One workshop in a different genre
One workshop in any genre
In spring quarter of the second year, with advising and mentoring by the faculty, each student will complete the MA Capstone Essay.
In year three, students will be almost wholly dedicated to their creative thesis manuscripts. Third-year students will take three quarters of the MFA Thesis Workshop/Tutorial.
Some students will complete their MFA thesis manuscript by the end of this year; others will wish to take more time. The Graduate School permits students to submit the culminating project for the MFA at the end of full-time enrollment, or afterward.
In all three years, students will be mentored by the faculty in the practice of their writing, the design of their projects, and regarding artistic and intellectual resources for their work. In the teaching of creative writing and, through summer editorial work at TriQuarterly.org , students will get first-hand experience in editing a literary journal.
Visiting writers (including some anglophone international writers) will bring new perspectives to artistic practice, the three genres, and cross-genre or multi-genre work.
Students will pursue their work on our beautiful Evanston campus, amid artists, filmmakers, scholars and public intellectuals, with easy access to the vibrant literary arts scene of Chicago.
Each year, the MFA+MA program admits in all three genres. Information on the application process can be found here .
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Our MFA database includes essential information about low- and full-residency graduate creative writing programs in the United States and other English-speaking countries to help you decide where to apply.
Poetry: Jan-Henry Gray, Maya Marshall Prose: Katherine Hill, René Steinke, Igor Webb
Poetry: Paul Robichaud Fiction: Sarah Harris Wallman Nonfiction: Eric Schoeck
Poetry: Leslie Contreras Schwartz, Jim Daniels, Benjamin Garcia Fiction: Karen E. Bender, Shonda Buchanan, Dhonielle Clayton, S. Kirk Walsh Creative Nonfiction: Anna Clark, Matthew Gavin Frank, Donald Quist, Robert Vivian
Poetry: Kyle Dargan, David Keplinger Fiction: Dolen Perkins-Valdez, Stephanie Grant, Patricia Park Nonfiction: Rachel Louise Snyder
Poetry: Cathy Linh Che Prose: Lisa Locascio Nighthawk
Poetry: Genevieve Betts, Michelle Reale Fiction: Stephanie Feldman, Joshua Isard, Tracey Levine, Eric Smith Literature: Matthew Heitzman, Christopher Varlack, Elizabeth Vogel, Jo Ann Weiner
Poetry: Genevieve Betts, Michelle Reale Fiction: Stephanie Feldman, Joshua Isard, Tracey Levine, Eric Smith
Poetry: Sally Ball, Natalie Diaz, Alberto Álvaro Ríos, Safiya Sinclair Fiction: Matt Bell, Jenny Irish, Tara Ison, Mitchell Jackson, T. M. McNally Creative Nonfiction: Sarah Viren
Poetry: Dexter Booth, Marcelo Hernandez Castillo, Adam Gellings, Tess Taylor, Vanessa Angélica Villareal Fiction: Kirstin Chen, Edan Lepucki, Sarah Monette, Nayomi Munaweera, Vi Khi Nao, Naomi J. Williams, Kyle Winkler Nonfiction: Cass Donish, Kate Hopper, Lauren Markham, Thomas Mira y Lopez, Lisa Nikolidakis, Terese Mailhot
Poetry: Michael Kleber-Diggs Fiction: Stephan Eirik Clark, Lindsay Starck Nonfiction: Anika Fajardo Playwriting: Carson Kreitzer, TyLie Shider, Sarah Myers Screenwriting: Stephan Eirik Clark, Andy Froemke
Poetry: Katy Didden, Mark Neely Fiction: Cathy Day, Sean Lovelace Nonfiction: Jill Christman, Silas Hansen Screenwriting: Rani Deighe Crowe, Matt Mullins
Jess Arndt, Shiv Kotecha, Mirene Arsanios, Hannah Black, Trisha Low, Christoper Perez, Julian Talamantez Brolaski, Simone White
Poetry: Lucy English, Tim Liardet, John Strachan, Samantha Walton, Gerard Woodward Fiction: Gavin James Bower, Celia Brayfield, Alexia Casale, Anne-Marie Crowhurst, Lucy English, Nathan Filer, Aminatta Forna, Samantha Harvey, Philip Hensher, Steve Hollyman, Emma Hooper, Claire Kendal, Natasha Pulley, Kate Pullinger, C.J. Skuse, Gerard Woodward Nonfiction: Celia Brayfield, Lily Dunn, Richard Kerridge Scriptwriting: Robin Mukherjee
Poetry: Lucy English, Tim Liardet, Gerard Woodward Fiction: Gavin James Bower, Celia Brayfield, Anne-Marie Crowhurst, Nathan Filer, Aminatta Forna, Samantha Harvey, Philip Hensher, Claire Kendal, Natasha Pulley, Kate Pullinger, Gerard Woodward Nonfiction: Lily Dunn, Richard Kerridge
Mel Allen, Leanna James Blackwell, Jennifer Baker, Melanie Brooks, María Luisa Arroyo Cruzado, Shahnaz Habib, Susan Ito, Karol Jackowski, Yi Shun Lai, Anna Mantzaris, Meredith O’Brien, Mick Powell, Suzanne Strempek Shea, Tommy Shea, Kate Whouley
Poetry: Jennifer Chang, Michael Dumanis, Randall Mann, Craig Morgan Teicher, Mark Wunderlich Fiction: Peter Cameron, Jai Chakrabarti, Stacey D’Erasmo, Monica Ferrell, Rebecca Makkai, Stuart Nadler, Téa Obreht, Moriel Rothman-Zecher, Katy Simpson Smith, Taymour Soomro Nonfiction: Garrard Conley, Sabrina Orah Mark, Spencer Reece, Lance Richardson, Shawna Kay Rodenberg, Hugh Ryan, Greg Wrenn
Poetry: Tina Chang, Joseph Weil Fiction: Amir Ahmdi Arian, Thomas Glave, Leslie L. Heywood, Claire Luchette, Liz Rosenberg, Jaimee Wriston-Colbert, Alexi Zentner Nonfiction: Amir Ahmdi Arian, Leslie L. Heywood
Poetry: Julie Hensley, Young Smith Fiction: Julie Hensley, Robert Dean Johnson Nonfiction: Robert Dean Johnson, Evan J. Massey Playwriting: Young Smith
Poetry: Martin Corless-Smith, Sara Nicholson, Taryn Schwilling Fiction: Mitch Wieland (Director), Anna Caritj Creative Nonfiction: Chris Violet Eaton, Clyde Moneyhun
Poetry: Andrea Cohen, Karl Kirchwey, Robert Pinsky Fiction: Leslie Epstein, Jennifer Haigh, Ha Jin
Odile Cazenave, Yuri Corrigan, Margaret Litvin, Christopher Maurer, Roberta Micaleff, Robert Pinsky (advising), Stephen Scully, Sassan Tabatabai, J. Keith Vincent, William Waters, Dennis Wuerthner, Cathy Yeh, Anna Zielinska-Elliott
Poetry: Abigail Cloud, Amorak Huey, Sharona Muir, F. Dan Rzicznek, Larissa Szporluk, Jessica Zinz-Cheresnick Fiction: Joe Celizic, Lawrence Coates, Reema Rajbanshi, Michael Schulz
Poetry: Kimberly Johnson, Lance Larsen, Michael Lavers, John Talbot Fiction: Chris Crowe, Ann Dee Ellis, Spencer Hyde, Stephen Tuttle Nonfiction: Joey Franklin, Patrick Madden
Poetry: Julie Agoos, Ben Lerner Fiction: Joshua Henkin, Madeleine Thien Playwriting: Dennis A. Allen II, Elana Greenfield
The talent is there.
But the next generation of great American writers needs a collegial place to hone their craft.
They need a place to explore the writer’s role in a wider community.
They really need guidance about how and when to publish.
All these things can be found in a solid Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing degree program. This degree offers access to mentors, to colleagues, and to a future in the writing world.
A good MFA program gives new writers a precious few years to focus completely on their work, an ideal space away from the noise and pressure of the fast-paced modern world.
We’ve found ten of the best ones, all of which provide the support, the creative stimulation, and the tranquility necessary to foster a mature writer.
We looked at graduate departments from all regions, public and private, all sizes, searching for the ten most inspiring Creative Writing MFA programs.
Each of these ten institutions has assembled stellar faculties, developed student-focused paths of study, and provide robust support for writers accepted into their degree programs.
To be considered for inclusion in this list, these MFA programs all must be fully-funded degrees, as recognized by Read The Workshop .
Creative Writing education has broadened and expanded over recent years, and no single method or plan fits for all students.
Today, MFA programs across the country give budding short story writers and poets a variety of options for study. For future novelists, screenwriters – even viral bloggers – the search for the perfect setting for their next phase of development starts with these outstanding institutions, all of which have developed thoughtful and particular approaches to study.
So where will the next Salinger scribble his stories on the steps of the student center, or the next Angelou reading her poems in the local bookstore’s student-run poetry night? At one of these ten programs.
Here are 10 of the best creative writing MFA programs in the US.
Starting off the list is one of the oldest and most venerated Creative Writing programs in the country, the MFA at the University of Oregon.
Longtime mentor, teacher, and award-winning poet Garrett Hongo directs the program, modeling its studio-based approach to one-on-one instruction in the English college system.
Oregon’s MFA embraces its reputation for rigor. Besides attending workshops and tutorials, students take classes in more formal poetics and literature.
A classic college town, Eugene provides an ideal backdrop for the writers’ community within Oregon’s MFA students and faculty.
Tsunami Books , a local bookseller with national caché, hosts student-run readings featuring writers from the program.
Graduates garner an impressive range of critical acclaim; Yale Younger Poet winner Brigit Pegeen Kelly, Cave Canem Prize winner and Guggenheim fellow Major Jackson, and PEN-Hemingway Award winner Chang-Rae Lee are noteworthy alumni.
With its appealing setting and impressive reputation, Oregon’s MFA program attracts top writers as visiting faculty, including recent guests Elizabeth McCracken, David Mura, and Li-young Lee.
The individual approach defines the Oregon MFA experience; a key feature of the program’s first year is the customized reading list each MFA student creates with their faculty guide.
