The AWP Board of Directors maintains a series of guidelines for AWP member programs and teachers. For degree-conferring programs in creative writing, these guidelines serve to establish professional standards for the field, reinforce AWP’s commitment to excellence in teaching, and reflect our continued support of writers in academic settings. The guidelines provide templates for the creation of new programs and for the internal planning and external reviews of existing programs.

The AWP Guidelines for Creative Writing Programs are possible thanks to the support of member programs and are available to logged-in members only. Log in below or become a member today to start reading.

If you need to extend access to these guidelines to nonmembers for program advocacy purposes, please email a request to awp@awpwriter.org.

• AWP Guidelines for Creative Writing Programs & Teachers of Creative Writing
• AWP Hallmarks for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in Creative Writing Programs
• AWP Hallmarks of a Successful MFA Program in Creative Writing/li>
• AWP Hallmarks of an Effective Low-Residency MFA Program in Creative Writing
• AWP Recommendations on the Teaching of Creative Writing to Undergraduates
• AWP Hallmarks of an Effective BFA Program or BA Major in Creative Writing
• AWP Hallmarks of an Effective Minor in the Undergraduate Study of Creative Writing
• AWP Hallmarks of an Effective Program in Creative Writing at a Two-Year College
• AWP Recommendations Regarding Non-Tenure-Track Faculty
• AWP Guidelines for Tenure & Promotion of Creative Writing Faculty
• AWP Policy on Electronic Theses and Dissertations
• AWP Recommendations on the Timeframe for Admissions & Enrollment in Programs with Traditional Fall Start Dates
• AWP Recommendations for External Review of Creative Writing Programs