creative writing certificate ut austin

• Career Fields
• Career Stories
• For Parents
• Talk to an academic advisor or career counselor
• Find a job or internship
• Stay current with major and career-related news
• My Dashboard
• Search the Wayfinder Site
• Certificates

Creative Writing

Certificate in the college of liberal arts.

The Creative Writing Certificate is intended for any university student interested in advanced study of creative writing, both as reader and as writer.

The certificate program is a small one: approximately 60 students will be admitted each year.

How to Declare

Those who plan to pursue the certificate should begin the program by the fall of the junior year; applications are accepted each spring, beginning in March. The primary criteria for admission are UT-Austin GPA and a student’s progress toward degree, with additional consideration given to writing ability. Generally, admitted students have earned a 3.0 or higher GPA. The online application will remain open from March 1 through July. Students who apply prior to March 21 will be notified by April 1. All other students will be notified throughout the spring and summer, no later than August 1. The application requires a short personal statement (approximately one paragraph) about your interest in the program, as well as a writing sample (any genre, maximum of three double-spaced pages).

Required Courses

Visit the Creative Writing curriculum to see all required courses for the Creative Writing Certificate.

• Writing and communicating
• Critical thinking
• Analytical thinking
• Problem-solving
• Research skills
• Listening and interpreting
• Attention to detail

Related Links

• College of Liberal Arts
• Creative Writing Certificate
• Writing Contests

Department of English

Telephone 512-471-4991

Office Location CAL 226

Your major does not always determine your career path. Many graduates pursue careers outside their field, depending on their interests and experiences.

It’s not just your major that matters! Make yourself marketable by gaining a variety of experiences in college. Read a few inspiring stories by professionals whose experiences led to great careers.

Contact a Texas Career Engagement career counselor today to find out how you can turn your major into a career.

CREATIVE WRITING CERTIFICATE APPLICATION

The Creative Writing Certificate Program is currently accepting applications for the Spring 2025 semester.  The priority deadline is October 1, 2024, but we will continue to accept applications until available space for the spring semester has filled. 

Please Note: We are only accepting applications for the fiction sequence at this time, since the Intro to Poetry class CRW 325P will not be offered in the Spring.  Students interested in pursuing the poetry sequence should apply during the next application period February 1 - March 1, 2025, for admission in Fall 2025.

The application has TWO parts:

1) Fill out the CREATIVE WRITING CERTIFICATE APPLICATION

2) Upload your Writing Sample to the WRITING SAMPLE FOLDER

WRITING SAMPLE

Fiction: up to 2,500 words total (one story, several stories, or a novel excerpt)

Please include your Name and EID on the writing sample and in the file name: Last_First_EID

CREATIVE HONORS PROJECT APPLICATION 

The Creative Writing Certificate Program is currently accepting applications to the Honors Project, CRW370H for Spring 2025.  This class is intended for advanced students in creative writing who have demonstrated a sustained commitment to writing and wish to work under supervision on a particular project to culminate in a final creative thesis.

The Honors Project class, CRW 370H, is an extra class taken in addition to the 18 credits required for the certificate, and it does not count as one of the "elective" classes required to complete the certificate. Students taking 370H must still fulfill all of the required 18 credits for the certificate in addition to the honors project class.

Eligibility:

A University GPA of at least 3.33 and a Creative Writing Certificate GPA of at least 3.66 are required for the Honors Creative Writing Certificate to be awarded, as stipulated in the Undergraduate Catalog. Applicants must have completed or be enrolled in CRW 355F or 355P at the time of application.  DEADLINE: October 1, 2024

The Honors Application has TWO parts:

1) Fill out the CREATIVE WRITING HONORS PROJECT APPLICATION

2) Upload your Thesis Proposal and Writing Sample in ONE document to the HONORS APPLICATION FOLDER

    Please include your Name and EID on the writing sample and in the file name: Last_First_EID

Creative Writing

Course description.

Creative Writing is a one-semester online course designed to improve your ability to find and express your ideas through various writing styles. Each unit blends the reading of rich mentor texts with the opportunity for you to engage intimately with the process of writing. The ability to read analytically and to write expressively exists as the cornerstone for success in the work place, the military, and/or post high school collegiate work. Embrace the process and find your voice.

Course Objectives

Upon completing this course you will understand and use:

• analyze various genres of literature and understand their cultural significance.
• analyze the critical attributes of varying modes of writing to appreciate and emulate the artistry of the writer.
• compose various types of texts dependent on audience, purpose, and message.
• incorporate standard grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling into all written work.

