Graduate Committee, take it a third and final time.

Students cannot bring snacks, drinks, treats, or gifts for committee members to the exam. Professors should avoid the appearance of favoritism that may occur if they bring treats to some student exams but not others.

The doctoral oral examination has the following purposes:

• To establish goals, tone, and direction for the pursuit of the Ph.D. in English for the Department and for individual programs of study;
• To make clear the kinds of knowledge and skills that, in the opinion of the Department, all well-prepared holders of the degree should have attained;
• To provide a means for the Department to assess each candidate’s control of such knowledge and skills in order to certify that the candidate is prepared to write a significant dissertation and enter the profession; and
• To enable the Department to recommend to the candidate areas of strength or weakness that should be addressed.

In consultation with the Graduate Director, a student will ask a member of the Department’s graduate faculty (preferably their advisor) to be the chairperson of the examining committee. The choice of examination committee chair is very important, for that person’s role is to assist the candidate in designing the examination structure, preparing the Review of Literature (see below), negotiating reading lists and clarifying their purposes, and generally following procedures here outlined. The other three English Department members of the committee will be chosen in consultation with the committee chair. (At some point an additional examiner from outside the Department, who serves as the Graduate School representative, will be invited to join the committee). Any unresolved problems in negotiation between a candidate and their committee should be brought to the attention of the Graduate Director, who may choose to involve the Graduate Committee. A student may request a substitution in, or a faculty member may ask to be dismissed from, the membership of the examining committee. Such requests must be approved, in writing, by the faculty member leaving the committee and by the Graduate Director.

Reading Lists

Copies of some approved reading lists and Reviews of Literature are available from the Graduate Secretary and can be found on the U: drive if you are using a computer on campus. Despite the goal of fairness and equity, some unavoidable unevenness and disparity will appear in the length of these lists. It remains, however, the responsibility of the examining committee, and especially the student’s chair, to aim toward consonance with the most rigorous standards and expectations and to insure that areas of study are not unduly narrow.

To facilitate quick committee approval, students may copy the graduate secretary on the email to the committee that contains the final version of the lists and reviews of literature. Committee members may then respond to the email in lieu of signing a printed copy.

Comprehension of a literary period (e.g., British literature of the 18th century; Romanticism; US literature of the 19th century; Modernism) entails sufficient intellectual grasp of both the important primary works of and secondary works on the period or movement to indicate a student’s ability to teach the period or movement and undertake respectable scholarship on it.

Comprehension of an author or group of related authors (e.g., Donne, the Brontës, the Bloomsbury Group, the Black Mountain Poets) entails knowledge, both primary and secondary, of a figure or figures whose writing has generated a significant body of interrelated biographical, historical, and critical scholarship.

Comprehension of one of several genres (the short story, the lyric poem, the epistolary novel). To demonstrate comprehension of a genre, a student should possess sufficient depth and breadth of knowledge, both primary and secondary, of the genre to explain its formal characteristics and account for its historical development.

Comprehension of criticism and literary theory entails a grasp of fundamental conceptual problems inherent in a major school of literary study (e.g., historicist, psychoanalytic, feminist, poststructuralist, etc.). To demonstrate comprehension of that school of criticism and literary theory, a student should be able to discuss changes in its conventions and standards of interpretation and evaluation of literature from its beginning to the present. Students will be expected to possess sufficient depth and breadth of theoretical knowledge to bring appropriate texts and issues to bear on questions of literary study.

Comprehension of composition theory entails an intellectual grasp of fundamental concepts, issues, and theories pertaining to the study of writing. To demonstrate comprehension of composition theory, students should be able to discuss traditional and current issues from a variety of perspectives, as well as the field’s historical development from classical rhetoric to the present.

Comprehension of the broad field of English language studies entails a grasp of the field’s theoretical concepts and current issues, as well as a familiarity with significant works within given subareas. Such subareas will normally involve formal structures (syntax, etc.) and history of the English language, along with other subareas such as social linguistics, discourse analysis, lexicography, etc. Areas of emphasis and specific sets of topics will be arranged through consultation with relevant faculty.

Ph.D. candidates must be continuously enrolled in Dissertation hours each Fall and Spring semester from the time they pass the doctoral examination until successful completion of the final oral examination (defense of dissertation).

• Students enroll for a minimum of 6 hours each Fall and Spring semester until the total of post-doctoral exam Dissertation hours is 18. One hour each semester must be ENGL 999. In order to more quickly reach the 18-hour minimum, and to be sooner eligible for GRAships, it is highly recommended that students enroll in 9 hours of Dissertation in the Spring and Fall semesters. 
• Once a student has accumulated 18 post-doctoral exam  hours, each subsequent enrollment will be for a number of hours agreed upon as appropriate between the student and their advisor, the minimal enrollment each semester being 1 hour of ENGL 999.
• A student must be enrolled in at least one hour of credit at KU during the semester they graduate. Although doctoral students must be enrolled in ENGL 999 while working on their dissertations, per current CLAS regulations, there is no absolute minimum number of ENGL 999 hours required for graduation.
• Students who live and work outside the Lawrence area may, under current University regulations, have their fees assessed at the Field Work rate, which is somewhat lower than the on-campus rate. Students must petition the College Office of Graduate Affairs before campus fees will be waived.

Please also refer to  the COGA policy on post-exam enrollment  or the  Graduate School’s policy .

As soon as possible following successful completion of the doctoral exam, the candidate should establish their three-person core dissertation committee, and then expeditiously proceed to the preparation of a dissertation proposal.  Within the semester following completion of the doctoral exam , the student will present to their core dissertation committee a written narrative of approximately  10-15 pages , not including bibliography, of the dissertation proposal. While the exam schedule is always contingent on student progress, in the first two weeks of the semester in which they intend to take the review , students will work with their committee chair and the graduate program coordinator to schedule the 90-minute RDP. Copies of this proposal must be submitted to the members of the dissertation committee and Graduate Program Coordinator no later than  three weeks prior  to the scheduled examination date.

In the proposal, students will be expected to define: the guiding question or set of questions; a basic thesis (or hypothesis); how the works to be studied or the creative writing produced relate to that (hypo)thesis; the theoretical/methodological model to be followed; the overall formal divisions of the dissertation; and how the study will be situated in the context of prior scholarship (i.e., its importance to the field). The narrative section should be followed by a bibliography demonstrating that the candidate is conversant with the basic theoretical and critical works pertinent to the study. For creative writing students, the proposal may serve as a draft of the critical introduction to the creative dissertation. Students are expected to consult with their projected dissertation committee concerning the preparation of the proposal.

