free online creative writing courses with certificates

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75 Best Free Creative Writing Classes in 2024

Showing 75 courses that match your search.

Writing a Resume For Success

Kansas City Public Library

Applying for college or a new job is a daunting task, but having a good resume can alleviate some of the stress. In this class, gather tips and guidelines on how best to showcase your skills.

Website: https://kclibrary.org/blog/library-launches-online-writin...

Categories: Free

Start date:

Open all year round

Prerequisites: No prerequisites

Story Writing: How to Build Background With Imagery and Setting

This class is all about writing sensory descriptions and creating a sense of place in writing fiction. Discover how descriptive language can help ground your reader and create thought-provoking imagery that adds to the tone and intrigue of your story.

Website: https://kclibrary.org/calendar/story-writing-how-build-ba...

April, 2024

(Re)writing as Therapy

One of the most potent powers of writing is its ability to remold the past. In this class, we’ll use writing to explore past events, discovering how imagination can reframe good or bad times. You’ll even have the opportunity to literally rewrite a past event if you’d like.

Website: https://kclibrary.org/calendar/rewriting-therapy-0

How to Write a Novel

Your story matters. Unlock your potential with daily video lessons from bestselling ghostwriter Tom Bromley, and finish your first draft in just 3 months. Learn more →

May Seaport Free Write

What's more satisfying than leaving work behind on a Friday evening? Rounding out the week with a free writing session of course! Maximize that Friday feeling and kick off your writing weekend with us! In 60 jam-packed minutes, you’ll meet fellow writers and get your creative juices flowing!

Website: https://grubstreet.org/findaclass/class/may-seaport-free-...

Writing the First Feature Film Treatment Toolkit

UCLA Extension

Learning to write a screenplay is a process, and to do it well can take years of practice. Boil down your story into a short pitch and then expand that into a complete treatment for a feature-length script.

Website: https://www.uclaextension.edu/writing-journalism/screenwr...

Hard Times Writing Workshop

Jefferson County Public Library

This workshop offers a supportive environment for adults to process life experiences through storytelling. It's a free and open weekly writing workshop.

Website: https://jeffcolibrary.bibliocommons.com/events/656ea59208...

Writing Mysteries & Thrillers

Writing Adventures

Step into the world of suspense with our "Mysteries and Thrillers" class. Delve into writing mysterious and thrilling narratives, creating enchanting plots, eerie characters, and ingeniously hidden clues.

Website: https://www.hisawyer.com/writing-adventures/schedules/act...

Improv + Scene Writing

"Improv + Scene Writing" merges comedy, performance, and writing in a dynamic one-hour class. Enhance your skills in plot crafting, character development, pacing, and comedic timing, all while collaborating and performing with peers.

Electrifying Creative Writing

"Electrifying Creative Writing," our standout course, promises to ignite your creative spark like never before. Explore a diversity of themes and genres, embarking on a year-long adventure that empowers you to find and develop your own writing style and talents.

Advanced Writing Essentials

"Writing Essentials" redefines your approach to essays. Move beyond traditional structures and dull topics, embracing a journey to discover your unique writing talents and style. Write about what truly matters to you within a nurturing and social writing community.

Writers Room Experience

Writers Room

This experiential studio class, led by instructor Lauren Lowe, focuses on developing an understanding of the self in relation to the world. It emphasizes building community and working towards a more equitable world through writing and sharing stories​​.

Website: https://www.writersroomdrexel.org/courses

Blackout Poetry Workshop

Willoughby City Library

This workshop focuses on creating stories and poetry through the technique of blackout poetry, where a page of text is blacked out except for a few select words, creating a new story from the existing text. It's an interactive and fun approach to creative writing. The workshop is held at The Creator Space, Chatswood Library, and materials are provided for participants. The workshop is free of charge and scheduled for a specific date and time.

Website: https://libraries.willoughby.nsw.gov.au/Eventbrite/Blacko...

How to choose a free creative writing class

Looking to build your writing skillset, learn more about your genre, or finally finish that book you’ve been working on? You’re in the right place. That’s why we built this directory of the best creative writing courses.

However, creative writing classes aren’t one size fit all. If you’re planning to join a free writing class in particular, you’ll want to make sure that it matches what you’re seeking to learn about creative writing.

So make sure to consider the following questions when you’re researching free writing courses:

• Who is the instructor? How many years of experience do they have in creative writing?
• Is there something in particular you’d like to learn about creative writing? Does this course include it?
• How long is the course, and where is it taught?
• Are there any hidden fees advertised in this free creative writing class?

More free creative writing resources

Whether you’re a new or established author, there are always evergreen resources out there to how to get a headstart on writing a book. 

Free online materials

• Creative Writing Prompts (resource)
• How to Self-Publish a Book (blog post)
• How to Publish a Novel (blog post)
• How to Edit a Book (blog post)

Recommended books

• For writers in the UK:  Writers' & Artists' Yearbook  
• For writers in the US:  Writer’s Market 2020

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Certificate in Creative Writing

About the Online Creative Writing Certificate

The Certificate in Creative Writing offers an innovative, collaborative course of study for those who have always wanted to unlock their creativity. Each online course is designed as a workshop in which you explore new ideas, tackle new writing tools, generate original insights and discover your own powers of expression. You create, collaboratively discuss and revise your original writing with feedback from your instructors and your peers. You also engage with a range of assigned readings and multimedia that inform and grow your innovative practice.

The Certificate in Creative Writing offers both basic and advanced workshops and appeals to students new to creative writing as well as students with writing experience who want to learn new skills. Through a series of online courses in fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, and screenwriting, the Certificate in Creative Writing focuses on creative writing as a form of critical thinking as a way to reimagine audience and as a space of innovation. Taught by professionals in the field, our courses cultivate both individual and group learning, providing an overview of the field as well as deep dives into literary genres. These online creative writing courses are designed as hands-on, intensive study of the subtleties and power of language.

Creative Writing Certificate Requirements

The Certificate in Creative Writing is a 4-course, 4 c.u.* credit program of study taught by University of Pennsylvania faculty. To earn a certificate, students complete any four courses offered, in any order.  Students who complete the basic certificate may pursue an advanced certificate (6-course, 6 c.u.*) by adding two additional creative writing courses.

