Creative Writing (BA)

Get Real-World Experience

As you earn your degree in Creative Writing, you can take Creative Writing practicum, which emphasizes hands-on experience in real-world work environments. To prepare you for some of the most exciting creative writing jobs, we offer course credit for internships at places such as St. Louis Magazine, River Styx Magazine, the Saint Louis Art Museum, Less Annoying CRM and Spectrum Healthcare.

Learn from Published Writers

The small sizes of our Creative Writing classes mean more opportunities to work closely with our published and award-winning authors, poets and essayists. Our faculty mentor from their experience as writers and pass along their expertise to help you find your voice and publish your work.

Study in a Historic Building

Surroundings can often inspire creative writers. That’s why we offer our Creative Writing classes in the beautiful and historic Pearson House, built in 1933. Visit our secret garden.

Join a Thriving Literary Community

You’ll have many chances to share your work as a Creative Writing major— in The Green Fuse, our student literary magazine; The Mercury, our publication of outstanding student work from the past year; Surfacing, our annual festival where students write, direct and produce their own one-act plays; and the new Student Reading Series.

Enjoy The David Clewell Visiting Writers Series

Every semester, the Clewell Series brings nationally renowned poets, novelists, essayists and playwrights to campus for readings, class meetings and one-on-one tutorials with Creative Writing Majors.

There are few degree programs as versatile as Creative Writing. Regardless of industry or position, nearly every employer seeks professionals who can communicate effectively, think critically and solve problems creatively.

We offer many resources to help you plan and find the career of your dreams. Our dedicated alumni network can show you the range of places our graduates work, and put you in touch with English and Creative Writing Gorloks who can help you get a start in your career.

You’ll also be able to build an individualized plan for your career search in our careers course titled, What Next? The English and Creative Writing Major After Graduation.

After graduation, you’ll have a strong foundation to pursue many professional and creative writing jobs, as well as graduate programs in fields such as:

• Law
• Data Analysis
• Editing
• Copywriting
• Publishing
• Education Administration
• Human Resources
• Public Relations

Salaries for Creative Writing Graduates

Because our bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing can prepare you for so many different careers, your salary will depend on your chosen career path.

For example, the median annual wage for writers and authors is $73,000 — according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).Technical writers can expect to earn on average $86,000 — according to the BLS.