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Western Michigan University

Michigan, united states.

The MFA in Creative Writing is a program for students who wish to become professional writers of poetry, fiction, drama, or nonfiction, and qualifies them to teach the craft at the college or university level.

The program requires 42 s/hrs of courses in writing workshops, literature, and literary theory, and an MFA project of 6 s/hrs. Workshops (12-18 s/hrs) provide for much independent work, individual instruction, and practical experience in criticism and rewriting, as well as the challenge and inspiration of working with and for one's peers. The successful MFA candidate should develop research and critical skills and a sound background in literature. Therefore, candidates take forms courses in poetry, fiction, drama, or nonfiction; 6-8 s/hrs in literature; and courses in various cognate fields. Capping the program is the MFA Project (6 s/hrs), an original book-length work of fiction, poetry, drama, or nonfiction, including a public reading or performance to be approved by the candidate's advisory committee.

WMU's PhD program is designed to meet the needs of future scholars and writers, particularly those who intend to teach at undergraduate institutions. The program requires all candidates to have broad knowledge of English and American literature, acquaintance with nontraditional literature, practical and/or theoretical background in the teaching of English (including the teaching of creative writing), and a specialization in a single area (which can be creative writing). Candidates entering with an MA are credited with 30 to 36 s/hrs depending on their degrees; those entering with an MFA may be credited with as many as 45 s/hrs in some circumstances.

In order to enrich their creative process, writers are encouraged to work in more than one genre, and the content of MFA projects and dissertations frequently reflects this approach. Whatever their specialization, all candidates will receive essential experience in research, teaching, and writing in the profession, and will develop the breadth required of teachers in relatively small English departments.

WMU hosts the Third Coast Writers' Conference in the spring with participating writers from all over the Midwest and nationally known writers serving as workshop faculty, panelists, and featured readers. Under the general guidance of the writing faculty, graduate (and, occasionally, undergraduate) students serve as the editorial and production staff of Third Coast, WMU's national literary journal. Graduate students may also have the opportunity to pro-vide editorial and other assistance in the production of books in Western's award-winning New Issues Poetry and Prose Series, under the general editorship of writing faculty member and series founder Herbert Scott. Students may compete, in separate categories for graduates and undergraduates, for annual departmental awards in fiction, poetry, playwriting, and nonfiction; they are also eligible for other departmental awards that recognize general achievement in academics and/or creative writing. Playwriting students are also eligible to compete for production at area theaters.

Western Michigan University is located in Kalamazoo, a mid-sized, diverse, traditionally liberal city with a lively arts scene, a vital downtown, and strong music and theatrical venues. Within and around the city are numerous lakes and parks, and the unique beaches of Lake Michigan's eastern coast are an hour's drive through farmland, vineyards, and apple orchards.

Contact Information

1903 Western Michigan Avenue Kalamazoo Michigan, United States 49008-5331 Phone: (269) 387-2571 Email: [email protected] http://wmich.edu/english/creativewriting/

Bachelor of Arts in English/Literature +

The English major with Creative Writing emphasis aims at giving students intensive practice in writing and criticism in various genres in a workshop format; for general writing careers or for prospective candidates for the MFA in Creative Writing.

A minimum of 34 s/hrs are required: 14 s/hrs of coursework in creative writing from among the following: ENGL 266 Writing Fiction & Poetry (prerequisite for all creative writing courses); Advanced Fiction Writing; Advanced Poetry Writing; Playwriting; and Creative Writing Workshop (poetry, fiction, drama, or nonfiction). Literature and language requirements include: ENGL 110 Literary Interpretation (prerequisite for all courses); British Literature I or II and American Literature I or II; Studies in Verse, Studies in the Novel, or Studies in Drama; and an English language.

Minor / Concentration in Creative Writing +

Master of fine arts in creative writing +, graduate program director.

WMU hosts the Third Coast Writers' Conference in the spring with participating writers from all over the Midwest and nationally known writers serving as workshop faculty, panelists, and featured readers. Under the general guidance of the writing faculty, graduate (and, occasionally, undergraduate) students serve as the editorial and production staff of Third Coast, WMU's national literary journal. Graduate students may also have the opportunity to pro-vide editorial and other assistance in the production of books in Western's award-winning New Issues Poetry and Prose Series, under the general editorship of writing faculty member and series founder Herbert Scott. Students may compete, in separate categories for graduates and undergraduates, for annual departmental awards in fiction, poetry, playwriting, and nonfic?tion; they are also eligible for other departmental awards that recognize general achievement in academics and/or creative writing. Playwriting students are also eligible to compete for production at area theaters.

PhD in Creative Writing +

Steve feffer.

The Wizards of Quiz, Ain't Got No Home, The House I Call Love

http://www.wmich.edu/english/facultyandstaff/profiles/feffer.html

Richard Katrovas

Green Dragons, Snug Harbor, The Public Mirror

http://www.wmich.edu/english/facultyandstaff/profiles/katrovas.html

Thisbe Nissen

http://www.wmich.edu/english/facultyandstaff/profiles/nissen.html

Twice There Was a Country

Publications & Presses +

Third Coast

New Issues Press

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Western Michigan University PhD in Creative Writing

Creative Writing is a concentration offered under the writing studies major at Western Michigan University. Here, you’ll find out more about the major doctor’s degree program in creative writing, including such details as the number of graduates, diversity of students, and more.

If there’s something special you’re looking for, you can use one of the links below to find it:

  • Graduate Cost
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Featured Programs

Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.

BA in Creative Writing & English

Develop your creativity and gain practical skills with a creative writing degree program –featuring 100% online classes – through a bachelor's from Southern New Hampshire University.

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MFA in Creative Writing - Online

Embrace your passion for storytelling and learn the professional writing skills you'll need to succeed with our online MFA in Creative Writing. Write your novel or short story collection while earning a certificate in the Online Teaching of Writing or Professional Writing, with no residency requirement.

MA in English & Creative Writing

Refine your writing skills and take a step toward furthering your career with this online master's from Southern New Hampshire University.

How Much Does a Doctorate in Creative Writing from WMU Cost?

Wmu graduate tuition and fees.

During the 2019-2020 academic year, part-time graduate students at WMU paid an average of $1,268 per credit hour if they came to the school from out-of-state. In-state students paid a discounted rate of $682 per credit hour. The following table shows the average full-time tuition and fees for graduate student.

Related Programs

Learn about other programs related to <nil> that might interest you.

Low-Residency MFA in Fiction and Nonfiction

Harness your passion for storytelling with SNHU's Mountainview Low-Residency MFA in Fiction and Nonfiction. In this small, two-year creative writing program, students work one-on-one with our distinguished faculty remotely for most of the semester but convene for weeklong intensive residencies in June and January. At residencies, students critique each other's work face-to-face, meet with major authors, agents and editors and learn how to teach at the college level.

Does WMU Offer an Online PhD in Creative Writing?

WMU does not offer an online option for its creative writing doctor’s degree program at this time. To see if the school offers distance learning options in other areas, visit the WMU Online Learning page.

WMU Doctorate Student Diversity for Creative Writing

Male-to-female ratio.

Of the students who received their doctor’s degree in creative writing in 2019-2020, 40.0% of them were women. This is less than the nationwide number of 53.8%.

