Finding your own voice—that’s what the creative writing major at Earlham offers. You’ll do substantial work in the creative genre(s) of your choice, including a major guided portfolio project as a senior, and explore how your and others’ writing can make a positive difference in the world.
Since good readers make good writers, you’ll also engage with a wide variety of literary texts from different periods and voices, together with a wide range of theoretical approaches on how and why literature matters. You’ll hone your craft as a writer, experiment with different writing techniques, and learn how to communicate with diverse audiences and engage the literary marketplace and publication process.
To earn a Bachelor of Arts in creative writing, you must complete the following courses, in addition to general education requirements.
Required courses
An additional 3 advanced creative writing courses chosen from the following:
Additional Requirements
- You may count one literature or creative writing course from an off-campus program or one creative writing course in a different language towards the additional courses required for the major, with department approval.
To earn a minor in creative writing, you must complete the following courses:
One introductory course from the following:
Two creative writing courses chosen from
Careers
In addition to publishing, students with creative writing degrees often work in writing-related fields such as journalism, copyediting, marketing and advertising, web design and social media and public relations.
Accolades
Leah Naomi Green ’05 won the prestigious Walt Whitman Award in 2019 from the Academy of American Poets, for her first book of poetry, The More Extravagant Feast.
Outcomes
Earlham alums have earned MFAs at programs such as the University of California at Irvine, the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, Columbia University, and CUNY/ Queens College. Prize-winning alumni writers include Mat Johnson, Maurice Manning and Leah Naomi Green.
- 90% of work seekers who majored in the humanities between 2018-2022 were employed, pursuing graduate school or volunteering within six months of graduation.
What types of jobs and graduate school programs do graduates pursue?
The creative writing program prepares you for a number of careers in writing and communications—fields that are only growing as companies and individuals rely more and more on digital media.
As a graduate, you may pursue careers in editing, publishing, copywriting, technical writing, UX writing, journalism, marketing and communications, and a variety of other fields.
Can I do off-campus study
In addition to off-campus study programs and research experiences with faculty in places like London and Tibet, students have also participated in a variety of internships. Recently, students have interned at the Indiana Review as a submissions intern, at GenNow as a media and writing intern, and at Writers House as an editorial intern.
Visit the Earlham Center for Global and Career Education to learn more about available off-campus study programs, research experiences and internships.