The University of Iowa

Creative Writing Programs

  • Iowa Writers' Workshop

    The Iowa Writers' Workshop is a two-year residency program which culminates in the submission of a creative thesis (a novel, a collection of stories, or a book of poetry) and the awarding of a Master of Fine Arts degree. The University of Iowa Writers' Workshop was the first creative writing degree program in the United States and the model for...

  • International Writing Program

    Founded in 1967 by Paul Engle and Hualing Nieh Engle, the International Writing Program (IWP) was the first writers residency to reach out across national borders, and remains unique in the world of letters. Established writers from across the globe gather every fall to spend three months in Iowa City, the first UNESCO City of Literature in the...

  • Nonfiction Writing Program

     

    The Nonfiction Writing Program is a three-year residency program which culminates in the submission of a creative nonfiction thesis and the awarding of a Master of Fine Arts degree. It was the first creative writing program in the United States dedicated to the study of the literary essay and is now home to the University's Center for...

  • Iowa Playwrights Workshop

    The Iowa Playwrights Workshop—The University of Iowa's MFA Program in Playwriting—is an intensive three-year program dedicated to educating playwrights for the professional theatre.

    The objective of the program is to train talented playwrights as writers and collaborative theatre artists who will lead the American theatre in the creation...

  • Department of English | Undergraduate Creative Writing Major

    The English Department offers an English and Creative Writing major for undergraduates, along with its major in English. The writing major builds from traditions of literary analysis and artistic practice that have distinguished the university. Majors study with established and emerging writers, in a rigorous 42 credit-hour sequence involving...

  • Screenwriting Arts

    The major in screenwriting arts draws on the long and historic creative writing tradition at the University of Iowa by expanding undergraduate offerings to include a program in screenwriting. Students are instructed on practical skills and knowledge needed to become successful members of the screenwriting industry, but they also learn about the...

  • Magid Center | Undergraduate Certificate in Writing

    Nestled in the only American town honored with the designation of being a UNESCO City of Literature, the UI has recently added to its rich literary tradition by offering a brand new Undergraduate Certificate in Writing Program, enabling students in all majors to benefit from the wide-ranging writing programs and resources available on campus...

  • Spanish Creative Writing MFA

    The Department of Spanish and Portuguese offers coursework in Spanish-language creative writing. The Master of Fine Arts in Spanish Creative Writing will allow graduate students to develop their talent as writers in Spanish while working with established writers from the Spanish-speaking world.

  • Translation Workshop

    Beginning with the country's first translation workshop over fifty years ago, literary translation has long been an integral part of the conversation about writing at the University of Iowa. The MFA program in Literary Translation combines creative practice, international literature in-the-making, with training in world languages, literatures...

  • Iowa Young Writers' Studio

    At the Iowa Young Writers’ Studio, 144 high school-age writers from across the country come together every summer to share their work, practice craft, and improve their writing. Students choose a single course of study-- Poetry, Fiction, or Creative Writing (a survey that includes fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction)--as their focus for...

  • Irish Writing Program

    The University of Iowa Irish Writing Program offers participants the opportunity to study creative writing and Irish literature in the heart of Dublin. The workshops meet three times a week for six weeks and are taught by Irish writers. In addition to having their work critiqued in class, students will receive written analyses of class work....

  • Iowa Summer Writing Festival

    Since 1987, the Festival has welcomed to the campus of The University of Iowa writers from 18 to 97 years of age, from all 50 states, and from every continent. Most of the participants come to the workshop table from other areas of expertise, other lives. These include the armed forces, business, diplomacy, education, farming, homemaking,...

  • Belin-Blank Summer Writing Residency

    Students in grades 9-12 (current academic year) may apply for the Summer Writing Residency (SWR), an immersive 3–week residency at The University of Iowa’s Belin-Blank Center. Learn from world-class faculty on one of the premier arts campuses in the US. Participate in classes, workshops, evening tours,...

Programs Affiliated with Creative Writing

  • The Writing Center

    The University of Iowa Writing Center was started by Carrie Stanley in 1934, making it one of the first writing centers in the United States. It has a long-standing tradition of one-to-one instruction in rhetorical and communication skills which has also been a hallmark of its host department, Rhetoric. The Writing Center assists with all...

  • Iowa Prison Writing Project
  • The University of Iowa School of Social Work

    The University of Iowa School of Social Work's mission is to develop, disseminate, and integrate excellent and compelling research-based knowledge, practice, and policy particularly as related to children, families, and older adults.

  • Language, Literacy, and Culture

    The program in Language, Literacy, and Culture (LLC) offers a Ph.D. that brings together scholarly traditions and contemporary theory in literacy and cultural studies. Course work provides both a broad background in relevant theoretic and research literature and opportunities to conduct original studies that explore the nature of literacy...

  • Department of Rhetoric

    The Rhetoric Department offers courses that fulfill the General Education Program requirement in rhetoric and provides individual instruction in its Writing and Speaking Centers. It also offers other undergraduate courses and graduate seminars.

  • School of Library and Information Science

    The School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) offers a graduate-level program of professional and academic preparation for careers in libraries and information centers. Associate Professor James Elmborg manages the Virtual Writing University Archive, which began as a SLIS graduate student project. SLIS also provides technical and...

  • The Iowa Review

    One of the best-known and most highly respected literary reviews in the country, the Iowa Review has been publishing continuously for 36 years. The journal carries stories, poems, essays and reviews by both new and established writers.

  • Department of Theatre Arts

    The University of Iowa Theatre Arts Department is one of the oldest and most respected theatre programs in the country. The department offers students the opportunity to earn an undergraduate BA degree, or an MFA degree with an emphasis in acting, directing, design, playwriting, dramaturgy or stage management.

  • The University of Iowa Libraries

    The University of Iowa Libraries is the largest library system in Iowa and the 14th largest among the nation’s research libraries. The Libraries' Digital Library Services, as well as Special Collections and University Archives play an...

  • University of Iowa Center for the Book

    The Center for the Book is an innovative, interdisciplinary research and arts unit located within the University of Iowa Graduate College. The University of Iowa Center for the Book is a unique program that conjoins training in the technique and artistry of bookmaking with research into the history and culture of books. The Center is staffed by...

  • University of Iowa Press

    Established in 1969, the University of Iowa Press publishes, poetry and short fiction, and works of creative nonfiction, as well as books that fill the needs of scholars and students throughout the world. The Press publishes the winners of the Iowa Short Fiction Award and the Iowa Poetry Prize, poetry anthologies, letters and diaries,...

  • School of Journalism & Mass Communication

    Established in 1924, the University of Iowa School of Journalism and Mass Communication has long been recognized as a leader in journalism education. The School of Journalism and Mass Communication undergraduate program prepares students for careers in journalism and mass communication. Journalistic writing is the core of the professional...

Media Production, Preservation, and Outreach

  • UITV: The University of Iowa Television Channel

    University of Iowa Television (UITV) is a cable programming service available to cable television viewers on campus and in Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, Coralville, and surrounding communities.

  • Broadcasting Services: WSUI/KSUI Public Radio

    WSUI and KSUI are the public radio broadcasting services of the University of Iowa and Iowa Public Radio. These stations seek to enrich the literary community with programs such as "Talk of Iowa," and "Know the Score."

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