Flexible Course Schedule and Tuition

Penn LPS Online courses in the Certificate in Creative Writing are offered in accelerated 8-week terms and full terms. Courses in the online certificate program are largely asynchronous with some optional synchronous sessions to be scheduled by the instructors.

You have the option to enroll in individual creative writing courses without committing to the entire online certificate, enjoying the flexibility and expertise offered by Penn LPS Online to suit your schedule and interests. Visit the Cost of Attendance page for course tuition and fee rates.

Watch a video of a recent virtual information session to hear from the program team about the Certificate in Creative Writing.

If you are having trouble viewing this video, watch it on YouTube .

*Academic credit is defined by the University of Pennsylvania as a course unit (c.u.). A course unit (c.u.) is a general measure of academic work over a period of time, typically a term (semester or summer). A c.u. (or a fraction of a c.u.) represents different types of academic work across different types of academic programs and is the basic unit of progress toward a degree. One c.u. is usually converted to a four-semester-hour course.

The Certificate in Creative Writing prepares you to:

• Understand how text conveys meaning across a variety of literary genres and styles
• Explore how to use innovation, flexibility, and collaboration to cultivate a creative writing practice
• Create, revise and edit your original writing in multiple literary genres, including poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and screenwriting

Online Creative Writing Courses

Certificate students who complete four of the online courses listed below earn a Certificate in Creative Writing. Those students are then eligible to pursue an Advanced Certificate in Creative Writing by taking two additional courses.

• CRWR 1010: The Craft of Creative Writing
• CRWR 1600: Modern and Contemporary US Poetry
• CRWR 2010: Poetry Workshop
• CRWR 2400: The Art of Editing
• CRWR 2500: Writing and Meditation
• CRWR 2600: Fiction Workshop
• CRWR 2800: Narrative Collage
• CRWR 3000: Writing About Place
• CRWR 3200: Screenwriting
• CRWR 3600: Advanced Nonfiction *
• CRWR 3700: Journalism

*This course may not be offered every academic year. Check the course page or our course guide to see when upcoming terms are added.

Courses are subject to change.

See Course Tuition

Meet The Faculty

Julia Bloch

• Faculty Director, Penn LPS Online Certificate in Creative Writing
• Director, Creative Writing Program

• Director, Center for Programs in Contemporary Writing

Laynie Browne

• Poet, prose writer, teacher and editor

Scott Burkhardt

• Lecturer in cinema and media studies

Christy Davids

• Teacher, poet and assistant editor at The Conversant

Lise Funderburg

• Lecturer in creative writing

• 2017-2018 Digital Studies Fellow at Rutgers University-Camden

Dick Polman

• Povich Writer-in-Residence at the Center for Programs in Contemporary Writing (CPCW)

• Writer, editor, teacher

Zachary Tyler Vickers

Careers related to creative writing.

The Certificate in Creative Writing is designed to enhance your writing and storytelling skills and provide a framework for a creative process that can be applied to a myriad of professional roles including:

• Advertising copywriter
• Fundraising/development consultant
• Author and journalist

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• Online Courses /

10 Free Creative Writing Courses Online with a Certificate 

• Updated on  
• Feb 6, 2024

Anyone can take creative writing courses online. These courses are meant for beginners who want to give a chance to their creative flair. After completing a creative writing course, students can find career opportunities in journalism , editorial, copywriting , blogging, advertising , proofreading, ghostwriting, screenwriting , and book writing. Most of the creative writing courses can be completed in a day or a few weeks. Moreover, they are available free of cost. The virtual lessons cover tips and tricks that can be useful in the creative journey of an individual. Keep reading to learn more about free creative writing courses online. 

This Blog Includes:

Sharpened visions: a poetry workshop, creative writing specialization, national centre for writing online courses , the craft of storytelling, how to write a novel: structure & outline, script writing: write a pilot episode for a tv or web series , skillshare online creative writing classes, oxford online courses in creative writing, start writing fiction, free online creative writing courses, top 10 free creative writing courses online.

Here is a list of the 10 free creative writing courses online. Some of these courses come with certifications and others do not. We have provided the fee details, course level, etc for your reference.

CalArts is offering one of the leading creative writing courses online. This Poetry Workshop covers a total of 6 modules in which students will learn about metaphor and other formulas of difference, abstraction, image, rhyme, rhythm, poetic lines, and revision strategies. The course is meant for beginners and can be completed within 8 hours. A certificate is available. However, payment has to be made for the same.

Website: https://www.coursera.org/learn/poetry-workshop

Check out the top universities for creative writing courses 

Wesleyan University ’s Creative writing course is one of the top creative writing courses online. This is a 5 module series that consists of topics such as Creative Writing: The Craft of Plot, The Craft of Character: The Craft of Setting and Description, Craft of Style, etc. The course ends with a capstone project that students must complete. The course is meant for beginners. The drawback? The certificate is only available post-payment.

Website: https://www.coursera.org/specializations/creative-writing

The National Centre for Writing is offering one of the finest creative writing course online. All of these courses are self-paced and can be completed within a short period. Some of the free courses available on this platform are First Steps in Short Form Poetry, New Ways with Short Form Poetry, How to Write Unreliable Narrators, How to Write Young Adult Fiction: Characters and Conflicts, and Writing Science Fiction: World Building. The drawback? These courses do not come with a certificate.

Website: https://nationalcentreforwriting.org.uk/

The University of Alaska is offering another excellent free creative writing course online. This a 4-week course that helps a student learn to tell stories that the audience wants. The curriculum includes topics such as Finding good stories, Using The “Ice Road Trucker” effect, Building the dramatic arc, Designing story structures, Strategizing delivery, ending the story, etc. The course is self-paced and its audit is available for free.

Website: https://www.edx.org/learn/storytelling

Check Out These Book Writing Courses that Will Make Your Imagination Flow! 

The University of British Columbia is offering the course ‘How to Write a Novel: Structure & Outline’ The program is best for those who want to learn the fundamentals of story structure. The curriculum includes topics such as Character and World-Building, The Big Architecture: Story and Structure,  Three-Act Structure and Scene Design, Troubleshooting Common Problems, and Transition to Writing. The program includes a writing assignment and a final task that students must complete.