Required Course Materials

• Interactive Notebook – In the form of a small composition notebook, a spiral notebook, or loose-leaf paper kept in a binder.
• Pencil or Pen – In order to do well in the course, you must take notes, sketch diagrams and graphs, and solve problems when instructed to do so.
• Internet Access
• Adobe Reader
• Dictionary access (print or online)
• Online copies can be found, but you can also purchase your own copy of Barbara Kingsolver’s Poisonwood Bible . Paperback:  576 pages Publisher:  Harper Perennial Modern Classics; Reissue edition (June 10, 2008) Language:  English ISBN-10:  0061577073 ISBN-13:  978-0061577079

Course Organization

This course is a single semester that contains 7 units and one final exam.

Each Unit contains:

• 2–4 lessons. Each lesson includes some or all of the following components: Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate.
• Self-assessments to help you check your own understanding of the material covered in each lesson. You must complete these assessments in order to advance in the course.
• 2 graded assignments

Final Examination

The final examination is comprehensive; it covers the material from all 7 units. To pass the course, you must receive a grade of 70 percent or better. You can apply to take the Final Exam after 100 percent of your graded assignments have been submitted, and at least 70 percent have been graded and returned to you.

Format: Multiple-choice and essay, online Time Allowed: 3 hours Materials Allowed: None

Semester Topics

Topic 1: Why Do Writers Write? Topic 2: Creative Nonfiction Topic 3: Short Fiction Topic 4: The Novel Topic 5: Poetry Topic 6: Experimental Writing Topic 7: A Way of Writing

• Skip to Content

• Colleges & Schools
• Campus Life
• Community Engagement
• Print / Download Options
• Introduction
• The University
• School of Undergraduate Studies
• School of Architecture
• Red McCombs School of Business
• Moody College of Communication
• College of Education
• Cockrell School of Engineering
• College of Fine Arts
• John A. and Katherine G. Jackson School of Geosciences
• School of Information
• General Information
• Admission and Registration
• Academic Policies and Procedures
• Degrees and Programs

Minor and Certificate Programs

• College of Liberal Arts Faculty
• College of Natural Sciences
• School of Nursing
• College of Pharmacy
• Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs
• Steve Hicks School of Social Work
• Appendix A: Texas Common Course Numbering System
• Appendix B: Course Abbreviations

This is an archived copy of the 2020-22 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://catalog.utexas.edu/ .

• Catalogs >
• Undergraduate >
• College of Liberal Arts >

The transcript-recognized undergraduate academic minor must be complete d in conjunction with an undergraduate degree at The University of Texas at Austin. For more information regarding the requirements for achieving a minor, including a comprehensive list of minors, please visit the  Minor and Certificate Programs  section of the  Undergraduate Catalog .

Transcript-recognized undergraduate minors in foreign languages  require a minimum of 15 hours of coursework in the minor area, but may not require more than 21 hours. None of the specified coursework from the minor can include unnum bered topics courses. Minors must include a minimum of nine hours beyond first-year competence in the language, including at least three hours of upper-division coursework. At least half of the required course work in the minor must be completed in residence at The University of Texas at Austin.

• African and African Diaspora Studies Minor

Fifteen semester hours of African and African Diaspora Studies, including:

• American Sign Language Minor

by admission only

Student must have completed  American Sign Language 610D  and demonstrate Intermediate-Low to Intermediate-Mid proficiency following ACTFL speaking guidelines before applying to the minor. 

Twenty-one semester credit hours, including the following or their equivalents: 

• American Studies Minor

Fifteen semester credit hours, including:

• Anthropology Minor

Arabic  Minor

Eighteen semester credit hours in Arabic, consisting of the following or their equivalents:

• Archaeology Minor

• Asian American Studies Minor

Fifteen semester hours, including:

• Asian Religions Minor

• Chinese Minor

At least 15 semester credit hours Chinese with a minimum grade of C , including: 

Classical Studies  Minor

Seventeen semester credit hours, including:

Comparative Literature  Minor

Core Texts and Ideas  Minor

• Cultural Anthropology Minor

• Cultural Expression, Human Experience, and Thought Minor

Economics  Minor

The transcript-recognized minor in economics allows students not majoring in economics to master an important and useful set of concepts, simple models, and analytical skills in economics. Students may focus on analytical skills and quantitative methods by taking theory courses and courses in economic statistics and econometrics; or they may take a cluster of upper-division economics courses in order to explore a field of economics in some depth.

