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About the graduate writing lab.

The Graduate Writing Lab supports GSAS and professional school students as researchers, writers, and communicators. Our programs augment coursework and traditional academic training, creating community around writing and helping graduate students develop the skills, habits, and mindsets of successful scholars and professionals.

Graduate Writing Lab Programs

Writing consultations.

Receive feedback on work in progress during a free, 1-on-1 meeting with a Graduate Writing Lab Fellow. We’ll meet with you to discuss any writing project at any point in the writing process. Your consultant will listen to your goals for your project and work with you to achieve them. Our Fellows hold over 2500 consultations every year with graduate students from across the disciplines.  Schedule a consultation or visit our Writing Consultations page for more information.

Workshops and Panels

The Graduate Writing Lab offers over 100 workshops and panels every year. Our interactive workshops cover such topics as “Research and Writing,” “Presenting Engagingly,” “Applying for Fellowships,” and “Styling your Academic Writing.” Panel sessions feature experts on a range of topics related to research, writing, and communication. Visit our Workshops and Panels page for a list of upcoming events.

Peer-Review Groups

Peer-review groups improve the quality, motivation, and pleasure of academic writing by creating a supportive community of scholars working on similar projects. Each year more than 30 groups of 5–7 graduate students participate in semesterlong peer-review groups covering such projects prospectuses, dissertations, and fellowship applications. Visit our Peer-Review Groups page for more information.

Gain focus and motivation by writing in the company of other graduate students. The Graduate Writing Lab offers three half-day “All Writes” per month during the academic year, a long-weekend writing retreat at the start of each term, and a weeklong “write into summer” retreat every May. You supply your research and writing materials and we’ll supply food, coffee, and structure to keep you writing. Learn more and check for upcoming events on our Writing Retreats and Study Halls page .

Public Speaking Resources

Practice a lecture, speech, or presentation in the Graduate Writing Lab’s Public Speaking Studio .  Our PitchVantage software will give you feedback on nine elements of your delivery, with links to tips on how to improve. PhD students can receive intensive help on their presentation skills by completing the Poorvu Center Certificate for Public Communication .

Before submitting your paper, use Turnitin to check that you’ve cited your sources fairly and accurately. Join the Canvas course where you can upload your paper or visit our Turnitin page for more information.

Online Writing Resources

The Graduate Writing Lab’s collection of online resources includes downloadable English Grammar Tutorials for non-native speakers; guides on dissertation writing , fellowship writing , publishing , and using sources ; and collections of resources for Law School and Divinity School students.

YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN

For graduate students looking for expert advice on planning, drafting, and revising their research paper, dissertation, presentation, or any other writing project.

Reserve a Room

The Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning partners with departments and groups on-campus throughout the year to share its space. Please review the reservation form and submit a request.

Learn about Peer-Review groups and how they can amplify your writing progress! We offer groups for dissertation writing, research paper writing, and fellowship writing.

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Yale offers advanced degrees through its Graduate School of Arts & Sciences and 13 professional schools. Browse the organizations below for information on programs of study, academic requirements, and faculty research.

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The Yale School of Music is an international leader in educating the creative musicians and cultural leaders of tomorrow.

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Yale Creative Writing

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Yale Creative Writing by Yale Students & Alumni: Book List

About this collection.

This collection represents a sampling of published fiction and creative writing by current Yale students and alumni. 

The names below are presented by graduation year, and the links direct to the author's works available at Yale Library (Quicksearch Books+).

R.F. Kuang Yale GSAS '27

Coco Ma Yale '25

Joyce Maynard Yale '24

Rachel Kaufman Yale '19

Lillie Lainoff Yale '18

David Hoppen  Yale '17

Emily Hauser  Yale '17

Dur E Aziz Amna Yale '15

Austin Carder (translator)  Yale '15

Madeleine Henry Yale '14

Spencer Wolff Yale '13

Max Ritvo Yale '13

Sarah Matthes Yale '13

Lauren Oyler  Yale '12

Julie Qian Wang Yale '12

Elisabeth Thomas Yale '10

Tochi Onyebuchi Yale '09

Vince Granata Yale '09

Naima Coster Yale '08

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Yale '08

Jaclyn Gilbert Yale '07

Juliet Lapidos Yale '05

Elyssa Friedland Yale '03

Katharine Dion Yale '02

Alexander Tilney Yale '01

Jessica Winter Yale '99

Leigh Bardugo Yale '97

Deesha Philyaw Yale '93

Elisha Cooper Yale '93

Heather Cass White Yale '92

Samantha Power Yale '92

Susan Choi Yale '90

Monique Truong Yale '90

Christina Baker Kline Yale '86

Sarah Blake Yale '83

Joseph Finder Yale '80

Mitchell James Kaplan Yale '79

Julia Glass Yale '78

Alexis Krasilovsky Yale '71

Christopher Tilghman Yale '68

Jeffrey Lewis Yale '66

Highlights (A-Z by Title)

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• Last Updated: Jun 30, 2023 4:08 PM
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Creative writing & journalism courses, creative writing and journalism courses for yale college students, fall 2024 courses.

Students may take more than one creative writing class this term, but not two in the same genre: Drama, Fiction, Journalism/Nonfiction, Poetry.

A current (and continually updated) listing of all English course offerings is available on  Yale Course Search  (YCS).

Some courses will require an application in advance; a list will be posted here by Friday,  March 15 . Those applications will be due by noon on  April 5 . Applicants will be notified of decisions by  April 12 . When registration period begins, admitted students must add the course to their Registration Worksheet and request Instructor Permission in  YCS . Instructors will approve admitted student requests in YCS; approved students must then return to YCS to Confirm Changes and complete registration in the course. Admitted students who do not complete registration in the course by  May 1  may have their places filled from the waiting list. Applicants who submit after the April 1 deadline may be accepted to the waiting list.

Online Application Tip:  log into your Microsoft account using your Yale email address and password.  Please note that if you are trying to access the form while logged into any email on your browser that is not your Yale one, the page will not load.

Where no application is required in advance, students may enroll during registration period by submitting an instructor permission request through YCS or by enrolling on a first-come-first-served basis, depending on the course.  Please check the course sites on  Canvas   for further information ; these can be accessed through YCS by clicking on the Syllabus link in the course window.

Proposals for independent study courses are due at noon on  April 2 . Students will be notified by 5:00 pm on  April 10  whether the proposal has been approved or revisions are required.

Introductory Creative Writing Courses

ENGL 123 Introduction to Creative Writing. Richard Deming, Marie-Helene Bertino, Emily Skillings, and R. Clifton Spargo.

ENGL 404-01 The Craft of Fiction. Michael Cunningham. Information Session April 5, 12:00 or 2:00 in LC 317 IF YOU MISSED THE INFORMATION SESSION, please fill out this questionnaire and upload it here by noon on April 10  (use your Yale email address and password to login).