Website: https://www.edx.org/learn/novels/

Michigan State University is also offering a free creative writing course online. The course is best for those who want to learn scriptwriting skills for a TV or web series. A total of 5 modules are available in this course. Students will learn everything from developing a TV concept and writing the pilot episode to polishing their script. Any basic word processor is sufficient to take this course. Students will need to dedicate 1-2 hours of study, and  30+ hours of active project work.

Website: https://www.coursera.org/learn/script-writing

Skillshare is another great platform offering free creative writing course online. People can choose a creative writing class based on their interests. All of these courses are taught by experts in the field. Some of the available courses include Copywriting For Beginners: How To Write Web Copy That Sells Without Being Cheesy, Character-Driven Story Development for Your Novel or Screenplay, and Storytelling 101: Character, Conflict, Context & Craft, among others. No certificate is available after course completion. 

Website: https://www.skillshare.com/en/browse/creative-writing?sort=popular&page=1

Want to learn business writing skills? Read About the 7 Free Online Business Writing Courses with Certifications 

The Oxford University Department of Continuing Education is offering one of the best free creative writing course online. Students can choose from a short online course in creative writing and a Diploma in Creative Writing. The short courses have live-time weekly classes. The credit earned from this course is transferable toward the  Certificate of Higher Education – a part-time undergraduate course. On the other hand, the Diploma in Creative Writing can be completed in 2 years. It covers 4 areas of literary activity. For example, prose, drama, etc. 

Website: https://www.conted.ox.ac.uk/about/online-courses-in-creative-writing

The Open University Start Writing Fiction course is a free creative writing course online. The program is meant for those who want to learn the strategies for writing fiction. The curriculum includes topics such as character development, setting, and genre. This is an introductory course that requires 12 hours of study. A certificate of participation is available post-completion of the course.

Website: https://www.open.edu/openlearn/history-the-arts/creative-writing/start-writing-fiction/

Alison is one of the top websites offering free creative writing course online. These courses are meant for beginners and can be completed in a few hours. Some of the creative writing courses available on this platform include Understanding Poetry Writing, How to Write and Publish a Novel, Creative Nonfiction Writing, Screenwriting, and Writing for Young Readers. The course comes with free certifications.

Website: https://alison.com/tag/creative-writing

Related Articles:

The British Council is offering a course called ‘Creative Writing for Adults – Module I’. This course is completely online and can be completed within 9 weeks. A B2 English level is needed to take this course. The fee is INR 10,000.

There are several free writing courses for beginners. For example, Sharpened Visions: A Poetry Workshop by CalArts, and Wesleyan University’s Creative Writing course. Alison also offers several free writing courses for beginners.

Harvard University only offers 1 free online creative writing course. This is called the ‘Rhetoric: The Art of Persuasive Writing and Public Speaking’. This is an introductory course that requires the student to dedicate  2 – 3 hours per week. The course audit is free. 

Hope this blog provides you with all the important details, for more information about such courses, visit our online courses page .

Blessy George

Blessy George is a Content Marketing Associate at Leverage Edu, boasting over a year of experience in the industry. Her expertise lies in crafting compelling content tailored to online courses, making her a go-to source for those navigating the vast landscape of digital learning. In addition to online classes, she writes content related to study abroad, English test preparation and visas. She has completed her MA degree in Political Science and has gained valuable experience as an intern.She is known for her extensive writing on various aspects of international education, garnering recognition for her insights and contributions. Apart from her professional pursuits, Blessy is passionate about creative writing, particularly poetry and songwriting.

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Free online English Literature / Creative Writing courses

Creative writing and critical reading

This free course, Creative writing and critical reading, explores the importance of reading as part of a creative writer’s development at the postgraduate level. You will gain inspiration and ideas from examining other writers’ methods, as well as enhancing your critical reading skills. Examples will cover the genres of fiction, creative ...

Free course

Level: 3 Advanced

Writing what you know

Do you want to improve your descriptive writing? This free course, Writing what you know, will help you to develop your perception of the world about you and enable you to see the familiar things in everyday life in a new light. You will also learn how authors use their own personal histories to form the basis of their work.

Level: 1 Introductory

Start writing fiction

Have you always wanted to write, but never quite had the courage to start? This free course, Start writing fiction, will give you an insight into how authors create their characters and settings. You will also be able to look at the different genres for fiction.

Exploring books for children: words and pictures

Many people have fond memories of the stories they encountered in childhood, perhaps especially of those wonderful picture books and illustrated tales which fired our young imaginations and transported us to magical worlds. To an adult’s eye, some picture books may seem remarkably simple, even oversimplified. However, in this free course, ...

Level: 2 Intermediate

Reading Shakespeare's As You Like It

Do you enjoy watching Shakespeare's plays and like the idea of finding out more about them? This free course, Reading Shakespeare's As You Like It, will guide you through some of the most important speeches and scenes from one of Shakespeare's best-loved comedies.

Icarus: entering the world of myth

This free course, Icarus: entering the world of myth, will introduce you to one of the best-known myths from classical antiquity and its various re-tellings in later periods. You will begin by examining how the Icarus story connects with a number of other ancient myths, such as that of Theseus and the Minotaur. You will then be guided through an...

Sam Selvon, The Lonely Londoners

This free course concentrates on Sam Selvon's twentieth-century novel, The Lonely Londoners. It considers the depiction of migration in the text as well as Selvon's treatment of memory as a vital part of the migrant's experience.

Introducing Virgil’s Aeneid

This free course offers an introduction to the Aeneid. Virgil’s Latin epic, written in the 1st century BCE, tells the story of the Trojan hero Aeneas and his journey to Italy, where he would become the ancestor of the Romans. Here, you will focus on the characterisation of this legendary hero, and learn why he was so important to the Romans of ...

Exploring Thomas Hardy's Far From the Madding Crowd

This free course, Exploring Thomas Hardy's Far From the Madding Crowd, is designed to tell you something about Hardy's background, and to introduce you to the pleasures of reading a nineteenth-century novel. Why do we believe in fictional characters and care about what happens to them? You will discover some of the techniques that Hardy ...

John Webster, The Duchess of Malfi

This free course, John Webster, The Duchess of Malfi, concentrates on Acts 1 and 2 of John Webster's Renaissance tragedy, The Duchess of Malfi. It focuses on the representation of marriage for love and the social conflicts to which it gives rise. The course is designed to hone your skills of textual analysis.

