Program Overview
Creative Writing
Certificate Awarded:
Advanced Certificate in Creative Writing
Director:
TBD, Southampton, Chancellors Hall 2
Associate Director:
Christian McLean, Southampton, Chancellors Hall 2
Program Coordinator:
Margaret Grigonis, Southampton, Chancellors Hall 2
Director of the Manhattan Center for Creative Writing & Film:
Scott Sullivan
Department Website:
The Creative Writing and Literature program at Stony Brook Southampton emphasizes creative work in fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. However, the program also extends its emphasis beyond the familiar categories of creative expression to treat all forms of writing as equally relevant to understanding and mastering a world constructed out of words. Students are free to take workshops in all genres, in the belief that writing outside the lines informs their primary areas of interest.
Courses are taught by a full-time core faculty of three, joined by a part-time faculty of distinguished visiting writers whose teaching and lecturing assignments rotate among the fall, spring, and summer sessions. These distinguished visitors provide creative breadth to the writing program, offering coverage in areas of writing that are essential in contemporary society, in particular fiction, non-fiction, poetry, scriptwriting, and writing for children.
Designed for working adults who have completed a BA and who are interested in master’s level instruction, the Certificate Program in Creative Writing is distinguished by the fact that it allows students flexibility in choice of courses and genres. The Advanced Certificate is a sixteen credit hour concentration available upon successful application to degree-seeking students who have been admitted to any Stony Brook University graduate program, as well as to non-degree seeking students who meet the requirements outlined by the Graduate School.
Admission Requirements
Application for admission to the Graduate School is made to a specific program for a specific degree. For the MFA in Creative Writing and Literature, applicants must fulfill both the Graduate School admission requirements and the specific requirements for the MFA in Creative Writing and Literature.
Electronic official transcripts from any undergraduate and graduate institutions you have attended should be sent to the Office of Graduate and Health Sciences Admissions.
For questions, please call Margaret Grigonis.
Admission to the Advanced Certificate in Creative Writing
Admission to the Advanced Certificate in Creative Writing is competitive. Students who are eligible to apply include those enrolled in a graduate degree-granting program at Stony Brook University and to students who have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university who meet the admissions criteria.
For applicants already admitted to the University, admission involves completing a “Permission to Enroll in a Secondary Certificate” form. Students also need to submit a statement of purpose and a writing sample.
Certificate Requirements
The Advanced Certificate in Creative Writing requires 16 credits of coursework.
Required Introduction to the MFA Program (4 Credits)
- CWL 500 - Introduction to Graduate Writing 3-4 credits
Three or more of the following writing workshops or topics courses (12 Credits)
- CWL 510 - Forms of Fiction 3-4 credits
- CWL 520 - Forms of Poetry 3-4 credits
- CWL 530 - Forms of Scriptwriting 3-4 credits
- CWL 540 - Forms of Creative Nonfiction 3-4 credits
- CWL 550 - Forms of Professional and Scientific Writing 3-4 credits
- CWL 565 - Special Topics in Writing 3-4 credits
- CWL 575 - Writers Conference 1-6 credits
- CWL 570 - Advanced Writing Workshop 3-4 credits
Notes
Students select three or more writing workshops or topics courses totaling 12 credits of course work. Individual topics under each category will be labeled according to the content of the course. Although courses may be repeated for credit, students are strongly encouraged to experiment among the genres.