creative writing degrees in nj

Best Creative Writing colleges in New Jersey 2024

Best creative writing colleges in new jersey for 2024.

Rowan University offers 2 Creative Writing degree programs. It's a large, public, four-year university in a large suburb. In 2022, 10 Creative Writing students graduated with students earning 10 Certificates.

Monmouth University offers 1 Creative Writing degree programs. It's a medium sized, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a large suburb. In 2022, 5 Creative Writing students graduated with students earning 5 Master's degrees.

Seton Hall University offers 1 Creative Writing degree programs. It's a medium sized, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a large suburb. In 2022, 8 Creative Writing students graduated with students earning 8 Bachelor's degrees.

William Paterson University of New Jersey offers 1 Creative Writing degree programs. It's a medium sized, public, four-year university in a large suburb. In 2022, 6 Creative Writing students graduated with students earning 6 Master's degrees.

Rutgers University-Camden offers 1 Creative Writing degree programs. It's a medium sized, public, four-year university in a small city. In 2022, 6 Creative Writing students graduated with students earning 6 Master's degrees.

Rutgers University-Newark offers 1 Creative Writing degree programs. It's a large, public, four-year university in a large city. In 2022, 16 Creative Writing students graduated with students earning 16 Master's degrees.

Drew University offers 1 Creative Writing degree programs. It's a small, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a large suburb.

Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham Campus offers 3 Creative Writing degree programs. It's a small, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a large suburb. In 2022, 39 Creative Writing students graduated with students earning 22 Bachelor's degrees, and 17 Master's degrees.

Bloomfield College offers 1 Creative Writing degree programs. It's a small, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a large suburb. In 2022, 5 Creative Writing students graduated with students earning 5 Bachelor's degrees.

Centenary University offers 1 Creative Writing degree programs. It's a small, private not-for-profit, four-year university in a large suburb.

List of all Creative Writing colleges in New Jersey

How to Become a Writer in New Jersey with a BFA, MFA or Similar Creative Writing Degree

Created by CreativeWritingEDU.org Contributor

For New Jersey’s creative writers, tapping the keys is like scratching an itch. When the words come together to tell a story, all feel rights in the world. It’s a cathartic, liberating, often emotional journey that nourishes the soul and quiets the riot of the mind.

How the creative process unfolds, of course, is always up for debate.

Maybe it’s the salty air and memories of childhood summers spent at the Jersey shore. Maybe it’s the state’s storied history playing out in in the lively arts and culture centers of cities like Newark and Montclair. Or perhaps it’s the many charming towns where wistful nostalgia is as guaranteed as the warm summer breezes during blueberry season. Cape May, Lambertville, Hammonton, Princeton… the list goes on.

Whatever the source of inspiration, one thing’s certain – the Garden State is where you’ll find great novelists, authors, and poets who have made (and continue to make) their mark on American literature.

Walt Whitman spent the later part of his life in Camden, where he refined his free verse style and earned a reputation as one of America’s greatest poets. Joyce Carol Oates has spent the bulk her career in Princeton, teaching at the world-class university and writing short stories and novels that address social issues, challenging stereotypical ideals, and solidifying her position as one of America’s preeminent and prolific contemporary fiction writers. And it was in Elizabeth where Judy Blume carved out a spot in young adult literature and gained great critical acclaim (along with a legion of devoted fans) with novels like Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. and Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing .

With generations of authors and poets paving the way and no shortage of inspiration at your disposal, now may be the time start flexing those creative muscles and getting involved in community organizations and events. And if you’re ready to take your love of the written word to the next level and turn it into a lifelong professional pursuit, it’s time to start thinking about getting the education that will position you for success. From bachelor’s degrees in English with a creative writing concentration to Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) and Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degrees in creative writing, you’re sure to find a program in New Jersey that aligns with your personal interests and professional goals.

The Enduring Legacy of Beloved Literary Figure Toni Morrison

Though her catalog of work is extensive and includes everything from plays to children’s books, it is, perhaps, her award-winning novels detailing – often painfully, devastatingly – the African American experience that garnered her the most acclaim. She deftly, delicately sought to examine topics like discrimination and racial relations with a lyricism that was both sensitive and powerful. Her dreamy prose was raw and fearless in its detail as she explored topics of prejudice, inequality, culture, identity, and the legacy of slavery.