Christopher Marlowe, Doctor Faustus

What does Christopher Marlowe's Doctor Faustus tell us about the author and the time at which the play was written? This free course, Christopher Marlowe, Doctor Faustus, will help you to discover the intricacies of the play and recognise how a knowledge of the historical and political background of the time can lead to a very different ...

Approaching poetry

Do you want to get more out of your reading of poetry? This free course, Approaching poetry, is designed to develop the analytical skills you need for a more in-depth study of literary texts. You will learn about rhythm, alliteration, rhyme, poetic inversion, voice and line lengths and endings. You will examine poems that do not rhyme and learn ...

Approaching prose fiction

Do you want to get more out of your reading? This free course, Approaching prose fiction, is designed to develop the analytical skills you need for a more in-depth study of literary texts. You will learn about narrative events and perspectives, the setting of novels, types of characterisation and genre.

Approaching plays

Do you want to get more out of drama? This free course, Approaching plays, is designed to develop the analytical skills you need for a more in-depth study of literary plays. You will learn about dialogue, stage directions, blank verse, dramatic structure and conventions and aspects of performance.

Approaching literature: reading Great Expectations

This free course, Approaching literature: reading Great Expectations, considers some of the different ways of reading Great Expectations, based on the type of genre the book belongs to. This is one of the most familiar and fundamental ways of approaching literary texts. The novel broadens the scope of study of a realist novel, in both literary ...

The poetry of Sorley MacLean

Sorley MacLean (1911-1996) is regarded as one of the greatest Scottish poets of the twentieth century. This free course, The poetry of Sorley MacLean, will introduce you to his poetry and give you an insight into the cultural, historical and political contexts that inform his work. MacLean wrote in Gaelic and the importance of the language to ...

Exploring Virginia Woolf’s Between the Acts

This free course introduces Virginia Woolf’s last novel, Between the Acts (1941), with the aim of understanding how she writes about time, memory, and ideas about identity. It also considers why Woolf’s fiction is often considered difficult. Selected extracts from her essays on writing help to clarify some of these perceived difficulties, ...

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7 free online creative writing courses that you can enrol in right now

By Megha Sharma

As a form of expression , a means to escape the reality, and a medium to communicate a larger ideology, the act of writing can serve different purposes. And no matter what your reason to put pen to paper, or keys to screen, these virtual lessons could help you develop the techniques you will require on your creative journey. Here, find out all the free online courses you can join to begin now.

Creative Writing Specialisation

Covering three major creative writing genres—short story, narrative essay and memoir—the course will help you master the techniques of putting your ideas on paper as clearly as possible. So if you’ve been meaning to work some engrossing features in your already existing plot, or better highlight the setting of your story, or simply articulate in a stronger fashion, let this lesson be on your shortlist. In case you’re just starting out, the course is equally rewarding.

Write Your First Novel

Have you been wanting to pen down your thoughts and weave them into a well-written novel? Go for this virtual course where you will learn an end-to-end approach to producing a work of fiction. Through a stepwise process that will culminate in your individual production of a 50,000-word book, the learning course will provide you all the important pointers right from the top.

Writing for Young Readers: Opening the Treasure Chest

Complete with video lectures, online readings, peer reviews and guest appearances from renowned authors, the course will offer an all-inclusive guide to creative writing for students and young aspirers. Apart from that, you will also explore the cultural significance of notable works , analyse the ways in which art and words interact, and become familiar with standard elements of a narrative, that include dialogue, point of view, theme, plot and so on.  

Write A Feature Length Screenplay for Film or Television

Whether your point of interest is serious dramas, romantic comedies or thrillers , the free virtual course will zoom in on every aspect of screenplay writing so you’re able to pursue the genre you want. Following in a well-structured process, you will have produced a pitch-ready script by the time the four-week programme is over. Along with learning how to create a basic idea and write loglines, you will be studying the Three Act Story Arc, and much more.

By Shweta Vepa Vyas

By Prabal Sharma

By Jyoti Kumari

Memoir and Personal Essay: Write About Yourself Specialisation

Here, four published memoirists and essayists let you in on the tricks and tools of writing about yourself. Be prepared for professional tips, prompts, reading challenges and exercises among other interactive activities. Unlike many other courses where you will be producing a large body of work at the completion of the programme, here, you will be constructing a portfolio of work to use as valuable components later.

Sharpened Visions: A Poetry Workshop

These lessons support the school of thought that poetry isn’t just a means of expression. Rather, using it for just that, is like “using the internet just for email”. If you too are willing to think beyond that, and take up the art to bring about a change in people’s thought and ideologies, the course is for you. Learn to use the several tools of poetic composition, study the works of contemporary poets and, of course, try your own hand at the skill.

Transmedia Storytelling: Narrative worlds, emerging technologies, and global audiences

In a world that believes in not just up-skilling, but also cross-skilling, this transmedia course serves to be an extremely well-rounded one. The description on the website states, “Transmedia storytelling is the practice of designing , sharing, and participating in a cohesive story experience across multiple traditional and digital delivery platforms - for entertainment, advertising and marketing, or social change.” So learn to develop expansive narratives and optimise your writing for mobile devices, social media communities, virtual and augmented realities and more.

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10 Best FREE Online Writing Courses with Certificates (2024)

There are many beginner professionals who want to improve their writing skills and get ahead in their writing careers. Moreover, it is also not feasible for working professionals to go back to school and improve their scribing skills. Thankfully, you will find many online writing classes on the Internet that help you polish and enhance your writing and authoring skills.

Following is a handpicked list of the Top Online Writing Courses & Certifications to gather knowledge about this subject. The list contains both open source (free) and commercial (paid) courses.

BEST Free Online Writing Courses for Creative Writers & Beginners

1) good with words: writing and editing specialization (coursera).

Specs: Duration: 4 hours a week | Pricing: Free | Certificate on Completion: Yes | Level: Beginner | Mobile apps: iOS and Android

Articles effectively communicate complex ideas and stories in a friendly, credible, and easy-to-follow way. This course, Good with Words , helps you learn how to write and publish an article of your own.

This free writing course explains how you can determine your writing approach, pitch your story to a publication, completely research your subject matter, and write and polish your article content. This course also discusses how you can submit a complete package to editors.

It is one of the best free online writing courses for new writers. It helps you to learn the skills you need to write a well-crafted article that connects with readers.

