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. All Penn LPS Online courses are taught at the undergraduate level by Penn 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.
Meet The Faculty
- Faculty Director, Penn LPS Online Certificate in Creative Writing
- Director, Creative Writing Program
- Faculty Director, Penn LPS Online Certificate in Creative Writing
- Director, Center for Programs in Contemporary Writing
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
