creative writing programs los angeles

Creative Writing

Write in the heart of los angeles.

The two year, 36-unit MFA in Creative Writing Program at Mount Saint Mary's University, Los Angeles, is an artist-training program for students who want to write professionally in the genres of novel, short story, playwriting, poetry, screenplay and non-fiction. We are ideal for working adults. Our format of meeting every other weekend, six times per semester , lets you fit into your life a graduate degree while keeping your other commitments.  

What gives our program its special character?  We develop writers in multiple genres, believing that you can excel in more than one.   We are interested in the whole writer, an expert who isn't narrow.  Our integration of the humanities into our course of study reflects commitment to intellectual rigor and liberal arts as the cornerstone of human understanding.  We pay close attention to your needs as a developing artist.  The courses are demanding, disciplined, and the level is high.  In short, we give you your money's worth.  

The teachers in our program put a premium on helping our students into their professional careers, through continued mentoring.  This means not only teaching the techniques that make you the best writer you can be, but also preparing you for the publication market.  Our writers and director, combined, have a long track record of helping students to national and international literary prizes and book-length publications.  Whatever your career path, our job is to help you write stories, novels, plays, poems, or screenplays, at the highest level, and get them into print or staged before an appreciative public.  In that, we are practical minded and the curriculum is set up to get you there.  

Our students are of all ages and from many different educational backgrounds.  You do not need to have taken a degree in literature in order to apply to us.    

Combining humanistic depth, intellectual rigor, multicultural and bilingual study, technology, a flexible weekend format, cross-training in multiple genres, and practical preparation-that is what makes our MFA in Creative Writing stand apart.  Come study with us on the Mount Saint Mary's campus, a gem right in the heart of Los Angeles.  

Mission and Values  

The MFA in Creative Writing values its cooperative relationship with the MA in Humanities. Our student writers are schooled in cultural, historical and literary traditions that must be an integral part of the intellectual repertoire of the professional writer.  We put a premium on complementing knowledge of modern and contemporary Western and non-Western traditions with those that precede us by centuries.  Likewise, preparation in a broad spectrum of humanistic thought helps MFA students become critical thinkers.  Our program is truly multicultural in embracing world literature as well as the absorbing and exciting range of ethnic literature within the U.S.  Our status within a Hispanic-serving institution also is meaningful to the MFA in Creative Writing, as well as Mount Saint Mary's undergraduate historical dedication to the success of women in our co-educational graduate program.  We put a premium on nurturing the whole student with a holistic approach to the shaping of a writer.  

The MFA in Creative Writing at Mount Saint Mary’s University takes an inclusive approach to teaching and mentoring its writers.  Freedom of artistic expression and mutual tolerance are at the heart of serving the multiplicity of its international student body.  Each writer is encouraged to take aesthetic risks, while seeking understanding and showing a willingness to respect discrepant points of view in and out of the classroom.  

The artist by nature is often a dissenter. When this act is undertaken with sympathy of mind, differences in outlook get expressed in a range of ideas and practices. The spirit of imaginative dissent, individual conscience and collaboration informs all endeavors of the MFA: the classroom; mentoring; our international literary conference; the Parlor reading series; The Rush magazine; and our multi-faceted, ethnically and culturally adventurous curriculum.  

The MFA teaches the concept of Literary Citizenship, in which the contribution to the Republic of Letters is important: supporting our fellow writers in spirit and in practice; supporting the world of independent publishing and reviewing; bringing a selfless/ethical component to building a community of writers; working for the overall literacy and betterment of the literary culture at large. MSMU’s Catholic (and catholic) mission emphasizes these very values and our mission is congruent with it.  

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Best Creative Writing colleges in Los Angeles 2024

Best creative writing colleges in los angeles for 2024.

University of Southern California offers 2 Creative Writing degree programs. It's a very large, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a large city. In 2022, 37 Creative Writing students graduated with students earning 37 Bachelor's degrees.

University of California-Irvine offers 1 Creative Writing degree programs. It's a very large, public, four-year university in a large city. In 2022, 16 Creative Writing students graduated with students earning 16 Master's degrees.

California State University-Long Beach offers 1 Creative Writing degree programs. It's a very large, public, four-year university in a large city. In 2022, 10 Creative Writing students graduated with students earning 10 Master's degrees.

Chapman University offers 2 Creative Writing degree programs. It's a large, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a midsize city. In 2022, 46 Creative Writing students graduated with students earning 34 Bachelor's degrees, and 12 Master's degrees.

Pepperdine University offers 1 Creative Writing degree programs. It's a large, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a large suburb. In 2022, 6 Creative Writing students graduated with students earning 6 Bachelor's degrees.

Mount Saint Mary's University offers 1 Creative Writing degree programs. It's a small, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a large city. In 2022, 17 Creative Writing students graduated with students earning 17 Master's degrees.

University of La Verne offers 1 Creative Writing degree programs. It's a medium sized, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a large suburb. In 2022, 4 Creative Writing students graduated with students earning 4 Bachelor's degrees.

California Institute of the Arts offers 1 Creative Writing degree programs. It's a small, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a large suburb. In 2022, 8 Creative Writing students graduated with students earning 8 Master's degrees.

Otis College of Art and Design offers 1 Creative Writing degree programs. It's a small, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a large city.

Antioch University-Los Angeles offers 2 Creative Writing degree programs. It's a very small, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a large suburb. In 2022, 35 Creative Writing students graduated with students earning 29 Master's degrees, and 6 Certificates.

List of all Creative Writing colleges in Los Angeles

Department of Creative Writing

The Department of Creative Writing at UCR offers the only Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing in the University of California system and the MFA in Creative Writing and Writing for the Performing Arts . It is a growing and dynamic program made up entirely of established writers and poets. Courses at UCR are designed for all students in the language arts, and they emphasize developing each student's skills and talents. Through writing fiction, poetry, nonfiction, and/or drama, students examine language and meaning both as practitioners and as readers as they develop and hone essential writing techniques.

Every writer needs to develop a critical sense to augment creative ability. For this reason, the Creative Writing Department offers two types of courses. Workshop courses are seminars that focus on writing and on the discussion of student work. Reading courses for writers focus on aspects of literature presented from a writer's point of view. Frequently, they employ writing in imitation as one of several approaches to understanding the craft of writing. Upper-division workshop courses are offered at the beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels in poetry, nonfiction, and fiction. Several reading courses link two genres such as fiction and poetry, and poetry and drama.

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Announcements

Katie Ford 's sequence of poems The Anchoress — set as a monodrama by composer David Serkin Ludwig — was performed this summer at Chamber Music Northwest.

Laila Lalami published the New York Times Magazine cover story “A State of Uncertainty” and was named a Radcliffe Fellow at Harvard for 2023-2024.

Charmaine Craig ’s  My Nemesis  has been published this year by Grove Press.

Thalia Williamson ’s “The Silent Part” was published this summer in Joyland .

Quyen Pham ’s “Such Good Girls” was published this past spring in Room .

Emily Doyle  published “Thursdays for Haru” earlier this year in the Sun.

Tom Lutz 's  1925 A Literary Encyclopedia  is being published by Rare Bird Lit, and his novel  Archipelago  is coming out from Red Hen Press. His essay "Gravy Donuts" was published in Iowa Review .

Reza Aslan 's  An American Martyr in Persia was longlisted for the PEN/Jacqueline Beograd Weld Award.

Allison Benis White won the 2022 Pushcart Prize and the Lucille Medwick Memorial Award.

Allison Hedge Coke  was a 2022  National Book Award finalist for  Look at This Blue ,  a 2023 finalist for  CLMP Firecracker Award  and  ASLE Best Creative Book of the Year .   Look at This Blue , was awarded the  Emory Elliott Book Award  by CHASS Center for Ideas and Society and Hedge Coke was awarded the  2023 Thomas Wolfe Prize & Lecture  by the University of North Carolina and the [http://Thomas Wolfe Endowment Fund]Thomas Wolfe Society in  fall 2023 .

Susan Straight 's  Mecca was a finalist for the Kirkus Prize and named a Top Ten California Book of the Year by the New York Times and one of the best books of 2022 by NPR, the Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times.

Juan Felipe Herrera  was a recent recipient of the Poetry Foundation’s Pegasus Award and the LARB/UCR lifetime achievement award. The Fresno Unified School District named its latest school Juan Felipe Herrera Elementary.

Conversations With Steve Erickson has been published by the University Press of Mississippi as part of a series that includes Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, William Faulkner, James Baldwin, William Burroughs and Toni Morrison.

Employment Opportunities

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Statement of Solidarity with the Asian American Pacific Islander Community

We are grieved by the recent killings in Atlanta, as well as by all other anti-Asian bigotry and violence, and stand in solidarity with our AAPI colleagues, students, and, more broadly, all AAPI across the nation. We stand against all anti-AAPI hate crimes, discrimination, and dehumanization, knowing that the group Stop AAPI Hate has reported 3,975 hate incidents against Asian Americans between March 19, 2020 and February 28, 2021.

To take action:

• Educational resources and petitions to sign: HERE .
• Report hate incidents HERE and HERE .
• Attend a bystander intervention training to learn ways to stop anti-Asian American and xenophobic harassment.  [ March 29 at 3 p.m. ] [ April 20 at 2 p.m. ]
• Send a message to elected officials.

To learn more:

• The New Yorker : Ed Park, "Confronting Anti-Asian Discrimination During the Coronavirus Crisis"
• The House Judiciary Committee held a hearing on Discrimination and Violence Against Asian Americans

Statement of Solidarity with Black Lives Matter

We stand in solidarity with Black Lives Matter. The brutal killings of George Floyd in Minnesota, Breonna Taylor in Kentucky, and Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia are part of a pattern of state violence against Black people, which too often remains invisible and unpunished when it is not blamed on the victims themselves.

America’s institutionalized practice of settler colonialism, genocide, slavery, and segregation continues in the form of continued occupation, discrimination, mass incarceration, and racist policing.

The nationwide protests we are witnessing this week are an expression of anger at police violence, a rejection of white supremacy, and a call to our leaders that they live up to the nation's founding proclamation of equality. We demand accountability from the police, disinvestment from law enforcement in favor of education, housing, and community services, and, above all, justice for the victims.

Recognition of Native Lands Statement

We acknowledge that the land on which we gather is the original and traditional territory of Tongva people [ Tongva and Cahuilla people] and within Tongva, Cahuilla, Luiseño & Serrano original lands and contemporary territories.