In her debut novel, The Bluest Eye , she wrote of Pecola, a poor black girl whose hopeless views of race and class led her to believe that being accepted meant having blue eyes and blond hair: “It had occurred to Pecola some time ago that if her eyes, those eyes that held the pictures, and knew the sights – if those eyes of hers were different, that is to say, beautiful, she herself would be different.”

Morrison joined Princeton University faculty in 1989 as a member of the creative writing program and also taught courses in the humanities and African American studies. She transferred to emeritus status in 2006. She passed away in 2019 at the age of 88.

Creative Writing Classes, Courses, and Workshops in New Jersey Can Prepare You for a Creative Writing Degree

Becoming a creative writer in New Jersey means looking beyond your pages of your journal and getting comfortable with the creative writing scene. Sharing your work, reading and studying others, and becoming part of a community of writers is one of the best ways to explore your craft and take your writing to the next level.

Lucky you – New Jersey has no shortage of opportunities to kickstart your writing journey.

With a goal of bringing together a community of people who love writing, The Writer’s Circle hosts weekly creative writing workshops and special events where you can meet with authors and other industry professionals and get inspired. Best of all, they plan events and workshops in Summit, South Orange, Maplewood, Montclair, and Morristown and offer online workshops for those limited by time or geography.

Madison’s Women Who Write is a regional women’s writing group with groups that meet throughout the state. The organization, which hosts critique groups, workshops, and discussion groups with women across all genres of literature, offers a sense of community, whether you’re a professional writer or simply write as a creative outlet.

Jersey City Writers is a nonprofit in Hudson County that’s dedicated to building a community of writers who inspire and support one another. Poets, novelists, writers of short stories, memoirs, and more are welcome to attend the organization’s workshops, writing marathons, and special events throughout the year.

When you’re not about town participating in writing events and workshops, you can stay inspired through literary journals. Black Fox , an independent literary magazine, was created by three students who completed the same MFA program at Farleigh Dickinson University. They publish the work of both established and new writers and are always keen on submissions from writers representing new and hybrid genres and styles.

The Paterson Literary Review is a big name in poetry, not just in New Jersey but throughout the country. They’ve been up and running since 1979, featuring works of poetry, along with fiction, essays, and memoirs. Get a subscription for frequent inspiration and then join in on the fun and start submitting your own work for a chance to get it published.

The literary magazine, StoryQuarterly , has been the voice of new and emerging writers for more than 30 years, and it’s been at Rutgers University – Camden since 2008. Edited by the director of their MFA program, this well-known literary publication encourages submissions of previously unpublished literary fiction and creative nonfiction.

Writing Colleges in New Jersey Offering Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Creative Writing Provide a Path to Becoming a Writer

Once you’ve been bitten by the writing bug, you’ll likely consider taking your love of the craft to the next level. While there are no set-in-stone rules or prescriptive paths when it comes to embarking on a career in creative writing, arts and fine arts degrees have become the gold standards in the field. Whether at the undergraduate or graduate level, creative writing programs provide emerging writers with the tools, knowledge, and know how needed to turn a hobby into a successful career.

Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) and Other Bachelor’s Degrees in Creative Writing in New Jersey

Bloomfield college.

HUMANITIES DIVISION

Accreditation: MSCHE

Degree: Bachelor – BA

Private School

• Creative Writing

Centenary University

EDUCATION AND HUMANITIES DEPARTMENT

• English-Creative Writing

Drew University

COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS

• English-Creative Writing emphasis

Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham Campus

MAXWELL BECTON COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

Monmouth University

THE WAYNE D. MCMURRAY SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

Seton Hall University

COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

William Paterson University of New Jersey

COLLEGE OF ARTS, HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

Public School

Master of Fine Arts (MFA) and Other Master’s Degrees in Creative Writing in New Jersey

Degree: Master – MFA, MA

• MFA - Creative Writing ( Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, Young Adult and Children’s Literature, Literary Translation)
• MA - Creative Writing and Literature for Educators

Degree:  Master – MA, MFA

• Creative Writing Dual Degree

Rutgers University-Camden

GRADUATE SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

Degree:  Master – MFA

Rutgers University-Newark

SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES-NEWARK

• Creative Writing (Fiction, Poetry)

Degree:  Master – MA

• Creative and Professional Writing (Poetry, Fiction, Nonfiction, Cross-Genre)

Creative Writing

"Creative writing offers the students an opportunity to explore life’s many landscapes, both outward and inward.”

