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Earning A Creative Writing Degree: All About A Bachelor’s In Creative Writing
Updated: Aug 24, 2023, 11:05am
When thinking about creative writing, you may recall Emily Dickinson writing evocative poems, Nicholas Sparks penning love stories or Ernest Hemingway tapping away on an old typewriter. While these are all creative writers at work, not all professionals in the field are authors; there are other career options for you if you love writing and want to make it your career.
Though not always required, many writing jobs call for a bachelor’s degree. From writing novels to reporting news stories, a creative writing degree equips you with strong writing and communication skills to prepare you for a fulfilling, imaginative career.
This article discusses bachelor’s degrees in creative writing, admission requirements, common courses and job options. Read on to learn how a creative writing degree prepares you for a writing career.
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What Is a Creative Writing Degree?
A creative writing degree teaches you the techniques behind many writing projects, including fiction, nonfiction, screenplays, biographies and poems.
A bachelor’s degree in creative writing focuses on the principles of effective storytelling, writing for different genres and developing believable characters. You hone essential skills through giving and receiving feedback from peers and instructors, preparing you for many jobs requiring strong writing skills.
A bachelor’s degree in creative writing requires about 120 credits and takes four years of full-time study to complete. Accelerated programs may take less time.
Admission requirements for a bachelor’s in creative writing typically align with the university’s general admission requirements and include a completed application, transcripts from previous coursework and English proficiency. Because each school is different, these requirements may vary.
Specializations for Creative Writing Majors
Many creative writing programs offer areas of concentration, which allow you to focus your studies. Offerings vary by program, but below are a few typical specializations for students pursuing creative writing degrees.
This concentration covers all aspects of fiction writing, including character development, storytelling, plot development, narrative voice, various genres, publishing techniques and the mechanics of fiction writing. It prepares you to write engaging stories and bring them to life.
A nonfiction concentration allows you to explore many types of nonfiction writing, including autobiography, travel writing and magazine writing. It also touches on publishing technologies and teaches you how to use research and reflection to create stories that resonate with readers.
With a poetry concentration, you learn to tap into your imagination to write work that creates engaging imagery and inspires others. Coursework includes poetry writing workshops where you and other students share your work for feedback and support.
Screenwriting
A screenwriting concentration prepares you to write for Hollywood productions, such as television shows, documentaries, short films and movies. With this concentration, you learn about story structure, character development and visual storytelling.
Common Courses in a Creative Writing Degree
Introduction to creative writing.
This course covers the essential mechanics of creative writing, such as point of view, setting, dialogue, imagery, scene development and characterization. As a student in this class, you can expect to read and critique your peers’ work and get feedback on your own.
Writing with Digital Media
Since digital media has become an essential medium for disseminating information, no creative writing program would be complete without a digital media course. This course covers writing and publishing across digital media formats and how to use audience, purpose and context in your writing.
Introduction to Screen and TV Writing
If you are interested in working as a screenwriter for films or television, this course helps get you started. It provides an overview of narrative screenwriting, the history and development of screenwriting, and storytelling principles used in writing for film and television.
Introduction to the Writing of Creative Nonfiction
Creative writing students need to know how to write both nonfiction and fiction. In this course, you learn the mechanics of writing original nonfiction while reading and studying contemporary nonfiction.
Fiction Writing Workshop
In this course, students explore writing different types of fiction pieces. They then share their work with each other and engage in discussion and group commentary.
Creative Writing Degree vs. English Degree: What’s the Difference?
While there are overlapping subjects in the English and creative writing disciplines, these degrees are a bit different.
An English bachelor’s degree focuses on both writing and literary studies. In this major, learners study various types of writing, such as creative, fiction, nonfiction, poetry, digital and professional writing. They also explore literature and build analytical, editorial and cultural literacy skills. It’s common for programs to offer English concentrations such as literature or creative writing.
A creative writing degree more narrowly hones students’ writing skills rather than focusing on literary subjects. This degree prepares learners for careers as screenwriters, novelists, journalists, poets and other writing professionals.
If you know you want to work in a creative writing career , a creative writing degree may be a good fit. If you prefer a broader degree that includes a more in-depth study of literature and literary theory in addition to writing, an English degree may be a better option.
What Can You Do With a Creative Writing Degree?
Below are a few popular jobs you can pursue with a creative writing degree. We sourced salary data for this section from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and Payscale .
Writer or Author
Median Annual Salary: $73,150 Minimum Required Education: Bachelor’s degree; high school diploma sometimes acceptable Job Overview: The roles of authors and writers vary depending on the type of writing they do. They may write content for various mediums, such as books, magazines, advertisements, blogs, films, television programs, biographies or speeches. Writers often work closely with editors, advertising agencies and other stakeholders to create pieces for print or digital publication. Some writers are freelancers who work with multiple clients.
Median Annual Salary: $73,080 Minimum Required Education: Bachelor’s degree Job Overview: Editors review and revise written content to ensure clarity, concision and accuracy. They must have excellent grammar and proofreading skills. These professionals may also plan and develop story ideas and collaborate with writers to ensure high-quality final products. Editors often work for magazines, book publishers, advertising firms and television broadcasters.
Median Annual Salary: $55,960 Minimum Required Education: Bachelor’s degree in journalism or a related field Job Overview: Journalists write stories about current events and newsworthy issues to inform the public. Successful journalists have strong interviewing and investigative skills. They may work for broadcast news organizations, newspapers, magazines, or other print or digital publications. Some journalists are freelancers who write for multiple publications, and some work as columnists, news anchors or news correspondents.
Average Annual Salary: Around $57,300 Minimum Required Education: Bachelor’s degree; high school diploma sometimes acceptable Job Overview: Copywriters are persuasive marketing writers who craft copy that advertises or encourages readers to take a specific action, such as purchasing a product or signing up for a newsletter. These professionals often write advertisements, company slogans or taglines, website copy and marketing emails. Copywriters commonly work for advertising agencies or marketing departments; some are freelancers.
Screenwriter
Average Annual Salary: Around $71,000 Minimum Required Education: Bachelor’s degree; high school diploma sometimes acceptable Job Overview: Screenwriters , sometimes called script writers, write, revise and test scripts for television shows, commercials and films. These scripts may be original stories or stories based on books. Screenwriters need a firm grasp of dialogue and character development.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About a Creative Writing Degree
How many years does it take to get a creative writing degree.
A bachelor’s in creative writing typically requires 120 credits and takes four years to complete. Your degree may take longer if you study part time, and accelerated programs may allow you to complete your degree faster.
How much do creative writers make?
Salaries for creative writers vary drastically depending on their job title. For example, a best-selling author earns much more than a small-town newspaper journalist. According to the BLS, writers made a median annual salary of $73,150 as of May 2022.
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Sheryl Grey is a freelance writer who specializes in creating content related to education, aging and senior living, and real estate. She is also a copywriter who helps businesses grow through expert website copywriting, branding and content creation. Sheryl holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications from Indiana University South Bend, and she received her teacher certification training through Bethel University’s Transition to Teaching program.
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COMMENTS
Finding out what you can do with a degree in creative writing is often surprising, as there are many available options. While most people get a creative writing degree to be a writer, the skills learned in a creative writing program can apply to various jobs and industries.
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A creative writing degree teaches you the techniques behind many writing projects, including fiction, nonfiction, screenplays, biographies and poems. A bachelor’s degree in creative...
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