In the spirit of Rupert and Jeanette Costo’s founding relationship to our campus, we would like to respectfully acknowledge and recognize our responsibility to the original and current caretakers of this land, water and air: the Cahuilla , Tongva , Luiseño , and Serrano peoples and all of their ancestors and descendants, past, present and future. Today this meeting place is home to many Indigenous peoples from all over the world, including UCR faculty, students, and staff, and we are grateful to have the opportunity to live and work on these homelands. Please also visit our university founder's  legacy page, Cahuilla Scholar Rupert Costo ,  California Indian Studies & Scholars Association , UCR's  California Center for Native Nations ,  Native American Student Programs  (NASP), and the page of UCR's  Rupert Costo Chair, Dr. Clifford Trafzer .

Download UCR Native American Student Programs Land Statement

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Master of Fine Arts

MFA in Creative Writing

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Prepare for a Life as a Literary and Dramatic Artist

Antioch University’s low-residency MFA in Creative Writing program is devoted not only to the education of literary and dramatic artists but to community engagement and the pursuit of social justice. The program features one-on-one mentoring with a variety of successful publishing writers and includes instruction in craft, revision, and critical reading and thinking skills. The rights and ethical responsibilities of creative writers are also addressed, along with practical career concerns related to the business of writing and publishing. The MFA program prepares students for careers and meaningful lives as writers, editors, teachers, and engaged literary citizens.

This low-residency degree is offered by AU Los Angeles.

Program Overview

Antioch University’s MFA in Creative Writing is comprised of hybrid residencies—which include seminars, readings, and workshops—complemented by five-month online project periods during which students live and write in their home communities. The hybrid residency allows students to attend fully online, in-person, or a combination of both. We believe a flexible learning environment allows our students to flourish personally and creatively.

The low-residency model supports and mirrors the lives that professional writers actually live. The Antioch’s MFA program provides both the nurturing literary community and the solitary discipline of writing that working writers need. An MFA semester consists of an intensive 10-day hybrid residency, followed by a five-month online project period during which each student writes fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, young people, writing for the screen, playwriting, and literary translation, as well as scholarly work, under the supervision of a faculty mentor each term. Students also participate in online discussions covering assigned readings and literary issues, and produce other work specified in their individualized Project Period Contract.

MFA students are admitted in a single genre (fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, young people, writing for the screen, and playwriting), but can write and study more than one genre including literary translation—and even challenge the notion of genre itself. Our faculty members publish successfully in multiple genres and are often glad to support students in their cross-genre explorations.

The MFA Field Study is what sets this creative writing program—and the people who graduate from it—apart from others. The Field Study asks students to put their knowledge and skills as writers to work in service of something they personally value in their local communities. Each Field Study must address at least two of the three aspects of the MFA program’s unique purpose: the education of literary and dramatic artists, community engagement or service, and the pursuit of social justice. MFA Field Studies have changed the lives not only of the students but of those their efforts have served.

Degree Requirements

Core requirements are completed during the 10-day hybrid residencies or the 5-month online project periods that follow each residency.

Residency Core Requirements

MFA students participate in a 10-day hybrid residency which includes an assigned genre writing workshop and 7+ learning activities such as faculty seminars, guest speakers, and graduating student presentations.

Explore Residency Requirements, Speakers, and Seminars

Online Project Period Core Requirements

• Monthly packets of student creative work and book annotations
• Participation in Book Circles ( group book discussions)
• Art of Translation Course
• Field Study
• Critical Paper
• Final Manuscript
• Cumulative Annotated Bibliography

For detailed curriculum and degree requirements, please visit the AU Catalog .

Antioch MFA Honored for “Outstanding Screenwriting Training” on 25 Best Film Schools List

Antioch University’s MFA in Creative Writing has received the honor of being named one of MovieMaker’s 25 Best Film Schools , with the magazine recognizing it as one of three standouts for the category of Outstanding Screenwriting Training. Read the full article here.

A Low Residency MFA

The low residency model supports and mirrors the lives that professional writers actually live.

It provides both a nurturing literary community, as well as time to write independently, inspired by real-world engagement. The two years in Antioch’s MFA in Creative Writing program will be spent alternately in two rhythms:

• Five 10-day hybrid Residencies – Students attend classes online, in-person, or a combination of both at Antioch University Los Angeles’ campus in Culver City, California, and form a collective of working writers. The residency builds a strong literary community around engagement with language, literature, and social and aesthetic issues that working writers confront.
• Four 5-Month-Long Online Project Period – Spent in your home city (or the location of your choice), students will write and read extensively, examining and confronting issues of tradition and craft. The online project period pairs you with an assigned mentor (an actively publishing writer who is also an excellent teacher) and a small group of other MFA students with whom you will read and discuss a variety of books and other publications. The online project period provides you with a dedicated apprenticeship in words and craft, a time of exploration and risk-taking in your developing life as a writer.

10-Day Residencies

• Faculty and guest seminars and graduating student presentations: Small and large classes on craft taught by graduating students, faculty, and visiting faculty.
• Writing workshops: 10 hours of intensive peer and faculty review of student work.
• One-on-one meetings with your assigned mentor: Plan out your individual study with your faculty mentor for the term.
• Community: Meet with students and faculty in your class and genre.
• Readings: Experience new work by faculty and students.

5-Month Project Periods

• Mentor correspondence: During your time at Antioch, you will select 4 to 5 different faculty mentors with whom to work.
• Reading and writing: You’ll turn in new and revised creative work, and read to explore issues of craft.
• Narrative critiques: Your work will receive constructive feedback from your instructors and peers.
• Special projects: These may include translation projects, field study, and independent research.

New Student Orientation

Creative writing mfa – new student orientation dates.

Although MFA students are accepted into the program in a single genre (poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, young people, writing for the screen, or playwriting), they have many opportunities to read, write, and study multiple genres, as well as to explore the relationships among them.

Lectures and faculty-led seminars often pull material from two or more disciplines—for instance, poets might talk about rhythm in fiction; creative nonfiction writers might address the importance of staging a scene. Our faculty members publish successfully in multiple genres and are often glad to support students in their cross-genre explorations.

Reading assignments during the project period may pull from any genre, or film and music—if relevant to the student’s exploration of craft. Every seminar and lecture during the residency is open to all students, regardless of the genre they are studying during the ensuing project periods.

The fiction program is staffed by well-published short story writers and novelists who participate in small workshops during each residency and mentor a different group of students during each online project period. Our mentors represent a wide range of aesthetics and interests, and are committed to the mentorship process. Students in fiction submit new and revised pages each month, along with book annotations and ongoing craft dialogue.

Poetry students work with risk-taking faculty who offer diverse perspectives on what poems are and how to write them. Poetry students write and rewrite. In their assigned readings they engage issues of contemporary literature and craft, as well as develop knowledge of poetic traditions. Monthly packets of writing range in size from 7-20 pages, with numerous book or craft-focused annotations.

Creative Nonfiction

Our creative nonfiction program admits students who are committed to writing compelling, energetic work in this innovative genre, which includes literary reportage, memoir, biography, travel writing, magazine writing, and the essay. Students read widely, exploring the techniques that make creative nonfiction resonate and signify. Our outstanding and generous faculty provide detailed critiques on new and revised work, annotations, and craft considerations each month.

Young People

Young People students learn the craft of writing for children and young adults and explore the art of creative collaboration. Illustrators, editors, and agents serve as MFA guest faculty during each 10-day residency, as well as mentors during the 5-month online Project Periods.

Writing for the Screen

Writing for the Screen students explore the ever-changing landscape of storytelling through writing screenplays for film and television.

Screenwriters, producers, and other film industry experts serve as MFA guest faculty during each 10-day residency, as well as mentors during the Project Periods. Through intensive study and mentorship, students strengthen their creative thinking and writing skills, applying those skills to their chosen focus. With this balance of creative expression and practical application, our students learn how to employ a full range of story-crafting techniques in various professional settings, match the right creative goal with the right genre and media platform, and how to market and sell their own creative product.

Playwriting

Playwriting students receive expert instruction in writing for the stage, learning from internationally renowned playwrights, theatre directors, dramaturgs, and other theatre professionals.

Genre Jumping—Mixed Genre Experience

During a student’s second or third term at AULA, they may transfer into a second genre for the length of the semester—while still completing the program on time.

Dual Concentration—Double-Genre

Students may choose to spend an extra semester at AULA so that they may graduate with a dual concentration, spending three terms in the primary genre, and two terms in the alternate genre.

Learning Outcomes

Some MFA programs are designed to help aspiring writers complete a manuscript and find a publisher. The goals of Antioch’s program are much broader. We place an emphasis on preparing writers for the complete life of a literary artist. Our MFA in Creative Writing graduates will demonstrate:

• Proficiency in at least one of the following genres: fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, young people, writing for the screen, and playwriting.
• Critical reading, writing, and thinking skills are required of a literary and dramatic artist.
• Knowledge of ethical dilemmas and social values of the literary and dramatic arts.
• Commitment to a broad range of issues and activities associated with a literary writer and the communities in which the writer lives and works.

Professional Development Semester

Designed to further the professional aspirations of MFA students and alumni at affordable prices. The Professional Development Semester is offered exclusively for continuing MFA students and returning alumni, the Professional Development Semester (5 units) offers an additional semester of mentoring to help begin or complete a manuscript, work in a new genre, or consult with a trusted mentor about matters of writing, career, and publication.

Post-MFA Certificate in the Teaching of Creative Writing

In a single semester, our low-residency Post-MFA Certificate program takes aspiring teachers from theory to practice, focusing on methods of teaching writing and allowing the student to gain practical classroom experience through either a face-to-face or an online supervised teaching placement. Experienced writing instructors may pursue the certificate for professional development purposes, as well as to improve their personal classroom pedagogy.

Learn More About the Certificate

Take  your  next step – talk to our admissions team.

Lisa Locascio Nighthawk

Program Chair

Meet all the Creative Writing Faculty

Are you an International Student? Get more International student information here.

Are you a Military-Connected Student? Get more Military-Connected student information here.

Download our MFA brochure (PDF, new window)

Admissions / Cost / Aid

Application Deadlines

***All application requirements (all unofficial or official transcripts, admissions essay(s), and  program-specific requirements) must be submitted for the application to be reviewed.

How to Apply

The Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing (MFA) program seeks applicants who want to participate effectively as writers in professional, academic, and community settings; want to develop their skills in the craft of writing; care deeply about the role of the arts and artists in society, and share a commitment to and appreciation for culturally diverse writers and traditions. The program upholds Antioch University Los Angeles’s tradition of honoring both academic and experiential learning. Applicants must be self-motivated individuals who are able to work independently in a distance-learning format. Program participants must have access to a computer, Microsoft Word, and the Internet.

