Best Creative Writing Graduate Programs & Schools in San Diego

Some schools may also ask creative writing masters students to take part in a residency requirement. This may require students to live and write on campus for an assigned duration. Keeping in mind these core requirements, students could potentially earn a masters degree in creative writing in 1 to 3 years. Program lengths vary by school.

Unlike typical graduate admissions, creative writing masters programs might place equal weight on previous writing experience and undergraduate transcripts. Typically, students are asked to submit samples of their previous work.

Samples could include things like completed novel chapters, poems, or stage plays. Check with your intended university for more information about their admissions guidelines and writing requirements.

MFA Creative Writing Workshops

A large portion of a creative writing masters program is devoted to writing new pieces for workshop classes. These are writing intensive courses where students may be required to submit new drafts of their current writing for peer feedback.

These classes might be a great way to practically apply your writing know-how and also see what your peers are creating. Additionally, writing workshops could provide a welcoming and safe environment for students to give and receive critical feedback on their work.

It’s important to note that creative writing workshops may combine students from different writing genres. These students could provide constructive feedback from their different creative perspective. For example, you might find that students writing creative nonfiction could offer insightful critique on your children’s book.

Workshop requirements may differ by school. For more details, speak with your preferred mfa creative writing program about their workshopping process.

MFA Writing Courses

In addition to practicing writing, creative writing masters programs may help expand students’ understanding of the writing process with core academic courses. For this purpose, many schools offer classes that deal with new perspectives or ways to interpret literature. These courses may challenge writer’s status quo and encourage them to try to experiment with new writing styles or methods.

In addition, creative writing masters programs may require students to take graduate English courses to round out their literary knowledge. Classes could touch on the following topics.

• Literary Adaption
• Cross-genre Writing
• Literary Criticism
• Regional Writing Traditions

Courses offered may vary by institution. Check with prospective masters in writing programs for more details about their course guide.

PhD Creative Writing Programs

Creative Writing PhD Programs are writing intense programs concentrated on taking your work to the next level. Unlike the MFA, PhD Creative Writing Programs may emphasize the workshop experience over other coursework. However, these programs similarly may require students to take part in an on-campus residency.

A great example of this is the creative writing doctoral dissertation. Other doctoral programs typically have students present research for their dissertations. In comparison, creative writing dissertations usually require students to submit long-form works. This could include some of the following.

• Manuscripts
• Short Stories
• Poems
• Screenplays

While this may be a mandatory assignment, it might also help jumpstart a writing career. These finished pieces could be a great addition to your professional portfolio.

Due to the intensity of the above-mentioned writing requirements, students could potentially complete a Creative Writing PhD program in 3 to 5 years. Program length may vary by school and enrollment.

Creative writing PhD programs may require previous graduate experience, as well as a 3.5 graduate GPA. Additionally, writing schools may ask students to submit samples of their previous work. Check with intended programs for more admissions details.

Creative Writing Graduate Certificate Programs

Graduate Certificate Creative Writing programs might be a great way to quickly build your creative writing skills and knowledge. Many certificate programs only workshop one specific genre. For example, they might focus solely on children’s literature instead of combining students with opposing styles. This may provide a succinct curriculum without requiring unnecessary academic electives.

Additionally, these programs typically do not require a minimum GPA for admissions. This may make it more accessible to a wide array of students so that they can begin to hone their craft before moving on to another graduate program.

While the writing focus may sound like the PhD Creative Writing program, graduate certificates are often shorter. This is because they focus on starting new writing pieces as opposed to completing long-form ones.

Full time students could potentially earn a Graduate Certificate in Creative Writing in 1 year, although program lengths vary. Contact an advisor to learn more.

High vs. Low Residency Writing Programs

Residency requirements are common in many Graduate Creative Writing Programs. Biannually, students may be required to live and work on campus.

This is done to provide a space for students to concentrate on writing, reviewing, and revising their work. During this time, you could be sharing housing with other students from your program. Students are also encouraged to workshop pieces with others in the residency program to further refine the final product.

Typically, graduate writing programs either offer a low or high residency option. Low residency writing programs are shorter and may last around 10 days. High residency writing programs are often lengthier, lasting from 2 to 6 weeks. Residency lengths and details may vary by university.

Graduate Creative Writing Program Formats

Pinpointing Creative Writing Graduate Programs that complement your daily routine could be difficult. But, there are several different program types that could ease your educational transition.

Creative Writing Schools

On campus programs are what you might picture when you imagine the traditional university experience. Graduate creative writing schools provide the opportunity to develop your work alongside your peers and mentors.

Things like workshops and office hours could make seeking out additional assistance to help polish your work easier. Additionally, this might be an opportunity to build professional relationships with classmates. You never know who might be your connection to a literary agent or publishing house.

Online Creative Writing Graduate Programs

Online programs are a great way to stay in your creative writing space while earning your degree. No matter where you’re living, you could attend classes on your own schedule. And, you could still receive valuable feedback from peers and professors via email or online forums.

An online creating writing degree may be a perfect option for students who are working. This way, you could pursue your professional endeavors while honing your craft.

It’s important to note that online programs may require students to take part in residency programs. Typically, these are offered in the low-residency format but could require you try travel to campus or a nearby location.

Hybrid Graduate Programs in Creative Writing

Hybrid Creative Writing programs offer a little taste of both above programs. Depending on your personal schedule, you could choose to pursue one style of learning at any given time. For instance, you could take online courses while working. Or, take on campus courses in between jobs.

This might be great for current freelance writers because of their constantly changing work schedule. Depending on your future responsibilities, you could plan your semesters accordingly.

Top 6 Graduate Schools with Creative Writing Graduate Programs in San Diego