Weekly meetings focus not only on the student’s writing, but also on the extended discovery of voice through directed reading.
Accepting only ten new students a year—five in poetry and five in fiction— the University of Oregon’s MFA ensures a close-knit community with plenty of individual coaching and guidance.
Cornell University’s MFA program takes the long view on life as a writer, incorporating practical editorial training and teaching experience into its two-year program.
Incoming MFA students choose their own faculty committee of at least two faculty members, providing consistent advice as they move through a mixture of workshop and literature classes.
Students in the program’s first year benefit from editorial training as readers and editors for Epoch , the program’s prestigious literary journal.
Teaching experience grounds the Cornell program. MFA students design and teach writing-centered undergraduate seminars on a variety of topics, and they remain in Ithaca during the summer to teach in programs for undergraduates.
Cornell even allows MFA graduates to stay on as lecturers at Cornell for a period of time while they are on the job search. Cornell also offers a joint MFA/Ph.D. program through the Creative Writing and English departments.
Endowments fund several acclaimed reading series, drawing internationally known authors to campus for workshops and work sessions with MFA students.
Recent visiting readers include Salman Rushdie, Sandra Cisneros, Billy Collins, Margaret Atwood, Ada Limón, and others.
Arizona State’s MFA in Creative Writing spans three years, giving students ample time to practice their craft, develop a voice, and begin to find a place in the post-graduation literary world.
Coursework balances writing and literature classes equally, with courses in craft and one-on-one mentoring alongside courses in literature, theory, or even electives in topics like fine press printing, bookmaking, or publishing.
While students follow a path in either poetry or fiction, they are encouraged to take courses across the genres.
Teaching is also a focus in Arizona State’s MFA program, with funding coming from teaching assistantships in the school’s English department. Other exciting teaching opportunities include teaching abroad in locations around the world, funded through grants and internships.
The Virginia C. Piper Center for Creative Writing, affiliated with the program, offers Arizona State MFA students professional development in formal and informal ways.
The Distinguished Writers Series and Desert Nights, Rising Stars Conference bring world-class writers to campus, allowing students to interact with some of the greatest in the profession. Acclaimed writer and poet Alberto Ríos directs the Piper Center.
Arizona State transitions students to the world after graduation through internships with publishers like Four Way Books.
Its commitment to the student experience and its history of producing acclaimed writers—recent examples include Tayari Jones (Oprah’s Book Club, 2018; Women’s Prize for Fiction, 2019), Venita Blackburn ( Prairie Schooner Book Prize, 2018), and Hugh Martin ( Iowa Review Jeff Sharlet Award for Veterans)—make Arizona State University’s MFA a consistent leader among degree programs.
The University of Texas at Austin’s MFA program, the Michener Center for Writers, maintains one of the most vibrant, exciting, active literary faculties of any MFA program.
Denis Johnson D.A. Powell, Geoff Dyer, Natasha Trethewey, Margot Livesey, Ben Fountain: the list of recent guest faculty boasts some of the biggest names in current literature.
This three-year program fully funds candidates without teaching fellowships or assistantships; the goal is for students to focus entirely on their writing.
More genre tracks at the Michener Center mean students can choose two focus areas, a primary and secondary, from Fiction, Poetry, Screenwriting, and Playwriting.
The Michener Center for Writers plays a prominent role in contemporary writing of all kinds.
The hip, student-edited Bat City Review accepts work of all genres, visual art, cross genres, collaborative, and experimental pieces.
Recent events for illustrious alumni include New Yorker publications, an Oprah Book Club selection, a screenwriting prize, and a 2021 Pulitzer (for visiting faculty member Mitchell Jackson).
In this program, students are right in the middle of all the action of contemporary American literature.
The MFA in Creative Writing at Washington University in St. Louis is a program on the move: applicants have almost doubled here in the last five years.
Maybe this sudden growth of interest comes from recent rising star alumni on the literary scene, like Paul Tran, Miranda Popkey, and National Book Award winner Justin Phillip Reed.
Or maybe it’s the high profile Washington University’s MFA program commands, with its rotating faculty post through the Hurst Visiting Professor program and its active distinguished reader series.
Superstar figures like Alison Bechdel and George Saunders have recently held visiting professorships, maintaining an energetic atmosphere program-wide.
Washington University’s MFA program sustains a reputation for the quality of the mentorship experience.
With only five new students in each genre annually, MFA candidates form close cohorts among their peers and enjoy attentive support and mentorship from an engaged and vigorous faculty.
Three genre tracks are available to students: fiction, poetry, and the increasingly relevant and popular creative nonfiction.
Another attractive feature of this program: first-year students are fully funded, but not expected to take on a teaching role until their second year.
A generous stipend, coupled with St. Louis’s low cost of living, gives MFA candidates at Washington University the space to develop in a low-stress but stimulating creative environment.
It’s one of the first and biggest choices students face when choosing an MFA program: two-year or three-year?
Indiana University makes a compelling case for its three-year program, in which the third year of support allows students an extended period of time to focus on the thesis, usually a novel or book-length collection.
One of the older programs on the list, Indiana’s MFA dates back to 1948.
Its past instructors and alumni read like the index to an American Literature textbook.
How many places can you take classes in the same place Robert Frost once taught, not to mention the program that granted its first creative writing Master’s degree to David Wagoner? Even today, the program’s integrity and reputation draw faculty like Ross Gay and Kevin Young.
Indiana’s Creative Writing program houses two more literary institutions, the Indiana Review, and the Indiana University Writers’ Conference.
Students make up the editorial staff of this lauded literary magazine, in some cases for course credit or a stipend. An MFA candidate serves each year as assistant director of the much-celebrated and highly attended conference .
These two facets of Indiana’s program give graduate students access to visiting writers, professional experience, and a taste of the writing life beyond academia.
The University of Michigan’s Helen Zell Writers’ Program cultivates its students with a combination of workshop-driven course work and vigorous programming on and off-campus. Inventive new voices in fiction and poetry consistently emerge from this two-year program.
The campus hosts multiple readings, events, and contests, anchored by the Zell Visiting Writers Series. The Hopgood Awards offer annual prize money to Michigan creative writing students .
The department cultivates relationships with organizations and events around Detroit, so whether it’s introducing writers at Literati bookstore or organizing writing retreats in conjunction with local arts organizations, MFA candidates find opportunities to cultivate a community role and public persona as a writer.
What happens after graduation tells the big story of this program. Michigan produces heavy hitters in the literary world, like Celeste Ng, Jesmyn Ward, Elizabeth Kostova, Nate Marshall, Paisley Rekdal, and Laura Kasischke.
Their alumni place their works with venerable houses like Penguin and Harper Collins, longtime literary favorites Graywolf and Copper Canyon, and the new vanguard like McSweeney’s, Fence, and Ugly Duckling Presse.
Structure combined with personal attention and mentorship characterizes the University of Minnesota’s Creative Writing MFA, starting with its unique program requirements.
In addition to course work and a final thesis, Minnesota’s MFA candidates assemble a book list of personally significant works on literary craft, compose a long-form essay on their writing process, and defend their thesis works with reading in front of an audience.
Literary journal Great River Review and events like the First Book reading series and Mill City Reading series do their part to expand the student experience beyond the focus on the internal.
The Edelstein-Keller Visiting Writer Series draws exceptional, culturally relevant writers like Chuck Klosterman and Claudia Rankine for readings and student conversations.
Writer and retired University of Minnesota instructor Charles Baxter established the program’s Hunger Relief benefit , aiding Minnesota’s Second Harvest Heartland organization.
Emblematic of the program’s vision of the writer in service to humanity, this annual contest and reading bring together distinguished writers, students, faculty, and community members in favor of a greater goal.
One of the top institutions on any list, Brown University features an elegantly-constructed Literary Arts Program, with students choosing one workshop and one elective per semester.
The electives can be taken from any department at Brown; especially popular choices include Studio Art and other coursework through the affiliated Rhode Island School of Design. The final semester consists of thesis construction under the supervision of the candidate’s faculty advisor.
Brown is the only MFA program to feature, in addition to poetry and fiction tracks, the Digital/Cross Disciplinary track .
This track attracts multidisciplinary writers who need the support offered by Brown’s collaboration among music, visual art, computer science, theater and performance studies, and other departments.
The interaction with the Rhode Island School of Design also allows those artists interested in new forms of media to explore and develop their practice, inventing new forms of art and communication.
Brown’s Literary Arts Program focuses on creating an atmosphere where students can refine their artistic visions, supported by like-minded faculty who provide the time and materials necessary to innovate.
Not only has the program produced trailblazing writers like Percival Everett and Otessa Moshfegh, but works composed by alumni incorporating dance, music, media, and theater have been performed around the world, from the stage at Kennedy Center to National Public Radio.
When most people hear “MFA in Creative Writing,” it’s the Iowa Writers’ Workshop they imagine.
The informal name of the University of Iowa’s Program in Creative Writing, the Iowa Writers’ Workshop was the first to offer an MFA, back in 1936.
One of the first diplomas went to renowned writer Wallace Stegner, who later founded the MFA program at Stanford.
It’s hard to argue with seventeen Pulitzer Prize winners and six U.S. Poets Laureate. The Iowa Writers’ Workshop is the root system of the MFA tree.
The two-year program balances writing courses with coursework in other graduate departments at the university. In addition to the book-length thesis, a written exam is part of the student’s last semester.
Because the program represents the quintessential idea of a writing program, it attracts its faculty positions, reading series, events, and workshops the brightest lights of the literary world.
The program’s flagship literary magazine, the Iowa Review , is a lofty goal for writers at all stages of their career.
At the Writers’ Workshop, tracks include not only fiction, poetry, playwriting, and nonfiction, but also Spanish creative writing and literary translation. Their reading series in association with Prairie Lights bookstore streams online and is heard around the world.
Iowa’s program came into being in answer to the central question posed to each one of these schools: can writing be taught?
The answer for a group of intrepid, creative souls in 1936 was, actually, “maybe not.”
But they believed it could be cultivated; each one of these institutions proves it can be, in many ways, for those willing to commit the time and imagination.
