michigan state creative writing

Courses and Requirements

The program prompts students to become creative, imaginative, and expressive writers and designers who are able to work with a wide range of documents and in a variety of workplaces. The curriculum is designed so that students can creatively combine required and elective courses in order to tailor the major to their interests or prepare them for particular careers.

To complete a BA in P2W, students complete  University general education requirements , College of Arts and Letters requirements , and the P2W major requirements:  4 core courses, 4-5 courses united by a theme each student designs, 1-2 elective P2W courses, and the senior capstone course.

Five Core Courses

Principles of rhetoric and writing applied to professional and public writing, with emphasis on writing as social and professional action. Definition and major theories of the field, research tools and practices, genres and conventions, and professional style.

Introduction to rhetorical practices, processes, and strategies. Study of intersections of rhetorical theories and cultural engagement, with emphasis on analyzing and composing for different professional and public settings. Exploration of different knowledge-making processes and influences on writing. Reading- and discussion-intensive course.

Rhetorical and cultural dimensions of composing in digital spaces. Study of and practice with the rhetorical affordances and expectations of different writing spaces. Practice in messaging across contexts and composing with multiple technologies.

Rhetorical and cultural dimensions of composing and designing print and digital documents. Analysis and composing of documents with attention to rhetorical affordances including typography, and color theory.

Workshop for students preparing professional document portfolios in print and digital formats, including application materials for careers in professional and public writing or for graduate study.

Other P2W Courses

Analyzing, evaluating, and authoring Web sites through principles of design rhetoric. Practices of Web accessibility, usability, and sustainability by using HTML and CSS.

Documentary history and theory form its origins to the present.

Introduction to using digital spaces and social media to propel entrepreneurship ideas forward. Survey of how businesses and organizations’ websites, videos, podcasts, and social media presence brand products and organizations. Website, mobile and social media presence to promote entrepreneurial idea.

Rhetorical and design theories applied to digital video composing and producing. Analyzing and composing digital video for professional and public contexts.

Special projects arranged by an individual student and a faculty member in areas supplementing regular course offerings.

Writing- and reading-intensive course on special topics in professional and public writing. Topics vary.

Theory and practice of invention and creative practices in professional and public writing. Strategies and theories for brainstorming, ideating, and innovating in civic and professional writing contexts. Orientation toward wide range of knowledge’s and approaches to knowledge-making and writing.

Introduction to documentary production using accessible and affordable digital technology.

Principles and practices of communicating technical and procedural information for different audiences. Methods of audience-based research, information design, project management, and technical style.

Writing and research methods in and with local, global, and online communities and organizations. Topics include methods of field research and textual analysis, working with quantitative and qualitative data, and ethics of representation. Focus on the ways in which culture informs and influences community and writing by/with communities.

Various forms of public writing and rhetoric and their roles in civic and public culture. Emphasis on nonprofit communication practices, tools, and genres, and orientation toward culture and its influence on public and community writing. Practice in modes of public and civic discourse, including deliberative strategies and a range of public literacies with attention to cultural engagement.

Rhetorical and cultural dimensions of corporate writing. Practice in messaging across corporate contexts and composing for professional and consumer audiences.

Rhetorical and cultural dimensions of medical and scientific writing. Study of and practice with rhetorical affordances and expectations in scientific contexts.

Rhetorical and cultural dimensions of composing in public and civic spaces. Study of and practice with policy research, analysis, evaluation, narration, advocacy, and argumentation.

Courses supplementing regular course offerings. Topics recommended by students, proposed by faculty, and/or offered due to intellectual or professional need or interest.

Theories and principles of sound composing. Intensive reading and practice with emphasis on rhetorical dimensions of listening to and composing sound. Expectation of the roles of editing, equalization, and mastering as rhetorical variables that affect how audiences respond to sound. Practice with accessible and ethical audio writing and editing techniques.

Workshop for students developing writing for a variety of print and online publications. Discussion of and practice with freelance writing, author guidelines, and editorial processes.

Principles and practices of copyediting for professional and public writers, with special attention to grammar, style, and rhetorical issues.

This course invites students to build more comprehensive understandings of the theories and practices of writing centers, writing, and literacy. Throughout the course, students will: 

• learn about language and literacy practices; 
• recognize and account for writing as a social practice influenced by social forces;
• reflect on their own experiences, identities, and practices of reading and writing through these social forces including identity; location, race, class, gender, disability, and sexuality; and 
• develop a range of practices for criticality and being. 