• Complete the  Online Application  and the  Admissions Dialogue Essay.
• Submit the $50 non-refundable Application Fee.
• Send in an official transcript indicating Bachelor’s degree conferral from a regionally accredited college or university. The requested copy of official transcripts must be sent directly to the Admissions Office at Antioch University Los Angeles from the institution from which you received your accredited bachelor’s degree. A student copy of a transcript may be submitted with your application, but official transcripts are required upon admission.
• Submit all supplemental materials: Samples of your creative work in the genre in which you are applying for admission (Poetry: 10-page maximum, Fiction: 20-page maximum, Creative Nonfiction: 20-page maximum, Young People: 20-page maximum, Writing for the Screen: 20-page maximum, Playwriting: 20-page maximum). For prose, work samples should be typed and double-spaced with your name at the top of each page. The 20 pages can be from different pieces. For poetry, work samples should be single-spaced with one poem on each page. For writing for the screen and playwriting: Use the standard format appropriate for the genre. Use of FinalDraft is strongly encouraged as industry-standard with default margins; other options include Celtx, Trelby, and WriterDuet.
• Recommendations: Please provide the names and contact information (email and phone) of two references whom we may contact during our admissions process (you will be prompted to do so during the application process).  If you would like to turn in recommendations voluntarily, please have your recommender(s) send them to  [email protected] .

Please submit all materials to Antioch University Los Angeles, Admissions Office, 400 Corporate Pointe, Culver City, CA 90230 or [email protected] . All application materials submitted become part of an applicant’s file and cannot be returned.

Cost & Aid

Please note: Additional fees for all Antioch University Los Angeles programs may include (but are not necessarily limited to) charges for materials, late registration, enrollment maintenance, parking, graduation, transcripts, tuition payment plan, late payments, late registration, and returned checks.

 Financial Aid

A majority of AULA students finance their education through some form of financial aid. You may not be sure which federal, state, public and private aid packages – such as loans, scholarships, and grants—are right for you. Our staff is here to help you, so you can focus on what’s most important: beginning your academic program at AULA. Returning to school is a big decision, but it doesn’t have to be a stressful one.

Scholarships

The MFA Program has numerous scholarships available for students based on factors such as merit and need. Once you are accepted into our program, you will receive additional information about how to apply for these scholarships. Each application cycle, we offer two $10,000 scholarships for UCLA Extension Writers’ Program Certificate holders, three to four $10,000 merit, and need-based scholarships, along with other scholarships of varying amounts through the Eloise Klein Healy Scholarship Fund.

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Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing (MFA)

Special emphases of the mfa in creative writing program, program learning outcomes, program overview, advanced standing, the mfa professional development semesters, post-mfa certificate in the teaching of creative writing, the project period and project period contract, online communication, the midterm evaluation, degree requirements, hardware and software requirements.

The Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing degree is offered by the Creative Writing Department of the Division of Graduate and Professional Studies, and represents the study of literature from the perspective of the writer rather than that of the critic or the scholar. The reading and analytical components of each semester project, and the lectures offered during the residencies, provide opportunities for a well-integrated humanities-based curriculum, without sacrifice of direct manuscript work and criticism. The MFA in Creative Writing graduate is well-prepared in literature (especially the student’s primary genre) as well as in writing.  The MFA in Creative Writing program's goal is not to credential, but rather to help students with their writing and their creative education.

The MFA in Creative Writing program is devoted to the education of literary artists, community engagement or service, and the pursuit of social justice. The program helps writers develop the skills of their craft and teaches them about the various roles of the writer in society. The program also develops awareness of and appreciation for culturally diverse writers and traditions.

Upon leaving the program, MFA students will be able to demonstrate:

• Proficiency of writing skills for selected genre s: creative nonfiction, fiction, poetry, and young people.
• Critical reading, writing, and thinking skills required of a literary artist.
• Knowledge of ethical dilemmas and social values of the literary arts.
• Commitment to a broad range of issues and activities associated with a literary writer and the communities in which the writer lives and works.

The MFA in Creative Writing program is a low-residency, mentor-based (as opposed to a course-based) program. There are no individual courses offered for units of credit. The MFA program includes five ten-day intensive residencies at the Los Angeles campus (or six residencies in the dual concentration option) involving required and elective activities, writing workshops, and individual as well as collaborative learning experiences. These residencies alternate with five-month non-residential, online project periods for the completion of individualized learning plans and projects designed with the student’s faculty mentor. Students are awarded 12 semester units for the completion of each semester's learning, including both residency and project period activities.

The curriculum offers instruction in the techniques of writing in the genres of creative nonfiction, fiction, poetry, and young people in combination with theoretical interpretation, cultural and literary criticism, and the exploration of social contexts. Occasionally, the program offers online electives such as TV/Screenwriting, craft courses in poetry, prose, and others. A required field study involves the student in experiential learning, such as involvement in community arts activities, the teaching of creative writing, or an internship in a professional setting. Students also take an 8-week translation course. Intense student-faculty mentoring relationships support the student learning and round out the curriculum. During the project periods, online discussions such as critique and reading groups connect students and mentors on a regular basis in an active learning network.

Each term, students are issued a Residency and Semester Student Handbook detailing specific learning activities for the upcoming residency. This Student Handbook also includes information on program requirements, policies, procedures, and documentation of learning.

DEGREE OPTIONS

This low-residency MFA program for adult students is designed to provide writers with a high level of professional training and an appreciation for the multifaceted relationship of the arts and artists to society. Creative nonfiction, fiction, poetry, and young people are offered as primary genres for study, and literary translation is offered as a secondary genre for study.  There are three options for completing the MFA degree: 

• Single genre option – the student chooses one genre as the designated field of study and works in that genre for four terms (two years)
• Mixed genre option – the student chooses to spend three terms in a primary genre and one term in a second genre (two years).  This is referred to as a "Genre Jump".
• Dual concentration – the student spends three terms in the primary genre and two terms in a second genre (two and one half years). Before the beginning of their fourth residency, students seeking this option, 1) must have spent one term in the second genre, and 2) must have declared their intent to pursue a dual concentration.

Advanced standing in the MFA in Creative Writing program can be sought by students who have completed at least one semester in another MFA in Creative Writing program in an accredited college or university. Students with an MA in English or other qualifications may also be granted Advanced standing on a case-by-case basis. After having been accepted into the AULA MFA in Creative Writing program, students may request advanced standing under the advice and guidance of the Creative Writing Department Chair. Advanced standing qualifies a student to complete the standard MFA in Creative Writing program in three terms rather than four. Advanced standing moves the student forward only one term.

The MFA Professional Development Semester (PDS) consists of a single term that may be taken for a range of 5 units of credit.  PDS A is an additional semester of project period mentoring any of the following genres: fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, young people, or literary translation. The MFA Professional Development Semester is offered to Antioch MFA alumni as well as currently enrolled MFA students who have completed all requirements for the MFA degree except the formatting review of the final manuscript.  PDS A students must be in good standing with the program and have completed their work in a timely manner, as well as demonstrated the ability to work independently. Continuing MFA students take the PDS during their fifth (or, in the case of dual concentrations, sixth) term of work.  The 5 PDS units are added to the continuing student's number of units required for graduation, making a total of 53 units that must be completed in order to earn the degree.  Continuing MFA students may take only one Professional Development Semester but may also return for additional PDS terms as alumni.  MFA alumni enroll in a PDS term as non-matriculating students.

A Post-MFA Certificate in the Teaching of Creative Writing is available to eligible MFA in Creative Writing students who have met all requirements for the degree, to AULA MFA in Creative Writing alumni, and to those holding the degree of MFA in Creative Writing from other institutions. AULA students must apply to the Post-MFA program and be in good standing academically, as well as have demonstrated the ability to complete work on time and independently throughout the MFA Program. Since the Post-MFA Certificate requires a placement with another faculty member at an academic institution, the Post-MFA student must also have demonstrated professionalism while in the MFA Program. The Certificate is described later in this page.

THE MFA RESIDENCY

The ten-day residencies in June and December form a principal component of the MFA in Creative Writing program. Required to initiate each semester’s work, the residency provides the student with seminars, lectures and workshops, an opportunity to submit preferences for a faculty mentor, and time to prepare the project period learning plan. It also offers the student peer support and networking with other writers.

Each ten-day residency at the Los Angeles campus provides the student with:

• Exposure to a wide range of collaborative and independent learning activities in the field
• Input in the selection of a faculty mentor for the upcoming project period
• Time to prepare the project period learning plan with the mentor
• General direction in the development of an individual curriculum
• Stimulation and support

Students and faculty come to the Los Angeles campus to participate in intensive sessions in writing and literature, as well as informal exchanges with students, faculty, and special guests on social issues related to the arts. Faculty, visiting writers, and graduating students present lectures in literature, literary theory, the craft of writing, and the professional aspects of a writing life. Descriptions of residency seminars, panels, and other presentations are included in the MFA Student Handbook.  The handbook is mailed to students and posted online in advance of the residency so that students may select learning activities in which they wish to participate and to prepare for them. Students are expected to attend a minimum of seven learning activities during each residency (including a  writing workshop ) along with required orientations for specific student cohorts.  In addition, students must attend two community activities (at least one lunchtime student reading and one graduating student reading) every residency.

The writing workshop s, which meet on alternate days throughout the residency, encourage the development of analytical skills and critical skills in a genre. Workshops are led by faculty members and students serve as resources for one another. Each includes five to eight students. During the residency, each student has original writing discussed in a workshop. Students are required to submit in advance representative new work completed during the previous semester’s project period; new students may include work submitted with the application. A maximum of ten pages of poetry are requested; fiction and nonfiction writers submit a maximum of 20 double-spaced pages.  Prior to the residency, students should prepare typed critiques for each fellow author and plan to hand these out in person to the author immediately after the writer's work has been discussed.  The critique should be a minimum of 200 words with no maximum for each separate work (story, essay, poem, etc.) submitted for discussion.

Each residency schedule includes a variety of special presentations, optional off-site events, performances, and other activities. Faculty members and graduating students give public readings of their work. Additionally, visiting writers are brought to the campus to participate in residency activities and give readings or presentations. Special discussion sessions are held on publishing, networking, book arts, dramatic writing, performance art, and the like. These special discussions vary with each residency.

