Applications must be in a single genre, and submitted work should best represent the applicant’s work in that genre. This will be reviewed by a committee of the Program faculty in consultation with the student’s workshop and tutorial instructors. The committee will look for demonstrated talent, potential, and discipline as well as the ability to work closely with an advisor on a long-term project.
Applicants are normally expected to have taken four creative writing program workshops, though any students who wish to pursue a minor in creative writing should apply regardless of the number of courses they have taken thus far. Many creative theses are written by Program VI English and Path E Comparative Literature majors, but the Program in Creative Writing welcomes applications from students in other majors.
Thesis applicants may wish to enroll in a creative writing (CWR) course as a fallback.
Writing Sample Guidelines
Fiction: 3 stories (approx. 30-35 pages total)
Non-Fiction: 3 stories (approx. 30-35 pages total)
Poetry: 10-15 pages of poems
Screenwriting: 15-30 pages of a short or feature screenplay
Translation: 10-15 pages of translations
Playwriting: 15-30 pages of a play
Info Session
Junior students interested in completing a creative writing thesis are invited to an Info Session on March 3, 2026, from 12-1 PM to learn more about the independent work process and additional requirements. Join us in New South 602 for a lunch discussion with current thesis students, faculty advisors, and program staff.
Application Deadline
Apply now. The application deadline is March 30, 2026, at 11:59 PM (ET).
Students may wish to apply for Lewis Center Summer Funding Awards for a proposed Creative Writing Thesis Project. Learn more about student Summer Funding Awards
Other University entities may also be a source of thesis funding. Students are encouraged to apply for funding assistance with a project even before you know if you have been selected for the CWR thesis.
Next Steps
Accepted students are expected to contact their thesis advisor immediately upon notification, to complete a portion of the thesis over the summer, and to meet with their thesis advisor immediately upon return to Princeton. They should expect to meet with their advisor weekly (poetry/translation) or every other week (fiction/screenwriting).
Application Form
Please include up to one page as a project proposal for your thesis. What do you hope to write for your CWR thesis, and how do you plan on completing your project in the short amount of time you’ll have? How will you use the opportunity to work closely with creative writing faculty on a long project?
Please note, writing a CWR thesis requires a significant amount of work over the summer between your junior and senior year. If you are unable to commit to completing this work, you should reflect further on whether undertaking a creative writing thesis is right for you.