Completion of a college-level creative program generally earns you a Fine Arts degree--either a BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) or an MFA (Master of Fine Arts). The degree does not guarantee that you'll become a published author. However, it is a requirement, generally, for teaching in a creative writing program. Still, most people attend these programs simply to focus on their writing and improve their craft so that they can get published.

Most of the courses in a creative writing program are organized as "workshops." Students bring in their poems, stories, or plays, and listen as other students discuss them, pointing out strengths and weaknesses in each piece of writing. The instructors who lead the workshops also provide feedback and assign outside readings--usually published work in the form that students are composing and studying.

One of the most helpful aspects of creative programs is the "instant community" they provide. When you show up on campus, you meet the group, or cadre, of writers who will be your main source of feedback, support, and inspiration throughout your time in the program. Students tend to socialize outside the classroom as well, and often become lifelong sources of support for each other.

Admission to the most popular graduate-level creative writing programs is extremely competitive. Typically, test scores and previous grades in college matter less than the manuscript of written work you submit with your application. The quality and originality of that work often determines whether or not you are accepted for one of the dozen or so open slots each year. If you are accepted, you often receive significant financial aid, usually in return for teaching undergraduate students each semester.