Through reflection, practice, and community-engaged learning, students will develop toolkits and strategies for working with writers. In this, students will learn how to balance their own boundaries and needs with the needs of writers who have differing needs, experiences and literacies whilst remaining critical of power structures.

Exploration of rhetorical theories applied to managing and leading communication in civic and professional organizations. Emphasis on team dynamics and on managing and leading teams and projects. Discussion of entrepreneurial thinking in professional and public writing.

Introduction to team-based approaches to web development, with focus on rhetorical strategies and ethical practices. Visual design, usability, media integration, site management and sustainability, and web accessibility. Grounded in content-management systems and advanced programming languages.

Design and Design and development of documentaries in a team setting using video and audio, still photography, web design, and print media. Participation in a production cycle including idea generation, research, design, production, and distribution.

Rhetorical, social, political, economic, and ethical dimensions of digital communication, including identity, community, genre, and events. Rhetorical dynamics of communication across digital spaces such as apps, websites, software, and other experiences.

Exploration of theory, practice, and ethics of content strategy in professional and public writing settings. Understanding the content management life cycle, aligning content strategy to various goals, assessing communication needs for audiences and participants. Issues in project leadership, management, intellectual property, and organizational communication for creating flexible, dynamic content and content structures.

Rhetorical, cultural, and historical analyses of significant texts in peace and justice movements. Production of effective texts in support of social, economic, and environmental justice and social entrepreneurship.

Researching and writing grants and proposals for corporations, nonprofit organizations, businesses, and government agencies. Rhetorical dimensions of pitching and proposing, with various moves and methods of support such as preparing rationale statements, and creating budgets.

Rhetorical, cultural, and ethical dimensions of grammar and style, paying special attention to the role of rhetorical context in ideas of grammaticality and appropriateness.

Experience in publication processes: creating, designing, editing, and managing periodical, book, or online publications. Copyediting, developmental editing, design and layout, distribution and publicity. Rhetorical approaches to editing. Team processes involved in designing and editing publications.

Design of information systems for professional and public writers. Activity analysis, object-oriented modeling, prototyping, technical specifications, and implementation planning. Pitching ideas. Developing information and interfaces. User-centered design lifecycle.

Project-based focus on developing and producing writing projects coordinated with the Digital Publishing Lab. Emphasis on collaborative action, drafting, and editing, defining goals; managing publication distribution.

Ethical issues related to professional and public writing including censorship, copyright, ethical practices and philosophies of editing, open access, privacy, preservation, and accessibility. Attention to cultural issues, including cultural appropriation and culturally relevant practices.

Writing- and reading-intensive special topics in professional and public writing. Topics vary.

Completed concurrently with a professional writing internship, WRA 493 allows students simultaneously to develop new skills and awareness within a professional work place, and to step aside from those professional experiences to reflect on them from the context of theories and concepts learned in courses in the P2W curriculum.

Writing and reading-intensive special topics in writing, writing centers, and tutoring pedagogy, such as curriculum design, working with varied populations and media, writing in/for different contexts.

Supervised research experiences in professional or public writing topics and sites.

Supporting Writers. Sharing Stories. Connecting Communities.

The Writing Center at Michigan State University provides one-on-one and group writing consultations, various writing-specific workshops, as well as writing groups for graduate students and faculty. We have locations across MSU’s campus serving the needs of all students and campus communities.

Established primarily to provide writing workshop support to students and assistance to faculty interested in using writing to engage students in active learning and thereby in improving the quality and range of their students’ literacy, The Writing Center at Michigan State University conceives its task broadly. Mindful that literacy is learned through use across contexts and over a lifetime, in addition to working to improve the quality and range of literacy in MSU, the Center has reached out to involve itself in the teaching and uses of literacy in both the communities and schools that send students to MSU and the communities and workplaces that students enter upon leaving MSU.

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Michigan State University

Michigan, united states.

The creative writing concentration offers students a program that blends foundational work in literary studies, exploration of creative writing in multiple genres, and a focused capstone experience. Students graduate with a B.A. in English, but their diplomas note their dedicated commitment to creative writing. Beginning with the same foundation as other English majors, students also work at the introductory and advanced level in at least two different genres of creative writing. Many then choose to write a senior thesis in a single genre, creating in the last year of study a collection of poems or stories, a novel, or a finished screenplay; students might also pursue internships in writing and editing. The Michigan State University English Department is also home for The Red Cedar Review, one of the oldest student-managed literary journals in the United States.