ENGL 404-02 The Craft of Fiction. Adam Sexton.

ENGL 447 Shakespeare and the Craft of Writing Poetry. Danielle Chapman. This hybrid course is an exciting blend of creative and critical writing. Students decide before midterm whether they want to take the course as a Renaissance Literature or Creative Writing Credit, and this determines whether their final project is a creative portfolio or critical paper.

Professional Writing/Production Courses

These courses do not count toward the Creative Writing Concentration.

ENGL 412 Literary Production: Poetry. Maggie Millner.

ENGL 413 Literary Production: Prose. Jack Hanson.

Intermediate Creative Writing Courses

ENGL 407 Fiction Writing. Marie-Helene Bertino. ENGL 407 Application

ENGL 411 American Horror Stories. Brian Price.

ENGL 419 Writing about Contemporary Figurative Art. Margaret Spillane.

ENGL 421 Nonfiction Writing: Writing about Architecture. Christopher Hawthorne.

ENGL 425 Writing the Television Drama. Aaron Tracy.

JDST 345/ENGL 431 Ghostwriting. Joshua Cohen.

LITR 348/ENGL 456HUMS 427/JDST 316 The Practice of Literary Translation. Robyn Creswell.

THST 215/ENGL 434 Writing Dance. Brian Seibert.

Advanced Creative Writing and Journalism Courses

ENGL 453/THST 320 Playwriting. Donald Margulies. ENGL 453 Application

MB&B 459/ENGL 459/EVST 215 Writing about Science, Medicine, and the Environment. Carl Zimmer.  See the Syllabus via YCS for application information.

ENGL 460 Advanced Poetry Writing. Cynthia Zarin. ENGL 460 Application

ENGL 461 The Art and Craft of Television Drama. Derek Green. ENGL 461 Application

ENGL 463 Writing Outsiderness and Interiority. Rachel Kaadzi Ghansah.  ENGL 463 Application

ENGL 465 Advanced Fiction Writing. Michael Cunningham. ENGL 465-01 Application

ENGL 465 Advanced Fiction Writing. Caryl Phillips. ENGL 465-02 Application

ENGL 467 Journalism. Steven Brill. ENGL 467 Application

UPDATE: TO ALL APPLICANTS TO ENGLISH 467A (FALL, 2024)

FROM: STEVEN BRILL 

I have now notified all those who applied for the English 467 seminar who have been admitted, meaning that if you have not received such a notice and confirmed your intention to join the program, I was unable to admit you this year. As always, this is the only unpleasant aspect of my involvement in the Yale Journalism Initiative. I’m confident that everyone who applied would have done well. But I had to made decisions on the right mix of participants based on a variety of factors. With that in mind, I want to stress that one of those criteria was that in many cases I chose rising seniors and juniors over rising sophomores because sophomores will have additional opportunities to participate. So, while some rising sophomores were included in the mix, most were not – and  if you are a rising sophomore I urge you to apply again next time around.

ENGL 469 Advanced Nonfiction Writing. Anne Fadiman. ENGL 469 Application

ENGL 474 The Genre of the Sentence. Verly Klinkenborg. ENGL 474 Application

ENGL 484 Writing Across Literary Genres. Cynthia Zarin. ENGL 484 Application

Independent Study

ENGL 487 Tutorial in Writing. Staff.  ENGL 487 Application

ENGL 489 The Creative Writing Concentration Senior Project. Staff.  ENGL 489 Application

Questions? Contact Erica Sayers or Jane Bordiere.

What is the best Ivy League school for studying a creative writing research degree?

Hi there. I’m from Scotland and I’ve applied to do a research degree at Edinburgh and Glasgow University. I was considering applying as an international student at the same time if I managed to get a good mark on my MPhil. Can I ask what the best Ivy League school is for studying creative writing? I would also be interested in the possibility of distance learning if that was possible with any of them. Also, what are the differences between Yale, Harvard and Princeton?

If anybody could help it would be much appreciated.

I’m not sure exactly what you are asking:

When you say that you have applied to do a ‘research degree’, do you mean a PhD?

And if so, are you asking which of Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Cornell, Brown, Dartmouth, Columbia or the University of Pennsylvania has the best PhD in creative writing?

For a start, Harvard, Yale and Princeton do not offer a PhD in Creative Writing- only in English, with no formal creative writing specialization. Princeton has strong creative writing courses for undergraduates, which graduate students can sit in on (space permitting).

Graduate school prestige and rankings are really different than undergrad (both in the UK and the US). The choice is more about the specific program and researchers than about the institution. I know of a recent Cambridge grad who turned down a Cambridge PhD in favor of Nottingham- b/c the world expert in her specialty is there. At grad level, that will matter in a way that it doesn’t at undergrad.

Hi Collegemom, thanks for your reply.

Yes I was talking about a PhD, they are called research degrees back here. Glasgow and Edinburgh University both have PhD’s in Creative Writing. I’m kind of disappointed they don’t have them at the Ivy League’s. I was particularly interested in Yale, Princeton or Harvard.

@jamsie101 The english graduate programs of the Ivies are ranked as follows on USnews:

Columbia/Princeton/Penn/Yale

I do not think that Dartmouth offers a graduate degree in english.

That is one piece of info and is not definitive. I do not think that any of the ivies offer PhDs specifically in creative writing. however i am sure in all of the programs you would have the chance to take creative writing courses.

why are you limiting it to the “Ivy” schools? Creative writing is a very niche topic at the graduate school level and there are extremely well-thought of programs that are NOT at one of those 8 schools. This is not my area of expertise, but I am aware of Iowa; I did a quick search and found this (somewhat dated) list: http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2007/08/the-best-of-the-best/306049/

Thanks for replying donnaleigh. It’s just that I have been researching Yale and it is a university I have a lot of interest in. I’ll certainly have a look at the link you sent me.

If you’re looking for distance learning from an Ivy League school - one of the very best (and free) online courses is ModPo from Penn: https://www.coursera.org/learn/modpo A fabulous course in modern poetry. But @donnaleighg is right - what you’re looking for is an MFA in Creative Writing, and the most prestigious programs are not necessarily at Ivy League universities. Also, on that link posted you’ll find ‘low-residency’ programs which might suit your needs. As a writer at the grad level, you should be looking at faculty foremost - not the institution.

As others have suggested, if you are looking at graduate creative writing degrees in the United States, the cast of leading characters is quite different from undergrad programs–for example, as somebody already noted, the University of Iowa is a top-notch program. It can also depend on what specifically you want to write–the top programs will be different for poetry, fiction, and dramatic writing.

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The NYU Creative Writing Program

is among the most distinguished programs in the country and is a leading national center for the study of writing and literature.

