Study the literary tradition and develop your imagination with a creative writing degree. Write and revise original works while engaging with a vibrant literary arts community on campus and beyond.
Gain practical writing skills and the confidence to engage your wildest imagination when you major in creative writing. Encouraged by your professors and peers in small classes, you'll create original works of poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and drama.
Your creative writing education begins by reading the best of classic and contemporary literature. As you discuss readings in class, you'll learn fundamental writing techniques that will form the basis of all you create. You'll receive constant feedback in peer-review sessions and support from one-on-one conferences with professors, not to mention workshops with distinguished visiting writers like George Saunders and Kim Addonizio.
Apply what you've learned in the classroom to meaningful projects by completing a praxis course working with local publishers or facilitating a community writing workshop. No matter what you want to create, a creative writing degree will help you make it.
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Students who complete 12 semester hours of ENGL 401 Textual Scholarship will receive a certificate in textual scholarship that confirms an exceptional level of expertise in a field that is distinguished for undergraduate creative writing majors. In addition to developing the skills and earning the experience described in the course description for ENGL 401, students who complete the requirements for the textual scholarship certificate also have demonstrated a sustained commitment to the completion of a serious scholarly project that involves both extraordinary undergraduate research and intensive experiential learning.
Digital humanities is a rapidly growing, interdisciplinary field that incorporates new tools and methodologies for pursuing modes of inquiry and producing forms of scholarship and engagement in the humanities. It seeks to apply humanistic reasoning and research to important questions related to technology, such as social sustainability, big data, and privacy. Work in digital humanities includes public humanities, data mining/visualization, web design, textual analysis, educational technology, and ethics and technology. The concentration in digital humanities is open to all humanities majors.
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Gain an edge on your career by receiving your bachelor’s and master’s degree in only five years. Through a unique partnership with Rosemont College, English and creative writing majors can get a jump start on their graduate degree in the fields of creative writing or publishing.
To participate, you can apply for admission to Rosemont after you have completed your sophomore year at Widener. Students with a 3.0 GPA are guaranteed an interview for admission. If accepted, you will then take graduate courses at Rosemont during your junior and senior year at no additional cost.
Students who are admitted to the accelerated program and meet the academic requirements will receive a tuition discount on the graduate tuition while completing master’s degree coursework at Rosemont.
For more details, please contact Professor Michael Cocchiarale, at mfcocchiarale@widener.edu
English and Creative Writing
Combine practical writing skills and the confidence to engage your wildest imagination with the exploration of ideas and perspectives through literature.
Applying to Widener is easy—and free! Simply complete our Widener Application or the Common Application. You'll also need your official high school transcript and either an admissions essay or your SAT/ACT scores. We're a test-optional school, so there's no need to submit both.
Know you're interested in applying to Widener but unsure if you're ready to zero-in on a major? You can apply as an Exploratory Studies student with an undecided major. This program will help you start your college journey on the right foot while you explore which undergraduate program is the right fit for you.
We accept applications on a rolling basis—there are no hard deadlines. Apply when you're ready and we'll take a look as soon as we receive your app.
Key dates to keep in mind:
Once we receive your application and all materials, you can expect to hear back from us quickly. Along with your application decision, you'll also find out about any merit-based scholarship awards. You're automatically considered for merit scholarships as soon as you apply—you don't need to apply separately.
If you apply before November 1, you are considered an Early Action applicant which comes with benefits like:
All applications are non-binding, so why wait? Apply today!
Our admissions team will help you make the most of college-level credits earned after high school. We maintain strong partnerships and articulation agreements with numerous local community colleges and also accept a wide range of course credits earned at accredited colleges and universities.
Curious about how many credits may transfer? Email your transcripts to transfer@widener.edu and our transfer coordinator will personally review your coursework as an unofficial credit evaluation. Applicants are given priority during busy seasons, but you don't have to apply to work with our transfer coordinator.
Transferring doesn't have to be a guessing game—share your stats and we'll take it from there!
Widener University serves as a "second home" for students from around the world. We are located just outside of Philadelphia and close to New York City and Washington, D.C.—offering many unique professional and personal opportunities to explore.
Want to know what it's like to be an international student on campus or need assistance navigating English proficiency requirements? We're here to help, and our international admissions director will support you through the application process.
This support doesn't end with admissions—our International Student Support team will serve as a valuable resource throughout your Widener journey—meeting Visa/immigration requirements, getting acclimated to campus, and much more.
From flash fiction to humor writing to historical fiction, if you can dream it, we'll help you write it! With new special topics courses added every semester, you'll constantly be exploring new genres and modes of writing.
Learn from the best. Each semester, you'll get to meet a nationally known, award-winning author as part of the Distinguished Writers Series. Writers like George Saunders, Arthur Sze, Stephanie Powell Watts, and Dan Chaon have all recently visited campus and held readings, classroom lectures, and one-one-one tutorials with students.
You'll have the chance to apply for a fully-funded trip to the annual Association of Writers & Writing Programs conference, the largest literary conference in North America. Attend readings, panel discussions, and literary events with over 12,000 writers and scholars. There's no better place to jumpstart a creative career!
You'll learn firsthand how literary publications operate when you get involved in Widener Ink, a literary magazine of Widener students' writing, and The Blue Route, our nationally-recognized online journal of undergraduate writing. Working closely with faculty and peers, you'll enhance your aesthetic judgment and gain a second family in your magazine staff.
You'll develop your portfolio through constant writing and revising, finishing off your senior year with a capstone project including a source-based aesthetic essay. By the time you graduate, you'll have a robust portfolio of diverse writing pieces ready to submit for publication and apply for graduate school.
Creative Writing majors have the opportunity to join various clubs and organizations across and outside of campus to expand their network, including the Blue & Gold club, the Sigma Tau Delta - English Honor Society, and many more.
Our professors invest in your success through close mentoring and continual feedback. Get to know our creative writing faculty.
"Inside or outside the classroom, I’m keen to hear what students think. I love advising students on our literary magazines and preparing them for national conferences, where they can shine as leaders in their field. Their enthusiasm—their understanding of the vital importance of a liberal education—forever energizes me."
"My teaching focuses on fostering the development of creativity, intellectual curiosity, and critical thinking skills; creating a culture of scholarship that students will carry beyond the university; and encouraging students to consider their roles in their communities and to join these communities in meaningful ways."
Widener’s first LGBTQ+ zine is providing a safe space for queer artists around the country
Professor Janine Utell, chair of the English and Creative Writing Department, will be the university’s Homer C. Nearing, Jr. Distinguished Professor in English. The two-year distinguished...
The Inside-Out program is one of many ways that Widener faculty, students, and alumni from a range of disciplines are confronting injustices in the U.S. criminal justice system.
The creative writing program will grow you holistically as a writer, thinker and reader. With strong communication skills, creativity, and a resume of engaged learning opportunities, you'll be prepared to enter nearly any industry on the inside track.
Kapelski Learning Center, Room 331
Kapelski Learning Center
Room 330
