Creative Writing
The vital presence of creative writing in the English Department is reflected by our many distinguished authors who teach our workshops and open enrollment creative writing courses. We offer workshops each term in fiction, poetry, nonfiction, screenwriting, playwriting, and television writing. Our workshops are small, usually no more than twelve students, and offer writers an opportunity to focus intensively on one genre. We also typically offer one open enrollment creative writing course per semester. These courses are not capped and do not require an application, and are designed to provide students with a foundational overview of a particular genre. Students who are interested in the Creative Writing Emphasis should consult the FAQ below for more information.
Apply to Creative Writing Workshops
Workshops are open by application to Harvard College undergraduates, graduate students, staff, and students from other institutions eligible for cross registration. Submission guidelines for workshops can be found under individual course listings; please do not query instructors. Review all departmental rules and application instructions before applying. Applicants can apply to up to four workshops and we encourage all applicants to apply to more than one workshop. If you have questions about applying to creative workshops please contact Prof. Nick White, Assistant Director of Undergraduate Studies & Creative Writing: nwhite@fas.harvard.edu or Lauren Bimmler, Undergraduate Program Administrator: lbimmler@fas.harvard.edu.
Creative Writing Emphasis students must apply to four workshops, in order to support placement efforts. Please refer to the Creative Writing Emphasis FAQ for more detailed information.
Fall 2026 Workshop Application Deadline: 11:59pm on Sunday, April 5
Spring 2027 Workshop Application Deadline: 11:59pm on Saturday, November 7
Please visit our course listings for all the Fall 2026 workshops.
Please visit our course listings for all the Spring 2027 workshops.
Our online submission applications, available on the Submittable platform, will open for Spring 2027 applications by Wednesday, October 21, 2026.
Emphasis in Creative Writing (ECW) FAQ
What is the Creative Writing Emphasis?
The Emphasis is an optional pathway through the English Concentration, providing students who are passionate about the literary arts with a rigorous, intentional curriculum that will support the development of their craft and artistic growth. Emphasis students will take at least three creative writing courses, two of which must be workshops. Students will have the opportunity to explore a range of genres and forms, including courses that focus on novel writing, poetry, journalism, memoir, science fiction, playwriting, screenwriting.
Who can pursue the Creative Writing Emphasis?
The Emphasis is an option open to all English Concentrators, including double concentrators. While the Emphasis won’t be formally implemented until AY 27-28, current first years and sophomores can be informally advised onto the pathway. If you are interested in pursuing the Creative Writing Emphasis, please speak with Nick White (nwhite@fas.harvard.edu), Assistant Director of Undergraduate Studies & Creative Writing, or Laura van den Berg, Director of Creative Writing (laura_vandenberg@fas.harvard.edu).
Is the Creative Writing Emphasis open to joint concentrators?
Yes, but please note that joint concentrators must fulfill all the required courses. There is not a modified version of the Emphasis available for joint concentrators.
Are Creative Writing Emphasis students required to take literature courses?
Absolutely. We believe that one cannot write well without first reading well, and the deep relationship between literary study and creative production is one of guiding lights of the Creative Writing Program. As such, Creative Writing Emphasis students must take the core required courses and the guided electives.
Do Creative Writing Emphasis students need to apply to creative writing workshops?
Yes. Creative Writing Emphasis students will submit an application to four workshops of their choosing, ranked in order of preference, during a given application cycle. They will then be placed in one of those workshops. Faculty take seriously the task of guiding students towards workshops where they are likely to thrive, and approach this process with care.
Are workshop applications still open to anyone from the Harvard community?
Yes. We value the dynamic workshop communities that the “all Harvard” model makes possible. All English concentrators and members of the Harvard community are invited to apply to up to four workshops each cycle. We cannot guarantee admission, but warmly welcome and strongly encourage your applications.
Do you have to be pursuing the Creative Writing Emphasis in order to write a creative thesis or project?
Once the Creative Writing Emphasis is formally implemented, we anticipate many of our Creative Thesis / Project writers will be on the Emphasis pathway. However, the Creative Writing faculty welcomes thesis applications from any English Concentrator, provided they have taken two creative writing courses, one of which must be a workshop.
Are Creative Writing Emphasis students guaranteed a creative thesis? What if I don’t want to write a thesis or senior project?
The Creative Writing Faculty will make every effort to support students who wish to write a creative thesis or senior project, but Emphasis students must still apply and a creative thesis / project is not guaranteed. Emphasis students who do not wish to write a thesis may pursue either the elective or the non-thesis honors pathway.