Within their English department, Washington State University (WSU) offers a major specialization in creative writing (39 credit hours), which has classes in prose, nonfiction and poetry. Or they offer a minor (18 credit hours) or certificate (15 credit hours) in Professional Writing, which focuses on aspects such as grammar, syntax, history and rhetoric.
U.S. News and World Report ranked the writing program among the top 13 in the nation according to WSU's website. Although this is a large university with over 25,000 students worldwide, (18, 234 at their main Pullman, WA campus alone) the student to faculty ratio is an impressive 15 to 1, giving the opportunity for small class discussions and working closely with the faculty.
Seattle-based University of Washington also offers a creative writing specialization. Their creative writing option requires a minimum of 60 credit hours. The department's website says that "recently, the program was ranked among the top ten in the country" and also that their faculty includes "three MacArthur Fellowship winners, a National Book Award winner, and an American Book Award winner."
With 17 colleges and schools and more than 92,000 students annually (spread over several Washington state campuses), there are often less opportunities for small class sizes and personalized faculty attention in the undergraduate programs.
A number of other 4-year colleges and universities offer creative writing minors and/or specializations/emphasis in their English major. These include: Antioch University, Central Washington University, Eastern Washington University, Seattle Pacific University, University of Puget Sound, Walla Walla University and Western Washington University.
Everett Community College (in Everett, Washington) offers an Associate in Fine Arts (AFA) degree with a concentration in Written Arts. With a minimum of 90 credits required, this degree can be obtained in two years. According to their website, "the Written Arts program offers intensive study in literary art as well as opportunities for applying literary skills to related subject areas."
Everett Community College is only one of a handful of Washington State community colleges that offer a 2-year creative writing program. Others include: Cascadia Community College, Edmonds Community College, Green River Community College, Highline Community College, Peninsula College, Pierce College and Yakima Valley Community College.
For those simply wanting to learn more about creative writing and not interested in obtaining a degree, consider taking a single class at your local community college.
Another option is to join a local writer's group, like Pacific Northwest Writer's Association (PNWA) or Romance Writer's of America (RWA). Or try attending a writer's conference. This is a good option if you want to hear speakers (writers, agents and more) or take a few classes without a long-term commitment.