Emerson College offers everything aspiring writers need to hone their talents and refine their craft in a world-class city brimming with professional and artistic opportunities. We enable you to pursue your interests in teaching, editing, interning, or showcasing your own work.

Writing Studies Program

The Writing Studies Program provides you with opportunities to mentor, teach, and train undergraduate Emerson writing students.

Ploughshares

Ploughshares is an award-winning literary journal offering exclusive job opportunities to Emerson writing students in editorial, marketing, production, and design.

Redivider 

Redivider is an award-winning literary journal produced by graduate students in the Creative Writing and Publishing and Writing programs. You can gain editing experience, publish your own work, and collaborate with other writers. 

emersonWRITES

emersonWRITES is a creative writing program offering free college-style workshops to students grades 8-12 enrolled in a Greater Boston public or charter school. Classes are taught by Emerson’s Creative Writing and Writing and Publishing graduate students.

Career Outlook

Students interested in a writing career can explore a dynamic range of careers and industries, including:

  • Author
  • Editor
  • Poet
  • Content Manager
  • Copywriter
  • Communications Coordinator
  • Journalist
  • Public Relations Manager

Alumni

Our Alumni have gone on to establish successful writing careers, publishing work ranging from poetry, fiction, nonfiction, children’s books, and more. Recent alumni who have gone on to publish their work include:

  • Amber McBride '12, Me (Moth) (Macmillan)
  • Brionne Janae ’15, Blessed Are The Peacemakers (Northwestern University Press)
  • Noe Alvarez ’17, Spirit Run: A 6,000-Mile Marathon Through North America’s Stolen Land (Catapult)
  • Simon Jimenez '17, The Vanished Birds (Del Rey Books, Titan Books), The Spear Cuts Through Water (Del Rey Books)
  • Stephanie Wrobel ’19, The Recovery of Rose Gold (Penguin Random House)
  • Ciera Burch ’20, The Inevitability of Home (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
  • Madeline Sneed ’20, The Golden Season (HarperCollins)
  • Katie Mihalek '24, poetry chapbook, Aurora Uteralis, is forthcoming in 2024 (Finishing Line Press)

Get the Emerson Edge with our Graduate Student Benefits 

Once you commit to graduate school at Emerson, you’re automatically enrolled in our Emerson Edge program. Emerson Edge is designed to help you network with peers, alumni, faculty, and staff to ensure you’re getting what you need out of your graduate program including career exploration, resume building, financial planning, and access to exclusive events for students and alumni. 

Emerson Edge benefits:

  • Career exploration and preparedness: Work with Career Development to discuss your interests and skills to investigate different career paths. Our Career Development team reviews industry trends and updates you on emerging career paths and industries. Start with the Graduate Career Action Plan to learn about your skills, the Emerson community, industry, and network. Work with our team to craft your resume, cover letter, and portfolio and receive access to exclusive job listings.
  • Attend Graduate Student Events: Meet new friends and network with your colleagues in the graduate community at in-person and online events hosted by the Graduate Student Association.
  • Work with your Graduate Program Director: Your Graduate Program Director serves as a mentor to you and your classmates. They’ll help you connect with alumni, identify internship and career opportunities, and build a class schedule that excites you.
  • Network with Emerson Alumni: Our alumni network consists of 51,000+ proud lions. Meet alumni from around the globe through Emerson’s exclusive Emerge platform, and in-person and virtual events hosted by our Alumni Relations team. Our alumni are known for helping each other out, from mentoring opportunities to career guidance, and you’ll join one of the best alumni networks in the country.
  • Consult with our resource center to create a work-life balance plan and receive feedback on writing projects and coursework for native and non-native English speakers.
  • Find graduate housing: Work with our Off-Campus Student Services to find off-campus graduate housing, roommates, neighborhood and budgeting advice, and even learn how to sign a lease.
  • Explore our accessible resources: Coordinate with our Student Accessibility Services to receive access and support to our graduate programs and courses, activities, and services to ensure your needs are met while studying at Emerson.