Graduate Program

The graduate Creative Writing Program at NYU consists of a community of writers working together in a setting that is both challenging and supportive.

Low Residency MFA Workshop in Paris

The low-residency MFA Writers Workshop offers students the opportunity to develop their craft in one of the world's most inspiring literary capitals.

Undergraduate Program

The undergraduate program offers workshops, readings, internships, writing prizes, and events designed to cultivate and inspire.

Spring 2022 Reading Series

The lively public Reading Series hosts a wide array of writers, translators, and editors, and connects our program to the local community.

Creative Writing Program

Low-residency mfa writers workshop in paris, undergraduate, washington square review, literary journal, a sample residency calendar, write in paris, scholarships and grant opportunities, program of study, dates and deadlines, creative writing, recent highlights from the mfa community.

• Alum Bruna Dantas Lobato   won the 2023 National Book Award in translation

• Faculty member Sharon Olds received the Joan Margarit International Poetry Prize from King Felipe VI in July 2023

• Alumni  Tess Gunty  and  John Keene   each won a 2022 National Book Award in fiction and poetry , respectively

• Books by faculty members  Sharon  Olds  and  Meghan O'Rourke;  and alums  Tess Gunty, John Keene ,  and  Jenny Xie  were named finalists for the 2022 National Book Awards; books by alum  Rio Cortez and faculty member Leigh Newman were also longlisted

• Alum  Ada Limón   has been named the nation's 24th Poet Laureate  by the Library of Congress

• Alum  Amanda Larson 's debut poetry collection  GUT  was selected by Mark Bibbins as the winner of the Poetry Society of America Norma Farber Book Award

• Alum  Sasha Burshteyn  was named a 2022 winner of the 92Y Discovery Prize. Alums Jenna Lanzaro and JinJin Xu were also named semi-finalists for the prize.

• Alum Clare Sestanovich was selected as a  2022 5 under 35 Honoree  by the National Book Foundation

• Alum  Maaza Mengiste  was awarded a  2022 Guggenheim Fellowship

• Visiting graduate faculty member  Brandon Taylor 's collection  Filthy Animals  was named a 2021/22  finalist for The Story Prize  and was shortlisted for the  2022 Dylan Thomas Prize

• Alum  Raven Leilani  won the 2021 Clark Fiction Prize, Dylan Thomas prize, the 2020 Kirkus Prize for Fiction and the Center for Fiction 2020 First Novel Prize for her debut novel  Luster,  and was named a finalist for the 2021 VCU Cabell First Novelist Award, the Gotham Book Prize, the 2021 PEN/Hemmingway Award for Debut Novel, the 2021 PEN/Jean Stein Book Award

• Alum Desiree C. Bailey 's debut poetry collection  What Noise Against the Cane  was longlisted for the 2022 Dylan Thomas Prize and was also named a finalist for the 2021 National Book Award in Poetry and the 2022 Kate Tufts Discovery Award, and was published as the winner of the 2020 Yale Series of Younger Poets

• Senior faculty member  Sharon Olds  was named the 2022 recipient of the Poetry Society of America's Frost Medal for distinguished lifetime achievement in poetry

You can read more MFA Community news here and find a list of forthcoming and recently published books by alumni here .   NYU CWP alumni include  Aria Aber, Amir Ahmadi Arian, Julie Buntin, Nick Flynn, Nell Freudenberger, Aracelis Girmay, Isabella Hammad, Ishion Hutchinson, Mitchell S. Jackson, Tyehimba Jess, John Keene, Raven Leilani, Robin Coste Lewis, Ada Limón, Melissa Lozada-Oliva, Maaza Mengiste, John Murillo, Gregory Pardlo, Morgan Parker, Nicole Sealey, Solmaz Sharif, Peng Shepherd, Ocean Vuong, Jenny Xie,  and  Javier Zamora. 

Announcements

Ocean Vuong joins the NYU Creative Writing Program Faculty

Mary Gabriel, Author of “Ninth Street Women”, Receives the NYU/Axinn Foundation Prize

Claudia Rankine joins the NYU Creative Writing Program Faculty

Classic podcasts from the lillian vernon reading series.

Anne Carson

Zadie Smith and Jeffrey Eugenides

Terrance Hayes

Where to find us.

Faculty Spotlight

Foer was listed in Rolling Stone's "People of the Year," Esquire's "Best and Brightest," and The New Yorker's "20 Under 40" list.

Ocean Vuong is the author of the bestselling novel, On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous and the poetry collection, Night Sky with Exit Wounds.

Terrance Hayes’s most recent publications include American Sonnets for My Past And Future Assassin and To Float In The Space Between.

Sharon Olds is a previous director of the Creative Writing Program. Her 2012 collection Stags Leap was awarded the T.S. Eliot Prize and a Pulitzer.

Claudia Rankine is a recipient of the 2016 MacArthur Fellowship, and the author of six collections including Citizen and Don’t Let Me Be Lonely.

Hari Kunzru is the author of six novels, including the most recent Red Pill, and White Tears, a finalist for the PEN Jean Stein Award.

Darin Strauss is the author of several acclaimed novels, including the most recent The Queen of Tuesday: A Lucille Ball Story.

Katie Kitamura’s most recent novel Intimacies was longlisted for the National Book Award and named a Best Book of 2021 by numerous publications.

Jeffrey Eugenides is the author of acclaimed novels The Virgin Suicides, Middlesex, and The Marriage Plot. His latest collection is Fresh Complaint. 

Earning A Master’s In Creative Writing: What To Know

Updated: Nov 1, 2023, 1:51pm

Do you want to create written work that ignites a reader’s imagination and even changes their worldview? With a master’s in creative writing, you can develop strong storytelling and character development skills, equipping you to achieve your writing goals.

If you’re ready to strengthen your writing chops and you enjoy writing original works to inspire others, tell interesting stories and share valuable information, earning a master’s in creative writing may be the next step on your career journey.

The skills learned in a creative writing master’s program qualify you to write your own literary works, teach others creative writing principles or pursue various other careers.

This article explores master’s degrees in creative writing, including common courses and concentrations, admission requirements and careers that use creative writing skills. Read on to learn more about earning a master’s degree in creative writing.

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What Is a Master’s in Creative Writing?

A master’s in creative writing is an advanced degree that helps you develop the skills to write your own novel, poetry, screenplay or nonfiction book. This degree can also prepare you for a career in business, publishing, education, marketing or communications.

In a creative writing master’s degree program, you can expect to analyze literature, explore historical contexts of literary works, master techniques for revising and editing, engage in class workshops and peer critiques, and write your own original work.

Creative writing master’s programs usually require a thesis project, which should be well-written, polished and ready to publish. Typical examples of thesis projects include poetry collections, memoirs, essay collections, short story collections and novels.