Prior to the residency, students are encouraged to read published work by members of the faculty for that semester. During the residency, students submit their preferences for the faculty mentor who will work with them during the project period. The MFA core faculty team then assigns an appropriate mentor, based on student choice, student seniority, faculty availability, and other factors. The program cannot guarantee that each student will be able to work with every faculty member s/he/they  wishes to have as a mentor or workshop leader. Students are required to work with a variety of faculty during their time in the program, and they are permitted to request to work with the same project period mentor for a maximum of two semesters.

During the residency, students meet in groups and in individual conferences with their assigned faculty mentor to discuss their learning projects for the upcoming project period. New students are oriented to the program model and counseled in how to meet degree requirements. High value is also placed on students being resources for one another.

Students and faculty do not reside on campus during the residency. Students must secure their own housing at one of the many hotels or rentals nearby. Students may choose to stay in other facilities, or with friends or family. 

Students are generally expected to be on campus from 9:00 a.m. to as late as 9:00 p.m. every residency day, because of the full schedule of activities and the importance of informal, unscheduled exchange with colleagues (both faculty and students). Although readings are open to the public, other activities and facilities are for students only (alums may come if they inform the program). With the exception of readings, students may not bring spouses, partners, friends or family to campus, as the residency period is an extremely demanding time to which the student must give full attention. No childcare is provided by the University. Campus policy does not allow pets on campus except for service animals. Other details of the residency, including accommodations, directions to the campus, etc., are included in the MFA Student Handbook.

During the residency, each student maintains a Residency Log, which is a list of the learning activities attended. The log must be submitted at the conclusion of each residency. Students must also write and submit a residency student learning analysis (RSLA) reflecting on the various learning activities during the residency. This must be submitted to the MFA program office approximately ten days after the student departs from the residency and it becomes a part of the student’s permanent file. In addition, students complete a residency review, identifying strengths, weaknesses, and suggestions for future residencies. The review helps the MFA program faculty plan the next residency period more effectively,  and does not become part of the student’s permanent file.

Students are expected to participate fully in the entire ten-day residency period. Full participation is required to earn the semester’s credit and for the granting of the degree. If, for some exceptional reason such as health or family emergency, a student cannot participate fully, s/he/they  must petition the MFA program for a one-semester leave of absence (LOA). See the Office of the Registrar Policies and Procedures section of this Catalog for further information about LOAs. Students on leave are reminded that a new semester cannot be initiated without full residency participation.

The second essential component of the MFA is the project period. During each residency, students are assigned a faculty mentor with whom they design a five-month learning plan called a Project Period Contract (PPC). The Project Period Contract contains the following elements:

• A list of specific learning objectives for the term
• A list of what the student will write in order to achieve these objectives
• A list of books and shorter works the student will read individually and in common with her/his/their mentee group in order to achieve the learning objectives
• A schedule by which writings and readings will be completed

A signed Project Period Contract is required before the student departs from the residency.

Activities in the PPC are completed during the project period. During these five months, regular communication is conducted with the faculty mentor via email, telephone, Zoom, and AULA’s online learning management system. Over the course of the project period, students submit five monthly packets of work to their mentors. Small groups of students also participate in an online reading discussion supervised by their respective mentors. Project period activities require a minimum of 25 hours per week, consisting of reading and writing, conferencing, and communicating with other students.

The primary focus of the project period is the student’s own creative writing as well as written annotations based on selected readings. Specific project periods also include other core requirements, such as the Art of Translation Course (2 nd project period), the Critical Paper ( 2 nd   and 3 rd project period), the Final Manuscript, and Cumulative Annotated Bibliography. These last two requirements are completed during the student’s final project period in either the 4 th or 5 th semester, depending on whether or not the student is pursuing a dual concentration.

An important feature of the MFA in Creative Writing program is the online component. During the project period, students, mentoring faculty, the Creative Writing Department office, and all offices at AULA are connected online through the AULA Gmail system and the online learning management system, Sakai, on which students are trained during their first residency. Mentors also establish private online reading and writing/critique discussions for their mentees on the learning management platform. The primary means of exchange is online via the AULA Gmail system. The Creative Writing Department also communicates information to faculty and students online through the AULA Gmail system.

Midway through the project period, the mentor completes a midterm evaluation that indicates the student’s satisfactory work toward the Project Period Contract’s learning objectives or indicates problems with the student’s work and student-faculty relationship that might prevent the student from successfully completing the semester. This midterm evaluation is submitted to the Creative Writing Department office. If it is an unsatisfactory evaluation, the student is contacted by the Creative Writing Department Chair to discuss strategies for academic improvement or the potential for the student being placed on probation. The student also completes a midterm self-evaluation which is submitted to the mentor and the Creative Writing Department office. By mutual agreement, the student and mentor may modify the Project Period Contract during the project period, but any significant changes to the original contract must be noted in the mentor’s Student Learning Evaluation (SLE) at the end of the term. Another progress evaluation from the mentor is provided at the three quarter point of the project period to satisfy requirements of the Financial Aid office.

The decision to grant the MFA degree is made by the MFA Faculty Committee upon recommendation of the faculty mentor. The student’s record must demonstrate the following: 

• Full participation in five residencies (six for the dual concentration option)
• Successful completion of four project periods (five for the dual concentration option)
• Completion of the Art of Translation Seminar and online Art of Translation Course
• Completion of the Critical Paper
• Working with at least three different faculty mentors (during the project periods) during the course of the program
• Completion of a Core Faculty-approved Field Study
• Broad reading and the preparation of a cumulative annotated bibliography in creative writing, literature, and the arts
• Successful completion of the final semester requirements: the graduating student presentation, graduating student reading, and the final manuscript 

The criteria for granting the degree include completion of all the above degree requirements, creative writing ability, engagement with perennial questions of literature and the social role of the writer, experience in applied criticism, and knowledge of the genre/genres studied in the program. It is expected that developing mastery in these areas will be demonstrated in each residency and project period evaluation, as well as documented specifically in responses to and evaluations of the student’s work for each project period, including monthly packets of creative writing, critical papers, the field study, the final manuscript, and at the end of the student’s final residency, the graduating student presentation.

Sample Curriculum Plan

Students are required to participate in all learning activities specified as “required” for their specific cohort in the Student Handbook. The following curriculum plan illustrates a typical program of study. Bracketed items may be taken during any residency or project period in which they are offered. This is a representative plan, but each student’s progress through the program is designed individually in consultation with her or his faculty mentors.

Residency 1:

• New Student Orientations, Parts I & II
• Orientation to Sakai and Antioch Gmail
• Arts, Culture and Society I
• [Orientation to the MFA Field Study]
• [Writers at Work]
• Reading as a Writer
• Mentor panel and selection

Writing Workshop

• Seminars/readings/panels/graduating student presentations
• Student Log, Residency Student Learning Analysis and Project Period Contract

Project Period 1:

• Monthly submission of creative work to mentor
• Selected reading and written annotations
• Submission of workshop material for residency 2
• MFA field study preparation
• Online book discussion forum on Sakai

Project Period Student Learning Analysis and Student Evaluation of Mentor

Residency 2:

• [Arts, Culture and Society II (topic varies each residency)]
• [Orientation to the Field Study]

The Art of Translation Seminar

Project Period 2:

• Online Translation and Adaptation Conference
• Field study completed
• Submission of workshop material for residency 3
• Practice Critical Paper 

Residency 3:

Critical Paper Seminar

Project Period 3:

• Critical Paper
• Submission of workshop material for residency 4

Residency 4:

• Submission of Critical Paper to MFA Program Office
• Orientation to the Final Term
• How to Prepare and Give a 20-Minute Graduating Student Presentation
• Mentor interview and selection

Residency Student Learning Analysis and Project Period Contract

Project Period 4:

• Preparation of the Final Manuscript
• Preparation of graduating student presentation and public reading
• Selected reading and written annotations  
• Preparation of Cumulative Annotated Bibliography
• Submission of workshop material for residency 5

Residency 5 :

• Submission of final manuscript to MFA Program Office
• Submission of cumulative annotated bibliography to MFA Program Office
• Life After Antioch
• Present graduating student presentation
• Perform graduating student reading of creative work
• Student Log and Residency Student Learning Analysis

Semester 5 (for dual concentration students only)

Project Period 5:

For Dual Concentration students, same as project period 4

Residency 6:

For Dual Concentration students, same as residency 5

Final Semester Requirements

At the end of at least three successful semesters (four for dual concentration students), and with faculty mentor approval of the Critical Paper, the student proceeds into the final semester's projects. During the final residency, the student is also expected to offer a 20-minute conference-style presentation under faculty supervision and to present a reading of her/his work. Final semester work focuses primarily on the preparation of the Cumulative Annotated Bibliography (a complete listing of everything the student has read and studied during the program) and the Final Manuscript, described below.

The Final Manuscript

The Final Manuscript is a volume of the student’s best creative work produced in the MFA program, reflecting proportionally the genre(s) the student has studied under the supervision of hi s/her/their m entors each project period.

For students who concentrate in a single genre , the requirements are as follows:

• Creative Nonfiction: At least 100 manuscript pages
• Fiction: At least 100 manuscript pages
• Poetry: At least 40 manuscript pages
• Young People: At least 100 manuscript pages

For students who pursue a mixed concentration (3 semesters in a primary genre, 1 in a secondary genre), the minimum page requirements are listed below.

Note : Creative Nonfiction, Fiction, Young People, and all genres offered by the AUSB program are each calculated as “prose.”

• Poetry (primary) and prose (secondary): 30 pages of poems, 25 pages of prose
• Prose (primary) and Poetry (secondary): 75 pages of prose, 10 pages of poems

Prose (primary) and different genre of prose (secondary): 75 pages of primary genre, 25 pages of secondary genre

For students who pursue a Dual Concentration (3 semesters in a primary genre, 2 in a secondary genre), the minimum page requirements are as follows:

• Poetry (primary) and prose (secondary): 30 pages of poems, 50 pages of prose
• Prose (primary) and Poetry (secondary): 75 pages of prose, 20 pages of poems

Prose (primary) and different genre of prose (secondary): 75 pages of primary genre, 50 pages of secondary genre

Student learning in the MFA in Creative Writing program is assessed in a number of ways, all of which are grounded in the program’s learning objectives and mission.

Each student’s writing is evaluated by a faculty admissions committee during the application process. This writing sample and faculty evaluation serve as a baseline from which to identify the student’s strengths in writing and assess the student’s improvement through the course of the program.

