Creative Writing

The English program offers certificates in Creative Writing, Copyediting & Publishing, and Professional Writing, and English courses play a role in the curriculum requirements of several interdisciplinary certificates, including Digital Engagement, Film & Media Studies, and Medical Humanities.

Students who pursue a certificate in Creative Writing should desire to build on their strengths in writing, reading, and critical thinking. The certificate is specifically designed for students who wish to explore the writing of poetry, fiction, and literary nonfiction; improve their editorial skills; and examine works of literature through the lens of craft. Students take a two-class workshop sequence, three additional creative writing courses, and an English elective; students are strongly encouraged to take a literature course for the elective.

A certificate in creative writing helps to prepare students to work in such areas as advertising, copywriting, writing for television and cinema, arts administration, digital content creation, magazine writing and editing, information analysis, book publishing, law, education, and more.

Students in the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) enjoy many benefits afforded through study at a research-extensive institution ranked among the nation's top 25 public research universities. UC's urban, Tristate location offers exciting opportunities for global education, research and service learning, while its student-centered focus includes an 11:1 student-faculty ratio, a nationally recognized Center for Exploratory Studies and a highly successful First Year Experience program that teaches critical skills for first-year students and provides connections with important campus resources.

Publications and Organizations

English is home to an undergraduate journal, Short Vine, and the nationally prominent literary journal The Cincinnati Review. Short Vine is published by the George Elliston Poetry Fund and edited by English majors in an experiential class called Creative Writing & Literary Publishing. Creative Writing students are also welcome to join the Undergraduate English Society; the UES hosts and participates in events including roundtable discussions on graduate school, job fairs, film screenings, and outings to plays and readings.

Events

The Creative Writing Program’s Visiting Writers Series brings a number of distinguished authors to campus each semester. Visitors often conduct a colloquium with creative writing students in addition to giving a public reading. Each year, through the Elliston Poet-in-Residence Program, a distinguished poet comes to campus to give public lectures and readings, and to conduct poetry seminars and workshops. The biennial Emerging Fiction Writers Festival brings four writers to campus for two days of readings and panels. Past visiting writers have included Rita Dove and Colson Whitehead.

Renowned faculty

Creative Writing faculty have collectively published dozens of books of fiction, poetry, literary nonfiction, and criticism. They have won awards from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Fulbright Program, and the National Book Awards program.

Make sure that you have declared the certificate program online. Next, make sure that the certificate program director is aware of when you are finishing the program. If you are pursuing another bachelor's degree, then your certificate will be reviewed at the time that you submit your separate degree application.