The review will focus on the proposal, although it could also entail determining whether or not the candidate’s knowledge of the field is adequate to begin the composition process. The examination will be graded pass/fail. If it is failed, the committee will suggest areas of weakness to be addressed by the candidate, who will rewrite the proposal and retake the review  by the end of the following semester . If the candidate abandons the entire dissertation project for another, a new RDP will be taken. (For such a step to be taken, the change would need to be drastic, such as a move to a new field or topic. A change in thesis or the addition or subtraction of one or even several works to be examined would not necessitate a new proposal and defense.)  If the student fails to complete the Review of the Dissertation Proposal within a year of the completion of the doctoral exams, they will have fallen out of departmental good standing.  For details on the consequences of falling out of good standing, see “Falling Out of Good Standing,” in General Department Policies and Best Practices.

After passing the Review of the Dissertation Proposal, the student should forward one signed copy of the proposal to the Graduate Program Coordinator. The RDP may last no longer than 90 minutes.

Students cannot bring snacks, drinks, treats, or gifts for committee members to the review. Professors should avoid the appearance of favoritism that may occur if they bring treats to some student exams but not others.

The Graduate Catalog states that the doctoral candidate “must present a dissertation showing the planning, conduct and results of original research, and scholarly creativity.” While most Ph.D. candidates in the Department of English write dissertations of a traditional, research-oriented nature, a creative writing candidate may elect to do a creative-writing dissertation involving fiction, poetry, drama or nonfiction prose.  Such a dissertation must also contain a substantial section of scholarly research related to the creative writing.  The precise nature of the scholarly research component should be determined by the candidate in consultation with the dissertation committee and the Graduate Director. Candidates wishing to undertake such a dissertation must complete all Departmental requirements demanded for the research-oriented Ph.D. degree.

Scholarly Research Component (SRC)

The Scholarly Research Component (SRC) of the creative-writing dissertation is a separate section of the dissertation than the creative work. It involves substantial research and is written in the style of academic prose. It should be 15-20 pages and should cite at least 20 sources, some of which should be primary texts, and many of which should be from the peer-reviewed secondary literature. The topic must relate, in some way, to the topic, themes, ideas, or style of the creative portion of the dissertation; this relation should be stated in the Dissertation Proposal, which should include a section describing the student’s plans for the SRC. The SRC may be based on a seminar paper or other work the student has completed prior to the dissertation; but the research should be augmented, and the writing revised, per these guidelines. The SRC is a part of the dissertation, and as such will be included in the dissertation defense.

The SRC may take two general forms:

1.) An article, publishable in a peer-reviewed journal or collection, on a specific topic related to an author, movement, theoretical issue, taxonomic issue, etc. that has bearing on the creative portion. The quality of this article should be high enough that the manuscript could be submitted to a peer-reviewed publication, with a plausible chance of acceptance.

2.) A survey . This survey may take several different forms:

• A survey of a particular aspect of the genre of the creative portion of the dissertation (stylistic, national, historical, etc.)
• An introduction to the creative portion of the dissertation that explores the influences on, and the theoretical or philosophical foundations or implications of the creative work
• An exploration of a particular technical problem or craft issue that is salient in the creative portion of the dissertation
• If the creative portion of the dissertation includes the results of research (e.g., historical novel, documentary poetry, research-based creative nonfiction), a descriptive overview of the research undertaken already for the dissertation itself
• A combination of the above, with the prior approval of the student’s dissertation director.

The dissertation committee will consist of at least four members—two “core” English faculty members, a third faculty member (usually from English), and one faculty member from a different department who serves as the Graduate Studies representative. The committee may include (with the Graduate Director’s approval) members from other departments and, with the approval of the University’s Graduate Council, members from outside the University. If a student wants to have a committee member from outside the university, or a person who is not in a full-time tenure-track professorship at KU, the student must contact the Graduate Secretary as early as possible. Applications for special graduate faculty status must be reviewed by the College and the Office of Graduate Studies. Requests for defense approval will not be approved unless all committee members currently hold either regular or special graduate faculty status.

The candidate’s preferences as to the membership of the dissertation committee will be carefully considered; the final decision, however, rests with the Department and with the Office of Graduate Studies. All dissertation committees must get approval from the Director of Graduate Studies before scheduling the final oral exam (defense). Furthermore, any changes in the make-up of the dissertation committee from the Review of the Dissertation Proposal committee must be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies.

Once the dissertation proposal has passed and the writing of the dissertation begins, membership of the dissertation committee should remain constant. However, under extraordinary circumstances, a student may request a substitution in, or a faculty member may ask to be dismissed from, the membership of the dissertation committee. Such requests must be approved, in writing, by the faculty member leaving the committee and by the Graduate Director.

If a student does not make progress during the dissertation-writing stage, and accumulates more than one “Limited Progress” and/or “No Progress” grade on their transcript, they will fall out of good standing in the department. For details on the consequences of falling out of good standing, see “Falling Out of Good Standing,” in General Department Policies and Best Practices

Final Oral Exam (Dissertation Defense)

When the dissertation has been tentatively accepted by the dissertation committee (not including the Graduate Studies Representative), the final oral examination will be held, on the recommendation of the Department. While the exam schedule is always contingent on student progress, in the first two weeks of the semester in which they intend to defend the dissertation, students should work with their committee chair and graduate program coordinator to schedule it.

Although the dissertation committee is responsible for certification of the candidate, any member of the graduate faculty may be present at the examination and participate in the questioning, and one examiner—the Graduate Studies Representative—must be from outside the Department. The Graduate Secretary can help students locate an appropriate Grad Studies Rep. The examination normally lasts no more than two hours. It is the obligation of the candidate to advise the Graduate Director that they plan to take the oral examination; this must be done at least one month before the date proposed for the examination.

At least three calendar weeks prior to the defense date, the student will submit the final draft of the dissertation to all the committee members (including the GSR) and inform the Graduate Program Coordinator. Failure to meet this deadline will necessitate rescheduling the defense.  The final oral examination for the Ph.D. in English is, essentially, a defense of the dissertation. When it is passed, the dissertation itself is graded by the dissertation director, in consultation with the student’s committee; the student’s performance in the final examination (defense) is graded by the entire five-person committee

Students cannot bring snacks, drinks, treats, or gifts for committee members to the defense. Professors should avoid the appearance of favoritism that may occur if they bring treats to some student defenses but not others

These sets of attributes are adapted from the Graduate Learner Outcomes that are a part of our Assessment portfolio. “Honors” should only be given to dissertations that are rated “Outstanding” in all or most of the following categories:

• Significant and innovative plot/structure/idea/focus. The writer clearly places plot/structure/idea/focus in context.
• Thorough knowledge of literary traditions. Clear/flexible vision of the creative work produced in relation to those literary traditions.
• Introduction/Afterword is clear, concise, and insightful. A detailed discussion of the implications of the project and future writing projects exists.
• The creative dissertation reveals the doctoral candidate’s comprehensive understanding of poetics and/or aesthetic approach. The application of the aesthetic approach is innovative and convincing.
• The creative dissertation represents original and sophisticated creative work.
• The creative dissertation demonstrates thematic and/or aesthetic unity.

