Program Overview

Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Creative Writing

The Creative Writing major at John Carroll University allows students to gain intensive workshop experience in writing poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. The program is designed to help students develop their writing skills, critical thinking, and analytical abilities.

Program Highlights

• Real Teaching: Students learn from actively publishing, dynamic writers and instructors who care deeply about their growth as writers and human beings.
• Amazing Experience: Students have opportunities to engage in real-world, transformative experiences that build on their writing and reading skills, as well as their worldview.
• Jobs & Internships: Students can take advantage of a range of internship and professional development opportunities both on and off campus.

Program Details

• The Creative Writing major requires students to complete a series of workshops in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction.
• Students also take courses in literature and critical theory to develop their analytical and critical thinking skills.
• The program culminates in a senior thesis, where students produce a portfolio of their original creative work.

Featured Courses

• EN 133 Introduction to Creative Writing Workshop: Fundamentals and practice of creative writing across genres.
• EN 402 Advanced Fiction Writing Workshop: Intense, advanced work in crafting short stories.
• EN 491 Feminist Literary Criticism: Women have used writing as a means to express their perspectives for centuries. This course studies the various theories of feminist literary criticism.

Notable Alum

• Christopher Kempf, Creative Writing '07: Author, MFA Professor at University of Illinois. Studying Creative Writing at John Carroll taught him to recognize the power and possibilities of language, and how, in ways great and small, it shapes our lives on a daily basis.

Career Opportunities

• Top Employers: John Carroll University alumni live, work, teach and support communities throughout the region from Northeast Ohio to Chicago, Indianapolis, Detroit, Columbus, Buffalo, Rochester, Pittsburgh, New York City, Washington D.C., Maryland and Virginia.

Additional Information

• The Creative Writing program at John Carroll University is designed to provide students with a comprehensive education in creative writing, literature, and critical theory.
• The program is committed to fostering a community of writers who are dedicated to their craft and to each other.
• Students who graduate from the program are well-prepared to pursue careers in writing, editing, teaching, and other fields that value strong writing and analytical skills.