Bachelor of Arts (BA) – Honours
Learn how to transform the world through writing.
We believe good writing can be taught and that good writers can be trained to be better writers. Our faculty are all published writers with vast experience in a variety of genres including novels, short stories, poetry, memoir, creative nonfiction, cross-genre writing and digital experimentation.
Our faculty and recent graduates have been finalists or winners of almost every major Canadian literary award. Many continue to be active in the literary community, founding and staffing several major Canadian literary journals and presses. Our graduates are known for collaborating on publishing ventures that have changed Canadian literature.
Please note this program is intended for students with a year of undergraduate studies and is not for direct entry from high school. Students may apply after completing their first 48 credits by presenting a portfolio containing work in both poetry and prose fiction as evidence of writing experience.
What you’ll learn
- In every course, you’ll learn the hands-on skills needed to enter the professional literary world.
- Exposure to core creative writing skills lets you develop your own style and gain confidence in your writing.
- You’ll develop the communication, research, organizational, management and teamwork skills prized by today’s employers
Hands-on experiences
- Get an intimate view of Canada’s literary scene from alumni who are professional writers, editors and publishers.
- Attend the Creative Writing Readers Series where you’ll hear contemporary Canadian and international writers in conversation and reading or performing their work.
- Immerse yourself in a co-op with the Brick Literary Journal and other publishers.
The Creative Writing cohorts at York are always small. This allows for more individualized feedback from professors and peers on your writing, and fosters greater personal growth as a writer. It also generates a sense of community and belonging which is often lacking in larger programs. Studying Creative Writing enabled me to learn how to approach literature through the perspective of the writer, something that isn’t explored in most English classes where various literary theories and external perspectives are placed on texts.
— Ekraz Singh
Alumna, Creative Writing ’13
