Bachelor of Fine Arts/Bachelor of Arts in English + Creative Writing

At Stephens, writers and readers work together studying, critiquing, and writing in a wide range of literary genres.

Program Features

• Write for Harbinger, our award-winning literary journal, and become an editor or member of the production staff.
• Sharpen your skills as a fiction writer, poet, playwright, autobiographer, and/or non-fiction writer.
• Show off your works at public readings, including our annual Scriptwriters Showcase.
• Learn from professionals who visit campus regularly through our Writers on the Edge series.
• Join Alpha Epsilon Eta, an “Outstanding Chapter” of Sigma Tau Delta International Honor Society.
• Join Stephens’ spoken word troop, Poets of Infinity.

Harbinger Literary Journal

har·bin·ger (här’bin-jer) n.

One that indicates or foreshadows

what is to come; a forerunner.

It’s a fitting name for the Stephens College literary journal. The publication is a forerunner on the national level, winning the Outstanding Literary Arts Journal Award from Sigma Tau Delta for seven of the last 10 years. Although it’s changed names and formats, our literary journal has allowed students from all disciplines to publish their works for nearly a century. In 1980, the publication became Harbinger, a name that signifies its dedication to publishing the works of writers and artists of the future.

A student-run publication, Harbinger is the starting point for many writers, giving them an opportunity to publicly showcase their talents for the first time. We maintain a high literary standard, closely examining each submission and accepting only those which have vivid detail, sharp language and innovative subject matters. We select pieces that speak to the common human experience and works that push readers to the edge.

As one of the top college literary magazines, it is our mission to publish the best literary and artistic works Stephens College students have to offer. The result is a collection of talented new voices showing our readers what the future holds.

Harbinger receives seventh first place award in 10 years

Harbinger's 2020 issue, "Outside the Lines," was awarded first place for Outstanding Literary Arts Journal by the Sigma Tau Delta English Honor Society. The issue features student-written and -edited short fiction, poetry, nonfiction, one-act plays, and interviews with people in the arts. The perfect-bound magazine is also student-designed and showcases a full-color art feature and illustrations.

Writers on the Edge

Be inspired by the stories of our time.

We invite you to these free public events sponsored by Stephens’ English + Creative Writing and Women’s Studies programs.

Writers on the Edge Authors Series

Fall and Spring

The Writers on the Edge Series brings to campus award-winning guest writers who are on the cutting edge of the industry.

The series continues a rich history of visiting writers at Stephens College. Past guests have included Toni Morrison, John Irving and Margaret Atwood, and poets Marilyn Hacker, Adrienne Rich, and Diane Wakoski, as well as Stephens alumna and poet Leslie Adrienne Miller.

New Script Showcase

Spring

Rehearsed, script-in-hand readings feature the works of the five winning student writers of the New Script Competition.

Harbinger Literary Magazine Launch Party

Spring

The internationally recognized award-winning magazine features student-written fiction, poetry, memoir, artwork, and interviews.

From Fashion to Flash Fiction

Spring

Inspired by the spring exhibit in the Historic Costume Gallery, creative writers conjure the lives within the clothes. Student writers read their own works.

Our Mission + Commitment

Founded in 1833, Stephens College is an institution committed to its mission to Learn. Grow. Lead. Stephens is resilient and optimistic, faithful to her traditions, and eager to embrace the future. Focused on the health sciences, performing arts, and integrative studies, Stephens continues to prepare graduates (whether from our undergraduate residential college, co-educational graduate programs, or 90-year-strong Children’s School) for the lives that await them — lives of distinction, integrity, and service.

A Mission That Guides Us

Stephens College is proud to be the second-oldest women’s college in the country. Shaped by our Ten Ideals, we stand in service to generation after generation of Stephens students.

Our Mission:

Learn. Grow. Lead.

Our Vision:

Inspired by its tradition as an undergraduate women’s college, Stephens College engages lifelong learners in an educational experience characterized by intellectual rigor, creative expression, and professional practice, supported by accomplished faculty, talented staff, and engaged alumnae/alumni. Graduates of Stephens College are educated in the liberal arts, informed by diverse perspectives, and committed to lives of leadership, integrity, and service.

Our Values: The Ten Ideals

Inherent in the culture of Stephens College is the tradition of the Ten Ideals, which originated in 1921 and which represent the core values that enrich and inspire our lives. Each year, 10 students are selected as personifications of individual ideals.

• Respect for our own dignity and the dignity of others, embodied in a sense of social justice
• Courage and persistence
• Independence, autonomy, and self-sufficiency
• Support for others through the willingness to take and give criticism, acceptance, and love
• Sensitivity to the uniqueness and fragility of the natural world of which we are part
• Responsibility for the consequences of our choices
• Belief in our changing selves and in our right to change
• Creativity in the spiritual and aesthetic dimensions of life
• Intelligence that is informed and cultivated, critical yet tolerant
• Leadership which empowers others

Stephens College: 187 years of Innovation + Tradition

Founded in 1833, Stephens College is proud to be the second-oldest women’s college in the country and the first institution of higher education in Columbia, Missouri.

From the beginning, Stephens has developed a tradition of cutting-edge educational programs that provide young women with classroom and experiential learning opportunities like no other institution in higher education.

Stephens believes in the power of a women’s undergraduate education. We also believe in the power of education to change lives and offer co-educational graduate programs as well as children's school and youth programs that celebrate and encourage lifelong learning.

Our Commitment to Equity

Stephens College is committed to fostering a safe, respectful and inclusive environment for learning, living and working. While we have much work to do, we look forward to doing it together, and we invite all members of our community to be part of that conversation.

Our students love life at Stephens.

That’s what they told The Princeton Review. Our students say they feel at home here. They think our campus is beautiful, easy to navigate, and an ideal place to make friends. They also appreciate the College’s close relationship with the local community and value the interaction of different types of students on campus.

And that’s not all there is to love about life at Stephens. Our hometown of Columbia, Missouri, is frequently ranked one of the best college towns in America. Here, there’s always something happening, thanks to three colleges and 30,000+ college students. Columbia really has it all: big-time college sports; film, music, and arts festivals; amazing recreation; and a great downtown with lots of places to eat, shop, and check out the latest bands.

Stephens’ historic campus is just steps away from downtown Columbia, so you get the best of both worlds - brick and ivy charm, and the buzz of a happening college town. You’ll find a culture of respect and support, and a network of friends eager to take on life’s amazing adventures with you. Our residence halls are truly a home-away-from-home (you can even bring a pet from home!). We can’t wait to welcome you here.