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Popular category.
Ma in writing.
You bring the passion for storytelling, we’ll help you develop your craft, tap into your creativity, and increase your network. Our goal is that you will leave our program ready to write, publish, and edit at the highest levels possible.
The Johns Hopkins MA in Writing program reflects our university’s international reputation for academic rigor and creative innovation. Rooted in craft and led by working writers, our high-quality program is both challenging and supportive: We’re here to offer clear, straightforward, thoughtful feedback while creating a culture that encourages risk-taking.
At JHU, you will not only boost your writing, revision, and editing skills, but also learn how to read like a writer, to give and receive feedback, to find publishing opportunities, and to live the writing life.
We offer areas of concentration in nonfiction or fiction writing, each offering its own core courses and required electives that will explore craft elements like form, voice, structure, and style.
In addition to classes in your selected concentration, you’ll get to dabble in other genres like poetry, drama, playwriting, and screenwriting. Flesh out your schedule with classes from across genres, eras, themes, craft elements, and even from our science writing graduate programs.
The optional residency courses bring together our community for a week of sessions, workshops, readings, outings, receptions, and, of course, personal writing time. After all, you’re likely to be inspired by your surroundings!
Residency locations vary from year to year. We’ve been to Bar Harbor, Maine; Dublin, Ireland; and Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. Sometimes our writing residencies are integrated with the JHU science writing master’s program, giving you a chance to connect with even more writers and faculty members.
You will leave JHU with a solid, publishable portfolio. You’ll bring together the best of you for your thesis project. This could be part of a novel or memoir, or a collection of essays or short stories. You will work under the guidance of a faculty mentor to revise your project, while also taking a capstone workshop where you’ll discuss the writing life and practice and conduct public readings.
The MA in Writing program is one of the most flexible at JHU. You can complete your degree online in a dynamic and interactive learning environment, with the option to incorporate residency experiences into your studies.
Ma in writing information session, ma in science writing information session, student insights.
MA in Writing students share their perspectives about the program:
“I had written a novel and struggled, but since coming to the program I feel empowered, with a new set of tools and approaches to writing and work. ”
“I knew I wanted to go back to grad school, and with Johns Hopkins I knew you could work full time and complete the program. So I was very excited about that. ”
“With its thought-provoking methods and structure, this program has empowered me to feel confident to return to writing the stories I’ve always wanted to write.“
“Every professor is accessible and candid and wants to see you develop. I have never had that in a program before, which is why I would stay here above any other program. ”
Surround yourself with other creative writers: Your classmates and faculty members all have a story to tell.
Our faculty has been published in Education Week, The New York Review of Books, Time, and many literary journals and major newspapers. Research interests include pop music, Icelandic literature, digital media, creative writing, and multilingual writers.
Meet emerging and established writers from all professional backgrounds. Join a successful network of alumni with work in esteemed literary journals, major magazines and newspapers, and on the shelf at your local bookstore.
Our exciting summer residency option rotates locations. You could write near our campus in D.C. or Baltimore, on the rocky shores of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine, near Acadia National Park, or in the mountains near Shenandoah National Park, or even Dublin, Ireland.
Choose from a variety of workshops and electives, such as Children's Book Writing, Screenwriting, Sentence Power: From Craft to Art, The Essence of Place, Writing the Other, Travel Writing, Completing the Novel, Memoir and Personal Essay – plus a variety of fiction and nonfiction workshops.
We love to share updates about our students and faculty, as well as links to new publications.
Study creative writing online or on campus at Johns Hopkins University, among a community of writers dedicated to their craft.
Advanced academic programs admissions, audience menu.
Written by Alex Kale
Updated: April 11, 2024
Most schools have rolling admissions and financial help so you can start your degree in a few weeks!
For creative individuals eager to refine their craft under the guidance of accomplished mentors and dedicate significant time to their writing, pursuing a master’s in creative writing may be the next step in your journey. While these programs don’t guarantee a future as a bestselling novelist or a lauded poet, they offer substantial mentorship and a comprehensive education, setting a solid foundation for success in the literary field.
Most graduates find opportunities in academia, where the demand for college and university professors is expected to grow by 8% in the next decade, offering a median salary of $80,840 . These programs span 18 months to three years, and while costs vary, the average tuition was $19,749 for the 2020-2021 academic year.
Choose your area of study.
Selecting an area of study for your master’s in creative writing is an especially important first step for this degree, as many programs offer specialized tracks to better align with student interests.
For some students, deciding between poetry, fiction, nonfiction, or screenwriting may be relatively straightforward, as many come to these programs with existing interests and writing experience. This choice can be more challenging for others, requiring reflection on their interests and career goals.
Understanding your preferred genre or form is crucial. It will direct you to a program that best supports your aspirations, offering workshops, mentorship, and resources to hone your craft.
Once you’ve decided on an area of study, it’s time to research potential schools and programs that can support your educational and professional interests. Consider asking the following questions to guide your research:
This information can be found on university websites, by contacting admissions counselors or program coordinators, or by connecting with current students and alumni.
With your shortlist of programs in hand, you can begin preparing for tests and applications.
Focusing on crafting a solid writing sample is crucial, as this illustrates your skills and potential. However, it’s equally important to dedicate time to writing your personal statement and preparing for the GRE — if your program requires standardized test scores. Consider enrolling in a test prep program to improve your performance and boost your scores.
Remember transcripts and letters of recommendation; you’ll want to request these early, as they often take time to gather. To avoid any last-minute rushes, provide your recommenders with clear deadlines, typically around two months.
If you submit multiple applications, you may receive multiple acceptance letters. In these situations, set aside some time to revisit your initial research criteria to ensure you select the right program.
Consider curriculum relevance, faculty experience, and the strength of the alumni network, as mentorship is an essential aspect of these programs. Given their significant role in your development, you’ll want to choose faculty you’re eager to learn from. Lastly, assess the total cost of attendance alongside any financial aid offers, including fellowships and assistantships.
While financing your degree can feel daunting, many financial aid resources are available to help. Start by exploring scholarships and grants that don’t require repayment. Next, look into assistantships and fellowships offered by your institution, as these provide funding alongside resume-boosting professional experience.
Use federal loans sparingly to cover any remaining financial gaps. Remember that every dollar taken out on a loan will have to be repaid with interest, so minimize your reliance on these to avoid accruing debt.
intelligent score 99.39
#8 College Factual #8 Best Value Schools #21 College Rank
School Information
Cambridge, MA
Graduation Rate: 98%
Admission Rate: 4%
Urbanicity: City
School Size: Medium
Delivery Format Hybrid
Required Credits to Graduate 36
Estimated Cost per Credit $1,073
accreditation New England Commission of Higher Education
more program information Email: [email protected] Phone: 617-495-4024
intelligent score 99.12
#5 Best Value Schools #6 College Factual
Seattle, WA
Graduation Rate: 84%
Admission Rate: 53%
School Size: Large
Delivery Format On-Campus
Required Credits to Graduate 40
Estimated Cost per Credit Resident: $834 Non-Resident: $1,494
accreditation Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
more program information Email: [email protected] Phone: 206-543-9865
intelligent score 98.56
#3 Best Accredited Colleges #9 Best Value Schools #14 College Factual
Graduation Rate: 88%
Admission Rate: 19%
Required Credits to Graduate 32
Estimated Cost per Credit $2,083
more program information Email: [email protected] Phone: 617-353-2510
intelligent score 98.52
#4 College Factual #7 Best Accredited Colleges
Iowa City, IA
Graduation Rate: 71%
Admission Rate: 86%
Required Credits to Graduate 48
Estimated Cost per Credit $626
accreditation Higher Learning Commission
more program information Email: [email protected] Phone: 319-335-3847
intelligent score 98.33
#3 College Factual #14 Best Value Schools
Evanston, IL
Graduation Rate: 95%
Admission Rate: 7%
Estimated Cost per Credit $1,917
more program information Email: [email protected] Phone: 847-491-5279
intelligent score 98.22
#5 College Factual
Minneapolis, MN
Graduation Rate: 81%
Admission Rate: 73%
Required Credits to Graduate 45
Estimated Cost per Credit Resident: $1,593 Non-Resident: $2,465
more program information Email: [email protected] Phone: 612-625-6366
intelligent score 97.51
#1 College Rank
Danbury, CT
Graduation Rate: 52%
Admission Rate: 81%
Required Credits to Graduate 60
Estimated Cost per Credit $562
more program information Email: [email protected] Phone: 203-837-8243
intelligent score 97.05
#4 College Rank
Victoria, TX
Graduation Rate: 51%
Delivery Format On-Campus, Online
Estimated Cost per Credit Resident: $368 Non-Resident: $788
accreditation Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
more program information Email: [email protected] Phone: 877-970-4848
intelligent score 96.63
#5 Best Accredited Colleges #15 College Factual
New York, NY
Admission Rate: 21%
Estimated Cost per Credit $2,157
accreditation Middle States Commission on Higher Education
more program information Email: [email protected] Phone: 212-998-8816
intelligent score 96.06
#5 College Rank
Columbus, MS
Graduation Rate: 62%
Admission Rate: 99%
Urbanicity: Town
Estimated Cost per Credit $450
more program information Email: [email protected] Phone: 662-329-7169
intelligent score 94.96
Notre Dame, IN
Graduation Rate: 97%
Admission Rate: 15%
Urbanicity: Suburban