To fulfill the requirements of the transcript-recognized minor in economics, students must complete at least 15 semester hours of coursework as described below. All of the upper-division economics courses must be taken in residence at The University of Texas at Austin. All courses must be taken on a letter-grade basis. Up to three of the upper-division hours may be from an approved list of courses offered by a different department at The University of Texas at Austin. A substitute for Economics 329 may satisfy the prerequisite for  Economics 420K but may not count toward upper-division economics hours applied to the minor in economics.

The transcript-recognized minor in economics requirements are:

English  Minor

Fifteen semester credit hours in English, including:

European Studies  Minor

• Evolutionary and Functional Anatomy Minor

French  Studies Minor

Twenty-one semester credit hours, including:

Geography Minor:

A minimum of 15 hours in Geography, including:

German, Scandinavian and Dutch Studies  Minor

A minimum of 15 hours German, Scandinavian, and Dutch Studies coursework:

• Global Interreligious Dynamics Minor

Fifteen semester credit hours, including:   

• Government Minor

Eighteen semester hours, including:

• Greek Minor

At least 19 semester credit hours in Greek, including:

Hebrew  Minor

At least 15 hours of Hebrew, including:

History  Minor

• Holocaust and Genocide Studies Minor

Fifteen semester credit hours, including six upper-division. 

• Italian Studies Minor

Eighteen semester credit hours of Italian, including:

• Jewish Studies Minor

Fifteen semester credit hours, including: 

• Korean Minor

At least 15 semester credit hours Korean, including:

• Language, Culture, and Communication Minor

Latin  Minor

Eighteen semester credit hours in Latin, consisting of: 

• Law, Justice, and Society Minor

Eighteen semester credit hours of coursework, consisting of:

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer/Sexualities Studies  Minor

Fifteen semester-credit hours, including:

• Medieval Studies Minor

• Mexican American and Latina/o Studies  Minor

Fifteen semester credit hours total, including:

• Middle Eastern Studies Minor

Fifteen semester credit hours, consisting of:

• Military Leadership Minor

• Persian Minor

At least 15 semester credit hours of Persian, including:

• Philosophy Minor

• Philosophy of Law Minor

Eighteen credit hours, including:

• Philosophy of Mind and Language Minor

• Portuguese Minor

The Transcript-Recognized Portuguese Minor requires students to take 18 hours through the Spanish and Portuguese Department at The University of Texas at Austin or an accredited institution with the Study Abroad Office. At least nine hours should be categorized as in-residence.

• Primatology Minor

Fifteen credit hours, including:

• Religious Studies Minor

Students may not earn a minor in the same field of study as their major, and at least nine of the hours required for the minor must include coursework not used to satisfy the requirements of the student’s major. However, courses in the minor may fulfill other degree requirements such as general education requirements or required elective hours.

• Rhetoric and Writing Minor

Fifteen hours, including:

• Russian Minor

At least 15 semester credit hours in Russian, including:

• Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies Minor

• Slavic and Eurasian Languages Minor

The Slavic language minor is for students wishing to pursue the study of Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian, Czech, Polish (or another Slavic or Eurasian language, such as Ukrainian) at intermediate and advanced levels.

• Social and Behavioral Sciences Minor

• Sociology Minor

• Spanish Minor

Eighteen semester credit hours, including:

• Turkish Minor

Between 15 and 21 hours of Turkish, including:

• UTeach-Liberal Arts Minor

The University recommends students for teacher certification to TEA. To be recommended for a certificate to teach in secondary school, an undergraduate student must earn a degree as well as complete an approved teacher certification program, of which the coursework below is only a part.

Admissions Requirements

• The UTeach-Liberal Arts undergraduate program requires at least a four long-semester commitment.
• The program is open to current undergraduates at The University of Texas at Austin and incoming transfer students.
• Students are eligible to enter the program second semester freshman year through senior year.
• Admission to UTeach-Liberal Arts requires a minimum overall GPA of 2.5 at the University.

Application Process

• Complete the UTeach-Liberal Arts Undergraduate Program Application. Our Program Advisor will notify you about your admissions status via email within 5-10 business days of your application submission.
• Once Admitted, you will receive instructions on how to reserve a spot for UTL 101 "Introduction to Teaching", the first UTeach course.

