Johns Hopkins UniversityEst. 1876

America’s First Research University

Where Words Matter

Founded in 1947, the Writing Seminars is the second-oldest creative writing program in the United States and has always been ranked highly in the field. The department is celebrated for the quality of its faculty and its small classes. No course is lecture-sized; all are seminars.

  • Degrees Offered BA, MFA
  • Major Writing Seminars
  • Minor Writing Seminars

Explore the Program

Students writing on the board.

Major in Writing

Study at one of the first major academic institutions to offer a degree for writers.

male student writing on a sheet of paper in front of a laptop in a bright room

Master of Fine Arts

Four poets and four fiction writers are admitted annually to this selective two-year program.

two students smiling at talking professor

Faculty

The department is celebrated for the quality of its faculty and its small classes. No course is lecture-sized; all are seminars.

Upcoming Events

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Writing Seminars Presents: Anna Celenza

Anna Celenza is the author of eight children’s books, including Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue (Storytelling World Award Honor Title), Beethoven’s Heroic Symphony (Silver Medal, Parents Choice Award) and Duke Ellington’s Nutcracker Suite (Bank Street College of Education’s Best […]

V. V. Ganeshananthan: Chaffee Visiting Writer

V. V. Ganeshananthan (she/her) is the author of the novels Brotherless Night (winner of the 2024 Women's Prize for Fiction, the 2024 Carol Shields Prize, the 2023 Asian Prize, a New York Times Editors’ Choice, […]

News & Announcements

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Gabriella Fee is Inaugural Moser Family Writer in Residence

Launching in Fall 2025, the Moser Family Writer in Residence initiative brings a renewed emphasis on the literary arts through online courses, engaging lectures, and immersive, place-based experiences. [Odyssey] We’re thrilled to […]

Bringing Baltimore Writers Together

Writers in Baltimore Schools brings together Johns Hopkins undergraduates and Baltimore City students of all ages in creative practice and fellowship. [Hub]