Creative Writing and Literature
Undergraduate Program
The Bachelor of Liberal Arts degree is designed for industry professionals with years of work experience who wish to complete their degrees part time, both on campus and online, without disruption to their employment. Our typical student is over 30, has previously completed one or two years of college, and works full time.
Students enrolled in the Master of Liberal Arts program in Creative Writing & Literature will develop skills in creative writing and literary analysis through literature courses and writing workshops in fiction, screenwriting, poetry, and nonfiction. Through online group courses and one-on-one tutorials, as well as a week on campus, students hone their craft and find their voice.
Spring Course Registration is open . Explore courses today.
Creative Writing and Literature Degree Requirements
The Master of Liberal Arts, Creative Writing and Literature degree field is offered online with 1 course on campus. A one-week option is available for the on-campus requirement.
Getting Started
Explore admissions & degree requirements.
- Course curriculum and on-campus writers’ residency
- Admissions: eligibility and earning your way in
- Completing your degree
Begin Your Admission Path This Spring
Enroll in your first admission course. Registration is open through January 23.
Learn how to register →
Required Course Curriculum
Online core and elective courses
On-campus summer writers’ residency
Capstone or thesis
12 Graduate Courses (48 credits)
The program is designed for creative writers interested in fiction, nonfiction, and dramatic writing.
The degree is highly customizable. As part of the program curriculum, you choose either a capstone or thesis track as well as the creative writing and literature courses that meet your learning goals.
The synchronous online format and small class size ensure you’ll receive personal feedback on your writing and experience full engagement with instructors and peers.
Required Core & Elective Courses View More
- HUMA 101 Proseminar: Elements of the Writer’s Craft
- 1 advanced fiction writing course
- 3 creative writing courses
- 1 creative writing and literature elective
- EXPO 42a Writing in the Humanities is a literature option
- On-campus summer writers’ residency
Browse Courses →
Thesis Track View More
The thesis is a 9-month independent research project where you work one-on-one in a tutorial setting with a thesis director.
The thesis track includes the following additional courses:
- CREA E-487 Crafting the Thesis Proposal in Creative Writing and Literature Tutorial
- ALM Thesis in Creative Writing (8 credits)
Recent Thesis Topics:
- Back Where We Belong: a novel that explores the complex ties between identities, communities, and home countries
- Fireborn: a YA fantasy novel with a female protagonist; inspired by folklore and mythology from Asia
- The Birdbath: an exploration of memory and the past, grief and the imagination, and the possibilities and limitations of making amends
Capstone Track View More
The capstone track includes the following additional courses:
- 1 literature course
- Precapstone: Building the World of the Book (fiction and nonfiction options)
- Capstone: Developing a Manuscript (fiction and nonfiction options)
In the precapstone , with support from your instructor and peers, you’ll engage in a series of structured writing exercises that make it possible to delve deeply into your characters—what they look like, what they want and need, and how they interact with the world in which they live—as you structure the world of your fiction or nonfiction.
In the capstone , with ongoing community support, you continue your work of in the precapstone and write two additional chapters or stories, or approximately 30 pages of new work. The capstone project in total should be about 50-60 pages — the equivalent of a thesis.
You enroll in the precapstone and capstone courses in back-to-back semesters (fall/spring) and in your final academic year. The capstone must be taken alone as your sole remaining degree requirement.
Recent Capstone Topics:
- Beauty (Whatever That Is) and the Beast (Me): a short story collection for girls with body dysmorphia
- Against the Wave: a contemporary fabulist novella inspired by an Irish folktale
On-Campus Experience: Writers’ Residency
Participate in writers’ workshop on campus.
Learn and network in person with your classmates, agents, and editors.
Nearly all courses can be taken online, but the degree requires an in-person experience at Harvard University where you enroll in our summer Writers’ Residency.
After being officially admitted and completing seven or more courses, you enroll in a 3-week Harvard Summer School (HSS) Writers’ Residency course, which requires a 7-day on campus experience (Monday-Sunday), and then two weeks online. Or 3 full weeks on campus to experience a short, yet enduring writers’ retreat that can include room and board.
Choose between two on-campus experience options:
- One-week on-campus Writers’ Residency with extended online sessions: During the first week, Monday through Friday, you attend a master class taught by a notable instructor and on Saturday and Sunday you attend an agents-and-editors weekend. Both the master class and the weekend require on-campus attendance. During the two weeks that follow, you attend additional writing classes online and submit a final piece of writing.
- One-week on-campus Writers’ Residency with extended on-campus sessions: You come to campus for a full three weeks. During the first week, Monday through Friday, you attend a master class taught by a notable instructor and on Saturday and Sunday you attend an agents-and-editors weekend. Then, you continue to study on campus during the next two weeks, taking additional writing classes and submitting a final piece of writing. Harvard Summer School offers, for an additional fee, housing, meal plans, and on-campus activities. Learn more about campus life at Harvard .
International Students Who Need a Visa View More
To meet the on-campus requirement, you choose the One-Week Writers’ Residency with extended on-campus sessions to study with us for the full three weeks here in Cambridge. You can easily request an I-20 for the F-1 student visa through Harvard Summer School. For more details, see International Student Study Options for important visa information.
In-Person Co-Curricular Events View More
Come to Cambridge for Convocation (fall) to celebrate your hard-earned admission, Harvard career fairs offered throughout the year, HES alumni networking events (here at Harvard and around the world), and, of course, Harvard University Commencement (May).