Estimated Cost per Credit $3,576
more program information Email: [email protected] Phone: 574-631-7226
intelligent score 94.59
Ellensburg, WA
Graduation Rate: 64%
Admission Rate: 88%
Estimated Cost per Credit Resident: $735 Non-Resident: $1,723
more program information Email: [email protected] Phone: 509-963-1546
intelligent score 94.39
Nashville, TN
Graduation Rate: 94%
Estimated Cost per Credit $1,140
more program information Email: [email protected] Phone: 615-343-2727
intelligent score 94.22
Graduation Rate: 82%
Admission Rate: 29%
Estimated Cost per Credit Resident: $1,210 Non-Resident: $1,863
more program information Email: [email protected] Phone: 512-471-4141
intelligent score 93.23
Graduation Rate: 74%
Admission Rate: 91%
Required Credits to Graduate 54
Estimated Cost per Credit Resident: $611 Non-Resident: $1,548
more program information Email: [email protected] Phone: 515-294-2180
intelligent score 92.70
El Paso, TX
Graduation Rate: 48%
Admission Rate: 100%
Estimated Cost per Credit Resident: $495 Non-Resident: $1,033
more program information Email: [email protected] Phone: 915-747-5237
intelligent score 91.36
Saint Charles, MO
Graduation Rate: 55%
Admission Rate: 75%
Estimated Cost per Credit $561
more program information Email: [email protected] Phone: 636-949-2000
intelligent score 91.05
Wilkes-Barre, PA
Admission Rate: 95%
Required Credits to Graduate 30-49
Estimated Cost per Credit $675 - $750
more program information Email: [email protected] Phone: 570-408-4527
intelligent score 90.14
Fairfax, VA
Estimated Cost per Credit In-State: $572 Out-of-State: $1,486
more program information Email: [email protected] Phone: 703-993-1180
intelligent score 90.07
Rexburg, ID
Graduation Rate: 65%
Admission Rate: 97%
Estimated Cost per Credit $480 - $960
more program information Email: [email protected] Phone: 801-422-4938
intelligent score 89.85
Buckhannon, WV
Admission Rate: 84%
School Size: Small
Required Credits to Graduate 49
Estimated Cost per Credit $475
more program information Email: [email protected] Phone: 304-473-8523
intelligent score 89.28
Raleigh, NC
Admission Rate: 47%
Estimated Cost per Credit In-state: $525 Out-of-state: $1,635
more program information Email: [email protected] Phone: 919-515-4106
intelligent score 87.26
Admission Rate: 74%
Required Credits to Graduate 39
Estimated Cost per Credit Resident: $1,862 Non-Resident: $3,391
more program information Email: [email protected] Phone: 734-764-6330
intelligent score 85.56
La Grande, OR
Graduation Rate: 38%
Admission Rate: 98%
Delivery Format On-Campus, Online, Hybrid
Estimated Cost per Credit $520
more program information Email: [email protected] Phone: 541-962-3393
intelligent score 85.28
Graduation Rate: 80%
Admission Rate: 89%
Estimated Cost per Credit Resident: $495 Non-Resident: $1,417
more program information Email: [email protected] Phone: 513-529-5221
intelligent score 84.41
San Marcos, TX
Graduation Rate: 61%
Admission Rate: 85%
Estimated Cost per Credit Resident: $357 Non-Resident: $767
more program information Email: [email protected] Phone: 512-245-2581
intelligent score 82.58
Tallahassee, FL
Admission Rate: 32%
Estimated Cost per Credit In-State: $479 Out-of-State: $1,111
more program information Email: [email protected] Phone: 850-644-4231
intelligent score 81.36
Spartanburg, SC
Graduation Rate: 56%
Admission Rate: 82%
Estimated Cost per Credit $640
more program information Email: [email protected] Phone: 864-596-9040
intelligent score 81.18
Bowling Green, OH
Graduation Rate: 58%
Estimated Cost per Credit Resident: $536 Non-Resident: $868
more program information Email: [email protected] Phone: 419-372-2791
intelligent score 80.53
Mississippi State, MS
Graduation Rate: 60%
Admission Rate: 80%
Required Credits to Graduate 30
Estimated Cost per Credit Resident: $545 Non-Resident: $1,476
more program information Email: [email protected] Phone: 662-325-7400
intelligent score 79.83
Syracuse, NY
Admission Rate: 59%
Estimated Cost per Credit $1,872
more program information Email: [email protected] Phone: 315-443-4322
intelligent score 79.53
Philadelphia, PA
Graduation Rate: 68%
Admission Rate: 83%
Estimated Cost per Credit $691
more program information Email: [email protected] Phone: 215-895-1805
intelligent score 79.21
Gainesville, FL
Graduation Rate: 72%
Admission Rate: 66%
Estimated Cost per Credit In-State: $471 Out-of-State: $1,116
more program information Email: [email protected] Phone: 352-392-6622
intelligent score 78.90
San Diego, CA
Graduation Rate: 79%
Admission Rate: 38%
Estimated Cost per Credit Resident: $368 Non-Resident: $764
more program information Email: [email protected] Phone: 619-594-5443
intelligent score 78.66
Graduation Rate: 96%
Admission Rate: 9%
Estimated Cost per Credit $1,093
more program information Email: [email protected] Phone: 607-255-6800
intelligent score 78.46
Adelphi, MD
Graduation Rate: 30%
Estimated Cost per Credit Resident: $828 Non-Resident: $1,805
more program information Email: [email protected] Phone: 301-405-3809
intelligent score 78.22
Graduation Rate: 59%
Admission Rate: 92%
Required Credits to Graduate 30-39
Estimated Cost per Credit In-State: $557 Out-of-State: $1,696
more program information Email: [email protected] Phone: 207-581-3291
intelligent score 78.1
Admission Rate: 87%
Estimated Cost per Credit $514
more program information Email: [email protected] Phone: 402-554-3857
intelligent score 78.06
Required Credits to Graduate 42
Estimated Cost per Credit Resident: $1,028 Non-Resident: $2,428
more program information Email: [email protected] Phone: 520-621-9771
intelligent score 77.99
Glenside, PA
Estimated Cost per Credit $840
more program information Email: [email protected] Phone: 877-272-2342
intelligent score 77.90
Ashland, OH
Graduation Rate: 66%
Admission Rate: 70%
Urbanicity: Rural
Estimated Cost per Credit $860
more program information Email: [email protected] Phone: 419-289-5098
intelligent score 77.55
Estimated Cost per Credit Resident: $897 Non-Resident: $1,472
more program information Email: [email protected] Phone: 480-727-9130
intelligent score 74.80
Admission Rate: 41%
Estimated Cost per Credit $1,402
more program information Email: [email protected] Phone: 617-824-8610
intelligent score 74.51
Huntsville, AL
Graduation Rate: 54%
Admission Rate: 77%
Estimated Cost per Credit Resident: $635 Non-Resident: $1,660
more program information Email: [email protected] Phone: 205-348-5065
intelligent score 73.95
Flagstaff, AZ
Estimated Cost per Credit Resident: $790 Non-Resident: $1,956
more program information Email: [email protected] Phone: 928-523-4911
intelligent score 72.63
Charlotte, NC
Admission Rate: 69%
Required Credits to Graduate 52
Estimated Cost per Credit $815
more program information Email: [email protected] Phone: 704-337-2499
intelligent score 72.15
Champaign, IL
Graduation Rate: 86%
Admission Rate: 60%
Estimated Cost per Credit Resident: $878 Non-Resident: $1,897
more program information Email: [email protected] Phone: 217-333-2391
intelligent score 72.10
Graduation Rate: 73%
Admission Rate: 72%
Required Credits to Graduate 33
Estimated Cost per Credit In-State: $1,053 Out-of-State: $1,449
more program information Email: [email protected] Phone: 215-204-1796
intelligent score 71.64
Graduation Rate: 63%
Estimated Cost per Credit $925
more program information Email: [email protected] Phone: 617-349-8300
intelligent score 71.32
Salt Lake City, UT
Estimated Cost per Credit Resident: $1,272 Non-Resident: $4,517
more program information Email: [email protected] Phone: 801-581-6168
How we rank schools.
We reviewed many master’s in creative writing programs, including ones offered on-campus, online, and through both modes. Most of these degrees are offered as a Master of Fine Arts (MFA), which is considered a terminal degree in the fine arts field.
The institutions on this list are all approved by a DOE-recognized regional accrediting organization, such as the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) or the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE). Attending an accredited degree program guarantees you’ll receive a quality education and ensures your degree will be recognized by other schools and employers. Recognition is important if you decide to transfer or hope to teach at a school.
We evaluated each program on the basis of flexibility, faculty, course strength, cost, and reputation. Then, we calculated the Intelligent Score for each program on a scale from 0 to 100. For a more extensive explanation, check out Our Ranking Methodology .
By earning a master’s in creative writing, you’ll enter an immersive program designed to refine your writing craft, critical thinking, and editorial skills across various genres — including fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and even screenplay writing.
Spanning 18 months to three years, these programs combine workshops, literature courses, and seminars to strengthen your understanding of narrative structure, character development, and the nuances of language and style. You’ll hone your unique voice and storytelling abilities through intensive writing practice and feedback from peers and seasoned faculty. Critical analysis of literary work complements your creative endeavors, improving your ability to critique and incorporate literary techniques into your writing.
These programs typically culminate in a thesis — a substantial, original piece of creative work (like a novel, a collection of poems, or short stories) that demonstrates mastery and readiness to contribute to the literary world.
How do i apply to a master's in creative writing degree program.
To apply for a master’s in creative writing degree program, you’ll need to start by researching the specific requirements of your chosen institution, as they can vary. However, many programs share common application criteria — like the following:
Before applying, be sure to reach out to an admissions counselor. They can provide insights into the program, help answer any questions, and guide you through the application process.
The cost of this degree will vary depending on the institution — however, the average graduate tuition for the 2020-2021 academic year was $19,749 . This figure does not account for additional expenses such as housing, commuting, library fees, and textbooks, which can significantly increase the total cost of earning your degree. As a prospective student, you should thoroughly assess these costs to create a comprehensive budget — ensuring that pursuing this degree aligns with your professional and financial goals.
Earning your master’s in creative writing usually takes two years of full-time study, though some programs may extend to three years due to additional credit requirements. For this reason, it’s crucial to check each program’s credit prerequisites, as this directly influences completion time.
Part-time students generally have up to five years to fulfill their degree obligations, but some institutions offer more flexibility, allowing for a more extended timeline.
For All Online Programs
On Campus, need or have Visa
For All Campus Programs
Cost per credit $637
Total courses 16
Term length 10 Weeks
Share your story with the world with an online Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Writing . Throughout the program, you'll learn from talented writers who will help you sharpen your skills. Not only will you graduate from the program with a completed novel, but you'll also learn about the business side of creative writing — so you can feel prepared to market your work.
