Simon Fraser University offers The Writer's Studio Creative Writing Certificate, a certificate in Creative Writing programme in Burnaby, Canada. The programme runs for 10 months, delivered fully online. Teaching is in English. Tuition for international students is CAD 5,695 per total (CAD 5,695 per total for local students).
At a glance
Degree:Certificate
Field:Creative Writing
Duration: 10 months
Delivery: Online
Language: English
Local tuition: CAD 5,695 / total
International tuition: CAD 5,695 / total
Information for the 2027/28 academic year · Last reviewed September 2026 ·
Program details
Overview
The Writer's Studio Creative Writing Certificate is a ten-month, part-time online program built around mentor-led workshops with published authors and small peer feedback groups. Students develop a manuscript while studying craft, theory and the business of writing, submit a final portfolio to graduate, and are published in an annual anthology.
Requirements
Admission Requirements: This certificate sets no academic prerequisite, prior credential, or English-proficiency test; admission is by portfolio instead. Applicants submit a one-page cover letter explaining why the program suits them and what they hope to learn during the year, a one-page writing résumé profiling their writing-related training, publication history (optional), and community involvement, and a writing sample of up to 20 pages formatted with the work's title, the applicant's name, page numbers, double spacing (1.15 for poetry), and 12-point font. Applicants rank two preferred genre workshops; roughly 60-70% of applicants are admitted, with nine students placed per genre group based on writing ability, subject matter, motivation, and fit with the group. No interview is held and prior publication is not required. Unsuccessful applicants may be waitlisted; deferrals are not permitted and a reapplication is needed for the next cycle. A one- to two-page letter may accompany an optional scholarship application.
Application Details
Application Deadline:Domestic applicants apply through EducationPlannerBC, with one set of dates per applicant type rather than by citizenship. Fall 2027 entry: high-school-route applications open 1 October 2026 and close 31 January 2027, while transfer applications open 1 March 2027 and close 15 April 2027 (Education and Contemporary Arts transfer applicants may apply from 1 October 2026). Spring 2027 entry runs 1 July to 15 September 2026, and Summer 2027 entry runs 1 December 2026 to 15 January 2027. Admission documents are generally due 28 February 2027 (Fall) and offers must be accepted by 1 May. International applicants use the same EducationPlannerBC dates and portal; SFU publishes no separate international deadline. These are institution-wide dates; this programme publishes no deadline of its own.