Once you have reserved a spot, you may register for the course during your normal registration access period. Failure to register for your spot will result in losing your reservation in UTL 101.

Fifteen semester hours of required UTeach coursework must be completed as follows:

State of Texas teacher certification requirements are governed by the Texas Education Agency and are subject to change. Students must adhere to current teacher certification requirements, even if they differ from those listed in the University catalogs.

• Women's and Gender Studies Minor

Certificate Programs

The College of Liberal Arts offers several certificate programs, which are open to all degree-seeking University undergraduates. Undergraduates who complete certificate requirements in conjunction with their degree requirements or within one year after earning the degree receive recognition on the University transcript; students in integrated undergraduate/graduate programs must complete certificate requirements within one year after they complete their undergraduate degree requirements. A maximum of nine semester hours of certificate coursework may be taken after the student has earned the undergraduate degree. At least half of the required certificate coursework must be completed in residence at the University; some programs may require more work in residence.

Students may not earn a certificate in the same field as their major, and may not count the certificate towards their minor requirement if more than six hours of the certificate's coursework may also be counted toward the requirements of the major. A certificate counted in place of a minor must meet the minimum requirements for a minor. However, certificate courses outside the major may be counted toward other degree requirements. For certificates not counting toward the minor requirement, at least one certificate course must be outside the requirements of the major.

Students should apply for the certificate when they apply for graduation or when they complete the certificate program, whichever is later. Transcript recognition is awarded at the end of that semester or summer session.

Students outside the College of Liberal Arts should contact their dean’s office for permission to complete a certificate program and for the applicability of certificate requirements toward their individual degrees. Students in the College of Liberal Arts may complete certificate programs offered through other colleges. These are described in  Transcript-Recognized Certificate Programs  and by each college that offers a transcript-recognized certificate program. Certificate programs that do not lead to transcript recognition are also described in the respective college's catalog section.

• African Studies Certificate

The African Studies Certificate allows students to engage with scholarship on African peoples, cultures, and history through the theoretical lens of black studies. Through the certificate, undergraduates develop interdisciplinary expertise in African studies related to the student’s personal field of interest. The African and African Diaspora Studies undergraduate advisor (AADS) is available to steer certificate candidates towards areas of interest, which can include: expressive cultures, gender and sexuality studies, literature, language, history, politics, and society as these topics relate to theories of blackness on the African continent. 

The certificate program requires 18 semester hours of coursework, including at least nine semester hours completed in residence. 

Courses the student has completed at the time of application to the program may be counted toward the certificate. Students may not earn a certificate in the same field of study as their major and at least one course counting toward this certificate must be taken outside of the requirements of the student’s undergraduate degree. Students apply for transcript-recognized undergraduate academic certificates at the time they complete their undergraduate degree or the certificate program, whichever comes later. Transcript recognition is awarded at that time.

Students must fulfill the following requirements: 

• Business Spanish Certificate

Between 18 and 24 semester credit hours of Spanish, consisting of: 

• Computational Science and Engineering Certificate

The Computational Science and Engineering Certificate program is sponsored by the Cockrell School of Engineering, the Jackson School of Geosciences, the College of Liberal Arts, and the College of Natural Sciences; it is administered by the Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences. Information regarding the specific requirements of the Certificate can be found in the Cockrell School of Engineering's  Minor and Certificates  section of the Undergraduate Catalog.

• Core Texts and Ideas Certificate

The certificate program in core texts and ideas is designed to provide a coherent path through the University’s core curriculum with an integrated, interdisciplinary sequence of courses on great works of philosophy, literature, science, and the arts that emphasizes debates about fundamental questions of enduring human concern. The program provides a grounding in the major ideas that have shaped the Western world and gives students the opportunity to study Eastern works as well. Students complete courses in four required areas and two elective areas. The four required areas are the philosophy and literature of the ancient world, especially Greece; major religious texts and their interpreters; the history of political philosophy; and the principles that formed the basis for the founding of the United States. Elective areas include philosophy, the arts, history, literature, and the history and philosophy of science and mathematics.

The certificate program requires 18 semester hours of coursework, including at least six hours of upper-division coursework and at least 12 hours completed in residence. Students must fulfill the following requirements:

Creative Writing Certificate

The Creative Writing Certificate is intended for any University student interested in advanced study of creative writing, both as reader and as writer. Those who plan to pursue the certificate should apply to the program advisor for admission no later than the end of their sophomore year. More information about the Creative Writing Certificate is given at the  Department of English website .

