Certificate in Creative Writing in Saint Louis United States | University of Missouri-St. Louis

To obtain the Certificate in Creative Writing, students must complete 18 credit hours in designated writing courses while maintaining a minimum 3.0 GPA. This creative writing program directs students' focus toward crafting original works in fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction, while also exploring related fields like publishing, feature writing, and copywriting. Detailed requirements for the Creative Writing Emphasis are provided below.
Certificate candidates should select courses in consultation with the program coordinator. Those opting to include English 4890 as part of their certificate requirements must coordinate internship arrangements with the advisor.
The certificate requires completion of 18 credit hours from the courses listed below, including at least three creative writing courses (marked with CW in the course listings).
Upon finishing the program, certificate recipients will be able to:
Recognize and apply genre-specific techniques including characterization, plot development, dialogue, metaphor, meter, and rhyme
Enhance and refine these techniques in their own writing through revision processes
Gain experience working across multiple creative writing genres
Contextualize their work within literary traditions and various aesthetic perspectives
Develop critical reading and analytical skills for evaluating others' work
Integrate constructive feedback into their revision process
Offer meaningful critiques to fellow writers during their creative development
Explore and challenge established literary conventions
Understand the connections and interactions between different literary genres
Venture beyond familiar creative territories to explore new ideas, techniques, and forms
Gain practical knowledge of professional publishing and editorial processes, including submission strategies
Effectively market their creative writing skills for career opportunities