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Racial-Ethnic Diversity

Racial-ethnic minority graduates* made up 20.0% of the creative writing doctor’s degrees at WMU in 2019-2020. This is higher than the nationwide number of 15%.

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*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

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Find details about every creative writing competition—including poetry contests, short story competitions, essay contests, awards for novels, grants for translators, and more—that we’ve published in the Grants & Awards section of Poets & Writers Magazine during the past year. We carefully review the practices and policies of each contest before including it in the Writing Contests database, the most trusted resource for legitimate writing contests available anywhere.

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Western Michigan University

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MFA Program

Poetry: Alen Hamza, Richard Katrovas Fiction: Richard Katrovas, Thisbe Nissen Playwriting: Steve Feffer

The program offers full funding. Most students receive a three-year teaching assistantship, which includes a full tuition waiver and an annual stipend.

Third Coast , New Issues Press

The program offers degrees in playwriting. The program also offers the Gwen Frostic Reading Series and Gwen Frostic Creative Writing Awards, the student-run literary magazine Third Coast , the literary press New Issues Press, and opportunities to collaborate with the Kalamazoo Book Arts Center and local theater organizations.

Bonnie Jo Campbell, Lisa Fishman, Hedy Habra, Cara Beth Heath, David Dodd Lee, Lisa Lenzo, Dan Mancilla

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Creative Writing & Literature Major

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Effective Fall 2023

Not open to those electing the minor in Writing or the minor in Creative Writing.

1813 East Quadrangle

(734) 763-0032

https://myadvising.lsa.umich.edu/appointments/offices/RC

Students meet with the creative writing major advisor when declaring, making course substitutions, discussing transfer/study abroad credit evaluations, preparing for internships, completing major release forms, and discussing information on graduate school study and career paths.  

Although students may pursue study in multiple genres, most specialize in one of the following genres:

  • Fiction / Creative Nonfiction
  • Digital Storytelling

Advising appointments can be made here ; or by calling RC Academic Services at 763-0032.

Grade Policies

Creative writing majors must earn a grade of at least C- in all courses taken to satisfy the requirements of the major.

Prerequisites

Students intending to declare the major should have completed or be enrolled in a Residential College introductory creative writing course (RCHUMS 220, RCHUMS 221, RCHUMS 325, or an approved equivalent). The prerequisite taken should align with the student's chosen track, although this is not required. 

Requirements

The major is structured into three genre tracks. Students may elect a multi-genre track in consultation with their principal writing instructors and the major advisor. Information regarding each track is detailed below.         

1) Fiction / Creative Nonfiction Track

Students complete a minimum of four creative writing courses, at least three of which must be at the 300-level or above and at least three of which must be taken in the Residential College (RC). A usual track is an introductory course (Narration) and three upper-level courses. Students may count one non-RC creative writing course towards the four course writing requirement.

Creative Writing Course Requirement

Students may elect any combination of the seminars and tutorials from the following list:

  • RCHUMS 220: Narration (Intro to Fiction Writing)
  • RCHUMS 325, 326, 425, 426: Creative Writing Tutorial ( permission of instructor is required )
  • RCHUMS 320: Advanced Narration (Advanced Fiction Writing)
  • Other departmental offerings listed under RCHUMS 334 or RCCORE 334

Literature Requirement

Students complete five literature courses at the 300-level or above. One literature course must focus on literature written prior to 1600. The pre-1600 requirement may focus on non-Western or Western literature; if a Western literature course is elected, the content must pre-date the Shakespearean era. 

Students are encouraged to take literature courses in the RC Arts and Ideas Program, the Department of English, or the Department of Comparative Literature. Students majoring in a second language may count one upper-level literature course in that language, either taken at UM-Ann Arbor or through study abroad (with advisor approval). All literature courses counted toward the Creative Writing and Literature Major must be at least three (3) credits.

 Courses that have been used to meet the literature requirement include:

  • RCHUMS courses listed in the Arts and Ideas in the Humanities major
  • ENGLISH 328: Writing and the Environment
  • ENGLISH 350: Literature in English to 1660
  • ENGLISH 379: Literature in Afro-American Culture
  • Other English Department courses with a literature focus
  • CLCIV 385: Greek Mythology (for pre-1600 requirement)  
  • MEMS 386: Medieval Literature, History and Culture 

2) Poetry Track

Students complete a minimum of four creative writing courses, at least three of which must be at the 300-level or above and at least three of which must be taken in the Residential College (RC). A usual track is an introductory course (Writing Poetry) and three upper-level courses. Students may count one non-RC creative writing course towards the writing requirement.

Students may elect any combination of seminars and tutorials from the following:

  • RCHUMS 221: Writing Poetry
  • RCHUMS 321: Advanced Poetry Writing
  • RCHUMS 334: Special Topics in the Humanities (Workshop with Incarcerated Poets and Artists)

Students complete five literature courses at the 300-level or above. One literature course must focus on literature written prior to 1600. The pre-1600 requirement may focus on non-Western or Western literature; if a Western literature course is elected, the content must pre-date the Shakespearean era. 

Students are encouraged to take literature courses in the RC Arts and Ideas Program, the Department of English or the Department of Comparative Literature. Students majoring in a second language may count one upper-level literature course in that language, either taken at UM-Ann Arbor or through study abroad (with advisor approval). All literature courses counted toward the Creative Writing and Literature Major must be at least three (3) credits.

Courses that have been used to meet the literature requirement include:

  • ENGLISH 340: Studies in Poetry
  • ENGLISH 440: Modern Poetry
  • ENGLISH 442: Studies in Poetry
  • Literature courses listed above within the Fiction/Creative Nonfiction track

3) Digital Storytelling Track

The digital storytelling track studies the way stories interact with technology and the effect of digital media on writing and the creative process. Students electing this track pair writing practice with the study of the theory, ethics, and history of digital media.

Creative Writing Course Requirement 

Students completing this requirement must elect two courses in Creative Writing Practice and two courses in Digital Writing Skills. The two Creative Writing Practice courses can only include one 200-level course. Students must elect a minimum of two Residential College (RC) creative writing courses that focus on writing fiction, creative nonfiction, or poetry.   

Introductory Courses (may elect one to count towards major):

Upper-level Courses:

  • RCHUMS 320: Advanced Narration
  • RCHUMS 334: Special Topics in the Humanities (Memoir: Writing from Within)

Digital Writing / Skills Course Requirement

Students must choose a minimum of two digital storytelling / writing courses at the 300-level or above that focus on digital media and/or electronic literature writing and practice.

Courses that have been used to meet the requirement in the past include:

  • ENGLISH 420: Tech and the Humanities/Electronic Literature
  • RCCORE 334: Digital Storytelling
  • RCHUMS 325, 326, 425, 426: Creative Writing Tutorial with a focus on writing for, and/or creating electronic literature or digital media content ( permission of instructor is required )

Digital Studies Theory Requirement

Students must elect a minimum of two digital studies theory courses at the 300-level or above that focus on the theory of digital culture and/or the digital humanities.

  • AMCULT 358: Topics in Digital Studies
  • AMCULT 360: Radical Digital Media
  • FTVM 368: Topics in Digital Media Studies
  • ENGLISH 405: Theories of Writing

Students must elect three literature courses at the 300-level or above. Literature courses should not focus on digital studies but should offer complementary skills and additional context in the art and craft of literature. One literature course must focus on literature written prior to 1600. The pre-1600 requirement may focus on non-Western or Western literature; if a Western literature course is elected, the content must pre-date the Shakespearean era. 