Confirm your initial eligibility with a 4-year bachelor’s degree or its foreign equivalent.
Take two courses in our unique “earn your way in” admissions process that count toward your degree.
In the semester of your second course, submit the official application for admission to the program.
Below are our initial eligibility requirements and an overview of our unique admissions process to help get you started. Be sure to visit Degree Program Admissions for full details.
Initial Eligibility View More
- Prior to enrolling in any degree-applicable courses, you must possess a 4-year regionally accredited US bachelor’s degree or its foreign equivalent. Foreign bachelor’s degrees must be evaluated for equivalency.
- If English is your second language, you’ll need to prove English proficiency before registering for a course. We have multiple proficiency options .
Earn Your Way In — Courses Required for Admission View More
To begin the admission process, you simply register — no application required — for the following two, four-credit, graduate-level degree courses (available online).
These prerequisite courses count toward your degree once you’re admitted ; they are not additional courses. They are investments in your studies and help ensure success in the program.
- Before registering, you’ll need to pass our online test of critical reading and writing skills or earn a B or higher in EXPO 42a Writing in the Humanities.
- You have two attempts to earn the minimum grade of B in the proseminar (a withdrawal grade counts as an attempt). The proseminar cannot be more than two years old at the time of application.
- Advanced Fiction Writing
While the two courses don’t need to be taken in a particular order or in the same semester, we recommend that you start with the proseminar. The 2 courses must be completed with a grade of B or higher, without letting your overall Harvard cumulative GPA dip below 3.0.
Applying to the Degree Program View More
During the semester of your second degree course, submit the official application to the program.
Don’t delay! You must prioritize the two degree courses for admission and apply before completing subsequent courses. By doing so, you’ll:
- Avoid the loss of credit due to expired course work or changes to admission and degree requirements.
- Ensure your enrollment in critical and timely degree-candidate-only courses.
- Avoid the delayed application fee.
- Gain access to exclusive benefits.
Eligible students who submit a complete and timely application will have 10 more courses after admission to earn the degree. Applicants can register for courses in the upcoming semester before they receive their grades and while they await their admission decision.
Prospective ALM students can expect acceptance into the program by meeting all the eligibility and academic requirements detailed on this page, submitting a complete application, and having no academic standing or conduct concerns .
The Office of Predegree Advising & Admissions makes all final determinations about program eligibility.
Search and Register for Courses
The Division of Continuing Education (DCE) offers degree courses all year round to accelerate degree completion.
- You can study in fall, January, and spring terms through Harvard Extension School (HES) and during the summer through Harvard Summer School (HSS).
- You can enroll full or part time. After qualifying for admission, many of our degree candidates study part time, taking 2 courses per semester (fall/spring) and 1 in the January and summer sessions.
- Most fall and spring courses meet once a week for two hours, while January and summer courses meet more frequently in a condensed format.
Completing Your Degree
Maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
Complete your courses in five years.
Earn your Harvard degree and enjoy Harvard Alumni Association benefits upon graduation.
Required GPA, Withdrawal Grades, and Repeat Courses View More
GPA. You need to earn a B or higher in each of the two degree courses required for admission and a B– or higher in each of the subsequent courses. In addition, your cumulative GPA cannot dip below 3.0.
Withdrawal Grades. You are allowed to receive 2 withdrawal (WD) grades without them affecting your GPA. Any additional WD grades count as zero in your cumulative GPA. Please note that a WD grade from a two-credit course will count as 1 of your 2 allowed WD grades. See Academic Standing .
Repeat Courses. We advise you to review the ALM program’s strict policies about repeating courses . Generally speaking, you may not repeat a course to improve your GPA or to fulfill a degree requirement (if the minimum grade was not initially achieved). Nor can you repeat a course for graduate credit that you’ve previously completed at Harvard Extension School or Harvard Summer School at the undergraduate level.
Courses Expire: Finish Your Coursework in Under Five Years View More
Courses over five years old at the point of admission will not count toward the degree. As stated above, the proseminar cannot be more than two years old at the time of application.
Further, you have five years to complete your degree requirements. The five-year timeline begins at the end of the term in which you complete any two degree-applicable courses, regardless of whether or not you have been admitted to a degree program.
Potential degree candidates must plan accordingly and submit their applications to comply with the five-year course expiration policy or they risk losing degree credit for completed course work. Additionally, admission eligibility will be jeopardized if, at the point of application to the program, the five-year degree completion policy cannot be satisfied (i.e., too many courses to complete in the time remaining).
Graduate with Your Harvard Degree View More
When you have fulfilled all degree requirements, you will earn your Harvard University degree: Master of Liberal Arts (ALM) in Extension Studies, Field: Creative Writing and Literature. Degrees are awarded in November, February, and May, with the annual Harvard Commencement ceremony in May.
Degree Candidate Exclusive Benefits View More
When you become an officially admitted degree candidate, you have access to a rich variety of exclusive benefits to support your academic journey. To learn more, visit degree candidate academic opportunities and privileges .
Harvard Division of Continuing Education
The Division of Continuing Education (DCE) at Harvard University is dedicated to bringing rigorous academics and innovative teaching capabilities to those seeking to improve their lives through education. We make Harvard education accessible to lifelong learners from high school to retirement.
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