Writing Studies M.A.

Saint Joseph’s MA in Writing Studies offers a flexible, creative, and literature-rich program that prepares students for diverse writing careers. Courses span fiction, poetry, professional writing, and more—culminating in a thesis and real-world writing experience.

Overview

The graduate writing studies program combines a traditional literature-based master's degree with a creative writing program by offering a wide variety of courses and providing students with a highly flexible, unique academic experience. At Saint Joseph’s University, writing studies students engage in diverse styles of writing, including short story, poetry, press releases, reflections on teaching writing, plays, adolescent literature, autobiography, biography, personal essays, and grant proposals.

Current Course Offerings

Fall 2026 Course Offerings

Mondays, 6:30-9:15 pm, Online/Synchronous
ENG 550: The Practice of Writing
Instructor: Dr. Melissa A. Goldthwaite
CRN: 40417

The Practice of Writing introduces students to the conventions of various genres and to skills and practices that they can use not only in the Writing Studies Program but also in careers related to writing, publishing, and teaching. Students will consider the work of various writers, write in at least three genres, provide feedback to peers, and practice revision and editing in the context of a classroom community.

Tuesdays, 6:30-9:15 pm, Online/Synchronous
ENG 624: Science Fiction in Literature and Film
Instructor: Dr. Justin Everett

This course introduces students to the craft of writing science fiction and fantasy short stories. Students will learn the elements of the speculative fiction story and the unique publication cycle of the market. Students will write, revise, and polish two short stories over the course of the semester with the goal of getting those stories prepared for submission to paying markets such as Asimov's Science Fiction and Clarkesworld. The course will be taught in a workshop format.

All classes will take place online. If you have questions, please contact Dr. Melissa Goldthwaite at mgoldthw@sju.edu. Thanks.

Archived Course Offerings

Thesis Resources

Starting your Thesis

Thesis Guide: Use this document as a guide to help you through the thesis registration and completion process.

Thesis Advisor List: Use this list to assist you in making your choice. The list is not absolute - reach out to any of your professors to discuss your thesis project.

Thesis Checklist: Common questions regarding format, font and printing can be found here.

Thesis Completion Form: To be completed when you are ready to register for credits involved in your thesis project. Please review this form with your thesis mentor.

Thesis Completion

Refer to the thesis checklist for help with this process. You will also need to complete a title page and get the required signatures for your thesis.

Thesis Title Page Template: Assists you in creating your title page for the finished project. This page will require the director's signature as well as your mentor’s signature.

An electronic copy of your thesis will be required for submission to ProQuest for inclusion in the ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global database. There is no charge for submitting to ProQuest, which is done electronically, and the SJU community has access to their work via the ProQuest database. This fulfills the requirement to submit a copy of your thesis to the library. Instructions for submitting your thesis to ProQuest can be found here.

One paper copy should be submitted to the English department for inclusion in their collection. The copy should be three-hole punched and single-sided. Make sure to include the title page with signatures. The department will provide a binder for the display cabinet.

Questions? Contact Heather Foster at hfoster@sju.edu.