Constraints

Coursework noted as independent study (IND) may not be used to meet requirements, including RCCORE 209, RCCORE 309, and RCCORE 409. Although students are encouraged to complete internships in a publishing or writing related field, any credit earned may not be used to meet requirements of the major. 

Distribution Policy

No course used to fulfill a major requirement may be used toward the LSA Distribution Requirement. In addition, courses in the RC Creative Writing subject area may not be used toward the Distribution Requirement.

A student whose overall academic record meets the eligibility criteria for honors and whose creative work models originality and the promise of mastery in their chosen genre may apply to complete an honors thesis. Honors theses are typically 75-100 pages of polished fiction or creative nonfiction, or a collection of 25 or more poems. The student and their faculty advisor will determine the exact length and content of the final thesis.

To be eligible to apply for honors, a student must demonstrate exceptional skill in the art and craft of prose, poetry, or creative nonfiction. The student must have completed a minimum of two Residential College creative writing classes, although honors students typically complete three or more by the start of their thesis sequence. The student also must hold a GPA of at least 3.4 overall.

Students who meet the above criteria are eligible to apply for the honors thesis project in the Winter term of their junior year, typically by late March. To apply, students should submit:

  •  A writing sample (10 pages of prose or 5 poems) that represents the student’s best, most polished work;
  •  A brief statement (1-2 pages) describing the honors project;
  • The name of a faculty member they wish to request as their thesis advisor.

The Honors Committee, consisting of faculty in the Creative Writing program, will judge the student’s work on its quality, originality, and promise of mastery in their chosen genre. The Committee reviews all honors applications after the submission deadline. Students are notified of the Committee’s decision by early April. If the planned project is accepted for honors, the Committee will assign a faculty thesis advisor to the student.

Honors theses require a two-semester commitment. Students enroll in RCCORE 490 for the Fall term and RCHUMS 426 for the Winter term. Satisfactory progress in RCCORE 490 earns a Y grade, indicating that the thesis work will continue into the next semester. At the end of the second term, the Y grade converts to the grade earned in RCHUMS 426. Exceptions to the two-semester requirement are rare but may be discussed with the thesis advisor.

When the honors thesis project is complete (typically the last week of March or the first week of April of the senior year), the student’s honors thesis advisor and one other member of the Residential College’s Creative Writing faculty will determine if the project qualifies for honors and (if so) what level of honors the student receives. Honors thesis students also participate in a public reading with fellow honors students at the end of the Winter term.

Creative Writing and Literature (Major) (Winter 2020 - Summer 2023)

Effective Winter 2020

(734) 647-2745

www.lsa.umich.edu/rc

The Residential College (RC) is a four-year undergraduate liberal arts program with about 900 students and 60 faculty, situated within LSA. All RC advisors are RC faculty members and are available to meet with students to discuss RC and LSA requirements, possible majors, graduation requirements, etc. The RC Board on Academic Standing considers petitions submitted by RC students relating to requirements, deadlines, and academic circumstances. Appointments with academic advisors can be scheduled by calling the RC Academic Services Office at (734) 647-2745 or by stopping by the offices at 1813 East Quadrangle.

Students wishing to pursue a sustained practice in creative writing take a combination of writing courses in a selected genre and literature courses, distributed as follows:

  • A minimum of four creative writing classes, three at the upper level (300 and above), mixing seminars (RCHUMS 220, 221, 222, 242, 320, 321, 322) and tutorials (RCHUMS 325, 326, 425, 426)
  • A minimum of five upper level (300 and above) literature courses at least one of which must be ancient (RCHUMS 309, CLCIV 390, ENGLISH 401) or medieval (RCHUMS 310, ENGLISH 370) literature.

No course used to fulfill a major requirement may be used toward the LSA Distribution Requirement.

Creative Writing and Literature (Major) (Winter 2013 - Fall 2019)

Effective Winter 2013

134 Tyler (East Quadrangle)

The Residential College (RC) is a four-year undergraduate liberal arts program with about 900 students and 60 faculty, situated within LSA. All RC advisors are RC faculty members and are available to meet with students to discuss RC and LSA requirements, possible majors, graduation requirements, etc. The RC Board on Academic Standing considers petitions submitted by RC students relating to requirements, deadlines, and academic circumstances. Appointments with academic advisors can be scheduled by calling the RC Academic Services Office at (734) 763-0032, or by stopping by the offices at 134 Tyler.

Creative Writing and Literature Major (through Fall 2012)

May be elected as a departmental major 

effective through Fall 2012

Not open to those electing the minor in Writing or the minor in Creative Writing (effective Fall 2011)

The Residential College's Creative Writing and Literature Major combines the sustained, disciplined practice of writing with the serious study of literature. The main goal of the program is to help students develop their creative abilities through a continuous, interrelated cycle of writing, rewriting, and literary analysis. Creative writing courses are taught as workshops and tutorials in which students work individually with faculty members. Students are required to take courses in literature in order to understand better the art of writing.

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Hal Ackerman

Instructor, Writing for Stage & Screen [email protected]

  • Former co-chair of the Screenwriting Program at UCLA.
  • His play, Testosterone: How Prostate Cancer Made a Man of Me, received the William Saroyan Centennial Prize for Drama and won Best Script at the 2011 United Solo Festival.
  • He has sold material to all the broadcast networks and major studios.
  • His book Write Screenplays That Sell…The Ackerman Way is now in its third printing.

Khris Baxter

Instructor, Writing for Stage & Screen [email protected]

  • Screenwriter, producer, and the founder of Lost Mountain Entertainment.
  • Developed and financed a wide range of projects in partnership with Cross Creek Pictures and Echo Lake Entertainment.
  • Co-produced “Above the Shadows,” which won the Audience Award at the 2019 Brooklyn Film Festival.
  • Teaches Writing for Film & TV at Dickinson College.
  • Serves as a judge for the Virginia Film Office’s annual screenwriting competition.

Peter Behrens

Instructor, Writing for Stage & Screen [email protected]

  • Screenwriter, essayist, and fiction writer.
  • Author of four books of fiction, including “The Law of Dreams,” which won the Governor-General’s Award and has been published in nine languages.
  • His stories, essays, and reviews appear in The Atlantic, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, NPR’s All Things Considered, and many anthologies.
  • Former Wallace Stegner Fellow at Stanford University and former fellow at Harvard University’s Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study.

Cathy Smith Bowers

Instructor, Poetry [email protected]

  • Poet Laureate of North Carolina from 2010-2012.
  • Her poems appear widely in publications such as The Atlantic Monthly, The Georgia Review, Poetry, The Southern Review, and The Kenyon Review.
  • Author of five collections of poetry.

Morri Creech

Associate Professor, Poetry Writer in Residence, Queens University of Charlotte [email protected]

  • Author of four collections of poetry, one a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.
  • His poems appear in Poetry, The New Criterion, The New Republic, The Southwest Review, The Hudson Review, Crazyhorse, Critical Quarterly, Sewanee Review, Southern Review, and  elsewhere. 
  • He has received the Stan and Tom Wick Award, a Ruth Lilly Fellowship, and a fellowship from The Louisiana  Division of the Arts.

