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Creative WritingPrograms

Playwriting Programs: Creative Writing Degrees

Creative writing degrees whose official pages name playwriting as a genre or track. Writing for the stage, taught inside a creative writing degree. We never assign a genre a program does not name.

18 programs

Sort:A–ZDeadlineStipendRecently verified

Listed alphabetically by school. This directory is not a ranking — editorial selections are published separately under Rankings. What we list

Antioch University-Los Angeles logo

Antioch University-Los Angeles

MFA in Creative Writing

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Creative Writing
Location: Culver City, CA
Format: Low-residencyShort, mandatory in-person residencies (often once or twice a year) combined with remote mentored study between them.
Genres: Fiction · Poetry · Creative Nonfiction · Screenwriting · Playwriting · Literary Translation
Duration: Two years: five residencies and four five-month online project periods
Funding: Partial funding
Tuition: $11,017 per semester · All students — Semesters 1-3 · 2026-2027
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
View programSelected in: Best Low-Residency MFA Creative Writing Programs

CUNY Brooklyn College

Creative Writing, M.F.A.

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Creative Writing
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Format: Campus-basedClasses and workshops meet in person on campus throughout the program.
Genres: Fiction · Poetry · Playwriting
Duration: Two years (four semesters)
Funding: Partial funding
Tuition: Tuition not published
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
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Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development

Creative Writing (BFA)

BFABachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing
Location: Santa Fe, NM
Format: Campus-basedClasses and workshops meet in person on campus throughout the program.
Genres: Poetry · Fiction · Creative Nonfiction · Playwriting · Screenwriting
Duration: Duration not verified
Funding: Funding not verified
Tuition: $5,646 per semester · International — Undergraduate full-time flat rate (12-18 credits), international, per semester · 2026-2027
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
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Iowa State University logo

Iowa State University

MFA Program in Creative Writing and Environment

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and Environment
Location: Ames, IA
Format: Campus-basedClasses and workshops meet in person on campus throughout the program.
Genres: Poetry · Fiction · Creative Nonfiction · Playwriting · Screenwriting
Duration: Three years
Funding: Competitive full funding$20,872 stipend (10 months (Aug 16 through May 15))
Tuition: Tuition not published
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
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Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College logo

Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College

MFA Program in Creative Writing

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Creative Writing
Location: Baton Rouge, LA
Format: Campus-basedClasses and workshops meet in person on campus throughout the program.
Genres: Fiction · Poetry · Creative Nonfiction · Playwriting · Screenwriting · Cross-Genre / Interdisciplinary
Duration: Three years (must be completed within five years)
Funding: Fully funded (all admitted)$23,000 stipend (academic year, paid monthly)
Tuition: Tuition not published
Deadline: January 15, 2027 · Fall 2027
View programSelected in: Best MFA Creative Writing Programs
New York University logo

New York University

Creative Writing in Spanish (MFA)

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Creative Writing in Spanish
Location: New York, NY
Format: Campus-basedClasses and workshops meet in person on campus throughout the program.
Genres: Fiction · Poetry · Creative Nonfiction · Playwriting · Literary Translation
Duration: Two-year program
Funding: Funding not verified
Tuition: Tuition not published
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
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Oberlin College logo

Oberlin College

Creative Writing Major

BABachelor of Arts (BA) in Creative Writing
Location: Oberlin, OH
Format: Campus-basedClasses and workshops meet in person on campus throughout the program.
Genres: Poetry · Fiction · Creative Nonfiction · Playwriting · Literary Translation · Screenwriting · Cross-Genre / Interdisciplinary
Duration: Duration not verified
Funding: Funding not verified
Tuition: $70,320 per academic year · All students — Oberlin College tuition · 2026-2027
Deadline: October 27, 2026 · Spring 2027 (internal application to the major)
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Queens University of Charlotte logo

Queens University of Charlotte

Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Creative Writing
Location: Charlotte, NC
Format: Low-residencyShort, mandatory in-person residencies (often once or twice a year) combined with remote mentored study between them. · Flexible pace
Genres: Fiction · Creative Nonfiction · Poetry · Playwriting · Screenwriting
Duration: 2 years, with options to accelerate or lengthen (up to six years)
Funding: Funding not verified
Tuition: $856 per credit · All students · 2026-2027
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
View programSelected in: Best Low-Residency MFA Creative Writing Programs
Saint Mary's College of California logo

Saint Mary's College of California

Creative Writing, BA

BABachelor of Arts in Creative Writing
Location: Moraga, CA
Format: Campus-basedClasses and workshops meet in person on campus throughout the program.
Genres: Poetry · Fiction · Creative Nonfiction · Playwriting
Duration: Duration not verified
Funding: Funding not verified
Tuition: $61,416 per academic year · All students — Undergraduate full-time rate (12–18 units per semester), non-BSN · 2026-2027
Deadline: December 1, 2026 · Fall 2027
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San Francisco State University logo