And while most MFA programs require a residency, Southern New Hampshire University's online MFA in Creative Writing can be completed entirely online, with no travel necessary.
Skills you'll learn:
Explore genres, develop your writing skills and learn how to market yourself with an MFA in Creative Writing from SNHU. By the end of the program, you'll have written and revised a complete novel in one of four genres: contemporary, young adult, romance and speculative.
And with embedded certificates in either online teaching of writing or professional writing , you'll have the skills to support your writing career – no matter where you're headed next.
In the MFA Creative Writing program, you'll study the craft of writing, selecting novels for close study of the elements of writing, authorial techniques, genre conventions and creative decisions.
And as one of the only programs of its kind that encourages a focus on genre fiction, our online MFA lets you hone your craft in an area specific to your strengths and interests. This culminates as your thesis project – a completed novel in the contemporary, young adult, romance or speculative genre.
At SNHU, we also know there's more to a career in writing than perfecting your craft. That's why the online MFA Creative Writing program puts a strong focus on the practical skills you'll need to succeed in the industry. This includes studying the publication process, helping you make informed decisions to get your work into readers' hands.
Visit the course catalog to view the full MFA in Creative Writing curriculum .
Component Type | PC (Windows OS) |
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Operating System | Currently supported operating system from Microsoft. |
Memory (RAM) | 8GB or higher |
Hard Drive | 100GB or higher |
Antivirus Software | Required for campus students. Strongly recommended for online students. |
SNHU Purchase Programs | |
Internet/ Bandwidth | 5 Mbps Download, 1 Mbps Upload and less than 100ms Latency |
Component Type | Apple (Mac OS) |
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Operating System | Currently supported operating system from Apple. |
Memory (RAM) | 8GB or higher |
Hard Drive | 100GB or higher |
Antivirus Software | Required for campus students. Strongly recommended for online students. |
SNHU Purchase Programs | |
Internet/ Bandwidth | 5 Mbps Download, 1 Mbps Upload and less than 100ms Latency |
Additional Information:
SNHU has provided additional information for programs that educationally prepare students for professional licensure or certification. Learn more about what that means for your program on our licensure and certification disclosure page .
In addition to a focus on your creative interests, part of our 48-credit online MFA curriculum requires you to choose from 2 certificate offerings. These certificates are included as part of your MFA program and are thoughtfully designed to round out your education and better prepare you for a multitude of writing-related careers.
The Graduate Certificate in Online Teaching of Writing could be the right fit for you if you're interested in teaching in an online classroom setting — a great supplement to a writing career. You'll learn approaches to editing and coaching, as well as how to establish a virtual instructor presence and cultivate methods for supporting and engaging students within online writing communities.
Alternatively, you might be more drawn to the Graduate Certificate in Professional Writing , which highlights the technical and business opportunities available to writers. Students will develop a range of skills, such as copywriting, social media, marketing principles and content generation, learning many of the freelancing skills integral to today’s project-driven economy.
Every graduate of Southern New Hampshire University's online MFA program will leave the program with a 50,000-word manuscript for a novel in one of the four genres the program covers – contemporary, young adult, romance or speculative genre.
If you'd rather combine elements of the four offered genres, you can do that, too. For example, you might write a YA speculative fiction novel. Throughout your tenure in the program, you can choose to work on a singular idea that you will develop during the three thesis courses, or begin a new project for your thesis.
"My three thesis classes for the MFA degree were the most helpful," said Kathleen Harris '21 . "I was actually writing a book as my thesis, so it was both enjoyable and advantageous for the degree. And it was the end of a very long milestone of accomplishments."
Our no-commitment application can help you decide if SNHU is the right college for you and your career goals. Apply up until 2 days before the term starts!
Upcoming term starts: January 06, 2025 | March 24, 2025
Online student experience what’s it like going to snhu.
Attending college online at SNHU can be a life-changing experience. In fact, 93.2% of online students would recommend SNHU according to a 2023 survey with 21,000+ respondents.
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You’ll take your courses within SNHU’s Brightspace platform. This is where you’ll find your:
Our online MFA program is taught by a diverse and accomplished faculty of professional writers, who bring with them decades of experience and exhibit strong leadership both in the classroom and in their professional careers. This experience informs the development of courses and curriculum that can help position MFA graduates for success, wherever they go next.
Melissa hart.
Melissa Hart is the author of seven books. Her nonfiction writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Smithsonian, CNN, The Los Angeles Times and more. She was a contributing editor at The Writer Magazine for 15 years and is a frequent contributor at writing conferences across the Northwest.
Position Adjunct Instructor, MFA
Joined SNHU 2017
"This is a smart, well-crafted program designed for diverse writers who may work full-time and be involved in caregiving, as well. Kind-hearted, talented instructors guide you every step of the way, from a basic study of genre fiction to preparing a polished thesis manuscript for professional publication."
At Southern New Hampshire University, you'll have access to a powerful network of more than 400,000 students, alumni and staff that can help support you long after graduation. Our instructors offer relevant, real-world expertise to help you understand and navigate the field. Plus, with our growing, nationwide alumni network, you'll have the potential to tap into a number of internship and career opportunities.
Recently, SNHU has been nationally recognized for leading the way toward more innovative, affordable and achievable education:
Founded in 1932 , Southern New Hampshire University is a private, nonprofit institution with over 180,000 graduates across the country. SNHU is accredited by the regional accreditor New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), which advocates for institutional improvement and public assurance of quality.
No application fee. No test scores. And no college essay. Just a simple form with basic information. It’s another way SNHU helps you reach your goals sooner.
It's easy, fast and free.
Whether you're applying for an undergraduate or graduate degree, you’ll fill out a form to verify your previous education experience. As part of our admissions process, we'll help you request transcripts from your previous school(s) to see if you can transfer any credits into your SNHU program! (Also for free!)
Additional requirements:
Additional requirements for the online MFA include a creative writing sample (8-12 pages) and a personal statement. Writing samples will be evaluated on narrative technique and structure, character and setting, and the command and execution of language. The personal statement asks you to explain how someone else’s story – such as a novel, movie, or a personal account – has impacted their life and influenced their drive to become a writer.
After reviewing your official evaluation, you can decide if SNHU is right for you! If you choose to enroll, just pick your start date and get ready for classes to begin.
Talk to an admission counselor: 888.327.SNHU | [email protected]
SNHU is accredited by the regional accreditor the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) , which means we meet certain standards of academic quality, and have the tools and resources necessary for students to be successful. The university also carries specialized accreditations for some programs.
As a nonprofit university, SNHU offers some of the lowest online tuition rates in the country. And when you work with our Financial Services team, we'll explore ways to help you save even more on your education – and customize a payment plan that works for you.
*before previously earned credits are applied
Tuition rates are subject to change and are reviewed annually.
**Note: Students receiving this rate are not eligible for additional discounts.
Additional costs: Course materials vary by course.
If 3 of your prior learning credits ($637/credit) are accepted toward your master’s degree.
Your remaining tuition cost: $17,199
If 9 of your prior learning credits ($637/credit) are accepted toward your master’s degree.
Your remaining tuition cost: $13,377
If 12 of your prior learning credits ($637/credit) are accepted toward your master’s degree.
Your remaining tuition cost: $11,466
How we estimate your tuition cost:
We look at the cost per credit multiplied by the number of credits you need to earn for a master's degree. This master's degree requires 48 credits. SNHU allows you to transfer in up to 12 credits, requiring a minimum of 36 credits to be taken at SNHU. This is only a tuition estimator and doesn't account for other fees that may be associated with your program of choice.
Transfer credits toward your master's degree program at SNHU. If you’ve taken one course or many, we’ll evaluate them for you.
Fill out the FAFSA to see if you’re eligible for grants or work-study. (You could also be offered loans, though you’ll have to pay those back later.)
Earn credits in leadership, technology and more – while taking advantage of an online graduate tuition discount for active-duty service members and spouses.
Getting free money for college – from SNHU or an outside organization – could help you save hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
Bring in credits from popular options like CLEP, Sophia Learning, Google and other common credit for prior learning (CPL) experiences.
Receive an online tuition discount if your organization has partnered with SNHU for educational benefits. And consider asking your employer about tuition reimbursement.
If becoming a novelist is your dream, the online MFA in Creative Writing program is a great stepping stone. You'll sharpen your writing skills and apply critique to your work, finishing the program with a complete and publishable novel.
At SNHU, embedded certificates prepare you for even more career opportunities. You’ll graduate with skills needed to make a living as a professional writer in a variety of fields – from marketing, public relations and content writing to grant writing, publishing and teaching.
In addition to careers as authors or editors, MFA graduates can find roles in a wide array of industries, including:
Teach writing courses in higher education at a college or university, either in-person or online.
Influence consumer action through copywriting, from print ads to digital advertising and broadcast commercials.
Create written content such as blog posts, ebooks and podcasts that attract and retain customers.
From movies and plays to comedy and podcasts, writers often find success in the entertainment industry.
Increase in postsecondary teaching positions through 2032, projected by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 1
Median annual salary for writers and authors as of May 2023. In the same timeframe, editors made $75,020 and postsecondary teachers made $84,380. 1
Understanding the numbers When reviewing job growth and salary information, it’s important to remember that actual numbers can vary due to many different factors—like years of experience in the role, industry of employment, geographic location, worker skill and economic conditions. Cited projections do not guarantee actual salary or job growth.
I came out of the MFA program with a whole toolbox of writing skills, a solid idea of how the business side of writing works, a finished manuscript — and the confidence to go forward with publishing.
Tara Lynn Conrad '21G
I was attracted to the program because it was fully online. I work full time and have two small children – I did not have time to attend in-person classes. This program gave me the flexibility that I needed to attend school and live my life.
Felicia Warden '20G
The instructors were helpful and the resources were endless. The writing center offered a lot of assistance, and I even made some friends that I will have long after I leave.
Jamilla Geter '21G
A well-designed MFA in Creative Writing will build solid writing skills and a foundation in the business of many writing-related careers. Southern New Hampshire University’s online MFA in Creative Writing is one such practical, business-focused program. It teaches students to revise and reflect on their art while learning the print and digital business models — even digital tools — they need to support their creative endeavors.