After much discussion about whether the “honors” designation assigned after the dissertation defense should be for the written product only, for the defense/discussion only, for both together, weighted equally, or eradicated altogether, the department voted to accept the Graduate Committee recommendation that “honors” only apply to the written dissertation. "Honors" will be given to dissertations that are rated "Outstanding" in all or most of the categories on the dissertation rubric.

Normally, the dissertation will present the results of the writer’s own research, carried on under the direction of the dissertation committee. This means that the candidate should be in regular contact with all members of the committee during the dissertation research and writing process, providing multiple drafts of chapters, or sections of chapters, according to the arrangements made between the student and each faculty member. Though accepted primarily for its scholarly merit rather than for its rhetorical qualities, the dissertation must be stylistically competent. The Department has accepted the MLA Handbook as the authority in matters of style. The writer may wish to consult also  the Chicago Manual of Style  and Kate L. Turabian’s  A Manual for Writers of Dissertations, Theses, and Term Papers .

Naturally, both the student and the dissertation committee have responsibilities and obligations to each other concerning the submitting and returning of materials. The student should plan on working steadily on the dissertation; if they do so, they should expect from the dissertation committee a reasonably quick reading and assessment of material submitted.

Students preparing their dissertation should be showing chapters to their committee members as they go along, for feedback and revision suggestions. They should also meet periodically with committee members to assess their progress. Prior to scheduling a defense, the student is encouraged to ask committee members whether they feel that the student is ready to defend the dissertation. Ideally, the student should hold the defense only when they have consulted with committee members sufficiently to feel confident that they have revised the dissertation successfully to meet the expectations of all committee members.

Students should expect that they will need to revise each chapter at least once. This means that all chapters (including introduction and conclusion) are shown to committee members once, revised, then shown to committee members again in revised form to assess whether further revisions are needed, prior to the submitting of the final dissertation as a whole. It is not unusual for further revisions to be required and necessary after the second draft of a chapter; students should not therefore simply assume that a second draft is necessarily “final” and passing work.

If a substantial amount of work still needs to be completed or revised at the point that the dissertation defense is scheduled, such a defense date should be regarded as tentative, pending the successful completion, revision, and receipt of feedback on all work. Several weeks prior to the defense, students should consult closely with their dissertation director and committee members about whether the dissertation as a whole is in a final and defensible stage. A project is ready for defense when it is coherent, cohesive, well researched, engages in sophisticated analysis (in its entirety or in the critical introduction of creative dissertations), and makes a significant contribution to the field. In other words, it passes each of the categories laid out in the Dissertation Rubric.

If the dissertation has not clearly reached a final stage, the student and dissertation director are advised to reschedule the defense.

Prior Publication of the Doctoral Dissertation

Portions of the material written by the doctoral candidate may appear in article form before completion of the dissertation. Prior publication does not ensure the acceptance of the dissertation by the dissertation committee. Final acceptance of the dissertation is subject to the approval of the dissertation committee. Previously published material by other authors included in the dissertation must be properly documented.

Each student beyond the master’s degree should confer regularly with the Graduate Director regarding their progress toward the doctoral examination and the doctorate.

Doctoral students may take graduate courses outside the English Department if, in their opinion and that of the Graduate Director, acting on behalf of the Graduate Committee, those courses will be of value to them. Their taking such courses will not, of course, absolve them of the responsibility for meeting all the normal departmental and Graduate School requirements.

Doctoral students in creative writing are strongly encouraged to take formal literature classes in addition to forms classes. Formal literature classes, by providing training in literary analysis, theory, and/or literary history, will help to prepare students for doctoral exams (and future teaching at the college level).

FALL SEMESTER            

• GTAs take 2 courses (801 + one), teach 2 courses; GRAs take 3 courses.
• Visit assigned advisor once a month to update on progress & perceptions. 1st-year advisors can assist with selecting classes for the Spring semester, solidifying and articulating a field of specialization, advice about publishing, conferences, professionalization issues, etc.

SPRING SEMESTER

• GTAs take 2 courses (780/800/880 + one), teach 2 courses. GTAs also take ENGL 802 for 1 credit hour. GRAs take 3 courses.
• Visit assigned advisor or DGS once during the semester; discuss best advisor choices for Year 2.

SUMMER SEMESTER

• Enroll in Summer Institute if topic and/or methodology matches interests.
• Consider conferences suited to your field and schedule; choose a local one for attendance in Year 2 and draft an Abstract for a conference paper (preferably with ideas/materials/ writing drawn from a seminar paper).  Even if abstract is not accepted, you can attend the conference without the pressure of presenting.
• Attend at least one conference to familiarize yourself with procedure, network with other grad students and scholars in your field, AND/OR present a paper.

FALL SEMESTER

• Take 2 courses, teach 2 courses.
• Visit advisor in person at least once during the semester.

WINTER BREAK

• Begin revising one of your seminar papers/independent study projects/creative pieces for submission to a journal; research the journals most suited to placement of your piece.
• Begin thinking about fields and texts for comprehensive examinations.
• Choose an advisor to supervise you through the doctoral examination process.
• Visit assigned 1st-year advisor in person at least once during the semester (at least to formally request doctoral exam supervision OR to notify that you are changing advisors).
• Summer teaching, if eligible.
• Continue revising paper/creative writing for submission to a journal.
• Begin reading for comprehensive exams.
• Attend one conference and present a paper. Apply for one-time funding for out-of-state travel  from Graduate Studies .
• Teach 2 courses; take 997 (exam prep).
• Finalize comps list by end of September; begin drafting rationales.
• Circulate the draft of your article/creative piece to your advisor, other faculty in the field, and/or advanced grad students in the field for suggestions.
• Revise article/creative piece with feedback from readers.
• Teach 2 courses; take 997 or 999 (dissertation hours). Enroll in 999 if you plan to take your comps this semester, even if you don’t take them until the last day of classes.
• Take comps sometime between January and May.
• Summer teaching, if available.
• Submit article/creative work for publication.
• Continuous enrollment after completing doctoral exam (full policy on p. 20)
• Research deadlines for grant applications—note deadlines come early in the year.
• Attend one conference and present a paper.
• Teach 2 courses, take 999.
• Compose dissertation proposal by November.
• Schedule Review of Dissertation Proposal (RDP—formerly DPR).
• Apply for at least one grant or fellowship, such as a departmental-level GRAship or dissertation fellowship. (Winning a full-year, non-teaching fellowship can cut down your years-to-degree to 5 ½, or even 5 years.)
• Conduct research for and draft at least 1 dissertation chapter.
• Conduct research and complete a draft of at least 1 dissertation chapter.
• Revise & resubmit journal article, if necessary.
• Attend 1st round of job market meetings with Job Placement Advisor (JPA) to start drafting materials and thinking about the process.
• Research and complete a draft of at least 1 dissertation chapter, if teaching (1-2 chapters if not).
• Visit dissertation chair  and  committee members in person at least once during the semester.
• Research and complete a draft of at least 1 dissertation chapter (1-2 chapters if not teaching).
• Apply for a departmental grant or fellowship, or, if already held, try applying for one from outside the department, such as those offered by KU’s Hall Center for the Humanities or the Office of Graduate Studies. For  a monthly list of funding opportunities , visit the Graduate Studies website.
• Research and complete a draft of at least 1 dissertation chapter.
• Attend job market meetings with JPA in earnest.
• Apply for external grants, research fellowships, postdoctoral positions with fall deadlines (previous fellowship applications, your dissertation proposal, and subsequent writing should provide a frame so that much of the application can be filled out with the “cut & paste” function).
• Research and complete a draft of at least 1 dissertation chapter (1-2 if not teaching).
• Visit dissertation chair and committee members in person at least once during the semester.
• Polish dissertation chapters.
• Apply for grants and fellowships with spring deadlines.
• Defend dissertation.

