Skip to content

Studies & Degrees in Writing

Writing as a subject of study teaches how to produce clear, accurate and engaging text for a purpose and an audience. It covers several branches: creative writing (fiction, poetry, scripts and creative non-fiction), professional and technical writing (manuals, reports and documentation), science writing, and rhetoric and composition, which studies how arguments and communication work. Programmes are built around practice: students write regularly, read widely, discuss each other's drafts in workshops and learn to edit and revise.

At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, for example, the writing programmes teach forms that range from basic expository prose to non-fiction, fiction, poetry, science writing, scientific and technical communication and digital media.

Qualifications and levels

  • Bachelor's degree: in the United States, where most of the listed schools are, a bachelor's degree is usually completed in four years of full-time study, according to EducationUSA. Students take writing as a major, or as a minor or concentration alongside another field. In the United Kingdom the degree is shorter: the BA (Hons) Creative Writing at York St John University takes 3 years full time or 6 years part time.
  • Master's and doctoral degrees: the two main graduate degrees in the United States are the master's degree and the doctoral degree. Specialised master's programmes exist, such as MIT's one-year Graduate Program in Science Writing.
  • Writing courses within other degrees: many universities run first-year writing programmes and writing centres for all students, so writing can also be studied as part of a degree in another subject.
  • Short and distance courses: some schools offer writing courses online or as continuing education, without a degree.

Entry requirements differ by country and school. York St John University asks for 104 UCAS Tariff points and 3 GCSEs at grade C/4 or equivalent, including English Language, and lists tuition fees for 2026 entry of £9,790 per year for UK students and £12,100 per year for international students.

Where to study it

SpainExchange lists 43 active schools for writing. Most are in the United States (35); the others are in the United Kingdom (3), Spain (2), Australia, Ireland and Portugal (1 each). Almost all teach in English, so applicants whose first language is not English should check the language requirements of each school.

Examples from the directory show how different the programmes are:

  • The Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge arranges its undergraduate writing programmes in three areas: creative writing, science writing and digital media.
  • The University of Texas at Austin has a Department of Rhetoric and Writing with degree programmes at undergraduate and graduate level and a first-year writing programme.
  • Worcester Polytechnic Institute offers a BS in Professional Writing, which can be taken as a major or as a double major with science, engineering or management. It prepares students to turn technological knowledge into accessible information for the public.
  • York St John University in York has specialist modules in fiction, non-fiction, script writing and poetry.

Careers

Writing graduates work as authors, copywriters, content writers, technical writers, editors, scriptwriters and communication officers, and many combine writing with another profession. Official figures are available for the United States. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 140,300 jobs for writers and authors in 2025, and employment is projected to show little or no change from 2025 to 2035, with about 11,900 openings each year, mostly to replace people who leave the occupation. Many writers and authors are self-employed. A college degree in English, communications or journalism is generally required for a full-time position.

Technical writers, who prepare instruction manuals, how-to guides and other supporting documents, held 46,400 jobs in 2025. The Bureau projects growth of 1 percent from 2025 to 2035. They typically need a bachelor's degree, and knowledge of a technical subject such as science or engineering is an advantage.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a degree to become a writer?

Not for every kind of writing, but the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics states that a college degree in English, communications or journalism is generally required for a full-time position as a writer or author, and that technical writers typically need a bachelor's degree.

What is the difference between creative writing and professional writing?

Creative writing covers fiction, poetry, scripts and creative non-fiction. Professional and technical writing prepares manuals, reports and other documents that explain complex information clearly.

How long does a writing degree take?

A bachelor's degree in the United States is usually completed in four years of full-time study. In the United Kingdom, the BA at York St John University takes 3 years full time.

Can I study writing in a language other than English?

Most schools listed here teach in English. A few are in Spain and Portugal; check the school's own page for the language of each course.