— Yiyun Li

The Program in Creative Writing offers Princeton undergraduates the opportunity to craft original work under the guidance of some of today’s most respected practicing writers including Michael Dickman , Katie Farris , Aleksandar Hemon , A.M. Homes , Ilya Kaminsky ,  Yiyun Li , Paul Muldoon , and Patricia Smith .

Small workshop courses , averaging eight to ten students, provide intensive feedback and instruction for both beginners and advanced writers, and each year 25 to 30 seniors work individually with a member of the faculty on independent creative work: a novel, a screenplay, or a collection of short stories, poems or translations. Writers of national and international distinction visit campus throughout the year to participate in the Althea Ward Clark W’21 Reading Series and to discuss their work. The Lewis Center presents the biennial Princeton Poetry Festival drawing poets from around the world. The C.K. Williams Reading Series puts Princeton seniors at the podium alongside a lineup of established guest writers curated by seniors in the program. The Leonard Milberg collections and Princeton’s unparalleled library and archives also provide world-class opportunities for the study of contemporary literature.

Learn more about Program in Creative writing faculty , news , events , & courses .

Upcoming Creative Writing Events

Thu Sep 12, 2024 · 6:00 pm

Labyrinth live at the library: paul muldoon.

Tue Sep 17, 2024 · 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Janie kim ’21 in conversation with a.m. homes.

Wed Sep 25, 2024 · 6:00 pm

Joyce carol oates & aimee labrie.

Tue Oct 1, 2024 · 6:00 pm

Althea ward clark w’21 reading by elizabeth mccracken and brenda shaughnessy.

Browse the events calendar to see all upcoming events from the Program in Creative Writing or arts partners across campus.

Creative Writing News

May 28, 2024

On class day, the lewis center for the arts celebrates the class of 2024.

May 20, 2024

Playwright lloyd suh to join lewis center for the arts’ faculty at princeton university.

May 16, 2024

Lewis center for the arts awards more than $177,000 for summer projects in the arts to 55 princeton students.

May 13, 2024

Michael cadden and susan wheeler retire from princeton faculty.

Read more creative writing news

Climate & Inclusion

Learn more about the Lewis Center for the Arts' efforts on addressing Climate & Inclusion .

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TCNJ’s Creative Writing Minor is an innovative program that emphasizes the connections between reading, writing, and real-world experience in the literary community. Our creative writing students engage the works of published authors, write and revise their own work, critique and support one another’s work, and interact with the contemporary literary world inside and outside of class.

• Creative Writing Minor Requirements
• Self-Designed Majors
• 5 Reasons for Creative Writing

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Creative Writing

Creative writing (poetry), professor/instructor.

Practice in the original composition of poetry supplemented by the reading and analysis of standard works. Each student is expected to prepare a manuscript each week. There will be a weekly workshop meeting and occasional individual conferences.

Creative Writing (Fiction)

Practice in the original composition of fiction supplemented by the reading and analysis of standard works. Each student is expected to prepare a manuscript at least every other week. There will be a weekly workshop meeting and occasional individual conferences.

Creative Writing (Literary Translation)

Practice in the translation of literary works from another language into English supplemented by the reading and analysis of standard works. Each student is expected to prepare a manuscript each week. There will be a weekly workshop meeting and occasional individual conferences.

Introductory Playwriting

This is a workshop in the fundamentals of writing plays. Through writing prompts, exercises, study and reflection, students will be guided in the creation of original dramatic material. Attention will be given to character, structure, dramatic action, monologue, dialogue, language

Creative Nonfiction

This is a workshop in factual writing and what has become known as literary non-fiction, emphasizing writing assignments and including several reading assignments. Students will examine masterpieces about social inequality and to what extent it is possible for authors to know the struggles of their subjects, and to create empathy for them. One three-hour seminar.