The certificate program requires 18 semester hours of coursework, including at least nine hours completed in residence. Students must fulfill the following requirements: 

• Honors Option 

To earn an Honors Creative Writing Certificate, students must fulfill the following additional requirements: 

• Creative Writing 370H , Honors Creative Writing Project , with a grade of at least A-
• A University Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 3.66 in the coursework required for the Creative Writing Certificate and a cumulative University GPA of at least 3.33.
• Digital Humanities Certificate

The digital humanities represent the area of study where humanities disciplines and studies in information engage digital tools, archives, artifacts, and information technologies. This certificate is designed to introduce students to the ideas, materials, and computational tools that underlie this field. It is open to students of all majors. Those who plan to pursue the certificate should apply to the program adviser for admission no later than the end of their sophomore year. More information about the Digital Humanities Certificate is given at the College of Liberal Arts Digital Humanities website .

Students take 18 credit hours from a selection of courses taught in different departments and colleges at The University of Texas at Austin and must earn a letter grade of C- or better in all courses required for certification. Some courses required by the certificate may also fulfill degree requirements established by a student's major department.

Students must fulfill the following requirements:

• German Certificate

At least 18 semester credit hours in German, including:

• History and Philosophy of Science Certificate

The History and Philosophy of Science Certificate provides students an opportunity to gain a coherent, cross-disciplinary command of the methods and findings that the liberal arts have contributed to our understanding of the sciences. Students analyze the dynamic development, concepts, and roles in society of various sciences, as well as the personal, dramatic struggles of famous scientists. Students must complete four courses in two required areas: history of science, and philosophy of science,  as well two electives to be selected from a list of pre-approved courses in history, philosophy, astronomy, physics, or core texts and ideas. 

The certificate program requires 18 semester hours of coursework, of which at least 12 semester hours of coursework must be upper-division, and including at least nine semester hours completed in residence. 

Courses the student has completed at the time of application to the program may be counted toward the certificate. Students apply for transcript-recognized undergraduate academic certificates at the time they complete their undergraduate degree or the certificate program, whichever comes later. Transcript recognition is awarded at that time. More information is available at the Certificate on History and Philosophy of Science website: http://liberalarts.utexas.edu/hps/index.php

• Ibero-American Cultural Diversity Certificate

Eighteen semester credit hours, consisting of:

• Indigenous Studies Certificate

The main goal of the indigenous studies certificate program is to encourage active intellectual and community engagement with indigenous peoples and cultures. The program allows undergraduate students to develop interdisciplinary expertise in indigenous studies and comparative approaches to their primary field of interest. 

Courses the student has completed at the time of application to the program may be counted toward the certificate. Upon completion of the course requirements, students write a three- to four-page essay that describes their intellectual work in the program and how the experience contributed to their academic career at the University.

The certificate program requires 18 semester hours of coursework, including at least nine semester hours completed in residence. Students must fulfill the following requirements:

• Japanese Certificate

Twenty-four semester credit hours, consisting of the following (or their equivalents):

• Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer/Sexualities Studies Certificate

Courses the student has completed at the time of application to the program may be counted toward the certificate. Students apply for transcript-recognized undergraduate academic certificates at the time they complete their undergraduate degree or the certificate program, whichever comes later. Transcript recognition is awarded at that time.

• Security Studies Certificate

The Certificate in Security Studies recognizes students who focus their studies on international and national security affairs. Through the certificate, students develop an interdisciplinary expertise and practical job experience in security studies, including: diplomacy, defense, intelligence, foreign policy, homeland security, international affairs, international development, human rights, war, conflict, peace, and related fields. Students are required to take 21 credits hours across at least two different departments, including at least nine completed in residence, and complete an internship in a field related to security studies.

This certificate is open to students in the College of Liberal Arts.

Internship: Students must successfully complete an internship. Students will enroll in Government 362L , Government Research Internship , and will receive 3 credit hours for the internship.

