Top 5 colleges in Canada for MFA in Creative Writing Programs

Best writing programs in Canada

Dumbledore in Harry Potter said, “words are the most inexhaustible source of magic. Capable of both inflicting injury and remedying it.” This sentence shows the power of words. A writer is a magician who makes us feel emotions we never knew we could through words. Creative writing plays a vital role in this magic.  

An MFA creative writing can be your chance to explore this magic within you and help the world see it. Let’s learn more about this course and the top universities in Canada to pursue the degree. 

What is creative writing?

It is a stream where you can explore the realm of literature. In creative writing, you explore different types of literature and work in one that suits your taste. You can write essays, articles, columns, technical blogs, a book, poetry, screenplay, lyrics, or a slogan for advertisement. There are several genres of literature that you can explore with creative writing.

The field of creative writing demands a unique vision and an awareness of the factors necessary to sell it.  In this digital era, we have plenty of sources of information and entertainment. If you want to make creative writing a profession, you will have to know how to make money with it. The MFA in creative writing is a great way to learn that.

What is MFA in creative writing? 

Master of Fine Arts in creative writing is a postgraduate degree program. If you are interested in writing, you can enroll in this course. It is known to be a versatile course with multiple opportunities. It will help you strengthen your writing skills, develop editing skills, and build professional relationships with your peers. 

This course covers all the genres of writing. The students learn about literature, technical writing, journalistic writing, and business-oriented writing. The course includes experimental learning to prepare students for professional opportunities in the industry. 

The colleges for MFA in creative writing organize events like writing conferences, writer’s retreats, and guest lectures to build students’ professional skills. They also get university fellowships and internships in publication houses. You can even pursue a career in teaching literature with this degree.

Top 5 colleges in Canada for MFA in creative writing program

Canada is a beautiful country with landscapes, ice skating, maple syrup, and northern lights. It has all the colors of nature and the beauty of humanity. The literature in Canada is known to be bilingual. It is divided into English and French literature. That’s why studying MFA creative writing in Canada has become more interesting. 

Let’s look at some top universities that conduct the MFA in creative writing. 

No.	University	QS Global University ranks
1	The University of Toronto	16
2	The University of British Columbia	30
3	The University of Montreal	120
4	York University	159
5	The University of Ottawa	242

Let’s know more about these universities in Canada.

The University of Toronto

The University of Toronto was established in 1827. Since its establishment, it has been research-oriented. It has ranked in the top list of universities across the globe for many other courses. The university is spread over 177 acres. It has 3 campuses. 

This university hosts more than 5,60,000 graduate students. The tuition fee for the course ranges from CAD 25,000 to 30,000. For more information, visit the official website of the university.

The University of British Columbia

This University of British Columbia was founded in 1908. It is a public university in the state of British Columbia. It has the motto ‘tuum est,’ which means ‘it is yours.’ It is ranked among the top universities in the world. It offers 244 post-graduate degree programs in science, business, health, fine arts, etc. 

This university has 8 Nobel laureates as alumni. It conducts MFA in different domains like acting, filmmaking, and writing. The course fee for MFA in creative writing is over CAD 9,229.

The University of Montreal

University of Montreal was established in 1878 in Quebec, Canada. It is a non-private research institution. The main campus of this university is on Mount Royal. It is spread over 65 hectares. This university gives equal importance to fine arts as research and science. 

York University

York University was initially affiliated with the University of Toronto. In 1965, it became an independent university. It ranks third in the list of largest universities in Canada. It emphasizes more liberal education in the arts and science stream. 

York University has over 28 research centers on its campus. It is currently home to over 55,700 students. The MFA in creative writing program at this university is for 4 years. It provides students with an extensive learning program through this degree. 

The University of Ottawa

University of Ottawa was established in 1848. It is one of the oldest public research universities in Ottawa. It is also known to be the largest bilingual university. This university has 3 campuses. They are in Ottawa, Toronto, and Windsor. The main campus in Ottawa is spread over 100 acres. 

The University of Ottawa conducts more than 50 specialized post-graduation courses. One of those courses is MFA in creative writing.

The curriculum of MFA in creative writing

You don’t need to hold a degree in the same domain to get admission to this course. It is a full-time course of 2 years duration. The course starts in the fall session. It has 36 credits. They are divided as follows.

No.	Subjects	Credits
1	Writing workshops	12
2	Literature seminars	12
3	Write’s life colloquium	4
4	Literature project	4
5	Writing thesis	4

The course has 4 semesters and an internship. Each semester, the students have to attend one writing workshop and a literature seminar. In the final semester, you will have to work closely with your faculty advisor to complete the writing thesis and literature project. 

Specialization subjects in MFA in creative writing

The MFA in creative writing course offers you to choose a specialization in your writing. There are a few options available for you to specialize in. Let’s take a look at these subjects.

• Fiction- Students work on a story, its narrative arc, emotions, plot, tension, and character building in this subject. They must study several fiction writers’ works and understand the writing process. They will also need to attend seminars and workshops on the same process. In this degree program, the students also learn about flash fiction, novels, graphic narration, and more. 
• Non-fiction- This genre of writing is especially popular in digital media. People love to read non-fiction e-books on their smartphones and kindle. It includes personal narratives, essays, memoirs, and a certain form of journalism. They learn to apply productive critiques through revision. 
• Poetry- Sometimes rhymes come naturally to the poet. Some people are born with the talent to express emotions through poetry. This MFA in creative writing course only solidifies that talent to become a professional and well-known poet. The curriculum includes craft classes that teach students about poetic forms, terms, blank verses, villanelle, and pyrrhic. 
• Screenplay- It is a form of writing that connects live theatre and visual art through a script. In MFA, students learn to write for television shows and films. Screenwriting has also gained an important place in video games. Students get new occupation opportunities as the demand for story-driven video games increases. 

The admission requirements

The admission process for MFA creative writing in Canada is pretty simple. You can apply for the course online on the university’s official website. Along with the admission form, you need to submit some documents. They are as follows.

• Bachelor’s degree in any stream.
• A CV or supplemental information about your professional experience as a writer.
• You need to score a minimum of 2.5 GPA in your previous education.
• An unofficial academic transcript.
• A letter of recommendation.
• A Graduate Record Examination (GRE) score.
• Application fee for the admissions. 
• IELTS scores for international students.

Key takeaways

• MFA in creative writing gives you a broader perspective and a chance to explore your writing skills.
• With different learning programs, the universities in Canada proved to be one of the best choices to pursue an MFA in creative writing.
• This degree can cost you over CAD 30,000 to 40,000 for the first year. It can vary depending on the university and your living situation.

We hope you find this information helpful. Write to us your comments.

Liked this blog? Read next: 5 best colleges for MFA in the United States- QS world ranking.

FAQs

Q1. Can you pursue a career in teaching creative writing with an MFA degree?

Answer: With an MFA in creative writing, you will be eligible to teach in an elementary school.

Q2. How much does a writer earn?

Answer: According to the survey, a full-time writer can earn over $20,300. 

Q3. What can I do with an MFA in creative writing degree?

Answer: You can become a copywriter, art director, copy-editor, newspaper journalist, digital marketer, social media manager, etc.