A master’s in creative writing typically requires about 36 credits and takes two years to complete. Credit requirements and timelines vary by program, so you may be able to finish your degree quicker.

Specializations for a Master’s in Creative Writing

Below are a few common concentrations for creative writing master’s programs. These vary by school, so your program’s offerings may look different.

This concentration helps you develop fiction writing skills, such as plot development, character creation and world-building. A fiction concentration is a good option if you plan to write short stories, novels or other types of fiction.

A nonfiction concentration focuses on the mechanics of writing nonfiction narratives. If you plan to write memoirs, travel pieces, magazine articles, technical documents or nonfiction books, this concentration may suit you.

Explore the imagery, tone, rhythm and structure of poetry with a poetry concentration. With this concentration, you can expect to develop your poetry writing skills and learn to curate poetry for journals and magazines.

Screenwriting

Screenwriting is an excellent concentration to explore if you enjoy creating characters and telling stories to make them come alive for television or film. This specialization covers how to write shorts, episodic serials, documentaries and feature-length film scripts.

Admission Requirements for a Master’s in Creative Writing

Below are some typical admission requirements for master’s in creative writing degree programs. These requirements vary, so check with your program to ensure you’ve met the appropriate requirements.

• Application for admission
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution
• Transcripts from previous education
• Writing samples
• Letters of recommendation
• Personal statement or essay

Common Courses in a Master’s in Creative Writing

Story and concept.

This course focuses on conceptualizing, planning and developing stories on a structural level. Learners study how to generate ideas, develop interesting plots, create outlines, draft plot arcs, engage in world-building and create well-rounded characters who move their stories forward.

Graduate Studies in English Literature

Understanding literature is essential to building a career in creative writing. This course prepares you to teach, study literature or write professionally. Expect to discuss topics such as phonology, semantics, dialects, syntax and the history of the English language.

Workshop in Creative Nonfiction

You’ll study classic and contemporary creative nonfiction in this course. Workshops in creative nonfiction explore how different genres have emerged throughout history and how previous works influence new works. In some programs, this course focuses on a specific theme.

Foundations in Fiction

In this course, you’ll explore how the novel has developed throughout literary history and how the short story emerged as an art form. Coursework includes reading classic and contemporary works, writing response essays and crafting critical analyses.

MA in Creative Writing vs. MFA in Creative Writing: What’s the Difference?

While the degrees are similar, a master of arts in creative writing is different from a master of fine arts in creative writing. An MA in creative writing teaches creative writing competencies, building analytical skills through studying literature, literary theory and related topics. This lets you explore storytelling along with a more profound knowledge of literature and literary theory.

If you want your education to take a more academic perspective so you can build a career in one of many fields related to writing, an MA in creative writing may be right for you.

An MFA prepares you to work as a professional writer or novelist. MFA students graduate with a completed manuscript that is ready for publishing. Coursework highlights subjects related to the business of writing, such as digital publishing, the importance of building a platform on social media , marketing, freelancing and teaching. An MA in creative writing also takes less time and requires fewer credits than an MFA.

If you want to understand the business of writing and work as a professional author or novelist, earning an MFA in creative writing might be your best option.

What Can You Do With a Master’s in Creative Writing?

Below are several careers you can pursue with a master’s in creative writing. We sourced salary data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Postsecondary Creative Writing Teacher

Median Annual Salary: $74,280 Minimum Required Education: Ph.D. or another doctoral degree; master’s degree may be accepted at some schools and community colleges Job Overview: Postsecondary teachers, also known as professors or faculty, teach students at the college level. They plan lessons, advise students, serve on committees, conduct research, publish original research, supervise graduate teaching assistants, apply for grants for their research and teach subjects in their areas of expertise.

Median Annual Salary: $73,080 Minimum Required Education: Bachelor’s degree in English or a related field Job Overview: Editors plan, revise and edit written materials for publication. They work for newspapers, magazines, book publishers, advertising agencies, media networks, and motion picture and video production companies. Editors work closely with writers to ensure their written work is accurate, grammatically correct and written in the appropriate style for the medium.

Median Annual Salary: $55,960 Minimum Required Education: Bachelor’s degree in journalism or a related field Job Overview: Journalists research and write stories about local, regional, national and global current events and other newsworthy subjects. Journalists need strong interviewing, editing, analytical and writing skills. Some journalists specialize in a subject, such as sports or politics, and some are generalists. They work for news organizations, magazines and online publications, and some work as freelancers.

Writer or Author

Median Annual Salary: $73,150 Minimum Required Education: None; bachelor’s degree in creative writing or a related field sometimes preferred Job Overview: Writers and authors write fiction or nonfiction content for magazines, plays, blogs, books, television scripts and other forms of media. Novelists, biographers, copywriters, screenwriters and playwrights all fall into this job classification. Writers may work for advertising agencies, news platforms, book publishers and other organizations; some work as freelancers.

Technical Writer

Median Annual Salary: $79,960 Minimum Required Education: Bachelor’s degree Job Overview: Technical writers craft technical documents, such as training manuals and how-to guides. They are adept at simplifying technical information so lay people can easily understand it. Technical writers may work with technical staff, graphic designers, computer support specialists and software developers to create user-friendly finished pieces.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About a Master's in Creative Writing

Is a master’s in creative writing useful.

If your goal is to launch a career as a writer, then yes, a master’s in creative writing is useful. An MA in creative writing is a versatile degree that prepares you for various jobs requiring excellent writing skills.

Is an MFA better than an MA for creative writing?

One is not better than the other; you should choose the one that best equips you for the career you want. An MFA prepares you to build a career as a professional writer or novelist. An MA prepares you for various jobs demanding high-level writing skills.

What kind of jobs can you get with a creative writing degree?

A creative writing degree prepares you for many types of writing jobs. It helps you build your skills and gain expertise to work as an editor, writer, author, technical writer or journalist. This degree is also essential if you plan to teach writing classes at the college level.

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Sheryl Grey is a freelance writer who specializes in creating content related to education, aging and senior living, and real estate. She is also a copywriter who helps businesses grow through expert website copywriting, branding and content creation. Sheryl holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications from Indiana University South Bend, and she received her teacher certification training through Bethel University’s Transition to Teaching program.

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Nursing Celebrates Liberal Arts with Annual Creative Writing Awards

The warm strings of a cello bowed by Yale College senior Alma Bitran welcomed more than 200 guests on April 22 to celebrate the 18 th  Annual Creative Writing Awards (CWA), a strong tradition of the liberal arts deeply embedded in the Yale School of Nursing (YSN). 

Festivities included a keynote address by  New York Times Magazine  contributor Linda Villarosa, congratulations for an unprecedented three-time winner, and a farewell to retiring faculty member  Linda Honan , ’89 MSN, CNS-BC, RN, ANEF, FAAN who founded the CWA.