The evaluation of the student’s learning and, more precisely, the student’s development and mastery of writing skills in a selected genre occurs in several ways:

Students receive ongoing responses to their writing from faculty mentors and peers throughout the program.

As noted above, there is a midterm evaluation for each project period.

Students write their own project period student learning analysis and receive their mentor’s evaluation at the end of each project period.

At the end of the final project period, the mentor approves the student’s Final Manuscript (which also must be approved and signed by the MFA Chair) and writes the final evaluation, clearing the student for graduation.

Faculty and peer review of each graduating student’s presentation are gathered during the final residency and later shared with the student.

Because the MFA learning community engages in distance and hybrid education, it is essential that every student in the MFA program have ongoing reliable access to a working computer and a stable Internet connection.

Please consult the Antioch University website and the MFA Program Office for our regularly updated information on hardware and software requirements. 

Computer Hardware/Operating System:

Mac (10.5 or higher) or Windows PC (XP or higher) with a minimum of 1GB of RAM (2GB recommended)

Computer speakers to listen to audio content

Webcam to participate in course-related video conferencing

We recommend that you use a computer purchased in the last 2-3 years. Many retailers offer discounts on new laptops and desktops to enrolled students.

Office Productivity Software:

Word processing software that can save to MS Word “doc” or “docx” format

A good choice for students is a current office suite package, such as Microsoft Office, that includes word processing, presentation, spreadsheet, and other useful software. See Antioch website for other acceptable options. (Antioch University requires students and faculty to trade files in .docx format to prevent incompatibilities.)  

Internet Connectivity:

Reliable Internet connection

Consistent access to a high-speed (i.e., cable/DSL) Internet connection is strongly recommended. Also, it is helpful to have consistent access outside of an office environment. Some offices have restrictions on network usage.

Internet Browsers and Plug-Ins:

Please use one of the following Internet browsers:

Internet Explorer (PC)

Firefox (PC, Mac)

Google Chrome (PC, Mac)

Safari (Mac)

Note: Firefox has worked especially well for students accessing Sakai .

Free Internet plug-ins should allow you to view PDF documents, and play multimedia files. 

Security, Anti-Virus, and Handheld Devices:

Antioch University urges you to take steps to prevent viruses and other malware from infecting your educational computing environment. To that end, we recommend you use and keep updated reliable anti-virus software, and malware and spyware protection.

We also encourage all members of our community to back up their work often to protect against computer failure. The MFA program requires students to maintain some documents over the course of their two years in the program. It is essential that you not let natural disaster or computer failure create challenges for you in the months leading up to your graduation.

Please note that handheld and tablet devices may be very helpful, but will not be able to interact with all the online features of the MFA program.

LEARNING ACTIVITY DESCRIPTIONS

Residency Core Offerings

The Writing Workshop is an intensive four-day workshop (10 total hours) in the genre (creative nonfiction, fiction, poetry, or young people) the student concentrated on in the project period that preceded the residency. (Note: Mixed genre students and incoming students participate in a workshop in the genre they were mentored—or accepted in—that precedes the residency.)

Arts, Culture, and Society (I & II)

These courses investigate the relation between cultural production, politics, and social change. With a lecture-discussion format, students focus attention on the principal aspects of cultural theory in an effort to come to a fuller understanding of the place of writing and the arts within our social system. Students gain a better understanding of themselves as cultural workers situated within particular matrices of political and social power.

Orientation to the Field Study

Students are required to complete one field study project, pre-approved by core faculty. In some instances, pre-designed field studies are available for students to select. These include introducing guest writers or working on the MFA program’s student-edited online literary journal, Lunch Ticket. However, in most instances, students develop opportunities for these learning experiences under the guidance of their core faculty field study mentor and on-site field study supervisor. Field studies can consist of varied types of learning such as developing a multimedia presentation, interning in professional settings or cultural organizations, creating a web page, editing a magazine, and other activities or projects approved by the core faculty and on-site field study supervisor. Each student’s field study is expected to address at least two of the three aspects of the MFA program’s special focus: the education of literary artists, community engagement, and the pursuit of social justice.

Seminars/Presentations on the Art and Culture of Writing

Faculty and guest writers present historical, critical , and process seminars on writing and the work of writers. Graduating students present 20-minute conference-style presentations on literary topics.

This course introduces students to graduate-level library research. Students learn to research topics in literary studies, access online research, provide proper documentation for critical papers, and prepare critical paper manuscripts according to Modern Language Association guidelines.

This seminar familiarizes students with the art of translation and adaptation of literary texts. One of the primary goals of this conference is cultural mediation. Collaborative translation and adaptation create bridges to other cultures while honing English language skills by creating "equivalent" patterns of sound and sense that also serve the originality of poems in another language. Spinoffs and rewritings of poems and short prose passages also help students discover how their own cultures modulate universal themes. It is not necessary to know a foreign language to participate in this seminar.

How to Prepare and Teach a 20-Minute Presentation

This seminar helps students approaching graduation prepare to give their graduating student presentations. The broader purpose is twofold: 1) To help students envision their presentations with clear delivery of information and audience engagement; and 2) to help students envision contexts in which this type of presentation – teaching, job interviews, conference presentations, etc. – will be essential to success.

Writers at Work

Lectures, field trips, meetings with editors and publishers, and other resources show students ways in which creative writers earn a living in today's culture. Alum at Work is similar but taught by MFA alumni.genre

Creative Writing Pedagogy Workshop

This workshop is an intensive, four-day workshop (10 total hours) in innovative creative writing pedagogies, required for students in the Post-MFA Certificate in the Teaching of Creative Writing program.

The Pedagogy of Creative Writing

Various faculty seminars are offered which examine both the theory and the practice of teaching creative writing. Of particular interest is an ongoing critique of the workshop model, offering multiple alternative paradigms for the production and critical assessment of creative work that may better suit the needs of emerging creative writers. Required for students in the Post-MFA Certificate in the Teaching of Creative Writing program.

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California State University - Channel Islands

• CAMARILLO, CA
• · Rating 3.65 out of 5   1,111

University of California - Riverside

• Riverside, CA ·
• · Rating 3.64 out of 5   3,716 reviews
• grade  B+ Overall Niche Grade
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• Net price $14,487
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#15 Best Colleges in Los Angeles Area .

RIVERSIDE, CA ,

3716 Niche users give it an average review of 3.6 stars.

Featured Review: Junior says Choosing UC Riverside for my pre-med education was the best decision I’d ever made, driven by its unparalleled resources and supportive community. Opting for UCR's Honors program over other... .

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Overall Niche Grade : B+ ,

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California Baptist University

• · Rating 4.14 out of 5   2,907 reviews
• Acceptance rate 80%
• Net price $27,304

#18 Best Colleges in Los Angeles Area .

2907 Niche users give it an average review of 4.1 stars.

Featured Review: Alum says I genuinely loved my experience at CBU. They are not perfect, no college is, but I found that your experience is what you make of it. I attended a bunch of the student events and really enjoyed my... The professors I had were amazing - friendly and helpful. They truly made my time there productive and positive. The food options on campus are top-tier and the basic food plan was more than enough. The campus is smaller than the typical college campus so it was easy and quick to get to most of your classes. Parking was really bad when I attended but they have made moves to improve that since I... Campus security can be strict but I appreciated that as I often felt safe. .

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Acceptance Rate : 80% ,

Net Price : $27,304 ,

Cerritos College

• Norwalk, CA ·
• · Rating 3.88 out of 5   1,346 reviews
• Acceptance rate 100%
• Net price $3,812

#5 Best Community Colleges in Los Angeles Area .

NORWALK, CA ,

1346 Niche users give it an average review of 3.9 stars.

Featured Review: Freshman says Attending this college for one year it has been a smooth transition from high school to college. It isn't as scary as some people might put it; there are many opportunities for yourself and you can... .

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Acceptance Rate : 100% ,

Net Price : $3,812 ,

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Cypress College

• Cypress, CA ·
• · Rating 4.07 out of 5   1,067 reviews
• Net price $7,421

#7 Best Community Colleges in Los Angeles Area .

CYPRESS, CA ,

1067 Niche users give it an average review of 4.1 stars.

Featured Review: Sophomore says My experience was more about focusing on my academics and making connections with my peers. I was able to discover different aspects of subjects that allowed me to figure out that the major I was... .

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Net Price : $7,421 ,

Long Beach City College

• Long Beach, CA ·
• · Rating 3.74 out of 5   1,780 reviews
• grade  B Overall Niche Grade
• Net price $6,084

#11 Best Community Colleges in Los Angeles Area .

LONG BEACH, CA ,

1780 Niche users give it an average review of 3.7 stars.

Featured Review: Sophomore says Dear Admissions Committee, I am thrilled to share my exceptional experience at Long Beach City College. The supportive environment, dedicated faculty, and hands-on learning opportunities have been invaluable in shaping my... LBCC's emphasis on practical skills and real-world experiences has prepared me for success in my field. The diverse community and inclusive atmosphere have enriched my perspective and taught me... While my experience has been overwhelmingly positive, I believe continued investment in [specific area of interest or improvement] would further enhance the college's offerings and reputation. Thank you for considering my testimonial. I am excited about the possibility of contributing to LBCC's legacy of excellence. Warm regards, Seyed Vahid Shojaei .

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Overall Niche Grade : B ,

Net Price : $6,084 ,

University of La Verne

• La Verne, CA ·
• · Rating 3.89 out of 5   1,263 reviews
• Acceptance rate 74%
• Net price $25,103
• SAT range 970-1220

#29 Best Colleges in Los Angeles Area .

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LA VERNE, CA ,

1263 Niche users give it an average review of 3.9 stars.

Featured Review: Alum says As a Alumni, your experience depends entirely on you and your choices. Your major and the activities you are involved in may measure and estimate your experience to be probably be better. Overall... .

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Acceptance Rate : 74% ,

Net Price : $25,103 ,

SAT Range : 970-1220 ,

Laguna College of Art & Design

• Laguna Beach, CA ·
• · Rating 4.03 out of 5   216 reviews
• grade  B minus Overall Niche Grade
• Acceptance rate 88%
• Net price $42,896

LAGUNA BEACH, CA ,

216 Niche users give it an average review of 4 stars.

Featured Review: Freshman says I will say that as a Game Art major this is exactly where I want to be. There is no other program in the nation that gets you up close and personal with current industry professionals like the one... .