Key Topics:

• Determining Your Article Writing Approach
• Techniques for adding nuance to your sentences and slogans
• Creative ways to use syntax
• Polishing and Submitting Your Article
• Promoting Your work

Enroll Now >>

2) Creative Writing Specialization (Coursera)

Specs: Duration: Approx. 6 months to complete (1 hour/week) | Pricing: Free | Certificate on Completion: Yes | Level: Beginner | Languages: English, Arabic, French, Portuguese (European), Serbian, Chinese

This Creating Writing specialization course covers three important elements of writing genres: short story, narrative essay, and memoir.

In this course, you will master the techniques that any good writer uses to create a story full of memorable characters. This beginner’s writing workshop also helps you to analyze and constructively evaluate peer writing. It is one of the best writing courses designed for anyone, from aspiring short story writers to established novelists.

• The Craft of Plot
• The Craft of Character
• Setting and Description
• The Craft of Style
• Self-Paced learning option for students
• HD quality course videos
• Practice quizzes
• Graded assignments with peer feedback
• Quizzes with Feedback
• Programming assignments

3) Creative Writing: Crafting Personal Essays with Impact (Skillshare)

Specs: Duration: 1 hour 1 minute | Certificate on Completion: Yes | Level: Intermediate

Creative Writing is an online proofreading course that shows how to give your writing more impact, regardless of its purpose. In this online course, the writer and journalist Tom Geller help you to search reasons for writing with the demonstration. The writer also teaches you how to use those reasons to drive the words you select and the tone you take.

The author of this course also shares his understanding of grammar and sentence structure for writing with maximum impact. After completing this free online writing course, you will be equipped with plenty of practical writing tips to make your writing clear and crisp.

• Meaning of writing with impact
• Learning about your Readers
• Understanding How People Read
• Key Idea: Looking Inward and Outward
• Helps you qualify for continuing education units.
• Professional author instructor.
• Certificate on completion.

4) Secret Sauce of Great Writing (Udemy)

Specs: Rating: 4.5 | Duration: 41 minutes of on-demand video | Pricing: Free | Certificate on Completion: Yes | Level: Intermediate

Secret Sauce of Great Writing is a course designed by Shani Raja. This course will teach you the four main concepts of good writing: Simplicity, Clarity, Elegance, and Evocativeness. It will also help you learn how to add those ingredients skillfully.

At the end of this online writing course, you will have a good grasp of how professional writers create powerful and beautiful prose. In this online writing course, you can quickly identify your writing weaknesses, understand the principles, and fix and improve it significantly.

• The Secret Sauce of Flair
• The Four Crucial Ingredients
• How I Discovered the Sauce
• The Power of Simplicity
• Simplicity Exercises
• The Power of Clarity
• Clarity Exercises
• The Power of Elegance
• Elegance Exercises
• The Power of Evocativeness
• Evocativeness Exercises
• Online video content
• Instructor Q&A
• Instructor direct message

5) Essay Essentials: Improve Your Academic Writing (Udemy)

Specs: Rating: 4.4 | Duration: 1hr 14min of on-demand video | Certificate on Completion: Yes

Essay Essentials: Improve Your Academic Writing is a video course that helps you learn how to write essays. This free writer’s course will help you find the essay writing success you deserve by learning essay writing foundations.

• How the writing situation, process, and classroom resources.
• Brainstorm to create and use ideas that help you to develop the essay.
• Develop and structure introduction and conclusion paragraphs.
• Write a clear, specific, and well-connected thesis.
• Understand the organization of essay paragraphs.
• How to create detailed, specific, and appropriate content.
• Proof-read spelling and grammatical errors using helpful rules and tips.
• Certificate of completion accredited by universities.

6) Writing With Confidence: Writing Beginner To Writing Pro (Udemy)

Specs: Duration: 5 hours 50 minutes | Pricing: $24.99 | Certificate on Completion: Yes | Level: Intermediate | Mobile apps: iOS and Android

Writing With Confidence is an online course that helps you create ad copy that effectively conveys your brand and drives traffic to convert clicks into sales. The course designer Michael Duquet also teaches you the rules for writing ads for different platforms.

The author of this course, Clare Lynch, explains how you can change your message and tone according to your target audience and customer personality.

In the last chapters, you will learn about Create musical sentences that readers can’t resist.

• Rules of Ad Copy Writing
• Ad Copy Goals
• Writing Ad Copy for various media
• Understanding Your Audience
• Personas and Tone
• Do and Don’ts.

7) Craft Your Cover Letter (Udacity)

Specs: Duration: Approx. 1 Day | Pricing: Free | Certificate on Completion: Yes | Level: Beginner

Craft Your Cover Letter is a short course where you will learn to use proven writing techniques to show why you are the best person to do this job.

In these writing classes for beginners, you will also learn how to research company values, target your writing pitch, and develop an authentic story. It offers the research and writing tools you need to show why you are the best person for the specific job!

• Target your applications to specific opportunities.
• Students are able to understand the purpose of a cover letter.
• Write an effective introduction, body, and conclusion.
• Rich Learning Content
• Interactive Quizzes
• Instructor videos
• Learn by doing exercises.
• Taught by industry professionals.

8) Write a Book! (Udemy)

Specs: Rating: 4.3 | Duration: 30 hours on-demand video | Certificate on Completion: Yes

Write a Book is an online writing course offered by Udemy. This course explains how to organize and begin writing a short story, novel, or nonfiction book with concepts similar for each form. This online course is ideal for someone looking to grasp the fundamentals of writing using the English language.

• Learn to write basics, like including punctuation, sentences, paragraphs, etc.
• Learn about advanced writing techniques.
• Learn to write short nonfiction books.
• The advanced dialog to draw the reader into your story.
• How to use MS PowerPoint to create a book cover.
• How to discover your writing style.
• Learn how to self-edit your book manuscript.
• 28 articles
• Full lifetime access for students
• Access on mobile and TV
• Certificate of completion

9) The Complete Freelance Writing Course (Udemy)

Udemy offers a wide range of writing courses. This Complete Freelance Writing Course can be viewed on all devices connected to the Internet. You do not require any prequalification to take this course.

Udemy is an online platform that helps you create courses for business, writing, design, marketing, etc. You can develop new skills and achieve your goals by taking training and learning from the extensive library of various Udemy courses.

