Creative writing
Storytelling is not just central to who we are as human beings, but also to many professions, both within the cultural industries (publishing, gaming, film, theatre and television) and beyond (advertising, business, education, law and medicine). Our creative writing program provides an excellent training ground for students to develop their own creative practice, which may be applied to a wide variety of professions.
Undergraduate programs
The focus of our creative writing program is on the interchange between reading and writing. At the undergraduate level, introductory creative writing courses emphasize reading published writing in the genre in question, with a view to technical development.
We offer courses in creative non-fiction, literary editing, and curating and archiving the literary event, as well as occasional courses in specialized subjects and forms, such as cross-genre writing, experimental writing, flash fiction, the long poem, and writing the fantastic.
Explore our undergraduate programs:
- Major in Creative Writing (42 credits)
- Honours in English and Creative Writing (66 credits)
- Minor in Creative Writing (24 credits)
Major in Creative Writing
42 credits
The Creative Writing program, one of the first in the country, is housed in the Department of English, a hub of critical and creative thinking. Here, creative writing students have the unique opportunity to study the technical elements of their craft alongside inspiring literary models, both canonical and contemporary.
As Samuel Johnson once said, A writer only begins a book. A reader finishes it. Our creative writing program focuses on that productive interplay between writing and reading. Within the intimate setting of the creative writing workshop, students are trained to read as writers, with a view to developing their understanding of the elements of craft within each genre, and how to apply these effectively to their own work. Introductory and advanced workshops focus on the core genres of prose, poetry and drama, while a variety of Special Topics courses introduce students to associated forms of writing such as: YA, creative non-fiction, the graphic novel, curating and archiving the literary event, literary editing, writing for children, the long poem, and non-Western poetics. Our program continues to evolve in exciting ways, with a growing emphasis on writing for digital spaces (magazines, TV, film, podcasting and video games).
Our renowned speaker’s series, Writers Read, invites established and emerging writers to campus, to read and offer master classes. Past speakers have included: Julian Barnes, Dionne Brand, Roxane Gay, Renee Gladman, Canisia Lubrin, Lisa McInerney, Claudia Rankine, George Saunders, A.E. Stallings and Diane Seuss. Students also have opportunities to gain valuable publishing experience through work on various journals, including Soliloquies.
Honours in English and Creative Writing
66 credits
Earn a combined degree in English Literature and Creative Writing.
This program is intended to prepare students for advanced study in either literature or creative writing, and like other honours programs, has minimum standards for GPA and specific courses. Honours does not require an extra year of study, and can be completed within the minimum number of credits required for a BA. Students are permitted to register in creative writing courses after approval of their portfolio.
Honours is a highly concentrated program, ideal for students planning to continue to graduate studies. If you are interested in Honours, speak with your program advisor in your first year of study at Concordia.
Minor in Creative Writing
24 credits
Combine creative writing courses with some literary study: Learn how to add a minor in Creative Writing to nearly any degree at Concordia.
Graduate program
The Creative Writing option within the MA in English provides professional training in the art and craft of writing with an advanced scholarly education in English literature. Like an MFA, our MA is centred on workshops which, combined with the creative thesis, comprise more than half of the program. Students also take literature courses in the company of students in the MA academic option and the PhD. Focusing on the interchange between creative activity and scholarship, our program helps to prepare students not only for a writing career but for a PhD in literature or creative writing and/or for CEGEP teaching.
Access to the highly sought Creative Writing option of the English MA is limited to candidates with a solid portfolio and proven writing skills.
