The creative writing program offers a three-year course of study as well as one year writing workshops for talented and disciplined students who aspire to be writers. NOCCA|Riverfront selects students on the basis of demonstrable writing promise, overall academic performance and enthusiasm for literature. They must show open-mindedness, discipline, maturity, imagination and strong self-motivation in respect to their creative work and to their education as a whole.

In classes concentrating on aesthetic quality and technique, students study novels, short and long stories, poems, playwriting and films. They discuss and analyze texts, then apply that knowledge to their own writing. Students write almost every day and are given exercises that encourage both imaginative and technically skilled work. During class and the more structured workshop sessions, they receive feedback from peers, instructors and visiting artists toward revision of their work.

Grounded in the belief that the qualities of good writing remain consistent regardless of literary form, faculty teach all aspects of the curriculum. They also rotate instruction among all of the classes so that students have the benefit of receiving a variety of approaches, while instructors remain involved on some level with all of the students in the department.

Students who have completed the program may pursue studies in undergraduate and graduate programs and find such outlets for their writing as literary journals, magazines and books. Students should have a lifelong dedication to literature and writing and leave NOCCA|Riverfront with a sound appreciation for the written word and as valuable supporters of the literary arts. In addition, the benefits students receive from being trained as close and appreciative readers help them pursue a variety of careers.