Writing, Master of Arts

MA in Writing

The MA in Writing program offers students the option of a fiction or nonfiction concentration to study the practice of writing in a series of workshops and reading courses. Students on the fiction track work on short stories, novellas, or novels. Students on the nonfiction track pursue long-form, literary journalism or personal essays, and memoir. 

Students in the MA in Writing program learn primarily through the practice of writing and the study of reading with a focus on craft. Depending on student goals, the program offers a broad foundation in fine arts/creative writing, in journalism, or in both fields. Some students cultivate skills to prepare for a career; others are seasoned writers who want to change focus; still others favor artistic exploration over professional ambition. Within the realm of literary writing, students have the flexibility to develop individual styles and pursue specialized subjects. The program’s goal is to create a nurturing yet demanding environment where writers work toward publication at the highest artistic and professional levels.

Admissions Criteria for All Advanced Academic Programs

PROGRAM-SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS

In addition to the materials and credentials required for all programs, the Master of Arts in Writing requires:

• Two Letters of Recommendation
• Statement of Purpose: Please provide a statement, up to one page in length, describing your personal background and/or a part of your life experience that has shaped you or your goals. Feel free to elaborate on personal challenges and opportunities that have influenced your decision to pursue a graduate degree at Johns Hopkins.
• Writing Samples: The samples should be up to 15 typewritten, double-spaced pages, or about 3,500 to 4,500 words, in the concentration of interest. Samples do NOT have to be a single, lengthy piece of writing.

The program's admissions committees offer the following additional suggestions for writing samples for each concentration:

Fiction: Short stories or novel chapters in prose fiction, demonstrating literary content or themes. Any style, vision, or approach is permitted—traditional, experimental, hybrid, etc.

Nonfiction: Up to five separate works of prose nonfiction about any subject. Any nonfiction form or combination of forms, including feature article, commentary/blogs, memoir, travel, essay, profile, biography, book chapters and creative nonfiction, is permitted. Academic assignments, term papers, government reports, or scholarly criticism are not acceptable nonfiction writing samples.

Dual-Concentration Applicants

Applicants may seek formal degree candidacy in both fiction and nonfiction by submitting full writing samples in each proposed area. Such applicants should explain their multiple interest and reading in a single statement of purpose. The program makes individual admission decisions for each concentration in a dual-concentration application. Dual-concentration students must complete four more courses than the 10 required for a single-concentration degree.

Program Requirements

Students must complete ten courses:

• Two required core courses
• One required concentration core course
• Three customizable core courses from the declared concentration
• Electives to ensure the 10-course requirement is met

COURSES

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Core Courses - Required:		6
AS.490.652	Contemporary American Writers
AS.490.801	Thesis And Publication
Fiction Concentration: Core Course - Required
AS.490.654	Fiction Techniques	3
Concentration Core Courses - Customizable
Select three of the following:
AS.490.657	Speculative Fiction Workshop: Writing New Realities	3
AS.490.660	Fiction Workshop	3
AS.490.661	Fiction Workshop	3
AS.490.662	Fiction Workshop	3
AS.490.669	Combined Workshop in Nonfiction and Fiction	3
AS.490.701	Advanced Workshop	3
AS.490.765	Children's and YA Writing Workshop	3
Nonfiction Concentration: Core Courses - Required
AS.490.656	Nonfiction Techniques	3
Concentration Core Courses - Customizable
Select three of the following:
AS.490.670	Nonfiction Workshop	3
AS.490.671	Nonfiction Workshop	3
AS.490.669	Combined Workshop in Nonfiction and Fiction	3
AS.490.690	Travel Writing Workshop	3
AS.490.693	Writing Memoir & Personal Essay Workshop	3
AS.491.673	Science and Medical Writing Workshop	4
AS.491.674	Science and Medical Writing Workshop	4
AS.491.675	Science and Medical Writing Workshop	4
AS.490.765	Children's and YA Writing Workshop	3
Electives
Select electives to ensure you meet the 10 course requirement:
AS.490.676	Sentence Power: From Craft to Art	3
AS.490.678	Novel Form, Style, & Structure	3
AS.490.686	Writing Identity: Race and Ethnicity in Fiction and Nonfiction	3
AS.490.684	Heritage of Literature--Examining the 20th Century	3
AS.490.685	Writing the Body	3
AS.490.715	Noticing as a Writer	3
AS.490.734	Digital Storytelling and Multimedia Journalism	3
AS.490.665		3
AS.490.773	Montana Residency--Native American Literature on the World Stage: Scenes from Missoula	3
AS.490.711	Masterworks: Examining the Boundaries	3
AS.490.714	Essence of Place: Description, Detail, and Setting	3
AS.490.745	Voice in Fiction and Nonfiction	3
AS.490.746		3
AS.490.747	Advanced Revision Techniques in Fiction	3
AS.490.766	Constructing the Novel	3
AS.490.767	Writing the Nonfiction Book Proposal	3
AS.490.770	Writing the Other	3
AS.490.784	Online Residency: Powerful Prose, a Focus on Structure, Voice, and Style	3