• Understand different forms of writing styles and methods as per target audience.
• Learn best practices for Blog Writing.
• Learn how to do screenwriting to tell a compelling story.
• Develop methods that help you to stay productive as a writer.

Key Courses:

• Grant Writing for Nonprofits and Freelance Writers
• The Complete Freelance Writing Course
• How to Start a Freelance Writing Career
• The Complete Freelance Writing Online
• Freelance Copywriting: Write Dirty. Go Big
• How to Start Profitable Freelance Writing Business in 5 Weeks

10) Online Creative Writing Classes (Skillshare)

Skillshare is an online course platform that is focused on education. It includes various topics related to graphic design, data science, e-commerce, analytics, etc. This online course will expand your horizons to learn more about creative writing. You can try these online classes that teach about creative writing techniques, tools, and topics like character development, outlining, storytelling, creating a compelling plot, and how you can make your words more artful.

This course helps you to enhance and helps you to create character-driven stories with creative writing prompts. This online class is broken down into short lessons that include hands-on projects to complete and share.

• Learn creative writing in various genres like fiction, poetry, humor, etc.
• It helps you to find classes that are designed for real life.
• Get ideas for writing daily journals.
• Real creators teach the classes.
• You can learn from any device.

11) Write A Feature Length Screenplay For Film Or Television (Coursera)

Specs: Rating: 4.5 | Duration: Approx. 93 hours to complete | Pricing: Free | Certificate on Completion: Yes | Level: Beginner | Mobile apps: iOS and Android | Mobile Compatible: Yes

Write A Feature Length Screenplay For Film Or Television teaches you how to write a feature-length screenplay for film or television or web-series. In this screen playwriting course, you will also learn to break down the creative process into components. You will also discover a structured process that helps you produce a polished and pitch-ready script.

Completing this online course helps you to improve your confidence in your ideas and abilities. After learning this online course, you will feel prepared to pitch your first script and start with the next one.

• Creating The Idea.
• Logline and Dramatic Question.
• Create your character profile.
• The Three Act Story Arc.
• Screenplay Formatting and Software.
• Begin your screenplay.
• Write the final section.
• Table read your entire script.
• Finishing things up.

12) Start Writing Fiction (Future learn)

Specs: Rating: 4.7

Start Writing Fiction is a course that helps you to create how to develop your ideas, which reflect on your writing and editing. This online writing class is intended for those interested in writing fiction or improving their fiction writing.

• Creation of characters in fiction
• Different sources for characters in stories
• Ways of presenting characters in stories
• Reading as a writer
• Writing skill like creativity, research, observation, and editing
• It provides the freedom to keep access to any online course you’ve achieved a digital certificate of.
• It offers the flexibility to complete your choice of short courses in your own time within the year.

Link: https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/start-writing-fiction

13) English Writing Skills–Revised (Alison)

Specs: Rating: 2.5 | Duration: 1.5-3 Hours | Pricing: Free | Certificate on Completion: Yes | Level: Intermediate | Mobile apps: iOS and Android | Mobile Compatible: Yes

English Writing skills is a free online English language course that will guide you through the most important English writing styles. It shows you how and when to apply each one verb and improve your knowledge about the correct usage of punctuation and grammar.

This online writing course helps you express yourself clearly and effectively in your writing. This online learning material also helps you fulfill your dream of becoming a professional writer or improving your English writing.

• English Writing Skills
• English-Writing
• Story Writing
• Descriptive Writing
• Science Fiction, Nonfiction, Instructional, Opinionative
• Reflective Writing

Link: https://alison.com/course/english-writing-skills-revised

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Here are some important guidelines for selecting an online writing course:

A. Identity your goal:

First, you need to find out your goal. Like you want to learn basic writing skills like improving your grammar, you want to learn notification writing, fiction writing, nonfiction writing, etc.

B. Set your course budget:

Then you need to decide yourself how much money you want to spend, both in terms of time and money. There are many free online writing courses. However, if you want to learn an advanced creative writing course, then you need to pay for that.

C. Pick a Commitment Level:

It is certainly the most important aspect for selecting the online writing course. How much daily or weekly time can you spend learning the course. There are many online courses that are completely self-paced, which means you work through the material on your own and take time as much as you want.

Here are some important Pros and Cons of Online Writing Classes:

• These courses are meant for independent study, so you can learn at your own pace.
• Some courses do not even have homework assignments, writing exercises, or time constraints.
• Online courses give you exclusive information and learning materials.
• You are able to interact and learn with other writers using online communities, which helps you learn to write skills.
• Online writing course sometimes not allows any personal touch of classroom writing courses.
• You will never have face-to-face interactions with associate learners.
• Some online writing courses have no instructor feedback.
• The quality and price of online writing courses vary greatly.

Here are some of the best writing apps which help you to write professional letters:

• Grammarly: Grammarly is a widely used writing enhancement tool. It offers numerous writing styles, suggestions for grammar, vocabulary, and syntax. You can use this tool via the website, as a browser extension, or as an app that you can download to your computer.
• Prowritingaid: Prowritingaid is a tool that offers a world-class grammar and style checking facility. It helps you to edit documents faster. This software includes more than 1000 styles to improve your writing skills.
• Microsoft Word: Microsoft Word is a writing app that helps you transform documents into web pages. It offers a real-time translation facility with just one tap. This program enables you to read and edit documents attached to the email.
• Calmlywriter: Calmlywriter is free writing software. This online application is designed to help you focus on your writing skills. It has a “focus mode” option that can highlight the paragraph you are writing.
• FocusWriter : It is a writing tool that enables you to access the interface by moving the mouse to the edge of the screen. The software helps you to translate the content into more than 20 languages. It helps correct spelling effortlessly.
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• Content Writing free courses

Free Content Writing Courses

Great Learning is offering free content writing courses to help you attain in-demand creative skills for a career in content writing. The content marketing basics free course offered here will help you gain content skills that are the best way to connect with customers and promote your product and services. Through the free spoken English course offered, you will have the upper hand in fluency in writing content. 

You also have a free course addressing WordPress, which is an in-demand platform for content writing and help you get acquainted with its multiple plugins for smoother content writing. Enroll in these free content writing courses that address basics to advanced concepts to help you upskill in content writing and gain free certificates of course completion.  