David Christensen

Instructor, Writing for Stage & Screen [email protected]

  • Executive producer at the National Film Board of Canada where he oversees a slate of documentary, interactive, and animation productions made nationally and internationally.
  • Two Oscar-nominated films and multiple premiers at Berlin, Sundance, Toronto, and New York film festivals.

Ann Cummins

Instructor, Fiction [email protected]

  • Author of a story collection and novel.
  • Recipient of a Lannan Foundation Literary Fellowship.
  • Stories appear in The New Yorker, McSweeney’s, Antioch Review, The Best American Short Stories, and The Anchor Book of New American Short Stories.

Jonathan Dee

Instructor, Fiction [email protected]

  • Author of eight novels.
  • His novel “The Privileges” was a finalist for the 2010 Pulitzer Prize and winner of the 2011 Prix Fitzgerald and the St. Francis College Literary Prize.
  • A former contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine, a senior editor of The Paris Review, and a National Magazine Award-nominated literary critic for Harper’s.
  • Received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Guggenheim Foundation.

Kristin Dombek

Instructor, Nonfiction [email protected]

  • Author of “The Selfishness of Others: An Essay on the Fear of Narcissism,” which has been translated into multiple languages, and “How to Quit,” forthcoming soon.
  • Essays appear in The New Yorker, Vice, The New York Times Magazine, Harper’s, London Review of Books, n+1, The Financial Times, The Paris Review, and Best American Essays.
  • Recipient of fellowships from the MacDowell Colony and the Rona Jaffe Foundation.
  • Has taught at Queens College/CUNY and Princeton.

Shelley Evans

Instructor, Writing for Stage & Screen [email protected]

  • Has written teleplays for ABC, CBS, Showtime, USA Network, Hallmark Movies and Mysteries, and Lifetime Television.

Elizabeth Gaffney

Instructor, Fiction [email protected]

  • Author of two novels.
  • Has also translated three novels and a memoir from German.
  • Resident artist at Yaddo, the MacDowell Colony, and the Blue Mountain Center.
  • Former staff editor at The Paris Review, and currently serves as the editor-at-large of A Public Space.

Myla Goldberg

Instructor, Fiction [email protected]

  • Bestselling author of four novels, including “Bee Season,” which was a New York Times Notable Book and winner of the Borders New Voices Prize. It was adapted to film and widely translated.
  • Has also published an essay collection, a children’s book, and short stories that have appeared in Harper’s.
  • Teaches also in the fiction programs at Sarah Lawrence and NYU.

Emily Fox Gordon

Instructor, Nonfiction [email protected]

  • Author of a novel, a collection of personal essays, and two memoirs, one of which was a New York Times Notable Book.
  • Her work appears in Boulevard, Salmagundi, The American Scholar, and Southwest Review, and has been anthologized in the Anchor Essay Annual.
  • Has taught writing workshops at Rice University, the University of Houston, The New School, the University of Wyoming, and the MFA program at Rutgers/Camden.
  • Recipient of two Pushcart Prizes.

Trish Harnetiaux

Instructor, Writing for Stage & Screen [email protected]

  • Her play “Tin Cat Shoes” premiered in 2018 kicking off Clubbed Thumb’s Summerworks (Playwrights Horizons Superlab).
  • Three other plays have been published by Samuel French.
  • Executive producer on the off-beat comedy series “Driver Ed” which premiered at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival.
  • She has been a resident at MacDowell, Yaddo, The Millay Colony, and SPACE at Ryder Farm.

Marcus Jackson

Instructor, Poetry [email protected]

  • Author of two poetry collections.
  • His poems appear in The New Yorker, Harvard Review, The New York Times, and The Cincinnati Review.

Fred Leebron

Program Director, Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing Instructor, Fiction [email protected]

  • Former Wallace Stegner Fellow at Stanford and Fulbright Scholar.
  • Author of five books of fiction, including “Six Figures,” which was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year and became a feature-length film.
  • Co-editor of “Postmodern American Fiction: A Norton Anthology;” and co-author of “Creating Fiction: A Writer’s Companion.”
  • Recipient of an O. Henry Award, a Puschart Prize, a Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown Fellowship, and two fellowships from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts.

Instructor, Poetry

  • Author of six books of poetry, including “The Carrying,” which won the National Book Critics Circle Award for Poetry.
  • Her book “Bright Dead Things” was named a finalist for the National Book Award, a finalist for the Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award, and a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award.
  • Currently the Poet Laureate of the United States and a MacArthur Foundation “Genius” Fellow.

Rebecca Lindenberg

Instructor, Poetry [email protected]

  • Author of two poetry collections, including the winner of the 2015 Utah Book Award.
  • Awarded an Amy Lowell Fellowship, a National Endowment for the Arts Literature Grant, a Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown Fellowship, and a residency grant from the MacDowell Arts Colony.
  • Her poetry, lyric essays, and criticism appear in The Believer, Poetry, McSweeney’s Quarterly, American Poetry Review, Conjunctions, and Iowa Review.

Rebecca McClanahan

Instructor, Poetry and Nonfiction [email protected]

  • Author of eleven books, most recently “In the Key of New York City: A Memoir in Essays” and a revised edition of “Word Painting: The Fine Art of Writing Descriptively,” which has sold nearly 50,000 copies.
  • Her work appears in Best American Essays, Best American Poetry, Kenyon Review, Georgia Review, and in anthologies published by Doubleday, Norton, and Penguin.
  • Recipient of two Pushcart Prizes, the Glasgow Award in nonfiction, and four fellowships from the New York Foundation for the Arts and the North Carolina Arts Council.

James McKean

Instructor, Poetry and Nonfiction [email protected]

  • Author of three books of poems and two books of essays.
  • His poetry and nonfiction appear in Poetry, The Atlantic Monthly, The Georgia Review, The Southern Review, The Pushcart Prize Anthology, The Best American Sports Writing, and Poetry Northwest, and have been featured in Ted Kooser’s American Life in Poetry.

Orlando Menes

Instructor, Poetry [email protected]

  • Author of five poetry collections.
  • His poems appear in Poetry, Ploughshares, Harvard Review, The Antioch Review, Hudson Review, Shenandoah, Callaloo, and The Southern Review.
  • Editor of “Renaming Ecstasy: Latino Writings on the Sacred.”
  • Has published translations of poetry in Spanish, including My Heart Flooded with Water: Selected Poems by Alfonsina Storni.

Daniel Mueller

Instructor, Fiction [email protected]

  • Author of three short story collections.
  • His work appears in The Missouri Review, The Iowa Review, Story Quarterly, Story, The Mississippi Review, Henfield Prize Stories, and Playboy.
  • He is the director of the Creative Writing program at the University of New Mexico.

Brighde Mullins

Instructor, Writing for Stage & Screen [email protected]

  • Her plays have been developed and produced in New York, Dallas, Salt Lake City, London, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.
  • Recipient of an NEA Fellowship in Playwriting, a Whiting Foundation Award, a United States Artists Fellowship, and a Guggenheim Fellowship.
  • She has held residencies at Lincoln Center, New York Stage and Film, MacDowell, and Yaddo. She is a Usual Suspect at New York Theatre Workshop and has been a Core Member of the Playwrights’ Center in Minneapolis.
  • Has taught at Harvard, Brown, and the University of Southern California.

