4+1 BA/MA in Creative Writing

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Save money and time when you begin taking classes in Wilkes University’s low-residency Maslow Family Graduate Program in Creative Writing while still a college senior. The 4+1 BA/MA allows you to complete the master of arts degree just one year after graduating with your bachelor’s degree!

The Wilkes creative writing program combines two weeklong, in-person classes per year with online project terms. Its cohort model connects you with a diverse community of passionate writers dedicated to their craft. Join more than 600 writers around the world who have chosen Wilkes as part of their story.

Why the 4+1 BA/MA?

We all have a story within us, but some are not sure how to let it out. Whether you have a passion for poetry, long to write for the screen, or have a novel in progress, the Maslow Family Graduate Program in Creative Writing at Wilkes University will help you focus on craft, community, and the career of writing.

As a 4+1 student, you will have all of the perks of a first-year graduate student, without the financial burden. On average, students enrolled in the 4+1 program save $7,000 on tuition.

Program Highlights

Save Tuition

By taking graduate courses as an undergraduate student, you’ll save a year’s graduate tuition. On average, our students save about $7,000.

Launch Sooner

Earn your master’s degree with just one additional year of study after graduating with your bachelor’s degree.

Challenge Yourself

Join a community of passionate writers who will drive you to accomplish more than you thought possible.

How the 4+1 BA/MA Works

During your undergraduate senior year, you attend your first creative writing residency in either early January or late June. Upon completion of the residency, you will take two foundations courses while still paying your undergraduate flat-rate tuition. These credits will count as 9 credits of undergraduate and graduate instruction, saving you one semester's tuition in the Wilkes MA program.

First Residency and Project Semester

Qualified students take the introductory residency course (CW 501R) in person. You will meet our award-winning faculty, get to know your classmates, and begin the process of selecting your creative writing path for the next two years.

Upon completing the residency, you will enroll in two of the following 3-credit, online foundations courses during your senior year:

CW 502: Writing Fiction
CW 503: Writing Poetry
CW 504: Writing Screenplays
CW 505: Writing Plays
CW 506: Writing Nonfiction

After completing these courses, you will be invited to apply for official admission into our program. If admitted, you will start the graduate program in creative writing in the second semester. This means you can earn your master’s degree in only two more semesters.

Admission Requirements

To be considered for the 4+1 program, you must:

be enrolled at one of our partnering universities OR receive approval from program director David Hicks and your undergraduate university dean;
submit at least one recommendation from a creative writing faculty member from your undergraduate institution;
hold a 3.5 grade-point average or higher in creative writing classes.

Upon completing the first residency and two foundation courses, you must formally apply to be admitted into the MA creative writing program. Following approval by your Wilkes and undergraduate faculty, you must submit the following:

completed application
$45 non-refundable application fee
official transcript of all undergraduate and graduate work
two letters of recommendation
creative writing sample (15 to 25 pages from any genre or genres of published/unpublished work that best demonstrates your creative ability)
a three- to 10-page essay responding to these questions:
1. Where are you with regard to your writing and how did you get here?
2. Why Wilkes? What do you hope to accomplish in our program?
3. What will you do with your program accomplishments following graduation?
resume, including creative citations

Lackawanna College Partnership

Lackawanna College has entered agreement with Wilkes to allow undergraduate creative writing students from Lackawanna to start the master’s degree program during a January or June residency. All credits completed at Wilkes University can be transferred to Lackawanna to meet degree requirements.

If you attend a university other than Wilkes or Lackawanna and are interested in the 4+1 option, contact program director David Hicks.