The Iowa Young Writers' Studio (IYWS) offers 6-week asynchronous online creative writing courses for high school students twice per year — every winter (mid-January through late February) and every summer (late June through July). The courses are taught by graduates of the Iowa Writers' Workshop and other University of Iowa graduate writing programs.
In 2026, the online program enrolled students from more than 27 countries.
How the courses work:
Courses run entirely asynchronously — there are no live sessions, so students complete assignments and participate in discussion forums on their own schedule, in any time zone. Some courses offer optional virtual conferences with instructors. Students should expect approximately 3–4 hours of engagement per week, including writing assignments, reading assigned texts, critiquing classmates' work, and participating in online discussions. Weekly deadlines apply.
Winter 2027 courses:
| Course | Grades | Genre |
|---|---|---|
| Writing From Everyday Life: Nonfiction and Personal Essays | 9–12 | Nonfiction |
| Sense of Witness: Poetry and Perception | 9–12 | Poetry |
| A Perusable Feast | 9–12 | Cross-genre creative writing |
| Ricochet Visions | 11–12 | Speculative fiction |
| Forget Ready, Forget Set, Go! | 9–12 | Fiction |
| Get Dusty! | 9–12 | Fiction |
| Playwriting | 9–12 | Playwriting |
| TV Writing | 9–12 | Screenwriting |
| Translation | 9–12 | Translation |
Completion recognition:
Students who complete their course with a passing grade receive a Letter of Completion from IYWS and a final letter grade. Courses are not for college or high school credit.
Financial aid:
All accepted students are sent a need-based financial aid application. A number of full and partial scholarships are available, depending on the applicant pool. Students are informed of their award before enrollment.
International students:
International applicants are explicitly welcome. IYWS accepts international transcripts and nontraditional documents. The fully asynchronous format means no scheduling conflicts across time zones. Contact iyws-onlinecourses@uiowa.edu for questions about documentation.
Winter 2027 application and payment dates: Current university pages now give September 15–November 4, 2026, replacing the former October 31 cutoff. Course listings specify September 15 at 1 a.m. CST through November 4 at 11:59 p.m. CST; those timezone labels are retained as written. Decisions are expected by November 30, 2026 and tuition is due January 1, 2027. This is separate from the January 17–February 27 course period. No exact Summer 2027 course dates or application window are announced.
Applications use the student’s own name and email. Eligibility is based on school grade, GPA or equivalent good standing, and any course-specific restrictions; the checked pages do not impose a universal age 14–18 rule. Current university instructions ask teachers and schools to upload their materials separately in Submittable and say email support/transcripts are not accepted, while the linked portal retains older language permitting some student uploads and email submissions, including a stale 2017 transcript reference. That route difference remains unresolved; no one alternative is presented as guaranteed.
Checked November 4, 2026 against the course listings, current application instructions and linked Submittable manager. The asynchronous format retains weekly deadlines and optional instructor conferences.
Writing and AI policy: Students must generate their own work, including brainstorming, revisions, and peer critiques. Do not upload classmates' writing to AI tools. Specific AI projects require instructor permission and disclosure.
Official AI policy, checked November 4, 2026.