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Overall Niche Grade : B minus ,

Acceptance Rate : 88% ,

Net Price : $42,896 ,

La Sierra University

• · Rating 3.54 out of 5   768 reviews
• Acceptance rate 92%
• Net price $25,076

768 Niche users give it an average review of 3.5 stars.

Featured Review: Junior says Like many private universities, cost and financial aid can be challenging for students, especially for internationals. Improving affordability and accessibility of financial aid could benefit many. I... .

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Acceptance Rate : 92% ,

Net Price : $25,076 ,

University of Redlands

• Redlands, CA ·
• · Rating 3.63 out of 5   935 reviews
• Acceptance rate 82%
• Net price $28,157
• SAT range 1130-1280

REDLANDS, CA ,

935 Niche users give it an average review of 3.6 stars.

Featured Review: Freshman says Overall, I am quite pleased with my experience here. I had the opportunity to participate in the Summer Bridge Program, which allowed me to spend a week at the college before the academic year began.... The program made me feel welcomed and helped me to establish connections. By the time the school year started, I already knew people and felt comfortable. We spent a lot of time together, eating... If it weren't for the Summer Bridge Program, I believe my experience would have been quite different, and I might have felt even more nervous coming into the school. I'm grateful for the opportunity... .

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Acceptance Rate : 82% ,

Net Price : $28,157 ,

SAT Range : 1130-1280 ,

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Emory University

• ATLANTA, GA
• · Rating 3.84 out of 5   1,618

Hamline University

• SAINT PAUL, MN
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Scripps College

• CLAREMONT, CA
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The MFA and certificate programs in Creative Writing at the Mount are artist-training programs for students seeking to write professionally across multiple genres and who wish to integrate different areas of academia into their work. We believe that a foundation in intellectual history and the humanities are essential qualities of any artist. Our low-residency MFA and certificate programs offer working professionals the flexibility to enroll in online or on-campus courses, or both! Classes meet every other weekend and are designed to prime students for a productive artistic future.

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Writing Tips Oasis - A website dedicated to helping writers to write and publish books.

15 Top Writing Classes in Los Angeles

By Katrina Kwan

Are you a writer based in LA ?

Are you thinking about taking a writing workshop to help develop your skills?

Below we’ve featured 15 top writing classes in Los Angeles.

1. First-Draft Incubator 2.0 with Nicole Criona (LA Writers Group)

The Los Angeles Writers Group (LAWG) was founded in 2003 by Nicole Criona and Sanora Bartels with the express aim to provide writers with a community of support and feedback along their creative writing journey. LAWG offers several writing workshops, as well as private and group coaching for more intensive, personalized training. The team at LAWG offers both in-person and online workshops to help their writers learn and grow, regardless of location or time restrictions.

Their workshop, First-Drive Incubator 2.0 , is led by Nicole Criona, who has over 15 years of experience assisting writers on novels, screenplays, short stories, poetry, essays, and memoirs. As a specialist in developmental editing and author coaching, Nicole is also a fellow writer and veteran of the publishing industry. This course that she offers includes 2 hours per month of private coaching, two monthly online meetings on the 2 nd and 4 th Tuesday of every month, a 10% discount on private coaching, and a 20% discount on other workshops, retreats, and online writing challenges.

First-Draft Incubator 2.0 can help you set reasonable goals, finish your book, learn tools of the trade to assist with outlining, writing scenes, character development, and so much more. For those interested, but require no coaching, the class costs $255 monthly. For existing students or former coaching clients, the course costs $195 per month. If you’re a writer who’s interested in taking the online courses only, it costs $125 per month. For more information, you can contact the team at LAWG via email or call (323) 963-3180 during regular business hours.

2. Making a Scene with Elizabeth L. Silver (Writing Workshops Los Angeles)

Writing Workshops Los Angeles (WWLA) is undoubtedly a leading authority when it comes to helping writers broaden their horizons and sharpen their creative writing skills. Originally founded by Edan Lepucki, they offer a multitude of different classes from fiction writing, nonfiction writing, poetry workshops, and more. WWLA’s talented faculty have published titles like “The Education of Margot Sanchez” by Lilliam Rivera, “Grace and the Fever” by Zan Romanoff, and Neon Green” by Margaret Wappler.

They are currently offering a memoir writing workshop called Making a Scene: How to Craft the Most Powerful Scene in Your Memoir . This class is being taught by Elizabeth L. Silver, the author of memoir “The Tincture of Time: A Parent’s Memoir of (Medical) Uncertainty.” The class takes place on March 30 th , 2019 from 10:00am to 2:00pm. This class will help any aspiring memoirist to focus writing on important, high-impact scenes to really help bring your memories to life.

Enrollment to this class is limited to eight students only, so if you’re interested in taking part, be sure to sign up as soon as possible. Class enrollment for new students is $130, and only $120 for returning students of the WWLA. This particular writing class will be hosted in Encino, about a 25-minute drive from downtown LA. Light snacks, coffee, and sparkling water will be provided. For more information, you can contact the team at WWLA via email .

3. Short Story Writing Workshop with Abigail Ulman (Writing Pad)

Writing Pad was founded by writers Marilyn Friedman and Jeff Bernstein in the hopes of helping writers gain the most of their writing experience. With several locations throughout Los Angeles, Writing Pad offers an assortment of different classes for different kinds of writers. Whether you’re interested in nonfiction writing, creative fiction, screenwriting, or TV writing, Writing Pad definitely has a class to offer you.

They are currently offering Short Story 1 , a short story writing workshop taught by Abigail Ulman. Abigail is the author of “Hot Little Hands,” and was recently a Wallace Stegner Fellow in Fiction at Stanford University. In this class, she hopes to help you with the essential elements of fiction writing, including productive outlining, plot mapping, character, plot, change, and point out mistakes that are all too common amongst inexperienced writers.

Short Story 1 is a 5-week program being hosted May 22 nd , May 29 th , Jun 5 th , June 12 th , and June 19 th from 7:30pm to 10:30pm at Writing Pad’s LA-East location. There are only four spots left, so it’s imperative that you sign up quickly before space runs out! The cost for this extensive 5-week course is $425 per person. One of the great things about Writing Pad is they also accept course payments in installments! For more information, you can contact the team at Writing Pad either via email or call (213) 325-6910.

4. Write Fiction Like A Pro with Steve Alcorn (LA County Library)

The LA County Library is a great resource for aspiring authors looking to get a leg-up in their writing careers. The LA County Library offers free writing classes through Gale Courses, so if you’re a library card holder, this is definitely a service you should try and take advantage of! Gale Courses currently offers several creative writing classes, including Writing Fiction Like A Pro with Steve Alcorn.

Steve Alcorn is a published author of both fiction and nonfiction. Over the past 10 years, he has helped more than 300,000 students develop their ideas into full stories. Many of his former students have even gone on to write and publish their own novels. He has written titles like “A Matter of Justice,” “Everything in Its Path” and the children’s storybook, “Molly Builds a Theme Park.”

Write Fiction Like A Pro will go over story structure, dramatic elements, the development of character, story ideas, outlining, plotting, and more. This is a six-week program that has several different starting dates: March 13 th , April 17 th , May 15 th , and June 12 th . There are no requirements to enter this program, although you should at least have a working PC or Mac device you can use with an up-to-date writing software. As mentioned before, this course is free to all LA County Library patrons, so be sure to enroll now !

5. Six-Week Writing Workshop with Jonathan Blum

Jonathan Blum is the author of “Last Word” and “The Usual Uncertainties.” After having graduated from UCLA and the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, Jonathan resettled in Los Angeles and now offers an assortment of writing classes. He is currently offering a six-week long fiction writing workshop with a limited class size of 10 students. In this course, he helps his students workshop short stories and novel excerpts up to 20 pages to help in structure, characterization, and language.

This course runs twice a year, once in the spring between March 31 st to May 5 th , and once in the fall between September 22 nd to October 27 th . All classes take place on Sundays between 5:00pm to 7:00pm. The course fee is $575 per person. Alternatively, Jonathan offers a two-month intensive workshop for writers that not only assists with a 20-page story workshop, but case studies of select published fiction. This course goes for $720 per person, and the class is again limited to 10 students. For more information, you can contact Jonathan directly through his website’s online contact form .

6. WriteGirl Writing Workshops by WriteGirl

WriteGirl is a program honored by First Lady Michelle Obama and the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award. This fantastic program offers young girls the opportunity to explore the realm of creative writing and hopefully nurture their imagination and self-confidence. This Los Angeles-based organization offers dozens of writing workshops, panel discussions, and special events. Their up coming panel, Lights, America, WriteGirl! features speakers like Lauren Graham, Seth Rogan, Stephanie Katherine Grant, and Keiko Agena.

WriteGirl offers writing workshops from September all the way through June to cover topics about poetry, songwriting, journalism, screenwriting, creative nonfiction, and fiction. They just recently wrapped up their Character & Dialogue Workshop at the Linwood Dunn Theater at The Academy, Hollywood. For a full list of their upcoming events, click here . If you’re a young writer interested in this program, simply contact the team at WriteGirl via email or call (213) 253-2655 to see about getting involved.

7. Creative Writing Workshop by Writopia Lab

Writopia Lab is another great resource for young writers hoping to develop their writing skills. Writopia Lab offers a wide range of writing classes in the hopes of promoting literacy and critical thinking in children and teens. They currently offer half-day creative writing workshops in the Los Angeles Metro area. They offer creative writing workshops, classes for screenwriting, memoirs, narrative therapy, language play, graphic novels, and so much more!

You’re strongly encouraged to check out their class availability to check out the time, date, and age group for each class. Fees for half-day writing classes start at $595 per attendant. They also offer full-day writing camps during summer break and school-year breaks, with fees starting at $880 for one whole week. For more information, you can contact the team at Writopia Lab via email or call (323) 761-0453.

8. The Veterans Writing Project by The Writers Guild Foundation

The Writers Guild Foundation offers a unique writing class intended specifically for veterans. Their Veterans Writing Project helps individuals with military backgrounds to nurture and develop a passion for writing that can help them transition from their life of service. This is a year-long project that offers a weekend-long writing retreat, and a monthly follow-up with workshops and other special events.

The program’s application window to apply for the 2019-2020 year is now closed, but you’re strongly encouraged to subscribe to the Writer Guild Foundation’s email list to receive updates and to learn when the application window reopens. This program is completely free and accepts up to 50 veterans every year to participate. For more information, you can contact the Writers Guild Foundation via email or call (323) 782-4692.