Instructor, Fiction [email protected]

  • Author of three novels, including “The Perfect Man,” which won The Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for the Best Book of Europe and South Asia.  His work has been translated into eight languages. 
  • Recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship and a PEN Beyond Margins Award. 
  • Has been a writer-in-residence at the University of Missouri, Western Michigan, and Northwestern University.

Jenny Offill

Instructor, Fiction [email protected]

  • Author of three novels, including “The Department of Speculation,” named one of the 10 Best Books of 2014 by the New York Times, and shortlisted for the Pen/Faulkner Award and the L.A. Times Fiction Award.
  • Co-editor of two anthologies: “The Friend Who Got Away” and “Money Changes Everything.”

David Payne

Instructor, Fiction [email protected]

  • NY Times Notable author of five novels and a memoir.
  • His work appears in The New York Times, Libération, The Washington Post, and The Oxford American.
  • Has taught at Bennington, Duke, and Hollins.

Susan Perabo

Instructor, Fiction [email protected]

  • Author of two story collections and two novels.
  • Her fiction appears in Best American Short Stories, Pushcart Prize Stories, New Stories from the South, One Story, The Iowa Review, The Missouri Review, and The Sun.
  • She is a Writer in Residence and professor of English at Dickinson College.

Instructor, Nonfiction and Poetry [email protected]

  • Author of multiple books of poetry, nonfiction, and fiction, two of which won the Library of Virginia Book of the Year Award.
  • He is a professor of English at William and Mary College in Virginia.

Robert Polito

Instructor, Poetry and Nonfiction [email protected]

  • Author of numerous books of poetry and nonfiction, including “Savage Art: A Biography of Jim Thompson,” which received the National Book Critics Circle Award.
  • Editor of the Library of America volumes “Crime Novels: Noir of the 1930s & 1940s” and “Crime Novels: American Noir of the 1950s,” as well as “The Selected Poems of Kenneth Fearing.”
  • His poems and essays appear in The New Yorker, The New York Times Book Review, Best American Poetry, Beast American Essays, and Best American Film Writing.
  • Recently served as President of the Poetry Foundation.

Patricia Powell

Instructor, Fiction [email protected]

  • Author of three novels. 
  • The recipient of a PEN New England Discovery Award and a Lila-Wallace Readers Digest Writer’s Award.
  • Has taught at Harvard University, U-Mass, MIT, and Mills College.

Steven Rinehart

Instructor, Fiction [email protected]

  • Author of a story collection and a novel.
  • The recipient of fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the James Michener Center, and the Virginia Center for the Arts.
  • Writes and ghostwrites for a former US President, Fortune 100 CEOs, entrepreneurs, and social activists.
  • He teaches at the Gallatin School of NYU.

Instructor, Fiction [email protected]

  • Author of 12 books of fiction.
  • A two-time National Book Award Finalist, and an Edgar Award Nominee.

Elissa Schappell

Instructor, Fiction [email protected]

  • Author of two books of fiction, including “Use Me,” a runner-up for the PEN/Hemingway Award, a New York Times “Notable Book” and a Los Angeles Times “Best Book of the Year.”
  • Co-editor of two essay anthologies: “Money Changes Everything” and “The Friend Who Got Away”
  • Her fiction and nonfiction appear in One Story, McSweeney’s, BOMB, Interview, the KGB Bar Reader, The Paris Review, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Elle, Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and Real Simple.
  • She has taught at NYU, Texas State, and Columbia University.

Dana Spiotta

Instructor, Fiction [email protected]

  • Author of five novels, which have won the St. Francis College Literary Prize and have been a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and the National Book Award.
  • Recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Rome Prize from the American Academy in Rome, and the American Academy of Arts and Letters John Updike Prize in Literature.
  • She also teaches at Syracuse University.

Maxine Swann

Instructor, Fiction [email protected]

  • Author of three books of fiction.
  • Awarded an O. Henry Prize, a Pushcart Prize, and her work has been included in The Best American Short Stories of 1998 and 2006.

Héctor Tobar

Instructor, Fiction and Nonfiction [email protected]

  • Author of five books of fiction and nonfiction, published in ten languages, including the New York Times bestseller “Deep Down Dark,” which was adapted into a feature film.
  • Work appears in Best American Short Stories, L.A. Noir, The New Yorker, and The Los Angeles Times, and he is currently a contributing writer for the New York Times opinion pages.
  • He is an associate professor at the University of California, Irvine.

Ashley Warlick

Instructor, Fiction [email protected]

  • Author of four novels.
  • Recipient of an NEA Fellowship and the Houghton Mifflin Literary Fellowship.
  • Her work appears in The Oxford American, McSweeney’s, Redbook, and Garden and Gun.
  • She is a partner at M. Judson, Booksellers and Storytellers in Greenville, SC.

Creative Writing Faculty

Core faculty.

Divya Victor – Director of Creative Writing | Poetry, Creative Nonfiction, Literary Studies Shastri Akella – Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, Literary Studies, Film Studies Juliet Guzzetta – Playwriting, Literary Studies Swarnavel Eswaran Pillai – Screenwriting, Film Studies, Film Production Robin Silbergleid – Creative Nonfiction, Poetry, Literary Studies William Vincent – Screenwriting, Film Production Jeff Wray – Screenwriting, Film Production

Affiliated & Visiting Faculty

Kate Birdsall – Editing, Publishing, Zine Cultures and Red Cedar Review Janine Certo  – Introduction to Poetry Writing Tim Conrad  – Introduction to Creative Writing; Methods of Literary History Karina Ocaña s Suarez – ENG 200 Coordinator Jessica Stokes – Introduction to Creative Writing Matt Rossi – Introduction to Creative Writing, Multi Genre Cindy Hunter Morgan –  Introduction to Creative Writing, Multi Genre; Introduction to Poetry Writing

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Home > WMU Books > Books

All Books and Monographs by WMU Authors

The goal is to eventually record most books written or edited by Western Michigan University faculty, staff and students. We will start by entering the most recent publications first and work our way back to older books. There is a WMU Authors section in Waldo Library, where most of these books can be found. Most are available with another copy in the general stacks of Waldo or in the branch libraries.

With a few exceptions, we do not have the rights to put the full text of the book online, so there will be a link to a place where you can purchase the book.

