School of Arts and Interdisciplinary Studies
Creative WritingBFA
Program starts in the fall. Review deadlines.
Become a writer who moves, inspires, and challenges readers through the power of creativity. Emerson College’s Creative Writing BFA will sharpen your writing skills and position you for a career in provoking, persuading, educating, and entertaining audiences.
At a Glance
- Write for student-run literary journals and magazines.
- Network with bestselling authors, editors, and publishers who are Creative Writing alumni.
- Learn from faculty in the Department of Writing, Literature and Publishing who are award-winning writers and novelists.
- Participate in a mentorship program with Penguin Random House for a semester.
- Participate in our annual Magazine Pitch Slam where you'll pitch story ideas to editors from local and national publications.
Become the Creative Writer You Always Wanted to Be
Great writing starts with paying attention to the world around you—language, people, ideas, and perspectives you haven’t considered before. Emerson College’s Creative Writing BFA combines intensive writing workshop experience with critical thinking and literary studies that will shape the way you write. Through courses in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and literature, you’ll explore the ways writers create meaning, shape narratives, and engage with the forces—cultural, social, and historical—that influence their work.
You’ll take introductory, intermediate, and advanced workshops, exploring research, revision, and literary analysis. You’ll study works from a range of writing disciplines, genres, and techniques that have resonated with readers. In upper-level courses, you’ll focus more deeply on your chosen genre while working toward a creative thesis in poetry, fiction, or nonfiction, culminating in a manuscript that reflects your growth as a writer and thinker.
Creative Writing students publish works in student literary journals and magazines, pitch editors during the annual Emerson Pitch Slam, and gain relevant industry experience through the College’s partnership with Penguin Random House. You’ll build a portfolio of original writing and work with your peers and faculty to turn your ideas into prose and poetry that you can be proud of. By graduation, you’ll leave with a completed body of work, real-world publishing experience, and the skills to pursue a career in the writing and publishing industries.
Start Your Journey as a Professional Writer on Day One
Refine your writing skills with Emerson College’s student-run publications. Write about arts and culture for Em Magazine. Submit your poetry and prose to be featured in the annual publication of Concrete Literary Magazine. Cover the intersection of music, culture, and politics in 5 Cent Sound Magazine. Find your passion, and write.
Students can also intern and volunteer at Ploughshares, a prestigious literary magazine housed at Emerson. Ploughshares publishes and champions innovative writing; celebrates writers from all walks of life; and offers an undergraduate internship program through the Writing, Literature and Publishing Department.
Through Emerson College’s partnership with Penguin Random House, you can apply to participate in this semester-long mentorship program . You’ll learn the ins and outs of the publishing industry, how to edit manuscripts, and more. Many students go on to work as freelancers there after the program ends.
Ballyvaugh, Ireland: Writing Place & Distance—Art & Environment in the West of Ireland
Immerse yourself in the countryside of Western Ireland to learn a methodical approach to creative writing. Through workshops, seminar discussions, and dedicated writing time, you’ll immerse yourself in the art and landscape of the Burren, a spectacular region of County Clare, Ireland, and use that backdrop as a source of inspiration for your creative writing.
Kasteel Well, Netherlands: James Baldwin Writers’ Colony
Spend four weeks at Emerson’s Kasteel Well in the Netherlands to learn and be inspired by the literature of African Americans who lived and worked in Europe. Gain a better understanding of the role that Black literature has played throughout history in Europe and in America, including the Harlem Renaissance (1920s), the postwar era (late 1940s), and the Black Arts Movement (1960s).
Kasteel Well, Netherlands: Travel Writing
Write and revise creative literature of all genres, all while being inspired by your time at Kasteel Well. You’ll practice attentive journaling, workshop original pieces, challenge yourself to write responsibly in a culture that is not yours, and gain experience writing about the people and customs surrounding you.
Learn from Literary Innovators
The Creative Writing faculty brings a wealth of professional writing experience to the program. Learn from professors who have published award-winning novels, written critically acclaimed nonfiction work, and have received national recognition for their work.
Tour Emerson
Come see all Emerson has to offer. Learn about campus life and explore classrooms, residence halls, creative spaces, and more with our student ambassadors.
Apply to Emerson
On any given day, you’re creating something. You’re writing, performing, filming, designing, or building an idea from the ground up. Whatever it is, you care deeply about the work, and you want to see where it can take you.
Our Undergraduate Admission team is here to find the path that fits your goals, answer your questions, and prepare you for a life in the creative world. Learn more about applying to Emerson on our Application Process page.