DePaul University

Program description: DePaul’s MFA in Creative Writing and Publishing and the MA in Writing and Publishing combine the study of literary craft with the practical aspects of building a lasting, sustainable writing life. Our programs center around creative writing workshops with a flexible slate of elective courses. Students interested in careers in the publishing industry can credential themselves through publishing coursework and internships, while students interested in teaching can do the same through pedagogy offerings. Some students in our programs are already working editors or teachers interested in furthering their own writing talent; indeed, graduates have sometimes found employment through contacts made around a workshop table.

Located in the intensely literary city of Chicago, our programs combine a vibrant writing faculty with in-house publishing ventures. We are home to two national literary journals, Poetry East and Slag Glass City, and a book publishing entity, Big Shoulders Books, that draws on a series of graduate courses to produce volumes of socially conscious literature.

Our alums have gone on to publish their own stories, poems, and essays in well regarded venues and to see their novels and essay collections published by major houses. Some have secured teaching positions, while others have furthered their studies in MFA and PhD programs, taken jobs in the film industry in L.A., and worked with publishing houses in both Chicago and New York.

Students admitted to the MA may apply for admission to the MFA program if they have a long-form project they would like to develop into a master’s thesis. All courses taken in the MA can apply to the MFA. Substantial financial aid options are available for both.

For members of the Chicagoland community who are not creative writers but wish to prepare themselves for careers in the publishing industry, we have created a Certificate in Publishing program.