If you are a WMU faculty or staff member and have a book you would like to include in this list, please contact [email protected]

No Deposit, No Return": Enriching Literacy Teaching and Learning through Critical Inquiry Pedagogy by Jennifer Aaron, Eurydice Bouchereau Bauer, Michelle Commeyras, Sharon Dowling Cox, Bren Daniell, Ellen Elrick, Bob Fecho, Jill Hermann-Wilmarth, Elizabeth Hogan, Andrea Pintaone-Hernandez, Kathy Roulston, Amanda Siegel, and Hope Vaughn

No Deposit, No Return": Enriching Literacy Teaching and Learning through Critical Inquiry Pedagogy

Jennifer Aaron, Eurydice Bouchereau Bauer, Michelle Commeyras, Sharon Dowling Cox, Bren Daniell, Ellen Elrick, Bob Fecho, Jill Hermann-Wilmarth, Elizabeth Hogan, Andrea Pintaone-Hernandez, Kathy Roulston, Amanda Siegel, and Hope Vaughn

Foster a classroom community where teachers and students make their own meanings of the world and consider their relation to larger social, political, cultural, and historical issues

The Great Beginning of Cîteaux: A Narrative of the Beginning of the Cistercian Order: The Exordium Magnum of Conrad of Eberbach by Konrad Abbot of Eberbach, Benedicta Ward, Paul Savage, E. Rozanne Elder, and Brian Patrick McGuire

The Great Beginning of Cîteaux: A Narrative of the Beginning of the Cistercian Order: The Exordium Magnum of Conrad of Eberbach

Konrad Abbot of Eberbach, Benedicta Ward, Paul Savage, E. Rozanne Elder, and Brian Patrick McGuire

... Read More

Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans by Peter Abelard and Steven Cartwright

Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans

Peter Abelard and Steven Cartwright

Driven by the Movement : Activists of the Black Power Era by JoNina M. Abron-Ervin

Driven by the Movement : Activists of the Black Power Era

JoNina M. Abron-Ervin

An American Dream: The Life of an African American Soldier and POW Who Spent Twelve Years in Communist China by Clarence Adams, Della Adams, and Lewis Carlson

An American Dream: The Life of an African American Soldier and POW Who Spent Twelve Years in Communist China

Clarence Adams, Della Adams, and Lewis Carlson

Hollywood and the Rise of Physical Culture by Heather Addison

Hollywood and the Rise of Physical Culture

Heather Addison

Motherhood Misconceived: Representing the Maternal in U.S. Films by Heather Addison, Mary Kate Goodwin-Kelly, and Elaine Roth

Motherhood Misconceived: Representing the Maternal in U.S. Films

Heather Addison, Mary Kate Goodwin-Kelly, and Elaine Roth

First collection of essays on cinematic motherhood.

Child Discipline in African American Families: Culturally Responsive Policies by Carla Adkison-Johnson

Child Discipline in African American Families: Culturally Responsive Policies

Carla Adkison-Johnson

Muslim Women and Politics of Participation by Mahnaz Afkhami and Erika Friedl

Muslim Women and Politics of Participation

Mahnaz Afkhami and Erika Friedl

This volume is about the ways of promoting women's participation in the affairs of Muslim societies: from raising consciousness and changing codes of law, to penetrating the economic markets and influencing national and international policies.

untitled: a collection of thought, poems, and reflections by Zachary X. Allan

untitled: a collection of thought, poems, and reflections

Zachary X. Allan

Zachary X. Allan’s debut book of poetry, UNTITLED, delivers the blunt and gritty truths of existence while simultaneously challenging the way we view our own lives.

Guided by the Spirits : the Meanings of Life, Death, and Youth Suicide in an Ojibwa Community by Seth M. Allard

Guided by the Spirits : the Meanings of Life, Death, and Youth Suicide in an Ojibwa Community

Seth M. Allard

Nanoethics: The Ethical and Social Implications of Nanotechnology by Fritz Allhoff

Nanoethics: The Ethical and Social Implications of Nanotechnology

Fritz Allhoff

Philosophies of the Sciences: A Guide by Fritz Allhoff

Philosophies of the Sciences: A Guide

Terrorism, Ticking Time-Bombs, and Torture : A Philosophical Analysis by Fritz Allhoff

Terrorism, Ticking Time-Bombs, and Torture : A Philosophical Analysis

Wine and Philosophy: A Symposium on Thinking and Drinking by Fritz Allhoff

Wine and Philosophy: A Symposium on Thinking and Drinking

  • Joins Food & Philosophy and Beer & Philosophy in in the "Epicurean Trilogy
  • Essays are organized thematically and written by philosophers, wine writers, and winemakers

Whiskey and Philosophy: A Small Batch of Spirited Ideas by Fritz Allhoff and Marcus P. Adams

Whiskey and Philosophy: A Small Batch of Spirited Ideas

Fritz Allhoff and Marcus P. Adams

Thoughtful essays on the history, significance, and pleasures of whiskey

Everyone becomes a philosopher with a drink in hand, but Whiskey & Philosophy takes this natural pairing to a new level. It explores a range of philosophical topics related to whiskey through engaging reflections written by philosophers, whiskey writers, and others.

Ethics and Error in Medicine by Fritz Allhoff and Sandra L. Borden

Ethics and Error in Medicine

Fritz Allhoff and Sandra L. Borden

Routledge Handbook of Ethics and War: Just War Theory in the 21st Century by Fritz Allhoff, Nicholas G. Evans, and Adam Henschke

Routledge Handbook of Ethics and War: Just War Theory in the 21st Century

Fritz Allhoff, Nicholas G. Evans, and Adam Henschke

This new Handbook offers a comprehensive overview of contemporary extensions and alternatives to the just war tradition in the field of the ethics of war.

The modern history of just war has typically assumed the primacy of four particular elements: jus ad bellum , jus in bello , the state actor, and the solider. This book will put these four elements under close scrutiny, and will explore how they fare given the following challenges:

Business Ethics by Fritz H. Allhoff

Business Ethics

Fritz H. Allhoff

The Affordable Care Act Decision: Philosophical and Legal Implications by Fritz Allhoff and Mark Hall

The Affordable Care Act Decision: Philosophical and Legal Implications

Fritz Allhoff and Mark Hall

Binary Bullets by Fritz Allhoff, Adam Henschke, and Bradley Jay Strawser

Binary Bullets

Fritz Allhoff, Adam Henschke, and Bradley Jay Strawser

What Is Nanotechnology and Why Does It Matter: From Science to Ethics by Fritz Allhoff, Patrick Lin, and Daniel Moore

What Is Nanotechnology and Why Does It Matter: From Science to Ethics

Fritz Allhoff, Patrick Lin, and Daniel Moore

Philosophy: Traditional and Experimental Readings by Fritz Allhoff, Ron Mallon, and Shaun Nichols

Philosophy: Traditional and Experimental Readings

Fritz Allhoff, Ron Mallon, and Shaun Nichols

Recently, the fields of empirical and experimental philosophy have generated tremendous excitement, due to unexpected results that have challenged philosophical dogma. Responding to this trend, Philosophy: Traditional and Experimental Readings is the first introductory philosophy reader to integrate cutting-edge work in empirical and experimental philosophy with traditional philosophy.

Food & Philosophy: Eat, Drink, and Be Merry by Fritz Allhoff and David Monroe

Food & Philosophy: Eat, Drink, and Be Merry

Fritz Allhoff and David Monroe

  • Provides a critical reflection on what and how we eat can contribute to a robust enjoyment of gastronomic pleasures

Business in Ethical Focus: An Anthology by Fritz Allhoff and Anand J. Vaidya

Business in Ethical Focus: An Anthology

Fritz Allhoff and Anand J. Vaidya

Page 1 of 34

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Western Colorado University

Academic Catalog 2023-2024

Creative writing, master of arts.

The Graduate Program in Creative Writing offers an M.A. in Genre Fiction, Nature Writing, Poetry, Publishing, or Screenwriting. Western 's curricula differ from other low-residency programs by emphasizing intense training in craft, building of a writing community, close study of historically underrepresented writers, and exposure to the business of being a writer or publisher.