Creative Writing Faculty

• Associate Professor

• Professor of English & Environmental Studies

• Assistant Professor

Graduate Student Handbook

Ph.D. in Creative Writing and Literature

Get a ph.d. in creative writing and literature.

Admission to the creative writing program is extremely competitive, with up to 20 new students across the two genres selected each year from the hundreds of applications received from around the world. The curriculum for Ph.D. students emphasizes creative writing and literary study. The city of Houston offers a vibrant, multi-cultural backdrop for studying creative writing at the University of Houston. With a dynamic visual and performing arts scene, the Houston metropolitan area supplies a wealth of aesthetic materials.

Overview of Admissions Requirements

Minimum requirements for admission.

• M.A. in English or M.F.A. in Creative Writing  
• 3.5 GPA in graduate studies 

Application Deadline

The admissions deadline for our Ph.D. in Creative Writing and Literature is January 15.

For more admissions information, visit the How to Apply web page for our Ph.D. in Creative Writing and Literature.  

History of the Creative Writing Program

Over the years many more internationally acclaimed writers have made the Program their home, including Mary Gaitskill, Richard Howard, Howard Moss, Linda Gregg, Adam Zagajewski, Daniel Stern, David Wojahn, Edward Hirsch, Alan Hollinghurst, Mark Strand, David Wagoner, Philip Levine, Charles Wright, Claudia Rankine, Kimiko Hahn, Mark Doty and Ruben Martinez.

Current faculty includes Erin Belieu, Robert Boswell, Audrey Colombe, Chitra Divakaruni, Nick Flynn, francine j. harris, Antonya Nelson, Alex Parsons, Kevin Prufer, Brenda Peynado, Martha Serpas, Roberto Tejada, and Peter Turchi.

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What are you looking for?

Suggested search, phd in creative writing & literature, at home in usc’s department of english,.

the Ph.D. in CREATIVE WRITING & LITERATURE PROGRAM is one of the few dual Ph.D. programs in the country that weaves the disciplines of literature and creative work into a single educational experience. Students complete coursework in both creative writing and literature. The dissertation project is comprised of creative and critical manuscripts, both of which are essential for completion of the degree.

USC CREATIVE WRITING FACULTY include recipients of the Pulitzer Prize, Guggenheim Fellowships, the National Book Award, National Endowment for the Arts grants, Pushcart Prizes and other prestigious recognitions for their exemplary writing and dedication to their creative and scholarly work. As professors, the faculty are committed to developing innovative seminars and guiding students in the cultivation of their abilities as writers and scholars. Each incoming student is assigned a faculty mentor, with whom the student will work closely during their years at USC. While Creative Writing faculty teach critical courses from time to time, most of these literature and theory-based seminars are led by the faculty in the Department of English, all of whom are impressively accomplished scholars who are devoted to the scholarly growth of their graduate students.

Our program prizes INTERDISCIPLINARY SCHOLARSHIP, so students are encouraged to cultivate their diverse interests with courses outside of the English Department. Many students choose to pursue a complimentary graduate certificate concurrent with the Ph.D. degree. The Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences offers graduate certificate programs in Gender Studies, Visual Studies, East Asian Studies and Visual Anthropology, among others.

IN ADDITION TO COURSEWORK, students have the opportunity to participate in Ph.D. student-run projects such as The Loudest Voice, a reading series, and Gold Line Press , a publisher of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry chapbooks.

Though known for its competitive sports teams, USC also organizes an array of stimulating events throughout the year, including the English Department’s Boudreaux Visiting Writers Series and Frank N. Magill Poetry Series, as well as the University-wide Visions & Voices series, which features diverse and dynamic performances, lectures, and discussions that extend the arts and humanities beyond the classroom.

USC also hosts the annual Los Angeles Times Festival of Books — one of the largest literary events in the nation. USC itself is located in the heart of beautiful Los Angeles, an international city with a vibrant arts scene, just miles from the beach or hiking trails; students will never be at a loss for something to do.

ADMISSION is extremely competitive: the program accepts 2 or 3 writers per genre every year from hundreds of applicants. All incoming students receive five years of guaranteed funding — three years of fellowship and two of teaching assistantship. Fellowship years are granted during the first, second, and fourth years of study. Funding packages also cover full tuition remission and health insurance.

OUR STUDENTS and ALUMNI have published book-length works and collections with Alice James Books, Anhinga Press, Black Lawrence Press, Copper Canyon Press, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, Hogarth, Northwestern University Press, Other Press, Penguin, Red Hen Press, Saturnalia, Siglio Press, Slope Editions, Tebot Bach, Ugly Duckling Presse, University of Iowa Press, and White Pine Press, among others. Their books, poems, stories, and essays have garnered an impressive array of accolades.

For information concerning admission, please visit our Application page.

Many questions concerning the Creative Writing & Literature Program are answered on our FAQ page.

If you do not find the information you are looking for on our website, please feel free to contact us.

Ph.D. in Creative Writing & Literature

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Taper Hall of Humanities 431

Los Angeles, CA  90089-0354

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Times may adjust in accordance with university holidays.

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Are you a UK or International Student?

Join a thriving research community by undertaking your own research project, key course details, course overview.