• Students are responsible for identifying internship opportunities, applying for internships, informing the Faculty Committee of their internship plans, submitting a proposal for an internship to satisfy the certificate requirement, and submitting proof that the internship was completed.
• Internships must involve substantive work that exposes students to the professional work environment and offers opportunities for networking in their chosen career fields.
• Internships may be with government agencies, think tanks, NGOs, research centers, consulting firms, or other entities that offer professional job experience.
• Internships may be in the fields of diplomacy, defense, intelligence, foreign policy, national security, homeland security, international affairs, international development, human rights, and related fields.
• The Faculty Committee reviews students’ internship experience to ensure it is relevant to security studies and was satisfactorily completed.
• Internships must last a minimum of six weeks of full-time work, or its equivalent (240 hours).
• Internships may be in the United States or abroad.
• Internships may be paid or unpaid.
• Students who accept unpaid internships are invited to apply for a stipend through the Clements Center for National Security’s Summer Student Development Fund. Funds are limited and stipends are not guaranteed for certificate students.

Waivers: Students may waive the internship requirement if they are enrolled in ROTC; have prior military experience with no major disciplinary actions against them; or have extensive prior civilian job experience directly related to security studies. The Faculty Committee reviews applications to waive the internship requirement.

• Spanish for Medical Professions Certificate 

On this page

• Arabic Minor
• Classical Studies Minor
• Comparative Literature Minor
• Core Texts and Ideas Minor
• Economics Minor
• English Minor
• European Studies Minor
• French Studies Minor
• Geography Minor
• German, Scandinavian and Dutch Studies Minor
• Hebrew Minor
• History Minor
• Latin Minor
• Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer/Sexualities Studies Minor

2020-22 The University of Texas at Austin

Print this page.

The PDF will include all information unique to this page.

• 2020-2022 Undergraduate Catalog
• 2020-2021 Graduate Catalog
• 2020-2021 General Information Catalog
• 2020-2022 Law School Catalog
• 2020-2021 Medical School Catalog

Creative Writing Certificate Program

Illustration by valerie tran, announcements, creative writing certificate application.

The Creative Writing Certificate Program is currently accepting applications for the Spring 2025 semester.  The priority deadline is October 1, 2024, but we will continue to accept applications until available space for the spring semester has filled. 

Please Note: We are only accepting applications for the fiction sequence at this time, since the Intro to Poetry class CRW 325P will not be offered in the Spring.  Students interested in pursuing the poetry sequence should apply during the next application period February 1 - March 1, 2025, for admission in Fall 2025.

The application has TWO parts:

1) Fill out the CREATIVE WRITING CERTIFICATE APPLICATION

2) Upload your Writing Sample to the WRITING SAMPLE FOLDER

WRITING SAMPLE

Fiction: up to 2,500 words total (one story, several stories, or a novel excerpt)

Please include your Name and EID on the writing sample and in the file name: Last_First_EID

CREATIVE HONORS PROJECT APPLICATION 

The Creative Writing Certificate Program is currently accepting applications to the Honors Project, CRW370H for Spring 2025.  This class is intended for advanced students in creative writing who have demonstrated a sustained commitment to writing and wish to work under supervision on a particular project to culminate in a final creative thesis.

The Honors Project class, CRW 370H, is an extra class taken in addition to the 18 credits required for the certificate, and it does not count as one of the "elective" classes required to complete the certificate. Students taking 370H must still fulfill all of the required 18 credits for the certificate in addition to the honors project class.

Eligibility:

A University GPA of at least 3.33 and a Creative Writing Certificate GPA of at least 3.66 are required for the Honors Creative Writing Certificate to be awarded, as stipulated in the Undergraduate Catalog. Applicants must have completed or be enrolled in CRW 355F or 355P at the time of application.  DEADLINE: October 1, 2024

The Honors Application has TWO parts:

1) Fill out the CREATIVE WRITING HONORS PROJECT APPLICATION

2) Upload your Thesis Proposal and Writing Sample in ONE document to the HONORS APPLICATION FOLDER

    Please include your Name and EID on the writing sample and in the file name: Last_First_EID

Panel Discussion: CAREERS IN CREATIVE WRITING

Thursday, september 12, 4:00pm - 5:00pm, glickman conference center , room rlp 1302e.

What can you do with a Creative Writing Certificate?  Come hear four graduates of the program talk about their literary career paths!  The panel discussion will be followed by a Q&A session with the audience

Sam Babiak earned a B.A. in English Literature with a certificate in Creative Writing with Honors from the University of Texas at Austin. Before joining Aevitas in 2023, she was the Program Director for the Writers’ League of Texas. She loves talking to writers about their craft and has moderated panels and conversations with the WLT, the Texas Book Festival, the San Antonio Book Festival, HavenCon, and BookPeople.

