About this Program
The Creative Writing Certificate prepares students for life in the Creative Economy through a sequence of craft courses in fiction, poetry, non-fiction, and new media writing.
The UMD Creative Writing Certificate offers:
- flexible ways for students with any major to develop their creative powers in a wide variety of genres and cultural contexts
- student-centered workshop experiences in which writers receive constructive, supportive feedback from peers and instructors
- help setting individualized goals, growing as writers, and presenting their work to publishers, agents, editors, and the public
- small, collaborative classes taught by widely published, award-winning professors
- preparation and credentials to apply to Master of Fine Arts programs in creative writing
- an innovative curriculum that encompasses print and digital media
Acquired Skills
- Think creatively in professional and aesthetic pursuits
- Employ techniques and principles of creative craft in writing and media
- Read and critique like experienced writers
- Write with confidence thanks to a knowledge of literary and creative traditions
Program Learning Outcomes (coming 2023-2024)
Career Possibilities
Careers in an expanding number of professions, including STEM fields, depend on the ability to express ideas and evoke emotions in vivid, compelling ways. Once the tools primarily of poets and artists, these skills in language, visual and sound design, and editing are essential in today's Creative Economy. By supplementing studies in other majors and minors, the Creative Writing Certificate helps prepare students to succeed in a world where attention is the scarcest resource.
Admissions and Scholarships
Current students and members of the community can apply to the Creative Writing Certificate program through UMD's One-Stop Certificate Application page.