Swansea’s Creative Writing research programme offers a choice from a spectrum of skills and a research dialogue across genres, including poetry, fiction, drama and screenwriting. We are a closely bonded community of writers, each research student being supervised by a specialist writer-teacher. One-to-one meetings take place every 4 weeks, or at the student’s request. The corpus of research students also meets in monthly staff-student Creative Writing Methodology Workshops.

The Swansea Writing Programme offers its graduate writers an apprenticeship, with the precious time to dedicate oneself to learning a craft which, for all its mysteriousness, works according to techniques and rules which may only be creatively broken once they have been thoroughly understood. Swansea is especially proud of the intellectual rigour of its programme and research culture. Our team includes teacher-writers of award-winning stature and long experience, and we go to considerable lengths to match student with supervisor, to create an enriching and enduring writerly bond.

Entry Requirements

MPhil:  Applicants for MPhil must normally hold an undergraduate degree at 2.1 level (or Non-UK equivalent as defined by Swansea University). See -  Country-specific Information for European Applicants 2019  and  Country-specific Information for International Applicants 2019 .

PhD:  Applicants for PhD must normally hold an undergraduate degree at 2.1 level and a master’s degree with a minimum overall grade at ‘Merit’. Alternatively, applicants with a UK first class honours degree (or Non-UK equivalent as defined by Swansea University) not holding a master’s degree, will be considered on an individual basis. See -  Country-specific Information for European Applicants 2019  and  Country-specific Information for International Applicants 2019 .

English Language IELTS 6.5 Overall (with no individual component below 6.5) or Swansea University recognised equivalent.  Full details of our English Language policy, including certificate time validity, can be found here.

As well as academic qualifications, Admissions decisions may be based on other factors, including (but not limited to): the standard of the research synopsis/proposal, performance at interview, intensity of competition for limited places, and relevant professional experience.

Reference Requirement

As standard, two references are required before we can progress applications to the College/School research programme Admissions Tutor for consideration.

Applications received without two references attached are placed on hold, pending receipt of the outstanding reference(s). Please note that any protracted delay in receiving the outstanding reference(s) may result in the need to defer your application to a later potential start point/entry month, than what you initially listed as your preferred start option.

You may wish to consider contacting your referee(s) to assist in the process of obtaining the outstanding reference(s) or alternatively, hold submission of application until references are sourced. Please note that it is not the responsibility of the University Admissions Office to obtain missing reference(s) after our initial email is sent to your nominated referee(s), requesting a reference(s) on your behalf.

The reference can take the form of a letter on official headed paper, or via the University’s standard reference form.  Click this link to download the university reference form .

Alternatively, referees can email a reference from their employment email account, please note that references received via private email accounts, (i.e. Hotmail, Yahoo, Gmail) cannot be accepted.

References can be submitted to  [email protected] .

The reference can take the form of a letter on official headed paper, or via the University’s standard reference form. Click this link to download the university reference form .

References can be submitted to [email protected] .

How you are Supervised

Writers of world class stature and experience will support your studies. Each research student in our closely bonded community is supervised by a specialist writer-teacher and supported by a second writer-supervisor. One-to-one meetings take place every three to four weeks, or at the student’s request, and there are monthly creative writing methodology workshops.

These workshops provide a valuable opportunity to give and receive constructive feedback on writing circulated before sessions.

We take care to ensure that each MPhil/PhD student has the expert supervision required to complete their project within the candidature period. You will have a minimum of two supervisors based in the Department. Upon receipt of your application, we will identify supervisors whose research expertise matches your chosen topic. 

You will usually meet your supervisors once a month, and possibly more often at critical stages of your candidature, including preparing for final submission. When you start the degree, you will work out a research plan with your supervisors. Nine months into your candidature, you will present a first piece of substantial writing (e.g. draft thesis chapter) and a detailed thesis plan. Thereafter, the University will assess your progress every 6 months. M.Phil students are eligible to apply for an upgrade to a Ph.D if they demonstrate the ability to perform at doctoral level

Welsh Provision

Tuition fees, ph.d. 3 year full time, ph.d. 6 year part time, m.phil. 2 year full time, m.phil. 4 year part time.

Tuition fees for years of study after your first year are subject to an increase of 3%.

You can find further information of your fee costs on our tuition fees page .

You may be eligible for funding to help support your study. To find out about scholarships, bursaries and other funding opportunities that are available please visit the University's scholarships and bursaries page .

International students and part-time study: It may be possible for some students to study part-time under the Student Visa route. However, this is dependent on factors relating to the course and your individual situation. It may also be possible to study with us if you are already in the UK under a different visa category (e.g. Tier 1 or 2, PBS Dependant, ILR etc.). Please visit the University information on Visas and Immigration for further guidance and support.

Current students: You can find further information of your fee costs on our tuition fees page .

Funding and Scholarships

You may be eligible for funding to help support your study.

Government funding is now available for Welsh, English and EU students starting eligible postgraduate research programmes at Swansea University. To find out more, please visit our postgraduate loans page.

To find out about scholarships, bursaries and other funding opportunities that are available please visit the University's scholarships and bursaries page.

Academi Hywel Teifi at Swansea University and the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol offer a number of generous scholarships and bursaries for students who wish to study through the medium of Welsh or bilingually. For further information about the opportunities available to you, visit the Academi Hywel Teifi Scholarships and Bursaries page.

Additional Costs

Access to your own digital device/the appropriate IT kit will be essential during your time studying at Swansea University. Access to wifi in your accommodation will also be essential to allow you to fully engage with your programme. See our dedicated webpages for further guidance on suitable devices to purchase, and for a full guide on getting your device set up .

You may face additional costs while at university, including (but not limited to):

• Travel to and from campus
• Printing, photocopying, binding, stationery and equipment costs (e.g. USB sticks)
• Purchase of books or texts
• Gowns for graduation ceremonies

How to Apply

Apply online and track your application status at  www.swansea.ac.uk/applyonline .

Suggested Application Timings

In order to allow sufficient time for consideration of your application by an academic, for potential offer conditions to be met and travel / relocation, we recommend that applications are made before the dates outlined below. Please note that applications can still be submitted outside of the suggested dates below but there is the potential that your application/potential offer may need to be moved to the next appropriate intake window.

October Enrolment

UK Applicants – 15th August

EU/International applicants – 15th July

January Enrolment

UK applicants – 15th November

EU/International applicants – 15th October

April Enrolment

UK applicants – 15th February

EU/International applicants – 15th January

July Enrolment

UK applicants – 15th May

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The PhD in Creative Writing falls within the category of ‘Creative and Performing Arts’, which permits the thesis to take the form of a portfolio of original works, to be accompanied by a commentary, placing the portfolio in its intellectual context. The PhD in this area is understood to constitute research into a subject, research into a form, and research into the relation between them. This research discipline constitutes a practical, experimental and empirical mode of research, in which the creative work-in-progress is the central site of research, while the essay represents an analysis and elucidation  of and commentary on the choices made in that research.

