Department of English: Creative Writing & Literature

MIU’s Department of English teaches writing from a basis of consciousness and creativity. In all of our courses, we focus on the writer and the creative process to produce the creative product. What is most unique about our programs is that we incorporate as a tool to develop the creative imagination. The Transcendental Meditation technique is an evidence-based method that reduces stress, enhances clear thinking, and heightens creativity. It helps writers tap the deepest layers of themselves, bringing fresh inspiration to all of their creative work.

Our highly credentialed faculty are working creatives with backgrounds in poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, literature, and hybrid forms. We take mentorship to heart, and it is our passion to bring out the best in our students. We believe that an inclusive and socially aware learning environment is essential to learning. We hold a safe space to help our students discover their authentic writers’ voices. Our classrooms are creative laboratories where students have the freedom to unguardedly experiment with subject matter and craft, to try new approaches without fear of making mistakes. This is how writers break boundaries, discover new frontiers, and get energized with the possibilities and power of creation.

All of our programs strongly emphasize real-world adaptation and professional preparation. We invite local authors and publishers into our classrooms to speak to our students about creativity and the writing life. We offer a course called “Writing to Publish” and help our students break into print. Our students also run a high-quality online literary journal, Metafore.

As faculty members, we want to help our students thrive creatively, professionally, and personally. We do our utmost to support our students to become successful poets and writers. We warmly welcome prospective students to culture their creative abilities within our unique and dynamic literary community.

Programs

Students can take a BA, BFA, or Specialization in Creative Writing. We also offer minors in Creative Writing and Literature.

For advanced students who want to publish and/or continue their academic studies with an MFA in Creative Writing, we highly recommend the BFA in Creative Writing as a preparatory program. Our BFA is uniquely designed to help students prepare a statement of purpose and an admission portfolio of publishable quality. In the past twenty years, well over a dozen of our graduates have been admitted to leading MA Programs in Journalism or MFA Programs in Creative Writing, in the US and abroad.

We offer a 2-year, 48-credit low-residency MFA in Creative Writing. The MFA is a terminal degree in the field of Creative Writing and allows graduates to teach at the college and university levels.

The Department of English also directs the Composition program and provides a Writing Center for those wishing extra writing assistance.