All programs require a high degree of commitment and excellence from candidates, who must maintain at least a 3.00 course average to complete the program. A minimum grade of B- in each course is required.

In their first summer, M.A. students complete 3-credits of intensive coursework in their concentration and take CRWR 600, The Common Read & Writing Craft, for an additional 2-credits. In their second summer, M.A. students complete a 1-credit capstone project in which they demonstrate their competency through a craft talk, reading, or similar presentation.

During the Fall and Spring semesters, full-time students take two 6-credit courses for a total of 12-credits per semester. Students may anticipate spending between 25 and 30 hours per week on assigned coursework. The coursework typically consists of readings and viewings, asynchronous discussions, and writing assignments for which instructors offer online feedback. Students also participate regularly in live virtual classes and one-on-one meetings with faculty.

Program Information 

The low-residency Master of Arts in Creative Writing at Western Colorado University is a 13-month program that emphasizes the development of creative, analytical, and pedagogical abilities. Students choose from five concentrations: Genre Fiction, Nature Writing, Poetry, Publishing, or Screenwriting. The curriculum consists of two regular academic semesters and two summer semesters. During the fall and spring semesters, students complete courses using both live virtual classrooms and online learning platforms. During each of the two summer semesters, students take courses online and also attend an on-campus residency at the end of the summer term.

Total Credits for the M.A. in Creative Writing

Requirements for full admission to the ma in creative writing.

Candidate must submit:

  • An official transcript of the bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university showing recommended 3.0 cumulative GPA or higher.
  • An 800- to 1,000-word personal statement describing the applicant's experience and commitment to writing. This statement should include a self-assessment of qualifications for admission to Western's Graduate Program in Creative Writing for the chosen degree and concentration.
  • The Genre Fiction concentration sample should include 20 to 25 pages, ideally from a single work.
  • The Screenwriting concentration sample should include a screenplay of 15-30 pages.
  • The Nature Writing concentration sample should include 20 to 25 pages, in any genre or a mix of genres. 
  • The Poetry concentration sample should include 10 to 15 pages of poetry.
  • The Publishing concentration sample should consist of a 3- to 5-page critical assessment of a story’s suitability for publication (story to be provided to applicant during application process).
  • Two letters of professional recommendation from those capable of assessing the applicant's preparation to succeed in graduate-level work. All letters must be originals submitted on letterhead, must be signed by the person giving the recommendation, and must be less than a year old.
  • Payment of university application fee.                             

Provisional Admission to the MA in Creative Writing

An applicant who does not meet the requirements for full admission to the Master of Arts in Creative Writing may be considered for provisional admission upon the recommendation of the program director and approval by the Dean of Graduate Studies. A provisionally admitted student will have a maximum of one calendar year to complete any pre-requisite academic coursework. The program director or Dean of Graduate Studies may set additional timeline requirements.

Program Concentrations

Concentration in genre fiction .

The Concentration in Genre Fiction includes instruction in writing for such forms as science fiction/fantasy, the mystery, romance, and other forms of mainstream commercial fiction. Study includes short and long written forms, as well as strategies and techniques for the effective teaching of creative writing. As the culmination of their work, M.A. students complete a capstone project and present it at their final Summer Residency.

The M.A. Concentration in Genre Fiction requires the following 30 credits: 

Concentration in Nature Writing

The Concentration in Nature Writing brings students into the contemporary and complex conversation of environmental writing, introducing them to a wide range of authors, literary techniques, and styles relevant to the field. The concentration provides readings and training in all major literary sub-genres including memoir and personal essay, fiction, nature writing, science and advocacy writing, and hybrid and experimental work. Courses include significant reading in primary and secondary sources, workshop, and writing extensive short- and long-format work. As the culmination of their work, M.A. students complete a capstone project and present it at their final summer residency.

The M.A. Concentration in Nature Writing requires the following 30 credits:

Concentration in Poetry

The Concentration in Poetry brings students into the ongoing conversation of poetics, introducing them to the ideas, questions, approaches, and techniques that have been the concerns of poets across time and cultures. The Poetry curriculum includes workshop-style courses focused on developing voice and expanding range, as well as courses on contemporary authors, poetic craft and technique, special topics in poetry, and professional development. As the culmination of their work, M.A. students complete a capstone project and present it at their final Summer Residency.

The M.A. Concentration in Poetry requires the following 30 credits:

Concentration in Publishing

The concentration in Publishing brings together the study and real-world practices of traditional, independent and new models of publishing in a rapidly changing industry. The concentration provides training in traditional and alternative methods of publishing, including the various print, electronic, and audio formats, as well as training in the editing, production, and marketing of published materials. Courses include extensive work in designing and producing original and reprint books, formatting for the electronic market, and a wide variety of other publishing business skill sets, including copyright law, and working with authors and agents. As the culmination of their work, students complete a capstone project and present it at their final Summer Residency.

The M.A. Concentration in Publishing requires the following 30 credits:

Concentration in Screenwriting

The Concentration in Screenwriting teaches screenwriting for both film and television. Each semester pairs an intensive analytical course with an intensive generative writing course. The concentration emphasizes story and scene structure, visual storytelling, character development, development of concept and theme, genre, dialogue-never forgetting that a screenplay is a document that will ultimately be translated to the screen. Through regular mentorship, students refine and consolidate their own best writing practices. As the culmination of their work, M.A. students complete a capstone project and present it at their final Summer Residency. 

The M.A. Concentration in Screenwriting requires the following 30 credits:

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Western Colorado University 2023-2024 Undergraduate Catalog

A PDF of the 2023-2024 Undergraduate Catalog

Western Colorado University 2023-2024 Graduate Catalog

A PDF of the 2023-2024 Graduate Catalog

1. Required Entry-level Course (4 hours)

  • ENGL 1100 - Literary Interpretation Credits: 4 hours

2. Required Writing Courses (14 hours)

  • ENGL 2660 - Writing Fiction and Poetry Credits: 4 hours

Plus six (6) hours of credit from the following courses

Any of these courses may be repeated one time for credit.

  • ENGL 3660 - Advanced Fiction Writing Credits: 3 hours
  • ENGL 3670 - Advanced Poetry Writing Credits: 3 hours
  • ENGL 3680 - Playwriting Credits: 3 hours
  • ENGL 3700 - Writing Creative Non-Fiction Credits: 3 hours

Four (4) hours of credit from the following courses:

Each of these courses may be repeated one time for credit. The same course may not be taken twice concurrently.

  • ENGL 5660 - Creative Writing Workshop - Fiction Credits: 4 hours
  • ENGL 5670 - Creative Writing Workshop - Poetry Credits: 3 hours
  • ENGL 5680 - Creative Writing Workshop - Playwriting Credits: 3 hours
  • ENGL 5700 - Creative Writing Workshop - Creative Non-fiction Credits: 3 hours

3. Literature and English Language Courses (13 to 14 hours)

A. two of the following courses:.

  • ENGL 3200 - American Literature I Credits: 3 hours
  • ENGL 3210 - American Literature II Credits: 3 hours
  • ENGL 3300 - British Literature I Credits: 3 hours
  • ENGL 3310 - British Literature II Credits: 3 hours

B. One of the following courses:

  • ENGL 4400 - Studies in Verse Credits: 4 hours
  • ENGL 4420 - Studies in Drama Credits: 4 hours
  • ENGL 4440 - Studies in the Novel Credits: 4 hours

C. One Additional Course

4. electives.