Villarosa shared her experience as a writer and journalist covering race, inequality, and health. Her essay on medical myths appeared in the “The 1619 Project” in the  New York Times  and her most recent reporting covers the toll COVID-19 has taken on Black communities and the environmental justice movement in Philadelphia.

“Both journalists and healthcare providers of all kinds have been told that emotions have no place in our work and that at a minimum, they’re an impediment to success and at worst they’re dangerous and even deadly. As a young journalist, I was told these words.”

Villarosa recalled reporting a story for  Essence  in 1986, so early in the AIDS crisis that it was called GRID (Gay Related Immune Deficiency). During an interview with a visibly ill young woman, Villarosa lifted the curtain that usually concealed her emotions. She held the woman’s baby, a super cute toothless toddler with a mouth full of thrush, an infection common in HIV patients. 

But Villarosa wrote the story with the curtain firmly back in place, unable to access her feelings while simultaneously coping with the sober nature of the story. Neither the mother nor the baby made it to publication the following year. Looking back, Villarosa now thinks she could have written a stronger piece as a professional if she had allowed herself to tap into her emotions as a person. She applauded the CWA winners for coming to this realization sooner.

“What I see in the work of this year’s winners of the Yale School of Nursing’s Creative Writing Awards is so much big, thick heart.”

Camila Soto Espinoza

Nurse Midwifery/Women’s Health student Camila Soto Espinoza ’21 MSN ascended to the podium for the third consecutive year. The contest has honored two-time winners before, but Soto Espinoza’s hat trick is unmatched in the history of the contest. Villarosa described Soto Espinoza’s essay as gorgeous and full of heart.

Her 2021 piece “ Monotony ” draws on her experience as a first-generation, international student from Chile supporting herself while attending YSN during the COVID-19 global pandemic and civil unrest that threatens her family in her home country.

She is a Yale Global Health Fellow at UNICEF, a CNM intern at Mass General Hospital in Boston, an RN supporting Yale’s efforts to keep the community safe during COVID, a student co-chair of YSN’s diversity committees, and an assistant in at least one research project.

Delve into the archive to read Soto Espinoza’s 2020 winning submission, “ Focus, ” and her 2019 piece “ The Women of My Family. ”

Maxwell Shaw-Jones

Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) specialty student Maxwell Shaw-Jones ’23 MSN chose poetry over prose for his submission, and he was honored this year for the lyrical lines called “ His Feet .”   Villarosa praised his piece as both stunning and bittersweet.

The poem explores how the long-ago comfort of a simple foot massage for a dying man echoes down through the years to a modern patient today.

Shaw-Jones graduated from Middlebury College with a degree in English in 2018 and has since worked as an island caretaker and a fiberglass laminator before realizing he wanted to become a nurse. He is interested in the ways nursing can be used to address issues outside of what fits the typical definition of “health” and will be co-facilitating the US Health Justice elective at YSN in the fall of 2021.

Tim McGehee

Adult/Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGPCNP) specialty student Tim McGehee ’22 MSN was inspired to write his piece by “ ‘Frost, You Say?’ A Yankee Monologue” by fellow Yalie Marshall J. Dodge with Walter Howe. 

McGehee’s winning effort is called “ ‘Pain, You Say?’ A Nursing Home Monologue.”  The speaker provides an overview of the patients occupying the dozen rooms he is responsible for this evening, with fevers and paperwork interrupted by humorous asides. Villarosa heralded his entry as the embodiment of listening with the heart.

Before becoming a nurse, McGehee served in the US Coast Guard as a machinery technician and earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Connecticut. He has worked in nursing homes as both a CNA and an RN. Following graduation from YSN, McGehee plans to work in primary care with the Veteran’s Administration. 

Each of the winners took home a check for $1,000.

Honan’s Farewell

“As many of you know, this signature occasion for our community would not have come into being, without its creator and nurturer Dr. Linda Honan,” said  Dean Ann Kurth , ’90 MSN, PhD, CNM, MPH, FAAN. “This is a moment to acknowledge Linda’s exceptional creativity, fierce dedication to her students, and blazing impact on nursing education. The Creative Writing Awards will continue on as a cherished tradition for our school because Linda birthed and grew it.”

Honan’s last day at YSN will be in July. The audience included former students stretching back at least 25 years.

“Like Mary Poppins the wind has changed; the mist is rolling in,” Honan said. “And it’s time for me to leave, even if it is hard. I have been honored to teach now thousands of GEPNs for over three decades, and I have loved  almost  every minute of it.”

Honorable Mentions

Congratulations as well to the students whose selections were saluted as Honorable Mentions.  They are: Kendall Cote ’23 MSN, Helen Day ’23 MSN, Ashleigh Evans ’23 MSN, Stacey Frizzell ’23 MSN, Leoncia Gillespie ’23 MSN, Elizabeth (Libby) Grant ’23 MSN, Kay Green ’22 MSN, Kierra Jackson ’21 MSN, Nicole Kuhnly ’21 MSN, Jill Langan ’21 MSN, Kathleen Lessard ’23 MSN, Sarah Ann Lovell ’22 MSN, Kylee Martin Horlacher ’23 MSN, Sajni Persad ’23 MSN, Jordan Quintin ’23 MSN, Marina Rosenberg ’23 MSN, Kendall Tamler ’21 MSN, and Shiliu Wang ’23 MSN.

Reviewers and Judges

Nearly 50 submissions were first reviewed by Nina Adams, Dr. Deborah Fahs, Betsy Groth, Dr. Lorence Gutterman, Katie Pellico, Mary Pierson, and Shel Swanson.

Once the submissions were winnowed, they advanced to a panel of four judges for final consideration. Echo Heron, critical care nurse and  New York Times  bestselling author of nine books; Anne Fadiman, award-winning author, essayist, editor, and teacher; Anna Quinlan, Pulitzer-Prize winning author; and Lee Woodruff, author of three bestselling books. 

Video and Full Essays

To watch a full recording of the event, stay tuned to the YSN YouTube channel . To read the top 25 submissions, check out the chapbook here .

Articles on Creative writing

Displaying 1 - 20 of 46 articles.