The requirement is in two parts: a book-length creative work, and a critical essay.

The creative work may take the form of:

• a novel, or
• a collection of short fiction (which may be designed as a composite novel or may include or comprise work in the novella form), or
• an anthology of poetry, or
• a long poem, or
• a play for stage or radio (or both), or
• a work of creative non-fiction.
• A work of prose fiction or creative non-fiction should be approximately 80,000-100,000 words in length.
• The critical essay should be around 20,000 words in length.
• An anthology of poems or a long poem should be up to 10,000 words in length  (i.e. roughly equivalent to a 50-poem collection).
• A work of drama should take the form of a fully-realised two-act play, suitable for production, each act designed to last about one hour.
• A feature length film script of 1 1/2 to 2 hours duration ( 90 - 120 pages), properly formatted. 

While the creative work is considered as the scholarly heart of the PhD, the critical essay should engage with the choices made in the creative work, addressing, for example: concept and process; drafts and revisions; questions of style (lexis, diction, voice or voices, setting, plot or fable, perspective or perspectives); theme; characterisation; the research undertaken for the book; historical and cultural context; where the work stands in relation to other works in the chosen genre and tradition; any other relevant issues.

The individual is not required to address all these issues in an equivalent way but to shape the essay in a fashion appropriate to the specific creative work. The essay demonstrates the candidate’s capacity to think critically about and comment on the processes involved in its conception, development and revision.

Submission of the thesis is followed by an oral examination of the thesis (viva) by two examiners who are not your supervisors, one of whom is external to the University.

Further Key Features

The creative component of the degree should ultimately be of publishable standard. Our graduates have met with great publishing/ performing success. Our programme offers knowledge of and access to the publishing industry. We enjoy links with prestigious London agencies and national and international publishing houses. The publisher Parthian has its office is on our campus, and Swansea University is the host of the prestigious Dylan Thomas Prize for Literature.

Links with the performance industry are strong. Excerpts from postgraduate dramatic scripts are given professional performance at our annual Rough Diamonds theatre nights, and students enjoy visits to the BBC studios and from broadcasting and theatre professionals. Other intellectual and creative opportunities include regular postgraduate talks and discussions and the many readings and arts events (films, plays, concerts, exhibitions) available both on and off campus.

Postgraduate Research in English Language and Creative Writing

English Language and Creative Writing currently has 60 full- and part-time PhD, M.Phil and MA by Research students. PGR students are fully integrated into the research culture of the department. Postgraduates often join a research centre, such as the Centre for Research into Gender and Culture (GENCAS) or the Centre for Research into Welsh Writing in English (CREW), where they work alongside other students and staff in dedicated research rooms. Students are offered training in research-related administration (e.g. online funding applications) and editorial roles (e.g. reviews of new work for the CREW website).

Each English Literature and Creative Writing PGR student has two supervisors, with responsibility for pastoral as well as academic needs. The School of Culture and Communication has established a Graduate Centre, an International Office and an Academic Board (Research) to co-ordinate annual monitoring of students’ progress. In addition to the subject-specific provision described above, all students take an agreed number of the School training workshops and give conference presentations. The School provides dedicated PGR workstations, a common room, video conferencing facilities, funding towards research and conference expenses, and the services of the Research Project Officer to advise postgraduates on funding opportunities. The Graduate Centre also runs an annual interdisciplinary PGR conference, where presenters receive feedback from professorial staff, and in 2012-13 established an AHRC-funded Heritage Key Skills Programme of seminars offering intensive training in skills in demand in the heritage sector.

The University Skills Office, in the Academic and Professional Enhancement Centre, co-ordinates a skills development programme for all Swansea University research students: training is provided in advanced writing skills, research transferable skills, IT programmes, entrepreneurship and employability.

PhD Programme Specification

This Programme Specification refers to the current academic year and provides indicative content for information. The University will seek to deliver each course in accordance with the descriptions set out in the relevant course web pages at the time of application. However, there may be situations in which it is desirable or necessary for the University to make changes in course provision , either before or after enrolment.

Programme Summary 

This PhD in Creative Writing at Swansea will enable you to undertake a substantial project led by your own interests. It is a highly respected qualification which can present a career in academia or a wider scope for employment in fields such as education, government or the private sector. A thesis of 100,000 words will be submitted for assessment demonstrating original research with a substantive contribution to the subject area. The PhD is examined following an oral examination of the thesis (a viva voce examination or viva voce ). You will acquire research skills for high-level work and skills and training programmes are available on campus for further support. There will be an opportunity to deliver presentations to research students and staff at departmental seminars and conferences. There may also be opportunities to develop your teaching skills through undergraduate tutorials, demonstrations and seminars.

Programme Aims

This PhD programme will provide doctoral researchers with:

• The opportunity to conduct high quality postgraduate research in a world leading research environment.
• Key skills needed to undertake advanced academic and non-academic research including qualitative and quantitative data analysis.
• Advanced critical thinking, intellectual curiosity and independent judgement.

Programme Structure

The programme comprises three key elements: 

• Entry and confirmation of candidature
• Main body of research
• Thesis and viva voce

The programme comprises of the undertaking of an original research project of 3 years duration full time (6 years duration part time). Doctoral researchers may pursue the programme either full time or part time by pursuing research at the University at an external place of employment or with/at a University approved partner.

Doctoral researchers for the PhD in Creative Writing are examined in two parts.

The first part is a thesis which is an original body of work representing the methods and results of the research project. The maximum word limit is 100,000 for the main text. The word limit does not include appendices (if any), essential footnotes, introductory parts and statements or the bibliography and index.

The second part is an oral examination (viva voce).

Doctoral Researcher Supervision and Support

Doctoral researchers will be supervised by a supervisory team. Where appropriate, staff from Colleges/Schools other than the ‘home’ College/School (other Colleges/Schools) within the University will contribute to cognate research areas. There may also be supervisors from an industrial partner.

The Primary/First Supervisor will normally be the main contact throughout the doctoral research journey and will have overall responsibility for academic supervision. The academic input of the Secondary Supervisor will vary from case to case. The principal role of the Secondary Supervisor is often as a first port of call if the Primary/First Supervisor becomes unavailable. The supervisory team may also include a supervisor from industry or a specific area of professional practice to support the research. External supervisors may also be drawn from other Universities.

The primary supervisor will provide pastoral support. If necessary the primary supervisor will refer the  doctoral researcher to other sources of support (e.g. Wellbeing, Disability, Money Advice, IT, Library, Students’ Union, Academic Services, Student Support Services, Careers Centre). 