At least one additional English Department course at the 2000, 3000, 4000, or 5000 levels to complete the major. The following courses cannot be used for this purpose: ENGL 3070, 3080, 3110, or 4800.

5. Cognate: Foreign Language Requirement

The Foreign Language requirement is determined by the College of Arts and Sciences. Students should consult an advisor in that unit for specifics.

Accelerated BA/MA program

Students in this major are eligible for the English department’s accelerated BA/MA program in English. Interested students should consult WMU’s Graduate Catalog and, in their sophomore or early junior year, contact the Director of Graduate Studies for more information on this accelerated degree program.

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COMMENTS

  1. Creative Writing Faculty

    Creative Writing Faculty. Steve Feffer. Professor of English (269) 387-2629. Send an email. Alen Hamza. Assistant Professor of English. 717 Sprau Tower, Mail Stop 5331. Send an email. Richard Katrovas. ... Western Michigan University Kalamazoo MI 49008-5200 USA (269) 387-1000 Contact WMU.

  2. Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

    Western Michigan University Kalamazoo MI 49008-5200 USA ... University Officers and Faculty ... Tweet this Page (opens a new window) The Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing is a 48-hour degree program for students who wish to become professional writers of poetry, fiction, or drama. It is the minimal academic qualification appropriate for ...

  3. English: Creative Writing Major (ENCJ)

    Western Michigan University Kalamazoo MI 49008-5200 USA ... ENGL 5700 - Creative Writing Workshop - Creative Non-fiction Credits: 3 hours; 3. Literature and English Language Courses (13 to 14 hours): A. Two of the following courses: ENGL 3200 - American Literature I Credits: 3 hours;

  4. Program: Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

    Western Michigan University Kalamazoo MI 49008-5200 USA (269) 387-1000 Contact WMU © 2020 All rights reserved.

  5. Western Michigan University

    The MFA in Creative Writing is a program for students who wish to become professional writers of poetry, fiction, drama, or nonfiction, and qualifies them to teach the craft at the college or university level. The program requires 42 s/hrs of courses in writing workshops, literature, and literary theory, and an MFA project of 6 s/hrs.

  6. Western Michigan University PhD in Creative Writing

    Creative Writing is a concentration offered under the writing studies major at Western Michigan University. Here, you'll find out more about the major doctor's degree program in creative writing, including such details as the number of graduates, diversity of students, and more.

  7. Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

    The Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing is a 48-hour degree program for students who wish to become professional writers of playwriting, fiction, or poetry.

  8. Western Michigan University

    The program offers degrees in playwriting. The program also offers the Gwen Frostic Reading Series and Gwen Frostic Creative Writing Awards, the student-run literary magazine Third Coast, the literary press New Issues Press, and opportunities to collaborate with the Kalamazoo Book Arts Center and local theater organizations.

  9. Creative Writing and Literature (Major)

    The Creative Writing and Literature Major is open to ALL LSA students. Creative Writing and Literature Majors write fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction under the close guidance of faculty mentors, and may workshop their writing with other student writers in small writing seminars. Majors also study the art of writing through the study of ...

  10. Current Volume: Volume 21 (2023)

    The Laureate's mission is to provide undergraduate students at Western Michigan University a place in which to publish their fiction, poetry, non-fiction, and other creative works. Under the guidance of a faculty editor and mentor, each year an undergraduate student chooses to accept the challenge of gathering, selecting, and editing the collection for an honors thesis project.

  11. Creative Writing & Literature Major

    The two Creative Writing Practice courses can only include one 200-level course. Students must elect a minimum of two Residential College (RC) creative writing courses that focus on writing fiction, creative nonfiction, or poetry. Introductory Courses (may elect one to count towards major): RCHUMS 220: Narration (Intro to Fiction Writing)

  12. MFA in Creative Writing Faculty

    Hal Ackerman Instructor, Writing for Stage & [email protected] Former co-chair of the Screenwriting Program at UCLA. His play, Testosterone: How Prostate Cancer Made a Man of Me, received the William Saroyan Centennial Prize for Drama and won Best Script at the 2011 United Solo Festival. He has sold material to all the broadcast networks and

  13. Creative Writing Faculty

    Core Faculty Divya Victor - Director of Creative Writing | Poetry, Creative Nonfiction, Literary StudiesShastri Akella - Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, Literary Studies, Film StudiesJuliet Guzzetta - Playwriting, Literary StudiesSwarnavel Eswaran Pillai - Screenwriting, Film Studies, Film ProductionRobin Silbergleid - Creative…

  14. English: Creative Writing

    Graduate Contact Us English: Creative Writing English Western Michigan University Kalamazoo MI 49008-5200 USA (269) 387-1000 Academic colleges Apply to WMU Join our mailing list Visit campus A link to the English: Literature and Language program page.

  15. Western Michigan University Creative Writing Faculty

    Curie Ju. First, you have to sign up, and then follow a simple 10-minute order process. In case you have any trouble signing up or completing the order, reach out to our 24/7 support team and they will resolve your concerns effectively. Our best editors will run additional screenings to check the quality of your paper.

  16. Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

    Western Michigan University Kalamazoo MI 49008-5200 USA (269) 387-1000 Contact WMU © 2020 All rights reserved.

  17. Undergraduate Program in Creative Writing

    The Creative Writing Program enables students to participate vigorously and innovatively in contemporary writing culture while preparing them for a range of language and media-centered careers. Both the major and minor emphasize experimentation through the exploration of poetry, fiction, hybrid genres and multimedia literature. We offer a ...

  18. Books written by WMU faculty

    All Books and Monographs by WMU Authors. The goal is to eventually record most books written or edited by Western Michigan University faculty, staff and students. We will start by entering the most recent publications first and work our way back to older books. There is a WMU Authors section in Waldo Library, where most of these books can be found.

  19. Doctor of Philosophy in English with a Creative Writing Emphasis

    Students coming to this degree are granted up to 30 hours credit from their master's program, and are then required to take ENGL 6150: Literary Criticism, a forms course in their genre, one class in their major area (i.e., contemporary poetry, fiction, or playwriting), and at least 12 credit hours of workshop in their genre.

  20. Creative Writing, Master of Arts < Western Colorado University

    The low-residency Master of Arts in Creative Writing at Western Colorado University is a 13-month program that emphasizes the development of creative, analytical, and pedagogical abilities. Students choose from five concentrations: Genre Fiction, Nature Writing, Poetry, Publishing, or Screenwriting. The curriculum consists of two regular ...

  21. Creative Writing Emphasis (34 hours)

    Western Michigan University Kalamazoo MI 49008-5200 USA ... University Officers and Faculty ... ENGL 5700 - Creative Writing Workshop - Creative Non-fiction Credits: 3 hours; 3. Literature and English Language Courses (13 to 14 hours) A. Two of the following courses:

  22. Western joins Michigan universities in collaborative to spur innovation

    Western joins the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, Wayne State University and Michigan Technological University in the consortium. "This grant will provide an incredible boost to Western's longstanding commitment to supporting innovation and entrepreneurial initiatives in our region," says WMU President Edward Montgomery. "It ...