Masters Degree Creative Writing

The Master’s Degree in Creative Writing at Saint Leo University is a low-residency Master of Arts program with genre specializations in Poetry, Fiction, and Nonfiction. Students study through online semester courses that combine writing and literary studies. In workshops, each student creates and refines original work in their chosen genre, paired with a foundations course that includes reading contemporary and classic examples.

The program is designed to be completed in just two calendar years. It includes three summer residencies and four semesters of study, plus a book-length thesis. Each summer residency features daily workshops with a faculty mentor leading small-group discussion of students’ creative work. The rest of the day includes activities and discussions led by faculty, a visiting writer, or a writing professional.

During fall and spring semesters, students complete coursework from home while communicating with peers and faculty mentors online. In the third summer, students compile, revise, and edit their creative work into a master’s thesis, which can be a novel or short story collection, a memoir or essay collection, or a poetry collection.

Modules

• writing workshop course
• foundations course
• book-length thesis