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Adam Behr , Newcastle University

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Glenn Fosbraey , University of Winchester

How to write a love song – three tips for beginners from a songwriting expert

‘ Cli-fi ’ might not save the world, but writing it could help with your  eco-anxiety

Rachel Hennessy , The University of Melbourne ; Alex Cothren , Flinders University , and Amy T Matthews , Flinders University

I research the therapeutic qualities of writing about art – here are three steps for trying it yourself

Patrick Wright , The Open University

Creative writing can help improve one’s health: a South African study shows how

Dawn Garisch , University of Cape Town and Steve Reid , University of Cape Town

Boxing empowered me to express my trauma – now, I help other abuse survivors do the same, combining it with creative writing

Donna Lyon , The University of Melbourne

How a poet and professor promotes racial understanding with lessons from history

Quraysh Ali Lansana , Oklahoma State University

How to understand your grief through writing

Catherine Cole , Liverpool John Moores University

Write what you know: the COVID experience is a rich resource for year 12 English exams

Janet Dutton , Macquarie University

5 ways to teach the link between grammar and imagination for better creative writing

Brett Healey , Curtin University

Writing can improve mental health – here’s how

Christina Thatcher , Cardiff Metropolitan University

In an AI world we need to teach students how to work with robot writers

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To succeed in an AI world, students must learn the human traits of writing

‘Lit therapy’ in the classroom: writing about trauma can be valuable, if done right

Yannick Thoraval , RMIT University

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Kate Flaherty , Australian National University

Life sentences – what creative writing by prisoners tells us about the inside

Dr Michael X. Savvas , Flinders University

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2024 Yale Medal Recipients

Since its inception, the Yale Medal , the highest honor presented by the Yale Alumni Association, has been given to over 340 individuals who have shown extraordinary devotion to Yale’s ideals and demonstrated their support through extensive, exemplary services to the university and its schools, institutes, and programs.  

The 2024 Yale Medalists are Robert G. “Rob” Greenly ’83 MBA, Constance L. Royster ’72, Elizabeth Sullivan ’74, ’76 MA, Michael B. Tom ’83 MD, and William D. White ’73, ’78 DIV. They will be honored in a special ceremony to be held on campus this fall during the YAA Assembly and Yale Alumni Fund Convocation event.  

Please read below for more on each recipient and their essential contributions.  

Robert G. “Rob” Greenly ’83 MBA 

Rob Greenly’s commitment to Yale has been long, passionate, and varied. He has steadfastly served the School of Management Class of 1983 for the past 40 years in planning activities, fundraising, and making connections. Greenly’s contributions to SOM as a class secretary, reunion planning and gift committee member, and SOM Alumni Advisory Board Member resulted in his receipt of the inaugural SOM Alumni Leadership Award in 2011. From 2013-2015, he served as president, board member, and ex-officio delegate of the Yale Club of Boston, where he re-invigorated and re-activated the club through strategic planning retreats, diverse and inclusive programming, and sustainable leadership planning. In addition to his work with the Yale Club of Boston, Greenly launched the Boston chapter of the Yale Jewish Alumni Association and has been an active member and twice chair of the Yale SOMAA Boston Chapter. Greenly has also lent his time and expertise as a regional site coordinator for Yale Day of Service before becoming co-chair from 2021-2023. Among his many contributions to Yale Day of Service, Greenly is remembered for inaugurating a “collector’s” T-shirt and design competition and improving communication to engage and activate alumni in this highly successful program. Greenly’s dedication and devotion to the university, its alumni, and its students are a model to the entire Yale community. 

Constance L. Royster ’72 

Constance Royster's leadership, mentorship, and service to Yale spans decades and encompasses many groups across the university.  After graduation, Royster was appointed to the first Board of Governors of the Association of Yale Alumni in 1972. She is a leader in the Yale College Class of 1972, where she has organized biannual lunches for the women in her class, is a longtime class agent with service on the Yale Alumni Fund Board, and has served on numerous reunion planning and gift committees, including co-chairing her 50th reunion.  Royster also brought her expertise and wisdom to the planning committee for the 50th anniversary celebration of the First Women in Yale College, and the steering committee for the celebration of 150 years of Women at Yale. Royster is a leader in the Yale African American community. She organized a 45th reunion of Yale Black Seminarians; she served on the 45th anniversary committee and as an Honorary Co-Chair and Fundraising Committee Co-Chair for the 50th anniversary of the Afro-American Cultural Center. Her unwavering service continued as a member of the Dwight Hall Board of Directors from 2006-2015, where she was a champion for the Dwight Hall campaign to renovate their building. She also chaired the board and guided Dwight Hall through its 125th Anniversary Celebration, which brought current students and alumni from across the country together. She is a committed Jonathan Edwards College fellow who helps bond and connect the community. Royster’s selfless and consistent service has made the university and broader community stronger and better for all. 

Elizabeth Sullivan ’74, ’76 MA 

Elizabeth Sullivan is a leader who is more committed to results than recognition. She has made significant contributions to the Graduate School Alumni Association, the YAA Board of Governors, Yale Women’s Crew alumni association, Yale Day of Service, the Alumni Schools Committee, and the Yale Club of Cleveland. In her role as co-chair of Yale Day of Service in 2020 and 2021, Sullivan worked with her co-chair to find creative ways to foster community when in-person gatherings were off-limits due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She supported and promoted projects like a letter-writing campaign for seniors experiencing isolation and loneliness and amplified Yale Day of Service virtual programs throughout the broader global alumni community. Sullivan was proactive in seeking feedback from Yale Day of Service leaders; this engagement with the broader volunteer group impacted the trajectory of Yale Day of Service programming moving out of the pandemic and laid important foundations for the program’s infrastructure. Sullivan is particularly respected in her regional community in Cleveland and all of Ohio, where she has reliably and enthusiastically supported and led multiple activities and programs over the years. Her unwavering dedication to getting the job done no matter the circumstances and genuine love for Yale make her an invaluable member of the alumni community.  

Michael B. Tom ’83 MD 

Michael Tom exemplifies a lifelong commitment to giving back to the university through engagement both on and off campus. He has been involved with the School of Medicine Alumni Fund as an agent since graduating in 1983 and became chair of the School of Medicine Alumni Fund from 2006-2016. When he was elected chair of the university’s Yale Alumni Fund Board in 2018, he was the first alum with a medical degree to hold the position, which saw the Alumni Fund raise $88.851 million from 79,693 gifts during his tenure. In his role as chair, his top priority was donor loyalty, and he worked with fellow board members and the staff team to develop a new brand and program to recognize loyal donors – Yale True. During Tom’s leadership, the Alumni Fund also improved its collaboration and general volunteer representation from the graduate and professional schools, especially with the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. In addition to his work with the Alumni Fund, Tom served as a reunion gift chair for his medical school class’s last four reunions.  He also oversaw two working groups focused on campaign readiness prior to the launch of the for Humanity campaign. His thoughtful and informed leadership has yielded innovations and results that help advance Yale’s mission. 

