the creative writing certificate program
from the Downtown Writer's Center.
DWC PRO will begin in Fall 2008. Enrollment in our first year will be limited to seven students in poetry and seven in fiction. To apply for the program, students must complete an application and submit a work sample, which will be reviewed by program faculty. The postmark deadline for applications is Monday, June 16th... click here to download the application.
FACULTY (Additional faculty members, and biographical information, will be posted soon.)
Poetry: Philip Memmer, Martin Walls, Steven Huff, Linda Pennisi
Fiction: Jennifer Pashley, Steven Huff, Daniel Torday, Peter Conners, Stephanie Dickinson
REQUIRED COURSEWORK
DWC PRO is a two-year program. Students must complete three courses in each season of the program (Fall, Winter and Spring of each year). These courses include:
- The advanced workshop in their selected genre.
- A literature or craft course.
- An individual tutorial.
The workshop and lit/craft courses require weekly participation at the DWC facility; the individual tutorial will generally be conducted through email. In total, students must complete a total of 17 courses (the lit/craft course is omitted in the final season of the program, so that students may focus on their final manuscript).
PROGRAM BENEFITS
DWC PRO students receive the following benefits upon enrolling in the program:
- Three years of DWC Membership (two years while enrolled, and one year after completing the program).
- Individual conferences with two Visiting Authors during their second year of the program.
- A free class of their choice (optional) in the summer session between year one and year two.
- Participation in a DWC PRO Student Reading in their final season of the program.
TUITION
DWC PRO has a total, two-year program cost of $2000 for YMCA Members, $2300 for non-members. This price includes all required coursework, the initial application fee, and all program benefits (in some cases, students will be required to purchase additional text books). Students are required to make payments at the beginning of each of the program's six seasons ($325 for YMCA Members, $375 for non-members). Currently, financial assistance is not available for the DWC PRO program; however, we are still able to offer financial assistance for other DWC creative writing workshops.
APPLICATION AND DEADLINE
Applications must be postmarked by Monday, June 16th, 2008. A $50, non-refundable application fee is due along with the application; students who are not accepted into the program will receive a free DWC membership. Click here to download an application.
FAQs:
What is a certificate program? The DWC PRO program is a plan of study for serious writers; upon successfully completing the two-year program, participating students will receive a certificate verifying that they have met all of the requirements for the program, which includes a total of 18 courses and individual tutorial sessions, and the completion of a final book-length manuscript of either poetry or short fiction.
What will my certificate be good for? We wish we could tell you that your certificate will be a ticket to publication, riches, fame, and acclaim. Unfortunately, we can guarantee none of those things—and neither can an MFA program. We view the certificate as a tangible sign that for two years, you have dedicated yourself to your writing in a serious way—and that you have something to show for it, in the form of a completed manuscript.
Can I enroll for both poetry and fiction? The short answer is “no.” But the longer answer is more fun. There is a certain degree of inflexibility due to the amount of coursework which must be taken--it wouldn't be possible, time wise, to complete the requirements for both the poetry and fiction programs simultaneously. However, literature courses will be offered in both poetry and fiction, and students may choose to enroll in whichever literature class they desire--even one that falls outside of their usual genre. In fact, we would encourage students to take at least one literature course from "the other side of the fence" during their time in DWC PRO.
What courses will be offered? We will have a complete listing of courses for the fall season in late summer. We will be offering an expanded selection of course to accommodate DWC PRO coursework, including several literature courses each season. And for those not interested in DWC PRO, don’t worry… we will still offer plenty of workshops for students who do not wish to participate in the certificate program.
What happens if I need to leave the program for a period of time? Can I stop for a while, and then pick up where I left off? This program is designed for those adults who might not have the flexibility for a traditional graduate program; therefore, we do make allowances for students who may need to take a season or two off for personal reasons. Students who simply do not have time for the complete DWC PRO course load in a given term may also choose to enroll in a single DWC workshop, but they will be required to pay the usual DWC member fee, and the course will not be counted towards their DWC PRO requirements. Students who leave DWC PRO for an entire year or longer will have to apply to re-enter the program.
Can courses I’ve already taken at the DWC, or other literary arts centers, count towards my course requirements for DWC PRO? No.
What should I include in my artist’s statement? We’d like to know more about you, and your reasons for being interested in the DWC PRO program. We’d especially like to know more about your writing history, your interests as a writer and reader, and what you hope to gain from this two-year program of study.
When will I hear if I have been admitted to DWC PRO? We hope to notify all applicants of our decisions by August 1st. If you do not hear from us by August 1st, please feel free to contact us.
When will my first payment be due, if I am accepted? If you are admitted to DWC PRO, the payment for your first season (Fall 2008) will be due by September 1st.
If I don’t get into DWC PRO the first time, can I re-apply? Absolutely! Space in the program is limited, and not all applicants will get in the first time they apply. If you are not admitted to the program, we will provide you with some feedback on your application, so that you know what to work on before the next year’s deadline.
How large are DWC PRO classes? The maximum enrollment in any DWC PRO course is 10 students. There will be cases when enrollment is lower than 10 students, but class size will never be larger.
Are all of the classes writing workshops? No. Each DWC PRO writer will enroll in the advanced level workshop in their genre each semester. They will also take one class focused on literature or the craft of writing (usually 1 or 1.5 hours each week) in each season, and enroll in individual tutorials. So the experience is quite varied.
Where can I park when I come to the Downtown Y? Street parking is generally available within a block of the Downtown YMCA, on either
What if my question isn’t answered here? Email us your question at phil@ymcaarts.org. We will respond to you individually, and also update this FAQ.