Contact Information

619 Red Cedar Road C601 Wells Hall East Lansing Michigan, United States 48824-1036 Email: [email protected] https://english.msu.edu/creative-writing/

Bachelor of Arts in English/Literature +

Undergraduate program director.

\nThe creative writing concentration offers students a program that blends foundational work in literary studies, experience in creative writing in several genres, and in-depth study of one genre. Students graduate with a B.A. in English, but their diplomas note their dedicated commitment to creative writing. Beginning with the same foundation as other English majors, students also work at the introductory level in three different genres of creative writing and later move into more advanced study in two genres. Many then choose to write a senior thesis in a single genre, creating in the last year of study a collection of poems or stories, a novel, or a finished screenplay. The Michigan State University English Department in also home for The Red Cedar Review, one of the oldest student-run literary journals in the United States.

Minor / Concentration in Creative Writing +

The creative writing concentration offers students a program that blends foundational work in literary studies, exploration of creative writing in multiple genres, and a focused capstone experience. Students graduate with a B.A. in English, but their diplomas note their dedicated commitment to creative writing. Beginning with the same foundation as other English majors, students also work at the introductory and advanced level in at least two different genres of creative writing. Many then choose to write a senior thesis in a single genre, creating in the last year of study a collection of poems or stories, a novel, or a finished screenplay; students might also pursue internships in writing and editing. The Michigan State University English Department in also home for The Red Cedar Review, one of the oldest student-managed literary journals in the United States.

PhD in English +

Divya victor, gordon henry, robin silbergleid, william vincent, swarnavel eswaran pillai, juliet guzzetta, tamar boyadjian, megan giddings, publications & presses +.

Red Cedar Review

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Creative Writing

Mississippi State University's English Department offers classes in creative writing for majors and non-majors alike. Students can take individual classes, complete a minor, or use creative writing classes as part of their English major. At the graduate level, we offer an emphasis within the MA program.

Our faculty (fiction writers Becky Hagenston and Olufunke Ogundimu, and poets Catherine Pierce and Saddiq Dzukogi) teach workshops and craft classes, and mentor graduate students as they work on their creative theses. Creative writing students have the opportunity to gain editorial experience working on Jabberwock Review , the national literary journal produced through the efforts of the Mississippi State English Department and its creative writing program.

Each year we bring to campus prominent, talented visiting authors who not only read and discuss their work but also visit workshops and meet informally with students. Recent visitors include Kali Fajardo-Anstine, Ben Percy, Joy Harjo, Rita Dove, Dorothy Allison, Terrance Hayes, Brad Watson, Maggie Smith, Allison Joseph, Robert Olen Butler, Natasha Trethewey, Michael Farris Smith, Alexander Weinstein, Lorraine Lopez, Sandra Beasley, Sherod Santos, and Jess Walter.

Our students have gone on to advanced study in creative writing at prestigious MFA and PhD programs across the country, including the programs at NYU, Boston University, University of Cincinnati, The Ohio State University, Virginia Tech, Virginia Commonwealth University, Western Michigan University, Florida State University, Georgia State University, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, University of Kansas, University of Nevada-Reno, Oklahoma State University, Oregon State University, University of Missouri-Kansas City, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and elsewhere.

They have published their work widely in venues including The Threepenny Review , Kenyon Review , Guernica , Indiana Review , The Hopkins Review , North American Review , Quarterly West , Cimarron Review , The Pinch , New South , Hayden’s Ferry Review , Prairie Schooner , The Hollins Critic , DMQ Review , Permafrost , Third Coast , and elsewhere.

Requirements for the Undergraduate Minor in Creative Writing

• To earn the 18 credit-hour minor in creative writing, all students must take EN 3303 (Creative Writing), EN 3803 (Intermediate Poetry Writing), and EN 3903 (Intermediate Fiction Writing).
• English Majors must take three of the following four courses: EN 4303 (Craft of Poetry); EN 4313 (Craft of Fiction); EN 4943 (Form and Theory of Fiction); EN 4953 (Form and Theory of Poetry).
• Majors outside of English must take EN 4303 (Craft of Poetry) and/or EN 4313 (Craft of Fiction); they can complete the 18 hours for this minor with any English course at the 2000-level or above.

Requirements for the Creative Writing emphasis in the M.A.

• The creative writing emphasis is a 24 credit-hour course of study with an additional 6-hour thesis requirement. At least 9 credit hours are required in creative writing in combination with other courses of the candidate’s choice. The two-year degree culminates in a creative thesis.
• All students pursuing an MA in English at Mississippi State will take the comprehensive exam during the second year of study.