Programme Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this programme, doctoral researchers should be able to:

Knowledge & Understanding

• Demonstrate the systematic acquisition and understanding of a substantial body of knowledge which is at the forefront of research through the development of a written thesis.
• Create, interpret, analyse and develop new knowledge through original research or other advanced scholarship. 
• Disseminate new knowledge gained through original research or other advanced scholarship via high quality peer reviewed publications within the discipline.
• Apply research skills and subject theory to the practice of research.
• Apply process and standards of a range of the methodologies through which research is conducted and knowledge acquired and revised. 

Attitudes and values

• Conceptualise, design and implement a project aimed at the generation of new knowledge or applications within Creative Writing.
• Make informed judgements on complex issues in the field of Creative Writing, often in the absence of complete data and defend those judgements to an appropriate audience.
• Apply sound ethical principles to research, with due regard for the integrity of persons and in accordance with professional codes of conduct.
• Demonstrate self-awareness of individual and cultural diversity, and the reciprocal impact in social interaction between self and others when conducting research involving people.

Research Skills

• Respond appropriately to unforeseen problems in project design by making suitable amendments.
• Communicate complex research findings clearly, effectively and in an engaging manner to both specialist (including the academic community), and non-specialist audiences using a variety of appropriate media and events, including conference presentations, seminars and workshops.
• Correctly select, interpret and apply relevant techniques for research and advanced academic enquiry.
• Develop the networks and foundations for on-going research and development within the discipline.
• Implement  advanced research skills to a substantial degree of independence.
• Locate information and apply it to research practice. 

Skills and Competencies

• Display the qualities and transferable skills necessary for employment, including the exercise of personal responsibility and largely autonomous initiative in complex and unpredictable situations, in professional or equivalent environments.

Progression Monitoring

Progress will be monitored in accordance with Swansea University regulations. During the course of the programme, the Doctoral researcher is expected to meet regularly with their supervisors, and at most meetings it is likely that the doctoral researcher’s progress will be monitored in an informal manner in addition to attendance checks. Details of the meetings should ideally be recorded on the on-line system. A minimum of four formal supervision meetings is required each year, two of which will be reported to the Postgraduate Progression and Awards Board. During these supervisory meetings the doctoral researcher’s progress is discussed and formally recorded on the on-line system. 

Learning Development

The University offers training and development for Doctoral Researchers and supervisors.

Swansea University’s Postgraduate Research Training Framework is structured into sections, to enable doctoral researchers to navigate and determine appropriate courses aligned to both their interest and their candidature stage. 

There is a training framework including for example areas of Managing Information and Data, Presentation and Public Engagement, Leadership and working with others, Safety Integrity and Ethics, Impact and Commercialisation and Teaching and Demonstrating. There is also range of support in areas such as training needs, literature searching, conducting research, writing up research, teaching, applying for grants and awards, communicating research and future careers.

A range of research seminars and skills development sessions are provided within the School of Culture and Communication and across the University. These are scheduled to keep the  doctoral researcher in touch with a broader range of material than their own research topic, to stimulate ideas in discussion with others, and to give them opportunities to such as defending their own thesis orally, and to identify potential criticisms. Additionally, the School of Culture and Communication is developing a research culture that aligns with the University vision and will link with key initiatives delivered under the auspices of the University’s Academies, for example embedding the HEA fellowship for postgraduate research students.

Research Environment

Swansea University’s research environment combines innovation and excellent facilities to provide a home for multidisciplinary research to flourish. Our research environment encompasses all aspects of the research lifecycle, with internal grants and support for external funding and enabling impact/effect that research has beyond academia. 

Swansea University is very proud of our reputation for excellent research, and for the calibre, dedication, professionalism, collaboration and engagement of our research community. We understand that integrity must be an essential characteristic of all aspects of research, and that as a University entrusted with undertaking research we must clearly and consistently demonstrate that the confidence placed in our research community is rightly deserved. The University therefore ensures that everyone engaged in research is trained to the very highest standards of research integrity and conducts themselves and their research in a way that respects the dignity, rights, and welfare of participants, and minimises risks to participants, researchers, third parties, and the University itself.

School of Culture and Communication 

The School conducts world leading research in English, Creative Writing and Applied Linguistics; History and Classics; Politics and International Relations; Media and Communication; Education and Lifelong Learning; and Modern Languages and Welsh. 

The School provides a vibrant research environment through conferences, seminars, workshops and training events organised by sixteen research centres and groups. As well as major disciplinary strengths, inter-disciplinary research is at the heart of what we do. We host an annual research conference open to all colleges, Research across Boundaries, and have particular inter-disciplinary strengths in Heritage and Development, Digital humanities and platforms, Medical humanities and wellbeing, and Global challenges. 

The School is deeply committed to highly quality research which is intellectually innovative as well as having real world impacts. Research students and staff work closely together. As a result a strong culture has developed which provides a supportive and friendly environment for our thriving community of doctoral students from all over the world to develop as well-networked young researchers.

Career Opportunities  

Having a PhD demonstrates that graduates can work effectively in a team, formulate, explore and communicate complex ideas and manage advanced tasks. Jobs in academia (eg postdoctoral research, lecturing), education, government, management, the public or private sector are possible. Examples include administrators, counsellors, marketing specialists, and researchers.

The Postgraduate Research Office Skills Development Team offer support and a training framework for example in creating a researcher profile based upon publications and setting up your own business. The Swansea Employability Academy assists students in future career opportunities, improving CVs, job applications and interview skills.

MPhil Programme Specification

Programme Summary

This MPhil in Creative Writing at Swansea will enable you to undertake a substantial project led by your own interests. It is a highly respected qualification which can present a career in academia or a wider scope for employment in fields such as education, government or the private sector. A thesis of 60,000 words will be submitted for assessment demonstrating original research with a substantive contribution to the subject area. The Masters is examined following an oral examination of the thesis (a viva voce examination or viva). You will acquire research skills for high-level work and skills and training programmes are available on campus for further support. There will be an opportunity to deliver presentations to research students and staff at departmental seminars and conferences. 

This Masters programme will provide students with: 

• Key skills needed to undertake advanced academic and non-academic research including qualitative and quantitative data analysis

The programme comprises three key elements:

• Thesis and viva voce 

The programme comprises of the undertaking of an original research project of 2 years duration full time (4 years duration part time). Students may pursue the programme either full time or part time by pursuing research at the University at an external place of employment or with/at a University approved partner.

Students for the Masters in Creative Writing are examined in two parts.

The first part is a thesis which is an original body of work representing the methods and results of the research project. The maximum word limit is 60,000 for the main text. The word limit does not include appendices (if any), essential footnotes, introductory parts and statements or the bibliography and index.

The second part is an oral examination ( viva voce ).