Graduates of SNHU’s program come away knowing how to use business tools like project management software and online freelance editing resources.
Publishing industry expert and “Publishers Weekly” columnist Jane Friedman – and a subject-matter expert who helped develop the program at SNHU – points to another important aspect of business-oriented programs: writing in the digital age. Most MFA creative writing programs, she said, “are concerned only with artistic excellence. That's fine up until the point you start thinking about how to build a paying career."
Friedman went on to say, “I have a special interest in how the digital age is transforming writing careers, publishing and storytelling. Rather than taking a dark view of how the Internet era has affected writers’ livelihoods, I'm more interested in how revolutionary change can inspire new business models and how authorship will ultimately evolve.”
Yes. SNHU’s MFA in Creative Writing requires no specific undergraduate background. You could have a degree in accounting, as long as you have a passion for writing and your writing sample shows potential.
Because we understand that people start or change careers at any point across their lifetime, we want to ensure access to all of our programs to any student who wishes to learn more about that area of study and earn a credential in that field.
According to Poets & Writers, there are more than 200 MFA in Creative Writing programs throughout the United States. Of those, the vast majority are either full-residency or low-residency programs. 2
Determining which is the best creative writing program comes down to how you answer this question: Which one is best for you ?
Once you’ve narrowed your options by reviewing rankings, school reputations and course offerings, consider the demands on your life: Can you take time off from work to pursue a traditional MFA with a residency requirement? Do you have responsibilities at home that will limit how much time you can devote to your studies? How quickly do you want to earn your degree? And, last but not least, what’s your budget?
Many elite literary programs require 2-year residency commitments. Some welcome only traditional literary fiction – not a wide range of genres. SNHU’s online MFA in Creative Writing can be completed entirely online with no residency requirement. It’s also one of the only programs that welcomes genre writers, which means you can hone your craft in an area tailored to your strengths and interests.
You'll also have a sense of community – even in an online environment. So if you're looking for the chance to get involved as an online student, SNHU's the place for you. Our opportunities to join the ranks of fellow writers include:
Finally, our program gives you the option to pursue one of 2 graduate writing certificates – online teaching of writing and professional writing – making it a pragmatic choice for a wide variety of career directions.
To MA or to MFA? Once you've decided to earn an advanced degree in creative writing, you need to drill down into the specifics to know which option best fits your needs: What do you want to learn? What skills do you want to acquire? What are your career aspirations?
Practically speaking, a Master of Fine Arts differs from a Master of Arts in a few fundamental ways:
Kathleen Harris '21G completed both her MA and MFA at SNHU.
"Both programs were wonderful not only because of the capable professors and instructors, but mainly because I felt I was working toward a goal of both writing and teaching in the field," said the graduate, who finished her MFA in 2021.
Read more about MA vs MFA .
Yes. The MFA is considered a terminal degree, which is similar to professional degrees granted in other fields, such as the PhD or the EdD, according to guidelines established by the College Art Association of America. 3 For that reason, most universities view it as a qualification to teach creative writing at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.
In fact, the curriculum for the online MFA degree at Southern New Hampshire University may set you up for success in this area. Students in the program are required to choose one of two embedded certificate offerings – one of them being a Graduate Certificate in Online Teaching of Writing.
The certificate requires 4 courses:
Throughout your courses, you'll learn how to develop your own approach to teaching the craft. You'll explore tools for web-based courses and writing workshops, and you'll practice effective approaches to editing and coaching.
Once completed, you should be able to create a positive and influential virtual instructor presence and methods for supporting and engaging students within online communities.
Yes, you can earn your MFA online, but many schools require a face-to-face residency component – meaning time away from your current job and busy schedule. Many, but not all.
In fact, SNHU’s program is one of the few 100% online MFAs available. The university assembled a who's-who from the world of professional writing to build the program, bringing together authors from a diverse range of genres in the process. The result is an online MFA program that embraces the perspectives of many different writers and students.
For many students, earning an MFA online is the only way they'd be able to make it happen. Learning online certainly doesn't mean you'll be isolated – especially at SNHU. No matter the type of fiction they want to write, MFA students will find teachers and fellow students who share their interests.
It depends on how you define “worth it.” Whether it's an undergraduate creative writing degree or a master's, a degree in the subject is worth pursuing if your goals include becoming a better writer and increasing your chances of successfully publishing your work.
SNHU’s online creative writing MFA is designed to teach students how to adapt to an evolving literary and publishing landscape. In their courses, students embrace the digital tools that will help them forge successful writing careers.
Our curriculum creators and faculty also know the road to becoming a successful author is not always easy. That's why our creative writing program has a dual focus:
Related articles.
1 Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, on the internet, at:
Cited projections may not reflect local and/or short-term economic or job conditions and do not guarantee actual job growth.
2 Poets & Writers, MFA Programs Database, on the internet, at https://www.pw.org/mfa (viewed June 20, 2024).
3 College Art Association of America, Guidelines for the MFA Degree in Art and Design, on the internet, at https://www.collegeart.org/standards-and-guidelines/guidelines/mfa (viewed June 20, 2024).
Choosing a great creative writing school for your master's degree, quality overall is important, other factors we consider, more ways to rank creative writing schools, best schools for master’s students to study creative writing in the united states, 23 top schools for a master's in creative writing, rest of the top best creative writing master's degree schools, honorable mentions.
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26 | Philadelphia, PA | |
27 | Tempe, AZ | |
28 | Flagstaff, AZ | |
29 | Champaign, IL | |
30 | San Marcos, TX | |
24 | Saint Charles, MO | |
25 | Forest Grove, OR |
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Best associate degrees in creative writing, best doctorate degrees in creative writing, best bachelor's degrees in creative writing, best overall in creative writing, rankings in majors related to creative writing, most popular related majors.
Related Major | Annual Graduates |
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338 | |
151 | |
119 | |
93 |
Popular reports, compare your school options.
College of Arts and Sciences
Expand your knowledge and hone your craft with our fully funded, three-year master’s degree in creative writing, which combines the intimacy of a small program with visits by renowned authors from around the world.
Our dynamic MFA program provides a rigorous yet nurturing community where aspiring writers can compose, experiment, learn and evolve. You’ll have the chance to work with stellar faculty, which includes winners of the National Book Award, the PEN Open Book Award, the Berkshire Prize and the Iowa Poetry Prize (to name only a few).
Internationally recognized faculty.
Learn from our diverse and dynamic faculty of inspiring teachers, dedicated mentors and award-winning writers.
Engage with renowned authors from around the world through the Open Book as well as our Fall Literary Festival and other series.
Hone your teaching skills and ignite a love of writing in young learners by visiting local public schools as a Split P fellow.
Support and promote new literary work by established and emerging authors by editing our annual print journal.
Popular experiences include Fiction and Poetry workshops as well as our annual literary events. Study literature, theory of teaching composition, and electives while completing a book-length MFA project with the mentorship of faculty. Graduates have gone on to careers as authors and agents, in publishing and on the faculty at universities.
Gain the professional and personal intelligence it takes to have a successful career.
Creating professional written content for inclusion in scholarly journal articles, books and reports
Thinking imaginatively, generating original ideas and expressing unique perspectives through art and innovation
Cultivating an understanding of artistic and abstract concepts, enhancing appreciation for beauty and creative expression
Foster learning by conveying knowledge, skills and concepts to students
Gathering and analyzing information to increase knowledge or solve problems
Analyzing and evaluating information to make informed decisions or judgments
Make your college experience the foundation for a successful future.
Learn how alumni use degrees with outcome data from Gamecock GradStats , a service of the University of South Carolina Career Center.
Five to 10 years after graduation without additional education $76,434
Faculty members in the creative writing program are generous with their time and advice, while taking a light hand in shaping your experience. I have the guidance I need while being able to make my own decisions and explorations.
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Many people write creatively, but few hone their skills to develop their writing craft to its highest form. Even fewer learn the other skills it takes to become a successful writer, such as the steps needed to get a book published and into the hands of readers. Liberty’s 100% online Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Writing can help you develop your writing passion into a career so you can set your works free to impact culture and the world.
Employers in every industry need professionals who have strong writing skills, so you can be confident that your ability to write effectively can also help set you apart in your current career. With in-demand writing expertise and the ability to customize your degree with electives in literature or writing practice, Liberty’s online MFA in Creative Writing can help you achieve your professional writing goals.
Our online MFA in Creative Writing is designed to help you build on your writing skills with specific workshops dedicated to the craft of fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, or screenwriting. With a work-in-progress approach to writing practice and mentorship from our faculty of experienced writers and scholars, you can learn the specific skills you need to make your writing stand out.
Ranked in the Top 10% of Niche.com’s Best Online Schools in America
Our online MFA in Creative Writing is mainly offered in an 8-week course format, and our tuition rate for graduate programs hasn’t increased in 9 years. Through our program, you can study the writing process and develop your creative skills through workshops with experienced writing professionals. With our flexible format, you can grow in your creative writing while continuing to do what is important to you.
As a terminal degree, the online MFA in Creative Writing can also help you pursue opportunities to teach writing at the K-12 or college level. You will gain comprehensive and in-depth exposure to writing, literature, publishing, and many other professional writing skills that you can pass on to students. Partner with the Liberty family and learn under faculty who have spent years in the field you love. Your career in professional writing starts here.
The MFA in Creative Writing program is designed to help you become an excellent creative writer across the genres of creative fiction, nonfiction, screenwriting, and poetry. You can learn how to produce aesthetically and culturally engaged creative works while gaining professional knowledge and practice. You will also study foundational contemporary literature so that you have a background in studying important works to draw on for your writing.
To help you in your professional writing, you will also study many essential skills in editing, layout, and the business of publishing so that you can best position yourself for success in the market. Through your creative writing courses and workshops, you can develop your craft so that you will be ready for your thesis project.
Here are a few examples of the skills Liberty’s MFA in Creative Writing can help you master:
Degree Completion Plan
Speak to one of our admissions specialists to help you choose the program that best fits your needs.
Your success is our success, which is why we are committed to providing quality academics at an affordable tuition rate. While other colleges are increasing their tuition, we have frozen tuition rates for the majority of our undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs for the past 9 years – and counting.
