Stanford Continuing Studies review

Stanford Continuing Studies brings university-level workshops to writers outside a degree program. Its creative writing catalog runs from book clubs and guided writing groups to workshops in speculative fiction, memoir, personal essay and the novel, online and on campus, plus online Novel Writing and Memoir Writing certificates. A good example is NVL 59, First Chapters: Novel Workshop, taught by Tom Kealey, who taught in Stanford's Creative Writing Program for 25 years. It meets online on Tuesdays from 6:00 to 8:30 pm Pacific time for 10 weeks, with recordings available and an enrollment limit of 18. Students read opening chapters by writers such as Jennifer Egan and Elena Ferrante, then outline, write and revise a first chapter of up to 5,000 words in a workshop. Tuition for that course is $1040. That is the highest per-course price on this list, and registration for Winter 2027 opens November 30, so plan ahead. For a writer with a project and the budget, few online options give this much attention per student.

Who it is for

serious writers who want a small live workshop

Price

Tuition priced per course, for example $1040 for the 10-week online First Chapters: Novel Workshop.

Tuition: $1040
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 13, 2026.

Key features

• Online and on-campus courses in fiction, memoir, personal essay, poetry and more
• Live online workshops with recordings available
• Enrollment limit of 18 in the First Chapters novel workshop
• Online Novel Writing and Memoir Writing certificates
• Courses taught by Stanford-affiliated writers, such as Lecturer Emeritus Tom Kealey

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: Small, instructor-led workshops on your own pages
• Strength: Class recordings available for missed sessions
• Strength: Certificate tracks for novel and memoir
• Weakness: $1040 for one 10-week workshop
• Weakness: Live sessions follow Pacific time, such as 6:00 to 8:30 pm PT
• Weakness: Registration opens on set dates and seats are limited

Key facts

• Example tuition: $1040 for a 10-week online workshop
• Class size: Enrollment limit 18 (First Chapters)
• Units: 2
• Recording: Available
• Winter 2027 registration: Opens Nov 30

Where it ranks

Stanford Continuing Studies is No. 4 in our Best Online Writing Courses verdict.