9. Professional Screenwriting and Television Writing Workshop with Corey Mandell

Fiction and nonfiction writing aren’t the only avenues authors can explore when it comes to their literary creativity. Corey Mandell is an award-winning playwright and screenwriter who has worked on projects with Ridley Scott, Harrison Ford, Meg Ryan, Julia Roberts, John Travolta, the Warner Brothers, Universal, 20 th Century Fox, Walt Disney Pictures, and more! He offers both author coaching and script consultations to interested writers.

Corey currently offers a Professional Screenwriting and Television Writing workshop for writers living in Los Angeles. His class is also offered through multi-video conference technology, so it’s actually available to students around the world. The class costs $595 per person and spans a total of 8 weeks. The course goes over narrative intensity, organic escalations, clarity, efficiency, high-impact pacing, and more. For more information, you can contact Corey directly via email .

10. Sketch Level 1 Intensive: Intro to Sketch Writing with Anna Cecilia

The best comedians know that the best rib-ticklers come about thanks to a great sense of improvisation and a keen storytelling ability. The Improve Space is a Los Angeles-based performance school that offers a wide range of workshops to help comedy writers focus on building industry relationships, help with character development, and storytelling skills. This non-profit organization is located near UCLA and offers a safe place for actors and writers alike to nurture their imagination.

They have a long list of classes that are coming soon, including Sketch Level 1 Intensive: Intro to Sketch Writing led by Anna Cecilia. Anna herself is a sketch comedy writer, performer, and director who graduated from Harvard University. The class itself offers four intensive classes and a table read to showcase your brilliant work. Enrollment is now open, and only costs $199 per person. If you’re interested in this class, you can contact The Improv Space through their website’s online contact form to apply or request more information.

11. UCLA Extension Writer’s Program

The University of California Los Angeles’ Extension offers a fantastic writer’s program for those determined to refine their skills and prepare for a long and successful career in the industry. Widely regarded as one of the best writing programs Los Angeles has to offer, UCLA Extension offers classes for the basics of writing, fiction (for beginner, intermediate, and advanced writers), creative nonfiction (for beginner, intermediate, and advanced writers), writing for young readers, poetry, and editing and publishing courses. They also offer classes for screenwriting (both TV and film).

They are currently offering a Master Class in Novel Writing taught by Alyx Dellamonica, author of the award-winning “The Town on Blighted Sea.” This class is just one of many that you can apply for, and has a registration fee of $3860 payable upon program acceptance. It is a 30 week master-level course limited to 8 students only. Not only does it include a guaranteed entry into the James Kirkwood Literary Awards competition, but your work during the course will be considered by a literary agent upon course completion.

There are several ways to enroll into the Writer’s Program, the primary methods being either online , by phone (call 1-800-825-9971), or in person (visit the UCLA Extension Temporary Registration Office on the 1 st floor at Gayley Center at 1145 Gayley Avenue). An estimated breakdown for the program’s tuition comes to roughly $5400. You’re strongly encouraged to check out the program’s information section here .

12. One Person Show Workshop with Anne Marie Scheffler (The Second City)

The Second City is an organization that was founded in 1959 by Bernie Sahlins, Howard Alk, and Paul Sills with the aim to make big waves in the entertainment industry. Among other things, Second City offers writing workshops at their Hollywood location like their Satirical Writing Intensive and their One Person Show Workshop , currently led by Anne Marie Scheffler.

Anne Marie Scheffler is a critically acclaimed solo performer who has won several credits and awards for her writing and acting. Through this workshop, she hopes to help you take advantage of your unique voice and put it to work. One Person Show Workshop 1 is offered in a 2-day intensive starting at $200, or a 5-day course with a 1-day showcase performance for $585. Classes are available between April 8 th to April 12 th , Monday to Friday from 11:00am to 4:00pm. If you’re interested in this writing class, you can enroll here .

13. Master Class with Alan Watt (LA Writer’s Lab)

The LA Writer’s Lab was founded by Alan Watt, the author of “The 90-Day Novel” and “The 90-Day Screenplay.” Alan founded LA Writer’s Lab back in 2002 to provide a place for writers to better develop their craft and ability to tell a story. Alan himself has worked as the writer and director of the award-winning film Interior Night , so he definitely can teach aspiring writers a thing or two about how to apply their skills to their unique stories.

Alan is currently offering a Master Class in writing intended for writers hoping to complete their projects for publication or production. The class takes place over 12 weeks and costs a total of $1150 ($575 upon registration, and $575 upon the 5 th class). This class is limited to 8 students per semester and takes place on Saturdays between 10:15am to 1:15PM. Due to the small class sizes, you’re strongly encouraged to register as soon as possible to reserve your spot.

14. Organizing Your Writing with Scrivener by Neelanjana Banerjee (Writing Workshops LA)

Writing your story is one thing, but learning how to organize your ideas effectively is another. WWLA offers a class called Organizing Your Writing with Scrivener , hosted by Neelanjana Banerjee. The class takes place April 6 th and April 20 th between 11:00am to 1:00pm. The best part? It takes place online! For writers based in Los Angeles, or anywhere beyond, this means you can take part in a memorable and helpful learning experience regardless of your location.

Neelanjana is a successful author of short stories, poetry, and essays, which have been featured in Prairie Schooner, PANK, The Liner, and World Literature Today . Through this class, she hopes to help authors through their drafting stages and to help organize their notes through the well-known and industry-wide used tool Scrivener. The class is limited to 8 students only and costs $130 for new students, $120 for returning WWLA students. For more information, you can contact the team at WWLA via email .

15. Memorable Memoir Workshop with Wendy Lawless (Writing Pad)

Another fantastic class offered by Writing Pad includes Memorable Memoir Workshop with Wendy Lawless. The class takes place for seven Saturdays (June 1 st , June 8 th , June 15 th , June 22 nd , July 13 th , July 20 th , and July 27 th ) between 11:00am to 1:00pm. There are only two spots left in this course, so be sure to apply if you’re interested! The class itself costs $425 per person.

Wendy Lawless is a two-time New York Times bestselling author who specializes in memoirs. She’s written “Chanel Bonfire” and “Heart of Glass,” both critically acclaimed memoirs! Through this class, Wendy hopes to teach her students about how to craft an emotional journey that’s both vivid in detail and compelling for your readers. You can even bring in up to 1200 words to every other class to receive helpful feedback from both Wendy and your classmates. For more information, you can call the team at Writing Pad at (213) 325-6910 or send them an email .

Are you aware of any other writing classes in Los Angeles? Please tell us about them in the comments box below!

K. Z. Kwan is a freelance writer based out of Halifax, Canada.

Writing Workshops & Writing Retreats in Los Angeles & Online

Welcome to la writers group.

LA Writers Group has facilitated creative writing workshops in Los Angeles since 2003, and as of August 2019, we also offer writing retreats in San Diego (Carlsbad - North County). We also offer many online workshops via live video conference (Zoom), email-based writing challenges, and coaching programs for writers who are ready to finish their first draft.

We support, encourage, and inspire writers of all genres. We’ve helped many writers establish or reestablish a productive and creative mindset, fill their pages, and learn their craft through our creative writing workshops and private coaching. We don't believe in the tough-love approach. We believe in empowering writers to explore their craft.

We only pick leaders who lead our writing workshops with love. We hire exceptional group leaders who are adept at engaging small groups of writers. We screen them for their expertise, their diplomacy, and their belief in positive reinforcement. We believe writers need a safe space to grow.

Our creative writing workshops are never about lectures with hundreds of people. Instead, our workshops are small and geared toward individual attention. We also offer one-on-one coaching for writers working on a first draft or editing for writers with a completed manuscript.

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A defining feature of the Creative Writing Program is hybridity and experimentation, so students are free to take courses in, and to write in, any genre they wish. Poets may take prose workshops to learn narrative conventions and how to deploy or challenge them; fiction and nonfiction writers may benefit from poetry workshops that hone their use of and engagement with language; and still other students may develop multidimensional writing practices. All students graduate with the ability to comprehend and critique work across genres, and an expanded sense of possibilities for their own work.

Students are encouraged to situate their creative practice in a critical context—to engage with the history, theory and politics of contemporary writing, and to think hard about what and why they write. The Program offers graduate students the chance to further develop both their craft and their knowledge base, and workshops combine attentive critique of student work with the discussion of readings on and in the various genres—or on special topics particularly relevant to writing today.

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Alumni Story

The two most important things about the Writing Program for me were the mentorship—being pushed by, and being championed by, faculty—both while I was at CalArts and after I graduated. Also, the peer group with which I’m still in contact. We had daily workshops; a handful of people working on the same projects for two years, who knew each other’s work really well. Taking criticism and learning how to communicate better based on that feedback, is important, because most of the time you’re trying to write on your own; you’re in a vacuum. You have no idea whether readers are going to pick up what you’re putting down. It’s valuable to learn that you can build from that criticism rather than being destroyed by it.

CalArts is a great place to be if you’re not sure exactly what you’re doing yet, and you want the room to grow and find your style or your niche. You’re encouraged to experiment, and there are some great faculty members that say, ‘What you've done here is good, but you need to go further.’ Or, maybe, ‘What you’ve done here isn’t so good.’ I gained a lot of confidence. When I came out of the Program I felt like I was no longer a dabbler. It also taught me discipline and good habits–having to produce work on a weekly basis.

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Home • Programs • Creative Writing

School of Critical Studies

661-253-7803  phone 661-255-0177 fax Room E123J

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

3501 Trousdale Parkway

Taper Hall of Humanities 431

Los Angeles, CA  90089-0354

Office Hours

Monday — Friday

8:30 a.m. — 5:00 p.m.

Times may adjust in accordance with university holidays.

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CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOP

This workshop is designed for those with little or no experience in creative writing but eager to give it a try! During our four weeks together, we’ll fully immerse ourselves in the art and craft of creative writing, working collaboratively and doing activities designed to ignite our imaginations. Each week will offer the opportunity to experiment with four genres: the personal essay (also known as the “college application essay”), creative nonfiction, flash fiction, and the short story, respectively. In the process, we’ll learn about the literary techniques of accomplished writers, learn to “read like a writer” and “write like a reader,” and even take a field trip or two to find our inspiration in the city of Los Angeles. You’ll also receive constructive feedback from peers and your instructors to help you to discover your own writing voice. Let’s write!