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Admission requirements.
*A sample of one or more poems totaling a minimum of 750 words may also be submitted. Song lyrics are not accepted at this time as writing samples.
If you are sending in a preliminary transcript for acceptance, you must:
Please see the Online Dual Enrollment page for information about starting graduate courses while finishing your bachelor’s degree.
Unofficial college transcript policy.
Unofficial transcripts combined with a Transcript Request Form can be used for admission. Official transcripts are required within 60 days of the admissions decision or before non-attendance drops for the first set of matriculated classes, whichever comes first, and will prevent enrollment into future terms until all official transcripts have been received.
Before sending unofficial college transcripts, please make sure they include the following:
An acceptable official college transcript is one that has been issued directly from the institution and is in a sealed envelope. If you have one in your possession, it must meet the same requirements. If your previous institution offers electronic official transcript processing, they can send the document directly to [email protected] .
If the student uses unofficial transcripts with a Transcript Request Form to gain acceptance, all official transcripts must be received within 60 days of the admissions decision or before non-attendance drops for the first set of matriculated classes, whichever comes first. Failure to send all official transcripts within the 60-day period will prevent enrollment into future terms until all official transcripts have been received.
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What is an mfa in creative writing.
A Master of Fine Arts degree, or MFA, is a terminal degree in an artistic craft that demonstrates that you have achieved the highest level of training and skill in your discipline. Like a doctorate, an MFA often allows you to teach courses at the graduate level while also providing many opportunities for scholarship and leadership in education. If you want to grow your creative writing skills to become the best writer you can be, then the Master of Fine Arts can help you get there.
With creative writing workshops and a thesis project, you will receive support and guidance to help you become the best writer you can be.
You can complete the MFA in Creative Writing in just 48 credit hours!
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The Bachelor of Liberal Arts degree is designed for industry professionals with years of work experience who wish to complete their degrees part time, both on campus and online, without disruption to their employment. Our typical student is over 30, has previously completed one or two years of college, and works full time.
Students enrolled in the Master of Liberal Arts program in Creative Writing & Literature will develop skills in creative writing and literary analysis through literature courses and writing workshops in fiction, screenwriting, poetry, and nonfiction. Through online group courses and one-on-one tutorials, as well as a week on campus, students hone their craft and find their voice.
College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
Graduate Students
Our three-year MFA program provides students with graduate study and professional training in the writing of fiction and poetry with our distinguished graduate faculty.
The Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Writing is a terminal degree awarded by the University of Illinois. Our three-year MFA program provides students with graduate study and professional training in the writing of fiction and poetry with our distinguished graduate faculty : Ángel García , Janice Harrington , Amy Hassinger , Christopher Kempf , Ted Sanders , Alex Shakar , Corey Van Landingham, and David Wright .
The primary goal of the MFA in Creative Writing is to give literary artists time and space to work on perfecting their art. Students will teach creative writing and produce a book-length, publishable manuscript. Students will also gain extensive experience in literary editing and publishing while enrolled in the program.
Teaching Assistantships, Fellowships, and Tuition Waivers
The MFA program at the University of Illinois is fully funded. Students accepted into the program will receive full tuition waivers, guaranteed teaching assistantships, and partial-fee waivers for the duration of the program, as long as they remain in good standing and make reasonable progress toward their degree.
Stipends for MFA students are competitive and the low cost of living in the area is quite reasonable. In their first year, all entering MFA candidates will receive a 1/1 teaching assistantship (one class each semester). In their second year, students will receive a 2/1 assistantship, with opportunities for teaching-load reduction in the form of publishing-job-training graduate assistantships with our award-winning literary magazine, Ninth Letter. In their third year, students will again receive a 1/1 teaching assistantship.
Most semesters, teaching assignments will be in the undergraduate rhetoric program. MFA students will also teach at least one undergraduate creative-writing workshop, with an opportunity to teach additional undergraduate classes in creative writing. In recent semesters, MFA students have taught CW 104 Fiction Writing I, CW 106 Poetry Writing I, and CW 200 Reading for Writers, among other courses.
For application requirements and instructions, please visit Application Requirements for Prospective Students .
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The faculty of the Creative Writing Program represent a diverse range of writing and teaching styles and interests. Faculty members work and teach actively in a wide variety of genres and media, including poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, juvenile fiction, theater, and film. Faculty members have received numerous awards and fellowships, including the Los Angeles Times Book Prize in Fiction, the O’Henry Prize in fiction, the Pushcart Prize, the A. Poulin Jr. Poetry Prize, the Kate Tufts Discovery Prize, the Levis Prize, the William Peden Prize, the FC2 National Fiction Competition, the Academy of American Poets Award, the Bakeless Prize, the Wallace Stegner fellowship, and fellowships from the NEA, Guggenheim Foundation, Yaddo, MacDowell, CantoMundo, Bread Loaf, Sewanee, and many others.
Follow the links below to learn more about our MFA program's core faculty members:
Ángel García
Janice N. Harrington
Amy Hassinger
Christopher Kempf
Ted Sanders
Alex Shakar
Corey Van Landingham
David Wright
Ninth Letter
Ninth Letter , the University of Illinois's award-winning literature and arts magazine, is a semi-annual publication featuring emerging and established writers of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and other genres undefined, as well as visual artists working in a variety of mediums. This collaborative energy comes together in a highly-designed format, both in print and on the web.
Ninth Letter is dedicated to providing educational opportunities to all interested MFA candidates. Students may enroll in the Ninth Letter - based literary publishing course and will have the opportunity to work as assistants on the editorial staff alongside the journal’s faculty editors: Amy Hassinger (Fiction Editor), Ja nice N. Harrington (Poetry Editor) and Christopher Kempf (Creative Nonfiction Editor).
Students in UIUC's MFA in Creative Writing program hail from a wide range of educational and cultural backgrounds, and their work in prose and poetry explores an extensive range of literary styles. While enrolled in the program, students past and present have published writing in AGNI , Alaska Quarterly Review , The Believer , Cincinnati Review , Colorado Review , Copper Nickel , Georgia Review , Kenyon Review , Missouri Review , Paris Review , and elsewhere. Additionally, recent MFA book publications include Laura Adamczyk's Island City (Macmillan, 2023); Lillian-Yvonne Bertram's Negative Money (Soft Skull, 2023); Chekwube Danladi's Semiotics (University of Georgia Press, 2020), winner of the 2019 Cave Canem Poetry Prize; Katherine Gaffney's Fool in a Blue House (University of Tampa Press, 2023), winner of the 2022 Tampa Review Prize; Matthew Minicucci's DUAL (Acre, 2023); and Jess Tanck's Winter Here (University of Georgia Press, 2024), winner of the 2022 Georgia Poetry Prize.
Matthew Fash (Poetry)
Justine Mercado (Poetry)
David Miller (Fiction)
Jason Pfister (Fiction)
Erin Stoodley (Poetry)
Hannah Thorpe (Fiction)
Isabella Escamilla (Poetry)
David Foley (Poetry)
Gabriella Hoggatt (Fiction)
Callan Latham (Poetry)
Tyler Moore (Fiction)
Garrett Stack (Fiction)
Steven Bergmark (Fiction)
Andrea Giugni (Poetry)
Malina Infante (Poetry)
Mason McVeigh (Fiction)
Nathan Metz (Poetry)
Diana Towner (Fiction)
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For more than 30 years, writers have come to American University to develop their work and exchange ideas in the District’s only creative writing MFA program. Our graduate workshops provide a rigorous yet supportive environment where students explore a range of approaches to the art and craft of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.
As an MFA student at American, you are free to pursue a single genre or explore several. You will acquire a deeper understanding of your own work and hone your skills in a collaborative setting.
This two-year, 36-credit-hour MFA program integrates writing, literary journalism, translation, and the study of literature to prepare students for a range of career possibilities. Write, give feedback, and receive guidance from a close-knit community of respectful peers and faculty. In the MFA program, you'll find lawyers, military veterans, musicians, teachers, and business executives who are passionate about the written word.
Connect with accomplished professors and the resources you need to reach your goal. Our faculty members have been featured in a variety of media and publications including the New Yorker , the New York Times , National Public Radio, Bill Moyers & Co., and the Washington Post.
Our faculty of award-winning poets, novelists, translators, and nonfiction writers will help you help you hone your craft and pursue your career as a writer. You will receive instruction and guidance from successful authors published by university presses and major publishers, including Houghton Mifflin, Scribner, Vintage Books, Viking Press, and WW Norton. Our active and engaged faculty members are regularly featured in top media outlets such as The New York Times, New Yorker, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, and New Republic ; in literary journals like Kenyon Review, Ploughshares, and Shenandoah ; and on television and radio.
Living and learning in the nation's capital provides numerous benefits for MFA students. We partner with organizations like the National Endowment for the Arts, Library of Congress, 826DC, Writopia Labs, and Folger Shakespeare Library to facilitate opportunities for our students.
Our students have recently published books with WW Norton, Copper Canyon, University of Wisconsin Press, and MIT Press. They have been featured on This American Life , Poets & Writers , in Creative Nonfiction , Psychology Today , and more.
97% of graduates are employed, in grad school, or both 6 months after graduation.
Our alumni have gone on to work for organizations including:
Folio is a nationally recognized literary journal sponsored by the College of Arts and Sciences at American University in Washington, DC. Since 1984, we have published original creative work by both new and established authors. Past issues have included work by Michael Reid Busk, Billy Collins, William Stafford, and Bruce Weigl, and interviews with Michael Cunningham, Charles Baxter, Amy Bloom, Ann Beattie, and Walter Kirn. We look for well-crafted poetry and prose that is bold and memorable.
Recent award-winning publications by our MFA alumni :
Rachel Louise Snyder recounts how her mother’s death left her unmoored and untoward in her new memoir .
Kyle Dargan served as editor for The Memory Librarian: And Other Stories of Dirty Computer with Janelle Monáe.
Dolen Perkins-Valdez (Literature) won the 2023 NAACP Image Award for fiction for her most recent novel, Take My Hand .
More about ralvell.