San Francisco State University

B.A. in Creative Writing

BABachelor of Arts in Creative Writing
Location: San Francisco, CA
Format: Campus-basedClasses and workshops meet in person on campus throughout the program.
Genres: Fiction · Creative Nonfiction · Playwriting · Poetry
Duration: Duration not verified
Funding: Funding not verified
Tuition: $3,419 per semester · In-state — Undergraduate, 6.1+ units (full time), tuition only, per semester · 2026-2027
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
View program
San Francisco State University logo

San Francisco State University

Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Creative Writing
Location: San Francisco, CA
Format: Campus-basedClasses and workshops meet in person on campus throughout the program. · Full-time, Part-time
Genres: Creative Nonfiction · Fiction · Playwriting · Poetry · Literary Translation
Duration: About three years full time; up to seven years
Funding: Partial funding
Tuition: $4,274 per semester · In-state — Graduate, 6.1+ units (full time), tuition only, per semester · 2026-2027
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
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School of the Art Institute of Chicago logo

School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Writing (BFAW)

BFABachelor of Fine Arts in Writing
Location: Chicago, IL
Format: Campus-basedClasses and workshops meet in person on campus throughout the program.
Genres: Fiction · Poetry · Playwriting · Cross-Genre / Interdisciplinary
Duration: Duration not verified
Funding: Funding not verified
Tuition: $59,460 per academic year · All students — Undergraduate (30 credit hours) · 2026-2027
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
View program
School of the Art Institute of Chicago logo

School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Master of Fine Arts in Writing (MFAW)

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Writing
Location: Chicago, IL
Format: Campus-basedClasses and workshops meet in person on campus throughout the program.
Genres: Fiction · Creative Nonfiction · Poetry · Playwriting · Cross-Genre / Interdisciplinary
Duration: Two years
Funding: Partial funding
Tuition: $2,066 per credit · All students — Graduate, per credit hour · 2026-2027
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
View program
Spalding University logo

Spalding University

Master of Fine Arts in Writing

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Writing
Location: Louisville, KY
Format: Low-residencyShort, mandatory in-person residencies (often once or twice a year) combined with remote mentored study between them. · Flexible pace
Genres: Fiction · Poetry · Creative Nonfiction · Screenwriting · Playwriting
Duration: Two years on the standard schedule; four years on the extended schedule (four semesters plus a graduation residency)
Funding: Partial funding
Tuition: $650 per credit · All students — Graduate, Writing (MFA) · 2026-2027
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
View programSelected in: Best Low-Residency MFA Creative Writing Programs
The University of Texas at Austin logo

The University of Texas at Austin

Michener Center for Writers MFA in Writing

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Writing
Location: Austin, TX
Format: Campus-basedClasses and workshops meet in person on campus throughout the program. · Full-time
Genres: Fiction · Poetry · Playwriting · Screenwriting
Duration: Three years
Funding: Fully funded (conditions apply)$32,500 stipend (academic year (fall and spring); $36,500 total annual award with summer stipend)
Tuition: Tuition not published
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
View programSelected in: Best MFA Creative Writing Programs

The University of Texas at El Paso

BA in Creative Writing

BABA in Creative Writing
Location: El Paso, TX
Format: Campus-basedClasses and workshops meet in person on campus throughout the program.
Genres: Fiction · Poetry · Creative Nonfiction · Playwriting · Screenwriting · Literary Translation
Duration: Duration not verified
Funding: Funding not verified
Tuition: Tuition not published
Deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
View program
University of California-Riverside logo

University of California-Riverside

MFA in Creative Writing and Writing for the Performing Arts

MFAMaster of Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Writing and Writing for the Performing Arts
Location: Riverside, CA
Format: Campus-basedClasses and workshops meet in person on campus throughout the program. · Full-time
Genres: Fiction · Poetry · Creative Nonfiction · Screenwriting · Playwriting
Duration: Six quarters, typically two academic years
Funding: Competitive full funding$5,568 stipend (year (base first-year stipend printed for Fall 2022 entry))
Tuition: $7,413.12 per term · In-state — Graduate, CA resident, total quarterly fees · 2026-2027
Deadline: January 5, 2027 · Fall 2027
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University of California-Riverside logo

University of California-Riverside

Palm Desert Low-Residency MFA in Creative Writing and Writing for the Performing Arts

MFAMFA in Creative Writing and Writing for the Performing Arts
Location: Riverside, CA
Format: Low-residencyShort, mandatory in-person residencies (often once or twice a year) combined with remote mentored study between them.
Genres: Fiction · Creative Nonfiction · Playwriting · Poetry · Screenwriting
Duration: Seven quarters over two years
Funding: Partial funding
Tuition: $9,360 per term · All students — Per quarter; no additional fees for out-of-state students
Deadline: February 1, 2027 · Spring 2027
View programSelected in: Best Low-Residency MFA Creative Writing Programs