Applications

Applications are available from the  Graduate School , 116 Allen Hall, Mississippi State, MS 39762. For more information about the  graduate program  in English, contact  Shalyn Claggett , Director of Graduate Studies. For more information about the creative writing emphasis, contact  Catherine Pierce  and B ecky Hagenston , Co-Directors of the Creative Writing program.

In addition to the graduate school application, a writing sample is required of all applicants to the creative writing emphasis. Applicants should submit either 10-12 pages of poetry or 15-30 pages of fiction (or up to 30 pages of a combination of poetry and fiction). Email the sample as an attachment to Catherine Pierce (poetry) or Becky Hagenston (fiction).

Applicants wishing to receive funding for graduate study and be eligible for the department’s Eugene Butler Scholarship in Creative Writing must submit their application and writing sample by March 15.

Financial Aid

The department offers financial aid to our M.A. students through teaching assistantships, research assistantships, and editorial positions with  Jabberwock Review , as well as a number of generous scholarships, including the Eugene Butler Scholarship in Creative Writing, which specifically awards money to incoming students with a creative writing focus. For details about this and other scholarship opportunities, please visit the scholarships page .

Catherine Pierce

• Co-Director of Creative Writing

Becky Hagenston

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Creative Writing Scholarships & Awards

Creative writing awards.

The Department of English sponsors an annual contest for the best original work in poetry, fiction, nonfiction, screenwriting, and playwriting.  Congratulations to the 2020-2021 winners, judged by Philip Metres.  You can check out their winning manuscripts here .

Congratulations to the finalists of the 2022 Creative Writing Awards, judged by Aisha Sabatini Sloan! 

Creative Nonfiction Mary Claire Zauel, “Coming Out”–1st place Julia Rudlaff, “What I Remember”–2nd place

Fiction Denver Williams, “Home”–1st place Kelly Stapelman, “Oratia”–2nd place

Poetry Alexie Milukhin, “Perishable” (1st place) Durga Shanker, “Zora and Lily in the Summer” (2nd place)

Script MJ Telly, “Ho’oman” (1st place) Jeremy Weber, “Boon Country” (2nd place)

Finalists  Emma Brinks, “Breaking Rocks” (CNF) Emma Kolakowski, “Depreciation” (CNF) Sydney Logsdon, “Best Practices” (CNF) Alexie Milukhin, “Liminal Year” (CNF)

Sohaib Aboona, “The Abram” (Fiction) Emily Arnold, “Briar Springs” (Fiction) Ellie Franklin, “The Nature Trip” (Fiction) Aly Walters, “The Cans” (Fiction)

Ally Blovits (Poetry) Sydney Logsdon (Poetry) Adrianna Pipe (Poetry) Madeline Strong (Poetry)

Owen Jowett, “The Wanted” (Script) Maggie Lupton, “Mirror of Pink” (Script) Josie Mitchell, “Retirement” (Script) Madeline Strong, “Guppy Love” (Script)

Scholarships for Current Students

Scholarships of $1500 will be awarded to  outstanding students in the creative writing program  to be applied to tuition; any student in the creative writing program graduating December 2023 or later is eligible to apply.  If you are interested in applying, please submit a writing sample of 10-15 pages of work (in a single genre or in multiple genres) along, with a brief (500 word) aesthetic and contextual statement about your project and your goals as a writer.  Submissions for scholarships for 2022-23 will be accepted through April 3, 2023 via  Google Form .  Questions may be directed to Dr. Divya Victor ( [email protected] ).

Jim Cash Award for Outstanding Senior in Creative Writing

The Jim Cash Award honors graduating seniors in the Creative Writing Program.  Applicants are nominated by faculty.

Scholarships for Incoming Students

The Department of English offers up to three Creative Arts Scholarships for incoming students who plan to pursue the B.A. in English with a concentration in Creative Writing. 

To apply, students should submit the following application, as well as a creative writing sample (5-10 pages of poetry, prose, or screen/playwriting, or a short film on DVD) and statement of intent (minimum of 500 words) regarding their interest in creative writing no later than January 31, 2023.

https://admissions.msu.edu/documents/caschol_english.pdf

Complete applications should be submitted as either electronic documents to the Director of Creative Writing at [email protected] or as hard copy to:

Department of English c/o Director of Creative Writing Wells Hall C614 619 Red Cedar Rd. East Lansing, MI 48824