William D. White ’73, ’78 DIV 

William White is an ambassador for Yale, advocating for scholarship and mentoring hundreds of students and alumni. For the past 40 years, White has served as the Alumni Schools Committee (ASC) Director in Beijing, where his leadership has been a transformative resource for Yale’s Office of Undergraduate Admissions. In his role, White has shared his knowledge of the complex Chinese geo-political and education landscape, invested countless hours interviewing interested students, convened a diverse set of alumni interviewers, and become a lifelong mentor to many of the students he has encountered. He has closely followed the entire application process for all interviewees over the years and reached out to students who have been accepted to encourage them to matriculate at Yale and help prepare them for the significant change of attending university in the U.S. In addition to his ASC service, White also served the Yale Club of Beijing as a board member from 2003-2016. White is known throughout the Yale-China community for his commitment to upholding the highest standards of integrity in an environment that can be riddled with unscrupulous practices. Under White’s stewardship, Yale ASC Beijing has recruited some of the brightest talents for Yale and instilled Yale’s ethos and mission in this part of the world.  

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July 22, 2024

Lake Anna writing retreat helps Ph.D. social work students build their dissertations – and friendships

Vcu alum keita franklin is paying it forward to the next generation with her creative donation., share this story.

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By Sian Wilkerson

As any doctoral student learns, writing a dissertation takes time and occasional blood, sweat and tears. For Ph.D. students in Virginia Commonwealth University’s  School of Social Work , a week of fun, sun – and focus – at the lake helps ease the burden and cement lasting bonds.

In recent years, social work students have had the chance to travel to Lake Anna, about an hour northwest of Richmond, to spend a week writing their qualifying papers and dissertations and relaxing with their cohort, all from the comfort of a vacation house on the water. The home, which belongs to VCU alum Keita Franklin, sleeps 16 and has ample space for students to collaborate.

The first retreat was held in fall 2022 – and made an immediate impression.

“I can point to whole sections of my dissertation that were written during that week,” said  Camie Tomlinson , who earned her Ph.D. in 2023 and is now an assistant professor of social work at the University of Louisville. “It was also really encouraging and motivating to know that we had support not only from our cohort but also from alums of the Ph.D. program and from faculty and staff.”

When Franklin, now a specialist executive at Deloitte Consulting LLP, first reached out to VCU’s School of Social Work about donating time at her Lake Anna house, it was with the hope of fostering such bonds.

“Sometimes when you’re writing your dissertation, it can be a very lonely time,” said Franklin, who earned her Ph.D. in 2010. “It’s a very quiet time where you’re doing a lot of introspective thinking and analysis on your own, so to bring people together during that time might serve as a way to increase peer support and give you some time with like-minded folks who are also in the same boat as you.”

Denise Burnette , Ph.D., the Samuel S. Wurtzel Endowed Chair in Social Work and former director of the school’s doctoral program, thanked Franklin for opening her home to VCU’s social work community.

“Her generosity enables third- and fourth-year students to work on their qualifying papers and dissertations in a relaxing setting that fosters community-building and focused scholarship,” Burnette said. “We are so proud to claim her as a graduate and deeply grateful for her commitment to current students’ academic success.”

Though plenty of time is spent writing and doing work, the lake house also affords opportunities for relaxation, with Franklin going the extra mile to ensure that the stay is memorable.

“Keita even catered dinner for us one night and took us on a ride on her boat,” said Muna Saleh, a fourth-year Ph.D. student. “The experience was phenomenal. It was a wonderful way to de-stress and build community while also writing – an otherwise isolating exercise.”

Franklin remembers hearing about a similar retreat opportunity at a vacation spot overseas during her doctoral studies at VCU. Though she never went, the idea of doing something similar, closer to home, resonated.

As part of a military family, Franklin has spent years moving from place to place, finding a new community and adding to her professional network with every relocation.

“Every spot I’ve been to, I’ve met incredible people who have helped me in incredible ways and people I’m so grateful for and who have been major influencers in my career,” she said. “Like, ‘Wow, if it had not been for this person, I would not be here today and doing what I’m doing.’ I think back and I owe a debt of gratitude to so many people, and they don’t even know how instrumental they were.”

For  Jennifer Murphy , who also received her Ph.D. from VCU in 2023, the retreat was an “integral part” of her progress, both in completing her dissertation and taking the next step in her career. She is now an assistant professor of social work at the University of Texas at Arlington.

“The timing of the retreat allowed me to focus my time on writing, which was for many reasons less stressful with such a beautiful view of Lake Anna and with friends by my side,” she said. “I had a wonderful time not only working but bonding with my cohort.”

After attending the retreat together, Murphy and Tomlinson continue to make time every week in their new roles to write together by remote.

“We saw how beneficial it was to have a writing buddy while we were at the retreat,” Murphy said. “Our writing time is something I continue to cherish and hope we can maintain for years to come.”

With two retreats completed, Franklin is eager to welcome a new cohort in the fall. She also hopes to continue to find ways to open her home for future collaborations with the VCU social work community.

“That’s what the profession is about,” Franklin said. “We have a principle that is focused on paying it forward and disseminating what you know and helping each other. It’s at the heart of the profession.”

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Knight Science Journalism Program at MIT announces 2024-25 fellows

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The Knight Science Journalism Program at MIT (KSJ) will welcome 12 fellows in August. In addition to 10 Academic-Year Fellows, KSJ welcomes the inaugural Fellow for Advancing Science Journalism in Africa and the Middle East, and co-hosts a Sharon Begley Fellow with Boston-based publication STAT .

The Knight Science Journalism Program, established at MIT in 1983, is the world’s leading science journalism fellowship program. Fellows come to Cambridge, Massachusetts, to explore science, technology, and the craft of journalism in depth.

The class of 2025 represents the expansive media environment of today’s journalism. Together, the group has award-winning experience in a wide array of journalistic media, reaching the public through podcasts, documentaries, photographs, books, YouTube, TV, and radio.

“It is a privilege to welcome journalists to our programs who are so deeply aware of the importance of quality science coverage, who are eager to improve their craft, and who will continue to contribute positively to the public understanding of science once they leave here,” says Deborah Blum, KSJ director.

The fellows will spend their time in Cambridge studying at MIT and other leading research universities in the Boston area. They’ll also attend seminars by leading scientists and storytellers, take part in hands-on classes and workshops, and visit world-renowned research laboratories. Each journalist will also pursue an independent research project, focused on a topic of their choice, that advances science journalism in the public interest.

“Many of the biggest headlines of our era derive from science and technology — and the way we apply it to the world around us,” says Blum. “Our fellowship program recognizes the dedication and understanding required for stories that do justice to these issues. We bring fellows to MIT to provide them with an opportunity to enrich and deepen that understanding.”

Fabiana Cambricoli is an award-winning Brazilian journalist based in São Paulo, working as a senior health correspondent for Estadão newspaper, with a focus on in-depth and investigative stories. Before that, she contributed to major media outlets like Grupo Folha and was a fellow at ProPublica. She earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism and a master’s degree in public health from the University of São Paulo, receiving over 10 awards and grants for her work. Cambricoli’s reporting uncovered government negligence during epidemics, highlighted health disparities, and investigated funding behind scientific disinformation. She also co-founded Fiquem Sabendo, a nonprofit promoting transparency and supporting journalists in accessing public information.

