Students at computer

Creative and Professional Writing

Creative writing is needed more than ever because the world is reading more content than ever. In creative writing, you have career choices, whether it be writing blog and social media content in your pajamas from home, writing in a corporate setting with a team, or teaching at a university.

 

Student sitting on bench and writing

At a Glance

This program’s environment offers you the chance to work closely with faculty while developing and publishing your original work. You will learn to experiment, practice, and develop work in the major genres of poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, drama, and the various sub-genres, while gaining knowledge and experience in professional sectors of contemporary creative writing.

Consider these dual major and minor combinations:

  • English & Creative Writing Dual Major
  • English Major with Creative Writing Minor
  • Creative Writing Major with an English Minor
  • Creative Writing Major with a Marketing Minor
  • Creative Writing Major with an Art Minor
  • Creative Writing Major with a Business Minor
  • Creative Writing Major with a Theater Minor

What Our Students Are Saying

Unique Opportunities

  • Novus Literary & Arts Journal
  • Creative Writing Club
  • Lyre of the Phoenix Student Journal
  • Visiting Artists/Authors Every Semester
Author Kathleen Glasgow

New York Times Bestselling Author Kathleen Glasgow Visiting Cumberland to Speak With Students

Gain real world experience as a contributing member of the Novus Literary Journal

As a contributing member of the CU literary community, you are involved in a collective effort to help direct the vision and curation of the writing for the journal, Novus.  You will evaluate submissions in a roundtable format and will make recommendations for acceptance of work or rejection of work. These recommendations will be passed on to other advisors for final curating. You will be able to articulate what methods were used in evaluating craft and other aspects of student and outside writing. By compiling a journal, you are gaining experience that makes you competitive in the job market, specifically for publishing and editing careers.

Contact Professor Sandee Gertz at sgertz@cumberland.edu to learn more about working on Novus Literary Journal.

You can dream & write the next Great American Novel, or enjoy writing in other ways...

Career Paths

  • Social Media Writer
  • Travel Writer
  • Ghost Writer
  • Content Creator
  • Publisher
  • Grant Writer
  • Publicist
  • Editor
  • Online Writer
Nashville skyline

Nashville is a hub for publishing

Located just 25 miles east of the exciting city of Nashville, Cumberland students have access to many publishing companies including Harper Collins, Thomas Nelson, Lifeway Publishing, Turner Publishing, and Third Man Books.

What Our Graduates Are Saying

Jamie Fleming“During my time at CU, I worked in the Writing Center, obtained an internship with Novus Literary Arts Journal, collaborated with the Art of Life program, and entered the mentorship program with CU alum Alice Sullivan. 

All of these experiences prepared me for the professional landscape in a real, genuine way. I learned concepts and skills that I did not realize I would need: industry software, website design, marketing tactics, technical writing skills, and the list goes on. Most importantly, though, I was given permission to adopt leadership roles and spearhead projects independently.

In my experience, this has been the number one differentiator between me and other professionals. You can teach hard skills all day long, but teaching confidence is a much harder undertaking. Needless to say, I could not be more grateful for my professors who gave me challenging work and essentially said, “Make it your own.” 

-Jamie Fleming, Head Writer and Editor for BrightRay Publishing, Class of 2021

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Questions? We're here to help.

For more information about this program, contact Professor Kerry Ann Moore at kmoore@cumberland.edu.