Earn your bachelor's degree in creative writing and literature at Naropa, where writing workshops, literary studies, and publication opportunities create a deeply integrated experience of creative expression. Engage in contemplative poetics, short story writing, and explorations of narrative forms while studying Shakespeare, the Beats, and avant-garde cinema. 

You already love to write. Here, you'll grow as a writer and as a person while discovering fulfilling writing jobs. Our creative writing and literature majors go on to earn graduate degrees in the arts, publish literary works, and become teachers, editors, and communications professionals.

Quick Facts

36 Credit Hours 6 Months to a Writing Job or Graduate School Enrollment for 94% of Alumni 1 Internationally Recognized Summer Writing Program

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COURSES YOU COULD TAKE

in Creative Writing and Literature

Earn your bachelor's degree in creative writing and literature at Naropa, where award-winning faculty follow in the footsteps of literary greats like Allen Ginsberg, Ken Kesey, and Amiri Baraka, all of whom have taught in the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics. 

Our college for creative writing and literature welcomes experimentation and promotes a contemplative approach where undergraduate students look within for inspiration. The resulting self-knowledge leads to fulfilling careers in writing. Courses within the undergraduate degree in creative writing and literature include:  

• Writing Workshop: Embodied Poetics
• Writing Workshop: Narrative Forms
• Literature Seminar: Cultural and Ethnic Lit
• Professional Development: Small Press Publishing 

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THE NAROPA DIFFERENCE

In Naropa's creative writing and literature bachelor’s degree program, find your voice and grow in a diverse community of writers. Then, step into one of many types of writing jobs or a graduate school program that's perfect for you.

What Is Creative Writing at Naropa?

We believe that the best creative writing, whether it's short story writing, poetry, or a blend of genres, comes from deep personal introspection. We also know that engagement with like-minded community is an essential sounding board for this kind of introspection. That's why a college for creative writing and literature is only as strong as the writing community it creates. The Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics values connection and collaboration over competition. Naropa's four-year undergraduate program in creative writing and literature redefines traditional creative writing as a journey into oneself and towards connection with others.

Careers in Writing

Realize your potential in the Naropa Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing and Literature degree program. Become an editor for the student-run literary magazine, Bombay Gin, or learn letterpress printing in the Harry Smith Print Shop. Try your hand at teaching as a Project Outreach Instructor or learn the nitty gritty of real-world writing and publishing in the Lion's Roar: Writing for Publication course. Whatever paths you choose, Naropa's undergraduate degree in creative writing and literature will give you the skills and self-knowledge to take the next steps towards a fulfilling career in writing.

Scholarship Opportunities

Naropa's bachelor's degree program in creative writing and literature enthusiastically welcomes cultural diversity, as well as diversity in perspectives. Scholarships for creative writing and literature majors bringing their talents to Naropa include the Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche Scholarship, awarded for exceptional academic promise, particularly in the arts; and the Gerald Red Elk Scholarship, awarded to individuals who identify with or can demonstrate experience working with a Native American population. Scholarships unique to the Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing and Literature include the Zora Neale Hurston and Amiri Baraka scholarships, which assist undergraduate students in attending Naropa's Summer Writing Program.

 

STUDENTS, TRANSFORMED

“I was attracted to Naropa because I was interested in a 360-degree approach to education. The capacity to be transformed by new information relies completely on the student’s own self-awareness and ability to live consciously. My teachers created environments where we learned how to observe and encourage each other as writers, no matter how different our perspectives or styles.”

Marissa Perel, BA in Creative Writing and Literature, 2019

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Graduate School and Career Readiness

Create a polished professional dossier and a powerful writing portfolio.

Self-Knowledge

Study mindfulness and use your writing as a tool for looking within.

Innovation in Writing

Think beyond the canon and experiment with language in your own work.

Collaborative Communication

Learn to give and receive feedback in a supportive community environment.

Publishing Experience

Prepare for future writing jobs as a student editor or letterpress printer.

RELATED PROGRAMS

BACHELOR OF ARTS IN INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES

MASTER OF ARTS IN CREATIVE WRITING AND POETICS