PROGRAM DATES June 16 – July 13, 2024

PREREQUISITES None

RECOMMENDED International students who are non-native English speakers need meet the program’s English Requirement

DAILY SCHEDULE & ACTIVITIES MONDAY – FRIDAY 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Classes in session 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Lunch 1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Classes in session

COURSE OVERVIEW

• Produce a portfolio of your own work, including a polished personal essay suitable for college applications
• Meet other writers and share your work in a collaborative workshop environment
• Learn the benefits of revision and see the evolution of your writing
• Take creativity-inspiring field trips to artistic venues in L.A.
• Gain skills and craft approaches you can carry into your future writing life

Topic of Study

• Personal essay
• Creative nonfiction
• Flash fiction
• Short story
• Literary techniques of accomplished authors

HEAR FROM OUR FORMER STUDENTS

UCLA Writing Project 2024 Summer Camps for Students

We at the UCLA Writing Project are excited to announce our 2024 summer programs for students entering grades 5-12 in fall 2024. This year we are pleased to offer two sessions for you to choose from, the first on campus, the second virtual.

Our promise:  We’ll continue to give students exquisite attention, and they’ll experience pleasure and joy as they find the best words to capture their thoughts.

Just what will happen during the workshop activities for students enrolled in Crafting The Story – Grades 5-6 , Literary Adventures – Grades 7-8 , and College-Ready Writing – Grades 9-12 ? Simply put, students will grow dramatically as writers. They’ll expand their stylistic repertoires, focus on a particular genre—but try out several others.  They’ll draft short and long pieces and gain confidence as they develop their individual style.  By the end of the workshop time, students will think of themselves as writers—a big deal!

And what about the entering twelfth graders in the College Personal Essay workshop ? They meet for just 12 hours over a four-day period. And that’s the perfect amount of time for zeroing in on the challenging and exciting task at hand: showing in what ways their hard work has translated to insightful understandings and how their experiences have built character.

What else should you know?

Our teachers are all UCLA Writing Project fellows.  This means that they participated in our Invitational Writing Project , a leadership institute that gathers wonderful teachers of writing PK-University—to share their expertise through demonstration workshops, to refine their own writer’s craft, to pay good attention to social justice issues in schools and communities.  They are teachers who love to write and to guide young students to grow as thinkers, readers and writers.

More still:

• All classes will offer students appreciation, support, structure—and fun!
• The day will combine whole group class time, small group sharing with peers, individual writing time.
• Those classes scheduled to be virtual will have synchronous and asynchronous components.
• All students will also have time to interact with their teacher one-on-one.
• Students in the two-week workshops will craft an anthology of selected writing. They will also receive a certificate commending their participation.

We hope to see you this summer!

Faye Peitzman, Ph.D. UCLA Writing Project Director

Crafting the Story – Writing Workshop (Rising 5-6th Graders)

Ten-day workshop from 9AM-12PM for students entering 5th-6th grades. Welcome, young writers! Join us for an exciting time of writing, reading and collaborating with fellow students.

Be a Force of Nature: Reading and Writing about the Environment – Writing Workshop (Rising 7-8th Graders) – Full

Ten-day writing workshop from 9am -12pm for students entering 7th-8th grades. Two sessions: in-person at UCLA or online.

College-Ready Writing: Personal and Academic, Both! (Rising 9-12th Graders) – Full

Writing workshop from 9am-12pm for students entering grades 9-12. Learn how to organize, develop and refine your writing, and how to find your academic voice. Two sessions: in -person at UCLA or online.

Writing the College Application Personal Essay Workshop (Rising 12th Graders) – Full

Four-day workshop for students entering grade 12. Try your hand at a variety of application topics, explore the role of style, and analyze sample personal statements.

Online Writing Workshop – Crafting the Story (Rising 5-6th Graders)

Online writing workshop – literary adventures (rising 7-8th graders) – full, online college-ready writing: personal and academic, both (rising 9-12th graders) – full.

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Nancy Lee Sayre , Program Manager

Faye Peitzman , Director

Upcoming Events for Teachers

Teaching writing to multilingual english learners – teaching narrative writing – full, improving student writing: lessons and strategies to aid in writing improvement throughout the year, teaching writing to multilingual english learners – teaching analytical writing—literary analysis, teaching writing to multilingual english learners – teaching argument writing: synthesizing multiple sources – full, summer events for students.

Writers Studio

Welcome to the writers studio.

Offered by the UCLA Extension Writers’ Program, the Writers Studio brings together a community of writing students to workshop with some of Southern California’s most accomplished writers and teachers.

Perfect for aspiring writers who have never taken a workshop, or experienced writers looking for new inspiration, the Writers Studio will spark new ideas, new energy, and a commitment to writing that lasts.

Jumpstart your creativity and fast-forward your screenwriting and creative writing skills. Choose from one of 9 workshops taught by professionals in the fields of feature film, television, fiction, and creative nonfiction writing.

Enjoy the following:

• Opening reception with Continental breakfast
• Prompts & exercises that launch new work
• Daily guest speakers from the field
• Each class is limited to15 students
• A special book sale on Saturday
• Coffee and light snacks throughout the Studio

Workshop Dates Thursday–Sunday, August 1 - 4, 2024

Daily Schedule 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM (PDT)

Location Westwood Village

Save Your Seat!

To Register: Select one workshop below. Enroll via the course page for your selected workshop.

Creative Writing Workshops

Screenwriting Workshops

Space is limited. Early enrollment strongly encouraged.

The Writers Studio fee of $985 includes: 

• Registration in one four-day workshop of your choice
• Industry guest speakers daily 
• A special book sale on Friday & Saturday
• Coffee and light snacks available throughout the Studio
• Opening and Closing Reception

A 10% discount is available for WP NOW members . 

Enrollment is on a first-come, first-served basis and each class is limited to 15 students.

Each workshop can be taken for three units of credit that may be applied to a Writers’ Program certificate.

To register, enroll via the course page of your selected workshop.

Guest speakers daily. Lunch times may change slightly depending on the speaker's visit.

What you can expect:

Learn from Real Writers

Writers Studio workshops are led by top Writers’ Program instructors, all of whom are successful writers with flourishing careers. Under their guidance, advice, encouragement, and support, students learn essential writing techniques and develop habits that can be sustained over a lifetime of writing.

“I now feel so confident in the flow of my pilot and the way forward to structure all stories. I have taken MANY classes; this class really just sank it for me.”  – Lindiwe Suttle Mueller, Berlin, Germany

A Supportive Community

The Writers Studio attracts participants from around the country who are passionate about honing their craft. For many students, friendships that develop at the Writers Studio continue long after class ends.

“The Writers Studio is a safe and exciting place to share and write with professionals that truly have worked on the craft of writing."  –Beth Marshdoyle, Boston MA

Inspiring Guest Speakers

Each instructor hosts daily guest speakers during the Writers Studio. These working professionals round out your course with practical advice for building a thriving writing life and effective tips for building a successful career.

“I recommend Writer's Studio because, as far as I know, there is no other place where you can direct connect with industry professionals that want to share their expertise with you.”  – Karen Nussbaumer, South Salem, New York

Great Location

The Writers Studio is held at UCLA Extension in  Westwood Village , a vibrant, unique community in West Los Angeles.

On a typical day, you can find college students, professionals, residents, and tourists wandering Westwood's collection of stores, restaurants, and theaters. The weekends attract Angelenos from across the city for dining or entertainment.

Westwood Village is conveniently located near other well-known Los Angeles neighborhoods and cities including Bel Air, Brentwood, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood and Santa Monica. 

“It's amazing how well and how much the Writers Studio teaches you in just four days. In the time-crunched world, it feels like a fresh breath of air.” –  Bridgette Ramirez, West Covina, California

“At the Writers Studio you will make great connections and learn from terrific leaders in the industry.” – Hannah Grillot, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

”I learned so much in only four days, and am now ready to write my TV pilot. If you need a fast, condensed startup to screenwriting, Writers Studio is the place to do it.” – Sarah Hawkins, Los Angeles, CA

“I recommend the Writers Studio because it gives unparalleled access to professional guidance.”  – Davy Giorgi, Vancouver, BC, Canada

I’ve enrolled in a Writers Studio workshop but would like to transfer to another section. Is that possible?

You can transfer your enrollment by emailing the UCLA Extension Registration Office at [email protected] or by calling them at (310) 825-9971, provided that spaces are available in the workshop in which you’d like to enroll. Please note that there is a transfer fee of $120. Once you transfer your enrollment, you will receive an email confirmation, and we will also email you the course welcome letter and syllabus.

I enrolled in a Writers Studio workshop but am unable to attend. How do I request a refund?

Refund requests must be received no later than Monday, July 1, 2024.  There is a $150 service charge for Studio refunds. To request a refund, call (310) 825-9971, or email [email protected] .

There are so many valuable lessons: structure, character, development, insight into the business. It is non-stop value!

About The Writers' Program

The Writers' Program is one of the most prestigious creative writing and screenwriting continuing education programs in the nation.

Our courses, programs of study, and services can help every writer go from concept to completion. 

Contact the Writers' Program

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The minor in Creative Writing is designed for students majoring in other fields who are interested in the writing of imaginative literature, which may include such forms as poetry, fiction, and drama. A total of 18 units is required, of which 6-9 units must be in lower division and 9-12 units in upper division.

Requirements for the Minor (18 units)

Lower division required courses (6-9 units), required course (3 units).

• ENGL 2070 - Beginning Creative Writing (3)

Select one or two from the following (3-6 units):

• ENGL 2260 - A Journey Through World Cinema (also listed as TVF 2260) (3)
• ENGL 2310 - Gods, Monsters, and Heroes in World Mythology (3)
• ENGL 2600 - Literary Los Angeles (3)
• ENGL 2700 - Why Literature Matters (3)
• ENGL 2710 - Contemporary World Literature (3)
• ENGL 2730 - Fictions of Gender and Sexuality (3)
• ENGL 2760 - Pulp Fictions and Popular Literatures (3)
• ENGL 2800 - Shakespeare and Popular Culture (3)

Transfer students should seek adviser approval for use of comparable lower division coursework completed at another institution.

Upper Division Required Courses (9-12 units)

Electives (select 9-12 units with adviser approval).

• ENGL 4060 - Writing Nonfiction (3) **
• ENGL 4070 - Writing Fiction (3) **
• ENGL 4080 - Writing Poetry (3) **
• TA 4760 - Playwriting (3)
• TVF 4650 - Advanced Screenwriting (3)

* Students with a declared minor in Creative Writing may seek departmental permission to enroll in courses restricted to English majors. Contact a department adviser for more information on enrolling in upper division ENGL courses.

** May be repeated once for credit in the minor.