Advanced Creative Writing (Poetry)

Advanced practice in the original composition of poetry for discussion in regularly scheduled workshop meetings. Prerequisites: Two 200-level CWR courses.

Advanced Creative Writing (Fiction)

Advanced practice in the original composition of fiction for discussion in regularly scheduled workshop meetings.

Advanced practice in the original composition of fiction for discussion in regularly scheduled workshop meetings. Prerequisites: Two 200-level CWR courses.

Advanced Creative Writing (Literary Translation)

Advanced practice in the translation of literary works from another language into English supplemented by the reading and analysis of standard works. Prerequisites: 205 or 206 and by application.

Advanced practice in the translation of literary works from another language into English supplemented by the reading and analysis of standard works. Prerequisites: 205 or 206 or by Program permission.

Playwriting II: Intermediate Playwriting

A continuation of work begun in Introductory Playwriting, in this class, students will complete either one full-length play or two long one-acts (40-60 pages) to the end of gaining a firmer understanding of characterization, dialogue, structure, and the playwriting process. In addition to questions of craft, an emphasis will be placed on the formation of healthy creative habits and the sharpening of critical and analytical skills through reading and responding to work of both fellow students and contemporary playwrights of note.

Special Topics in Creative Writing

Students gain special access to the critical understanding of literature through their involvement in the creative process. Topics include autobiography, prosody, non-fiction, revision and point of view. Students are expected to prepare a manuscript at least every other week. Specific topics and prerequisites will vary. By application.

Advanced Creative Writing Tutorial

Tutorials in the original composition of fiction, poetry, or translations, open to those who have demonstrated unusual commitment and talent through four terms of creative writing or who provide equivalent evidence of their capacity for advanced work. Open also to qualified graduate students. Individual conferences to be arranged.

Special Topics in Screenwriting

This class will familiarize students with the complex use of metaphorical, emotional, and visual threads in long form screenplay writing. Analyzing examples of international, independent, and classical structures, students will be exposed to the rhythms and demands of the process of conceiving and writing a long form narrative film. Prerequisite: Introduction to Screenwriting and by application.

Advanced Seminar in American Studies

Advanced seminars bring students into spaces of collaborative exploration after pursuing their individual paths of study in American studies, Asian American/diasporic studies, and/or Latino studies. To students culminating programs of study toward one or more of the certificates offered by the Effron Center for the Study of America, advanced seminars offer the important opportunity to integrate their cumulative knowledge.

Princeton Atelier

ATTENTION STUDENTS: The United States Secretary of Education, Dr. Miguel Cardona, would like to remind all enrolled college students to complete their 2024-25 FAFSA form. If you have not completed your form, you are leaving your money on the table. The deadline to complete the form is September 15, 2024 . Please apply today at www.studentaid.gov. Did you know that you may be eligible for up to $4,748/per term in Tuition Aid Grant (TAG) from the state of New Jersey? If you cannot file a FAFSA, then please file an Alternative Application for TAG ( www.hesaa.org ). Visit us at the Financial Aid Office (Hepburn Hall 212-215) for assistance.

English—Creative Writing, B.A.

About this degree.

Completion of this concentration prepares one for a career as a creative writer, freelance magazine writer, corporate newsletter editor, public relations consultant, advertising copywriter, or speechwriter. Continued study may include a master’s degree in creative writing, library science, or business administration, or a master’s and doctorate in communications or law.

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Creative Writing

Interested not just in reading literature but also in writing it? Have a poetic ear or an eye for plot and character? Montclair State’s creative writing program offers courses in fiction, poetry, drama, creative nonfiction, screenwriting and memoir, on a variety of levels. The program also features a minor in creative writing, a six-course sequence designed to bring out the best of your abilities through a series of workshops and literature courses.

Career Opportunities

Contact information.

• College of Humanities and Social Sciences
• English Department

Undergraduate Programs

Minor in creative writing.

The minor in Creative Writing offers students of any major the opportunity to hone their craft in consecutive fiction workshops at the beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels which will be combined with three corresponding electives.

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Professional and Public Writing