Supervision and Support 

Students will be supervised by a supervisory team. Where appropriate, staff from Colleges/Schools other than the ‘home’ College/School (other Colleges/Schools) within the University will contribute to cognate research areas. There may also be supervisors from an industrial partner.

The Primary/First Supervisor will normally be the main contact throughout the student journey and will have overall responsibility for academic supervision. The academic input of the Secondary Supervisor will vary from case to case. The principal role of the Secondary Supervisor is often as a first port of call if the Primary/First Supervisor becomes unavailable. The supervisory team may also include a supervisor from industry or a specific area of professional practice to support the research. External supervisors may also be drawn from other Universities.

The primary supervisor will provide pastoral support. If necessary the primary supervisor will refer the student to other sources of support (e.g. Wellbeing, Disability, Money Advice, IT, Library, Students’ Union, Academic Services, Student Support Services, Careers Centre).

• Demonstrate the systematic acquisition and understanding of a substantial body of knowledge through the development of a written thesis.
• Create, interpret, analyse and develop new knowledge through original research or other advanced scholarship.  
• Apply process and standards of a range of the methodologies through which research is conducted and knowledge acquired and revised.
• Make informed judgements on complex issues in the field of Creative Writing often in the absence of complete data and defend those judgements to an appropriate audience. 
• Communicate complex research findings clearly, effectively and in an engaging manner to both specialist (including the academic community), and non-specialist audiences using a variety of appropriate media.
• Correctly select, interpret and apply relevant techniques for research and academic enquiry.
• Develop the foundations for on-going research and development within the discipline.
• Implement independent research skills.
• Locate information and apply it to research practice.
• Display the qualities and transferable skills necessary for employment, including the exercise of personal responsibility and initiative in complex situations.

Progress will be monitored in accordance with Swansea University regulations. During the course of the programme, the student is expected to meet regularly with their supervisors, and at most meetings it is likely that the student’s progress will be monitored in an informal manner in addition to attendance checks. Details of the meetings should ideally be recorded on the on-line system. A minimum of four formal supervision meetings is required each year, two of which will be reported to the Postgraduate Progression and Awards Board. During these supervisory meetings the student’s progress is discussed and formally recorded on the on-line system. 

Learning Development  

Swansea University’s Postgraduate Research Training Framework is structured into sections, to enable students to navigate and determine appropriate courses aligned to both their interest and their candidature stage. 

A range of research seminars and skills development sessions are provided within the College of Arts and Humanities and across the University. These are scheduled to keep the student in touch with a broader range of material than their own research topic, to stimulate ideas in discussion with others, and to give them opportunities to such as defending their own thesis orally, and to identify potential criticisms. Additionally, the College of Arts and Humanities is developing a research culture that will align with the University vision and will link with key initiatives delivered under the auspices of the University’s Academies, for example embedding the HEA fellowship for postgraduate research students.

Research Environment  

Swansea University’s Research Environment combines innovation and excellent facilities to provide a home for multidisciplinary research to flourish. Our research environment encompasses all aspects of the research lifecycle, with internal grants and support for external funding and enabling impact/effect that research has beyond academia. 

School of Culture and Communication   

Career Opportunities

Having a Master of Philosophy degree shows that you can communicate your ideas and manage tasks. Jobs in academia, education, government, management, the public or private sector are possible. 

Graduate College

English: creative writing (ph.d.),   application deadlines.

Deadline for Fall semester: January 15.

  Resume/Curriculum Vitae (CV)

A resume or curriculum vitae (CV) is required; please submit within the online application system.

  Graduate test

The GRE is not required.

Note: International applicants may have to provide evidence of English language proficiency. 

  Recommendations

This program requires three recommendations. Please send email requests for such recommendations from within the online system.

  Written statement

Please prepare a statement which covers the following information, and attach it within the online application:

I am applying for admission into the ______________________________ program.

Programs/concentrations include:

• PhD in Literature
• PhD in English Education
• PhD in Creative Writing—Fiction
• PhD in Creative Writing—Poetry
• PhD in Creative Writing—Drama

Submit a 750-word essay about why you wish to undertake graduate study and which key experiences have shaped your decision. You may reflect upon ideas, texts, and modes of study that inspire you and discuss your plans for pursuing them. Please use the essay to highlight important aspects of your application.

  Previous written work

Submit a writing sample on a topic in your chosen program/concentration. Your writing sample(s) should be typed, double-spaced, and unmarked. For the Ph.D. in English: Creative Writing, you must submit two samples: (1) a 10-15 page scholarly paper that focuses on a literary topic, and (2) an original piece of creative writing, with applicants interested in Playwriting or Poetry submitting 15-30 pages of original work in their genre, and those focused on Fiction submitting up to 30 pages of their original fiction.

  Other program materials

If applying for graduate assistantship, complete the following narrative and submit within the online application:

If you have taught before, write a 700- to 1000-word essay explaining your teaching philosophy and experience. If you have not taught, write a 500-word essay in which you imagine your own approach to teaching.

  Transcript requirement

An official transcript from the institution from which you received your bachelor degree is required, as well as a transcript from the institution(s) where any additional graduate level courses or degrees have been taken/completed. Applicants are not required to submit an official transcript of courses taken/completed at WMU.

  Additional information

If you have any questions, please review the website below for program and contact information.

Department of English — College of Arts and Sciences

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College of Arts and Sciences » Academic Units » English » Creative Writing » Graduate Program » PhD in Creative Writing

PhD in Creative Writing

Program overview.

The PhD in Creative Writing and Literature is a four-year course of study. Following two years of course work that includes workshop, forms classes, pedagogical training, literature, and theory, students take exams in two areas, one that examines texts through the lens of craft and another that examines them through the lens of literary history and theory. Recent examples of the genre area include Comic Fiction, History of the Love Lyric, and Fantasy; recent examples of the scholarly area include History of the Novel, 20th Century American Poetry, and Modern & Contemporary British Fiction. In the first two years, students take three courses per semester; the teaching load throughout the program is one class per semester. Every PhD student has the opportunity to teach creative writing, with many also teaching literature classes. Most students are funded by teaching, with two or three at a time funded by editorial work at  The Cincinnati Review or Acre Books, and others funded in their dissertation year by college- or university-level fellowships. Fifth-year support, while not guaranteed, has generally been available to interested students in the form of student lecturerships, which carry a 2-2 load. The Creative Writing PhD at the University of Cincinnati has maintained over the last decade more than a 75% placement rate into full-time academic jobs for its doctoral graduates. Two-thirds of these positions are tenure-track.

Application Information

• Exam Areas and Committee
• Doctoral Candidacy Form
• Foreign Language
• Exam Procedures
• Dissertations
• Applying for Fifth-Year Funding
• Working for The Cincinnati Review
• Teaching Opportunities
• All Creative Writing Graduate Courses
• Archive of Technique & Form Courses