Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

We often find meaning in life through stories. Stories of gods and goddesses, war, struggle, love, adventure, romance, victory and defeat are such a rich part of our human experience that we sometimes forget it all begins with the written word.

At Spalding, we understand how powerful a person’s voice can be. We understand how writing can inspire and shape the world, how it can influence and drive creativity, and how it makes us want to learn and create. This is why the Creative Writing Program at Spalding places an emphasis on collaboration, feedback, community, and an exploration of craft through workshops and classes designed to not only provide writers with strong writing skills but to also make those writers part of a larger community as they pursue careers in writing.

At Spalding you can pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing allowing you to tailor your studies to your specific interests and focus on genres, writing styles, and literature you are passionate about. At the same time, we provide a foundation of skills to help you move toward a career in the field of writing or continue studying writing at the graduate level.

Raptor Lit

The BFA’s online Raptor Lit Magazine gives students the opportunity to work as editors for an online publication while also providing a home to showcase student work and experiences.

Community

The undergraduate creative writing community at Spalding is a close-knit group of writers intent on learning and mastering their craft. The writing community shares work and engage in campus life events that include:

• the annual Celebration of Student Writing,
• various writing contests,
• author visits,
• writers in residence,
• the Spalding School of Professional and Creative Writing’s residencies (as mentioned below),
• writing workshops,
• and salon-style reading sessions.

SCPW Residencies

Twice a year, in the fall and spring, Spalding’s School of Professional and Creative Writing (SCPW) holds one-week residencies in which 30+ nationally recognized and published writers from a variety of disciplines attend the university. The BFA program at Spalding works alongside the SCPW to provide undergraduate students with the experience of meeting these authors and attending lectures and participating in various residency activities. During these residencies, BFA students have the opportunity to meet SCPW graduates from across the country and see first-hand what a top-ranked graduate program in writing has to offer.

Almost all creative writing classes at Spalding are around 15 students. This provides an intimate atmosphere of collaboration, feedback, and discovery. In addition to small classes, Spalding has six, six-week sessions throughout the year. Classes run from Monday to Thursday with a break week between sessions. These sessions allow for a great deal of flexibility in the study as students can tailor schedules to meet their needs as they take day, evening, and online classes.

Spalding’s BFA program is 120-credit hours and offers students the opportunity to explore various genres of creative writing while also providing internships, practicums in career-related fields, reading opportunities, community connections, and independent studies allowing a focus on passion projects.

In addition to the required University Studies courses (52 credit hours), Creative Writing students also take:

• Creative Writing Workshops (18 credit hours)
• Practicum, Leadership, and Senior Seminar (18 credit hours)
• Literature and Linguistics (15 credit hours)
• Humanities (15 credit hours)
• Social Sciences (12 credit hours)
• Natural Sciences and Math (9 credit hours)
• Religious Studies (6 credit hours)

Experience

In addition to becoming a published author, a BFA can prepare you for a career in developing content for magazines, websites, blogs, television, advertising, and corporations in need of print or online materials. A BFA in Creative Writing from Spalding University will provide a foundation for critical reading, thinking, and editing skills that can lead to careers such as film editing, professor, library science, teaching, communications director and journalist to name a few. The job market is in need of excellent editing and writing skills and a BFA can provide that foundation and experience.

In addition to becoming a published author, a BFA can prepare you for a career in developing content for magazines, websites, blogs, television, advertising, and corporations in need of print or online materials. A BFA in Creative Writing from Spalding University will provide a foundation for critical reading, thinking, and editing skills that can lead to careers such as film editing, professor, library science, teaching, communications director and journalist to name a few. The job market is in need of excellent editing and writing skills and a BFA can provide that foundation and experience.