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Learn Content Writing For Free & Get Completion Certificates

The modern industry has incorporated content writing as a crucial component. Content creation is crucial for businesses to effectively sell their goods and services to potential clients, given the growing trend of digital marketing. Businesses may produce compelling, educational, and persuasive information that appeals to their target audience through content writing. It is an excellent approach to developing a brand and establishing a presence online.

Using content writing, you can produce persuasive material that will draw customers to your site and generate leads. Furthermore, it works well for creating content for SEO, which makes it easier for clients to find businesses. Similarly, content writing can be utilized to provide content for social media campaigns, assisting businesses in more successfully connecting with their audience.

Writing content is a crucial component of the market today. It is an effective tool that can assist companies in achieving their objectives, establishing their brands, and establishing a presence online. Businesses should invest in content writing as a significant resource if they want to succeed in the cutthroat economy of today.

Great Learning offers free online content writing courses with certificates to help you develop the critical, creative abilities currently in demand. You need to understand that content is "King" when it comes to connecting with your target market and boosting sales of your products or services. Given the demand, learning the essential abilities of content writing is necessary for you to advance in the current industries.

Benefits of Learning Content Writing

Content writing is an increasingly important skill in today's digital world. More and more businesses are turning to content writers to create compelling, engaging, and informative content for their websites, blogs, and other digital platforms. Learning the art of content writing can be highly beneficial for any writer, regardless of background and experience. Here are just some of the benefits of learning content writing:

1. Increase Your Professional Credibility:  

Content writing is a specialized skill that requires knowledge of topics and the ability to communicate complex ideas in a simple and engaging way. By learning content writing, you can demonstrate to potential employers that you have the skills and knowledge necessary to produce content that will help build their brand and grow their customer base.

2. Expand Your Professional Network :

Content writing is an excellent way to expand your professional network. As a content writer, you will work with people from all walks of life, including marketing professionals, web designers, and business owners. This can open up a whole new world of professional opportunities for you and help you build relationships with professionals in your field.

3. Enhance Your Writing Ability :

Content writing involves creating informative and engaging content. By learning the art of content writing, you can hone your writing skills and create content that resonates with readers. This will help you stand out from the competition and further establish yourself as a professional writer.

4. Generate Additional Income :

Content writing is a great way to generate additional income. Many content writers can earn a full-time income from writing content for businesses, websites, and other digital platforms. With the right knowledge and skill, you can quickly become a successful content writer and generate income from your writing.

Content writing is an invaluable skill in today's digital world. Learning the art of content writing can increase your professional credibility, expand your professional network, enhance your writing ability, and even generate additional income. If you're looking to take your writing career to the next level, then learning content writing is a great way to do just that.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Great Learning offers free content writing courses, which address basic to advanced concepts. Enroll in the courses that best fit your career objectives from the course pool to earn certificates of completion for content writing.  

With the support of online learning platforms, it is now possible to learn concepts on your own. Great Learning Academy is a platform that provides free content writing courses where learners can learn at their own pace.  

These free content writing courses offered by Great Learning Academy contain self-paced videos allowing learners to learn crucial content writing skills at their convenience.  

Yes. You will have lifelong access to these free content writing courses Great Learning Academy offers.  

You can enroll in Great Learning's Digital Marketing Courses , which will help you gain skills in demand in industries. Complete the course to earn a certificate of course completion.

Yes, learning content writing can be a valuable skill to have. Content writing can be used in various industries, from marketing and advertising to journalism and web design. It is a versatile skill that can open up career opportunities and increase your marketability as a professional.

Content writing is popular because it is an effective way to communicate with people and share information. Content writers are able to create compelling, engaging content that informs, entertains, and educates readers. It is also an effective way to boost search engine rankings, build brand awareness, and increase website traffic. Content writing is a great way to reach a large audience and build relationships with potential customers.  

You will be awarded free content writing certificates after the completion of your enrolled content writing free courses.  

Through these free content writing courses, you will learn about content marketing basics, spoken english, design thinking, user experience, and more relevant concepts crucial for content writing.   

These content writing courses are provided by Great Learning Academy for free, allowing any learner to learn content writing and gain crucial skills for free.

Learners, from freshers to working professionals who wish to learn the latest skills in content writing, can enroll in these free content writing courses and earn certificates of course completion.  

Choose the free content writing courses you are looking for and click on the "Enroll Now" button to start your content writing learning journey.

Great Learning Academy is the proactive initiative by Great Learning , the leading e-Learning platform, to offer free industry-relevant courses. Free content writing courses contain courses ranging from beginner-level to advanced-level to help learners choose the best fit for them.

There are several jobs that require you to learn content writing, including:

• Technical Writer
• Web Content Writer
• Social Media Writer
• Content Marketer
• SEO Writer  

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Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing The Write Stuff for Writers

Credit Hours

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100% online, 8-week courses

Transfer in up to 50% of the degree total

Grow Your Writing Passion into a Career with Liberty’s Online MFA in Creative Writing

Many people write creatively, but few hone their skills to develop their writing craft to its highest form. Even fewer learn the other skills it takes to become a successful writer, such as the steps needed to get a book published and into the hands of readers. Liberty’s 100% online Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Writing can help you develop your writing passion into a career so you can set your works free to impact culture and the world.

Employers in every industry need professionals who have strong writing skills, so you can be confident that your ability to write effectively can also help set you apart in your current career. With in-demand writing expertise and the ability to customize your degree with electives in literature or writing practice, Liberty’s online MFA in Creative Writing can help you achieve your professional writing goals.

Our online MFA in Creative Writing is designed to help you build on your writing skills with specific workshops dedicated to the craft of fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, or screenwriting. With a work-in-progress approach to writing practice and mentorship from our faculty of experienced writers and scholars, you can learn the specific skills you need to make your writing stand out.

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• What Sets Us Apart?
• Private Nonprofit University
• 600+ Online Degrees
• No Standardized Testing for Admission
• Transfer in up to 75% of an Undergrad Degree
• Transfer in up to 50% of a Grad/Doctoral Degree

Why Choose Liberty’s MFA in Creative Writing?

Our online MFA in Creative Writing is mainly offered in an 8-week course format, and our tuition rate for graduate programs hasn’t increased in 9 years. Through our program, you can study the writing process and develop your creative skills through workshops with experienced writing professionals. With our flexible format, you can grow in your creative writing while continuing to do what is important to you.