Emily Foxhall is the climate reporter at The Texas Tribune , where she focuses on the clean energy transition and threats from climate change. She joined the Tribune in 2022 after two years at The Los Angeles Time s and its community papers and seven years at The Houston Chronicle , where she covered the suburbs, Texas features, and the environment. She has won multiple Texas Managing Editors awards, including for community service journalism, and was part of the team named a 2018 finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for coverage of Hurricane Harvey. She is a Yale University graduate.

Ahmad Gamal Saad-Eddin is a science journalist based in Egypt. He graduated from the faculty of medicine at Zagazig University in Egypt, and worked as a psychiatrist before leaving medicine and beginning a career in science journalism, first as a head of the science section in Manshoor.com, then as an editor at Nature Arabic Edition . He is currently working as a script writer and the fact-checker of “El-Daheeh,” the leading science YouTube show in the Arab region. His writings have also appeared in several outlets including Scientific American Arabic Edition and Almanassa News . His main writing interest is the interaction between science, its history, and the human experience.

Bryce Hoye is a journalist with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He covers a range of topics, from courts and crime to climate, conservation, and more. His stories appear on TV, radio, and online, and he has guest-hosted CBC Manitoba’s “Weekend Morning Show” and “Radio Noon.” He has produced national documentaries for CBC Radio, including for the weekly science program “Quirks & Quarks.” He has won several Radio Television Digital News Association national and regional awards. He previously worked in wildlife biology monitoring birds for several field seasons with Environment and Climate Change Canada.

Jori Lewis writes narrative nonfiction that explores how people interact with their environments. Her reports and essays have been published in The Atlantic Magazine , Orion Magazine , and Emergence Magazine , among others, and she is a senior editor of Adi Magazine , a literary magazine of global politics. In 2022, she published her first book, “Slaves for Peanuts: A Story of Conquest, Liberation, and a Crop That Changed History,” which was supported by the prestigious Whiting Creative Nonfiction Grant and a Silvers Grant for Work in Progress. It also won a James Beard Media Award and the Harriet Tubman Prize.

Yarden Michaeli is a journalist serving as the science and climate editor of Haaretz , Israel’s sole paper of record. During his 10 years as a writer, reporter, and editor at Haaretz , he became best known for editing the newspaper’s science vertical during the Covid-19 pandemic and founding its climate desk. Among other things, Yarden served as Haaretz ’s first reporter on the ground during the war in Ukraine, covered the war in Gaza, and was dispatched to report on the forefront of the climate crisis during storm Daniel in Greece. Yarden was born in Israel and he is based in Tel Aviv. He has a bachelor’s degree in American studies and economy from the Humboldt University in Berlin and he is a member of the Oxford Climate Journalism Network.

Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi is a two-time winner of the CNN Africa photojournalist award. He is currently with the Associated Press in Zimbabwe. Previously, he was the chief photographer at the Associated Newspapers of Zimbabwe. With an eye for detail and a passion for multi-format storytelling, he has managed to capture the essence of humanity in his photographs across Africa, Europe, and Asia. He instilled his dedication to his craft and hard work in other photojournalists in his past teaching role with the Norwegian Friedskorp, World Press Foundation in the Netherlands, the Pathshala Institute in South-East Asia, and in his pioneering gender and images work with SAMSO across the southern and East African region.

Aaron Scott  is an award-winning multimedia journalist and the creator of the podcast Timber Wars, which was the first audio work to win the MIT Knight Science Journalism Program’s Victor K. McElheny Award, along with the National Headliner Award for Best Narrative Podcast and others. Most recently, he was a host of NPR’s science podcast “Short Wave.” Before that, he spent several years exploring the natural wonders of the Pacific Northwest as a reporter/producer for Oregon Public Broadcasting’s television show “Oregon Field Guide.” His stories have appeared on NPR, Radiolab, This American Life , Outside Podcast, Reveal, and elsewhere.

Evan Urquhart is a freelance journalist whose work has focused on science and medical questions relating to the transgender community. Based in Charlottesville, Virginia, his stories have appeared on Slate , Politico , the Atlantic , Vanity Fair , and many other outlets nationwide. In 2022, Evan founded Assigned Media, a news site devoted to fact-checking misinformation relating to trans issues. He has appeared as an expert on propaganda and misinformation relating to trans issues on radio shows and podcasts including NPR’s “St. Louis on the Air,” Slate ’s “Outward,” The American Prospect ’s “Left Anchor,” “What the Trans?,” and “It Could Happen Here.”

Jane Zhang is a technology reporter and the China representative of Bloomberg’s global AI squad based in Hong Kong. Over the years she has covered the Chinese internet and Beijing’s tensions with the United States over tech supremacy before jumping feet-first into reporting China’s historical crackdown on its largest corporations, including Alibaba. She has won awards for extensive on-the-ground reporting and exclusive interviews with industry heavyweights like Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei. Her current focus is on covering the incipient AI technology and the regulations around it. Zhang holds a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Hong Kong.

Sharon Muzaki joins KSJ as the 2024 recipient of the  Fellowship for Advancing Science Journalism in Africa and the Middle East . She has been with UGStandard Media since 2019, reporting on the environment and climate change in Uganda. Muzaki graduated from Makerere University in 2019 with a degree in journalism and communication. While working for UGStandard Media, she has attended numerous trainings at the Aga Khan University Graduate School of Media and Communications, honing skills in storytelling, data journalism, and mobile storytelling. Muzaki will be the first recipient of the Africa and Middle East Fellowship. The fall semester fellowship, created in honor of the pioneering Egyptian science journalist Mohammed Yahia, is funded by Springer Nature. It is designed to enrich the training of a journalist working in Africa or the Middle East so they can contribute to a culture of high-quality science and health journalism in those regions.

Anil Oza is co-hosted by KSJ and Boston-based publication STAT as the 2024-25  Sharon Begley Science Reporting Fellow . Oza earned a bachelor’s degree in science from Cornell University, where he reported for the campus newspaper, The Cornell Daily Sun . Oza has interned at Nature , Science News , and NPR’s “Short Wave.” Oza also interned at STAT during summer 2023, helping produce the health-equity-focused podcast, “Color Code.” Oza will be the fifth recipient of the Sharon Begley Fellowship. This fellowship pays tribute to Sharon Begley’s outstanding career while paving the way for the next generation of science journalists and fostering better coverage of science that is relevant to all people.

More than 400 leading science journalists from six continents have graduated from the Knight Science Journalism Program at MIT. KSJ also publishes an award-winning science magazine,  Undark , and offers programming to journalists on topics ranging from science editing to fact-checking.

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