Lindsey Ferris has worked full-time at Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing since 2021, first as a publicity assistant and now as an Associate Publicist.  Prior to that she held internships at Pegasus Books, CLASH Books, and Bat City Review Literary Magazine.  Lindsey graduated from UT-Austin in 2021 with Bachelor Degrees in Linguistics and English Literature, as well as a Certificate in Creative Writing.

J Evan Parks is a writer and creative currently living in Austin, TX. He is a graduate from the University of Texas at Austin, where he studied both English and Japanese, and was inducted into the Japanese National Honor Society in 2020. While at UT, he was the Head Writer and Executive Producer of the show Down to Film  on the University’s student-run television channel,  TSTV . In his spare time, you can find him re-watching old sitcoms or dreaming up critical analyses of the  Rocky franchise.  Evan is currently the Director of Member Services & Digital Content at the Writers' League of Texas.

Olivia Hesse is the Texas Book Festival’s Event Production and Logistics Coordinator, responsible for organizing volunteers, general setup, and assistance with logistics for Festival Weekend and year-round programming. She holds bachelor's degrees in English and Journalism from the University of Texas at Austin and a Certificate in Creative Writing. She served as the Events Production intern for TBF prior to joining full-time.

WRITING CONTESTS

The submission window for the Parker Prizes and Kruger Fellowships will open on January 1, with a deadline of March 1, 2025. 

2024 Writing Contest Winners Announced

Congratulations to the Winners of the Kruger Fellowships and Parker Prizes for student writing. 

KRUGER Fiction 

1st Place     Lara Palmqvist - "In Another Life"

Runner-up   Stephanie Degnore - "Where the Light Shines Brightest"

Runner-up   Varun Jawarani - "Lakshana"

KRUGER Poetry  

1st Place     Aguilar Alfredo - "After Three Beers My Tia Talks About The Border"

Runner-up   Safiyya Haider - "Assimilation Is Performance Art" 

PARKER Fiction

1st Place      Molly Tompkins - "Bolt from the Blue"

Runner-up    Charlie Sharpe - "A Horse of Course” 

Runner-up    Ashley Rummel - "The Artists" 

PARKER Poetry

1st Place      Leah Piñon - "The World Ends Through the Mirrors in Your House"

Runner-up    Boppana Pradhitha - "Alternate Methods of Crying"

PARKER Lit Crit

1st Place      Molly Tompkins - "Celestial, Beautiful, and Social Bodies" 

Runner-up    Lane Dent - “Our False Perception of Nature”,

Congratulations to all the contest winners and honors thesis students! 

Ongoing Opportunities

Check back often for more links to publishing, contest, and internship opportunities.

• Writer's League of Texas
• Texas Book Festival
• Poets and Writers Magazine
• Tab Option 4
• Tab Option 5

The Writers' League of Texas provides internship, networking, literary, and educational opportunities in Austin and around the state, as well as an annual conference featuring literary agents and editors. 

The Texas Book Festival , one of the largest in the country, takes place annually in late October / early November, but offers volunteer opportunities throughout the year.

Poets and Writers magazine lists contests, fellowships, grants, and literary journals for writers of all levels. 

Get the Reddit app

The University of Texas at Austin

Questions about Creative Writing Certification

Hi everyone,

I've been interested in the Creative Writing certification for a while, and was wondering a few things:

How long does it typically take to complete the program? (in terms of consecutive semesters, assuming 1-2 classes per sem)

How difficult are the classes in terms of getting good grades?

How time-consuming/rigorous are the classes in general?

What are the different tracks like (fiction, screenwriting, etc)?

How fun or rewarding is the program overall?

For context, I'm an ECE major so I think I'll have a lot on my plate in terms of courseload (but I love writing and still want the certification). I also am looking for a way to meet non-engineering majors and make a diverse group of friends, so I was wondering if the CW classes are collaborative and popular, or more individualized/small-scale. Any information or advice would be appreciated!

By continuing, you agree to our User Agreement and acknowledge that you understand the Privacy Policy .

Enter the 6-digit code from your authenticator app

You’ve set up two-factor authentication for this account.

Enter a 6-digit backup code

Create your username and password.

Reddit is anonymous, so your username is what you’ll go by here. Choose wisely—because once you get a name, you can’t change it.

Reset your password

Enter your email address or username and we’ll send you a link to reset your password

Check your inbox

An email with a link to reset your password was sent to the email address associated with your account

Choose a Reddit account to continue