BFA vs. BA in Creative Writing: How the Degrees Differ

Both the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) and the Bachelor of Arts (BA) can be earned in creative writing, and both put workshops at the center. The difference is mostly one of proportion: how much of your four years goes to writing courses, how much goes to the broader liberal arts curriculum, and how hard it is to get into the major. In our directory (October 2026) there are 13 BFA programs and 18 BA programs in creative writing (how we count). The examples below come from those schools' own catalogs and program pages; requirements change, so confirm current rules with any program you are considering.

The short version

• In the examples below, the BFA is built more like a studio degree: more writing workshops, a required thesis or capstone manuscript, and in several cases a separate application to the major.
• The BA in Creative Writing sits inside a liberal arts degree. In the examples below the major is smaller, leaving room for a minor, a second major, language study or general education.
• Neither title tells you everything. Some BA majors are demanding and selective; some BFAs are flexible. Read the requirement list, not just the degree name.

One more distinction matters on this site: a BA in Creative Writing is a different degree from an English BA with a creative writing concentration or track. Our BA listings include only dedicated creative writing majors, so check the exact degree title a school prints on its catalog page.

How much of the degree is writing

The clearest way to compare the two is to count workshop credits.

At Stony Brook University, the BFA in Creative Writing requires ten writing workshops worth 30 credits, at least three of them outside the student's declared genre, plus two literature courses designed for writers and a four-course senior capstone cluster. Pratt Institute's BFA in Writing is a 126-credit, four-year degree in which students meet in studio sessions twice a week from the first semester and also take art and design courses. The University of Mississippi's BFA asks for 53 credit hours of English courses plus 9 hours of interdisciplinary art courses within a 120-hour degree.

BA majors are often more compact. Syracuse University's BA in Creative Writing is a 30-credit major combining literature with workshops in at least two genres. The University of Pittsburgh BA requires 33 credits: 24 in writing courses and 9 in literature. Columbia's creative writing major is 12 courses (36 points) inside a Bachelor of Arts that requires at least 124 points, including the Core Curriculum.

Because schools count credits, units and courses differently, treat the table as a picture of emphasis, not a like-for-like comparison.

What the liberal arts side asks of you

A BA leaves room for, and sometimes requires, study outside the major. The University of Arizona's BA in Creative Writing requires a minor or a second major and fourth-semester proficiency in a second language. The University of Texas at El Paso BA also requires a minor. If you want to pair writing with another field, such as a science, a language or journalism, that structure can be an advantage rather than a distraction.

BFAs vary here too. Some build in study beyond writing: the University of Montana BFA asks for 202-level proficiency in a language other than English, and Pratt's BFA mixes writing with art and design. Language and distribution requirements are set by each college, so read the full degree requirements, not only the major page.

Getting into the major

At many of these schools, admission to the university and admission to the creative writing major are separate steps, and this is where BFAs and BAs can look most alike.

• Application at entry. Stony Brook's BFA asks for a 10–15 page writing sample and a one- to two-page statement. Ole Miss requires a separate departmental application for its BFA, with an artist's statement, references and a writing sample of five or more pages.
• Admission after coursework. George Mason students start as pre-BFA and are admitted fully after completing three creative writing courses with a 3.00 GPA in them; the catalog notes that admission to the university does not guarantee a place in the BFA. UNC Wilmington admits students to the full BFA major by application after at least 24 credit hours and specified introductory courses.
• Selective BA tracks. Selectivity is not limited to BFAs. Oberlin students apply to the creative writing major after prerequisite courses, and Northwestern's single-genre tracks ask for a writing sample of 7–15 pages of prose or 4–5 poems.

If a program has an internal application, find out when it happens and what happens if you are not admitted, since that affects how you plan your first two years.

The thesis or capstone

Each of these BFA programs requires a creative thesis. Stony Brook pairs each senior with a faculty mentor for a creative thesis; Pratt ends with a book-length senior thesis project; Ole Miss requires a thesis, an oral defense and participation in a public reading or showcase.

In several BA programs a capstone is required but a full thesis is optional. UC Riverside offers an optional senior honors thesis (40 pages of fiction or nonfiction, or 20 pages of poetry), and Pittsburgh's capstone is a senior seminar. If you want to finish college with a substantial manuscript, check whether the thesis is required, optional or limited to honors students.

Which one fits you

If graduate school is on your horizon, look at the admission pages of MFA programs that interest you; each sets its own prerequisites (see our MFA overview). Questions worth asking yourself:

1. Do you want most of your schedule to be writing, or do you want room for a second field?
2. Are you ready to apply to the major now, or would you rather try workshops first?
3. Do you want a required thesis with a faculty mentor?
4. What does the program offer beyond class, such as student journals, readings or internships?

Compare a few programs side by side with the compare tool, and confirm current requirements on each school's official catalog before you decide.