As a terminal degree, the online MFA in Creative Writing can also help you pursue opportunities to teach writing at the K-12 or college level. You will gain comprehensive and in-depth exposure to writing, literature, publishing, and many other professional writing skills that you can pass on to students. Partner with the Liberty family and learn under faculty who have spent years in the field you love. Your career in professional writing starts here.

What Will You Study in Our MFA in Creative Writing?

The MFA in Creative Writing program is designed to help you become an excellent creative writer across the genres of creative fiction, nonfiction, screenwriting, and poetry. You can learn how to produce aesthetically and culturally engaged creative works while gaining professional knowledge and practice. You will also study foundational contemporary literature so that you have a background in studying important works to draw on for your writing.

To help you in your professional writing, you will also study many essential skills in editing, layout, and the business of publishing so that you can best position yourself for success in the market. Through your creative writing courses and workshops, you can develop your craft so that you will be ready for your thesis project.

Here are a few examples of the skills Liberty’s MFA in Creative Writing can help you master:

• Marketing your projects and pursuing new writing opportunities
• Organizing writing and adapting it to different types of writing
• Tailoring writing to specific audiences and markets
• Understanding what makes art effective, compelling, and impactful
• Writing compelling stories that engage readers

Potential Career Opportunities

• Book and magazine writer
• Business communications specialist
• Creative writing instructor
• Publications editor
• Screenwriter
• Website copy editor and writer
• Writing manager

Featured Courses

• ENGL 600 – Editing, Layout, and Publishing
• ENGL 601 – Writing as Cultural Engagement
• ENGL 603 – Literary Theory and Practice
• WRIT 610 – Writing Fiction

Degree Information

• This program falls under the College of Arts and Sciences .
• View the Graduate Arts and Sciences Course Guides (login required).
• Download and review the Graduate Manual for MFA .

Degree Completion Plan (PDF)

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Speak to one of our admissions specialists to help you choose the program that best fits your needs.

• Tuition & Aid

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Admission Information for the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing (MFA)

Admission requirements.

• A non-refundable, non-transferable $50 application fee will be posted on the current application upon enrollment (waived for qualifying service members, veterans, and military spouses – documentation verifying military status is required) .
• Unofficial transcripts can be used for acceptance purposes with the submission of a Transcript Request Form .
• Creative Writing Sample – A creative writing sample of one creative writing work of at least 2,500 words or a culmination of creative writing samples totaling 2,500 words.*
• Applicants whose native language is other than English must submit official scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or an approved alternative assessment. For information on alternative assessments or TOEFL waivers, please call Admissions or view the official International Admissions policy .

*A sample of one or more poems totaling a minimum of 750 words may also be submitted. Song lyrics are not accepted at this time as writing samples.

Preliminary Acceptance

If you are sending in a preliminary transcript for acceptance, you must:

• Be in your final term and planning to start your master’s degree after the last day of class for your bachelor’s degree.
• Complete a Bachelor’s Self-Certification Form confirming your completion date. You may download the form from the Forms and Downloads page or contact an admissions counselor to submit the form on your behalf.
• Submit an official/unofficial transcript to confirm that you are in your final term. The preliminary transcript must show a minimum of 105 completed credit hours.
• If you are a current Liberty University student completing your undergraduate degree, you will need to submit a Degree/Certificate Completion Application .
• Send in an additional, final official transcript with a conferral date on it by the end of your first semester of enrollment in the new master’s degree.

Dual Enrollment

Please see the Online Dual Enrollment page for information about starting graduate courses while finishing your bachelor’s degree.

Transcript Policies

Unofficial college transcript policy.

Unofficial transcripts combined with a Transcript Request Form can be used for admission. Official transcripts are required within 60 days of the admissions decision or before non-attendance drops for the first set of matriculated classes, whichever comes first, and will prevent enrollment into future terms until all official transcripts have been received.

Before sending unofficial college transcripts, please make sure they include the following:

• Your previous school’s name or logo printed on the document
• Cumulative GPA
• A list of completed courses and earned credit broken down by semester
• Degree and date conferred (if applicable)

Official College Transcript Policy

An acceptable official college transcript is one that has been issued directly from the institution and is in a sealed envelope. If you have one in your possession, it must meet the same requirements. If your previous institution offers electronic official transcript processing, they can send the document directly to [email protected] .

If the student uses unofficial transcripts with a Transcript Request Form to gain acceptance, all official transcripts must be received within 60 days of the admissions decision or before non-attendance drops for the first set of matriculated classes, whichever comes first. Failure to send all official transcripts within the 60-day period will prevent enrollment into future terms until all official transcripts have been received.

Admissions Office Contact Information

(800) 424-9596

(888) 301-3577

Email for Questions

[email protected]

Email for Documents

[email protected]

Liberty University Online Admissions Verification

1971 University Blvd.

Lynchburg, VA 24515

Ready to Apply?

Submit your application online or over the phone.

Apply by phone: (800) 424-9595

Liberty University is dedicated to providing world-class educational experiences to military students across the globe.

Who May Qualify?

• Active Duty
• Reserve/National Guard
• Veterans/Retirees
• Spouses of Service Members and Veterans/Retirees
• Current Department of Defense Employees

Available Benefits:

• Tuition discounts – $275 per credit hour for graduate courses
• Additional discount for veterans who service in a civilian capacity as a First Responder (less than $625 per course) *
• 8-week courses, 8 different start dates each year, and no set login times (may exclude certain courses such as practicums, internships, or field experiences)

*Not applicable to certificates.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an mfa in creative writing.

A Master of Fine Arts degree, or MFA, is a terminal degree in an artistic craft that demonstrates that you have achieved the highest level of training and skill in your discipline. Like a doctorate, an MFA often allows you to teach courses at the graduate level while also providing many opportunities for scholarship and leadership in education. If you want to grow your creative writing skills to become the best writer you can be, then the Master of Fine Arts can help you get there.

How will students work towards developing their writing skills?

With creative writing workshops and a thesis project, you will receive support and guidance to help you become the best writer you can be.

How long will it take to complete the MFA in Creative Writing?

You can complete the MFA in Creative Writing in just 48 credit hours!

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