MFA Creative Writing candidate Ralvell Rogers is making his mark on the literary world.
My time at AU has been brilliant in the fact that I've already learned much about what it means to be a Writer with a capital "W" and more importantly, a literary scholar. Though there is an obvious focus on our course work, it's been made clear to me that our work isn't exactly all that matters in the classroom. We are continuously connecting our work in class to the lives that we live on a daily basis and the world that we all live in, and I think that is very important for writers and entrepreneurs in the publishing sector because we are essentially the historians of our respective generations.
He is the author of The Kansas City Boys Choir: Providing Hope for Tomorrow , which has been endorsed by luminaries Kevin Powell, G.S. Griffin, and Congressman Emanual Cleaver II. Ralvell has also established his own publishing company, Ambitious Stories, LLC, out of Kansas City, MO. He founded it earlier this year to focus on "often unheard, yet riveting and inspiring stories from the heart."
More about valzhyna.
Alumna Valzhyna Mort has gained international acclaim for her third poetry collection, Music for the Dead and Resurrected (FSG, 2020), which won the 2021 International Griffin Prize and was named one of the best poetry books of 2020 by the New York Times . Publishers Weekly called this work in their starred review, "poems of reclamation and resurrection; to live in them is to confront the hard work of witness." The New Yorker wrote in its review, "Memory, metaphor, and myth intermingle to sometimes nightmarish effect in this collection by a Belarus-born poet. Mort excavates the individual and communal traumas wrought by a violent and repressive national history, and calls herself 'a test-child exposed to the burning reactor of my grandmother’s memory.'" Mort teaches poetry, literature, and translation at Cornell University.
For more than 40 years, writers have come to American University to develop their work and exchange ideas in the District’s only creative writing MFA program.
What is the application deadline for a merit award.
The application deadline is February 1. All applications are automatically considered for merit awards. After February 1, the program continues to consider applications, but cannot guarantee those applicants will be considered for merit awards.
The required MFA thesis consists of an original, book-length manuscript. It may be a novel, a novella, a memoir or collection of stories, creative nonfiction, or poems. The thesis is due approximately a month before the end of the student's final semester.
Most students complete the 36-credit degree in 2 years. Full-time study is 9 credits (3 classes) per semester. Others pursue their degree part-time, taking 1-2 classes per semester as best fits their schedules. All workshops, and many literature courses, are offered at night, so that students with full-time jobs can still complete their coursework.
The committee regards the writing sample as the most important part of the application. It's therefore important that you pay close attention to the manuscript guidelines (see below). Send what you feel is your strongest work that shows your demonstrated talent. It is not important to the committee whether or not work has been previously published.
Those submitting applications in poetry should send no more than 12 poems or 15 pages (with no more than one new or continuing poem per page). If submitting fiction/nonfiction, please submit 15-25 pages. While the catalog calls for a 25-page writing sample, we value quality over quantity. We are interested in seeing only your very best work, which can consist of one or more stories or works of creative nonfiction or an excerpt from a novel. If you send an excerpt from a novel, please include a brief description of the work as a whole.
Still have questions? Email [email protected] .
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The Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing is a two year program offering a degree in either Poetry or Prose, and is a part of the English Department's Creative Writing Program. Founded in 1947 by Theodore Roethke, the Creative Writing Program's tradition of transformative workshops continues with our current faculty: David Bosworth , David Crouse , Rae Paris , and Maya Sonenberg (Prose), and Linda Bierds , Andrew Feld , Richard Kenney, and Pimone Triplett (Poetry). They include among their many honors fellowships from the MacArthur Foundation, the Guggenheim Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts. The list of our alumni publications represents a significant chapter in the history of American literature. The program has been ranked among the top ten in the country.
Students participate in writing workshops in prose and poetry, and undertake coursework in literary periods and types, and critical theory. MFA candidates also present a Creative Manuscript (minimum 30 poems,100 pages of 5 short stories and/or personal essays, or 150 pages of a novel or book-length essay), a Critical Essay (20-30 pages, addressing the student's relationship to his or her reading based on the student's own writerly concerns and studies), and an oral presentation (a discussion with and/or questions from the candidate's thesis committee on the creative manuscript, critical essay, and/or the writing process and which may include a reading from the candidate's Creative Manuscript).
The program admits only ten to twelve students each year. The relatively small size of our program (20-25 students) allows for close associations to develop among students and faculty. The first year is devoted to participation in workshops and literary seminars, and the second year allows for concentrated work on a creative manuscript and critical essay under the supervision of one of our regular faculty.
Students are funded through Teaching Assistantships, Fellowships, and a long-standing relationship with the Amazon Literary Partnership.
Students also enjoy Seattle's lively literary and arts scene. Seattle is home to numerous reading series, the Seattle International Film Festival, and many highly-acclaimed theater companies. Surrounded by spectacular scenery, Seattle is minutes away from hiking, skiing, and boating.
Learn more about UW's Creative Writing Program .
Application materials are due January 2 (or the first business day after January 1 st ). Initial offers of admission are usually made by mid-March.
We offer a funding package to all admitted MFA students for two academic years. Learn more about the funding package and other funding opportunities here: MFA Funding and Support .
The MFA is designed to be completed within six full-time quarters (two academic years). MFA students can refer to the MFA Degree Requirements and MFA Program Guide .
The Creative Writing Program acknowledges that the University of Washington, like all of our businesses, institutions and our lives, exists on Indigenous land. Such land acknowledgements are necessary as we push for justice and liberation in institutions and a broader society that continues to live out the settler colonial legacies of land theft, genocide, and enslavement. This is Duwamish territory, and we are grateful to be here.
The UW English Department aims to help students become more incisive thinkers, effective communicators, and imaginative writers by acknowledging that language and its use are powerful and hold the potential to empower individuals and communities; to provide the means to engage in meaningful conversation and collaboration across differences and with those with whom we disagree; and to offer methods for exploring, understanding, problem solving, and responding to the many pressing collective issues we face in our world--skills that align with and support the University of Washington’s mission to educate “a diverse student body to become responsible global citizens and future leaders through a challenging learning environment informed by cutting-edge scholarship.”
As a department, we begin with the conviction that language and texts play crucial roles in the constitution of cultures and communities, past, present, and future. Our disciplinary commitments to the study of English (its history, multiplicity, and development; its literary and artistic uses; and its global role in shaping and changing cultures) require of us a willingness to engage openly and critically with questions of power and difference. As such, in our teaching, service, and scholarship we frequently initiate and encourage conversations about topics such as race and racism, immigration, gender, sexuality, class, indigeneity, and colonialisms. These topics are fundamental to the inquiry we pursue. We are proud of this fact, and we are committed to creating an environment in which our faculty and students can do so confidently and securely, knowing that they have the backing of the department.
Towards that aim, we value the inherent dignity and uniqueness of individuals and communities. We acknowledge that our university is located on the shared lands and waters of the Coast Salish peoples. We aspire to be a place where human rights are respected and where any of us can seek support. This includes people of all ethnicities, faiths, gender identities, national and indigenous origins, political views, and citizenship status; nontheists; LGBQTIA+; those with disabilities; veterans; and anyone who has been targeted, abused, or disenfranchised.
The English department seeks to promote inclusion, diversity, and equity, especially racial equity, by recruiting, retaining, and supporting a diverse population of faculty, students, and staff in ways that counter ongoing legacies of systemic inequity and settler colonialism, and their organizing epistemologies.
The University of Washington acknowledges the Coast Salish people of this land, the land which touches the shared waters of all tribes and bands within the Suquamish, Tulalip, and Muckleshoot nations. The Department's promotion of diversity, equity, and inclusion values endeavors that build on this recognition as a means of transforming our research, pedagogy, and/or service.
Read more about the UW English Department's commitment to diversity, equity, and justice .
ASU's creative writing program, distinguished by an outstanding faculty whose works have received major national and international recognition, is consistently ranked among top-tier programs in poetry and fiction. The program's curricular strengths, community outreach and close mentorship combine to advance pragmatic, effective outcomes for students, graduates and artist-citizens.
The MFA in creative writing at ASU has always been an unswervingly student-first program. Through small classes, intimate workshops and one-to-one mentoring, the centuries-old apprenticeship model thrives within the New American University. Poets and fiction writers work with outstanding faculty who have published more than 80 books and garnered national and international attention through awards and honors that include:
Additionally, in concert with the Master of Fine Arts program, several campus entities contribute to the MFA experience: the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing offers students a wide range of fellowships, support for professional development, and other teaching and leadership opportunities including a Community Outreach Graduate Assistantship. The Center for Imagination in the Borderlands brings writers and other artists for intensive workshops, classes and public events, and offers an artistic development and teaching assistant fellowship and two research assistantships. The Master of Fine Arts program also hosts a newly inaugurated series of craft lectures and an alumni reading series.
Furthermore, students have access to a variety of additional professional development opportunities, including serving on the editorial board of an international literary journal Hayden's Ferry Review, translation experience through the Thousand Languages Project and internships with award-winning independent literary press Four Way Books.
48 credit hours including a written comprehensive exam and the required applied project course (ENG 593)
Coursework (39 credit hours)
Other Requirement (6 credit hours) ENG 592 Research (6)
Culminating Experience (3 credit hours) ENG 593 Applied Project (3)
Additional Curriculum Information The creative writing program requires 48 credit hours of study evenly divided between writing courses and literature courses designed to inform that writing.
While students are expected to satisfy these requirements in the genre in which they were accepted, the program encourages cross-genre study, and electives can include courses taken outside of the creative writing program or even outside of the English department.
A written comprehensive exam and an applied project are required.
Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a bachelor's or master's degree from a regionally accredited institution. Applicants should have an undergraduate major in English or creative writing; however, exceptional students who do not have either of these undergraduate majors may be admitted on the basis of writing excellence.
Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program, or a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program.
All applicants must submit:
Additional Application Information An applicant whose native language is not English (regardless of current residency) and has not graduated from an institution of higher learning in the United States must provide proof of English proficiency . Applications will not be processed without valid proof of English proficiency. Please note that official scores must be sent to ASU in order for the application to be processed.
The personal statement should include the applicant's writing background, intended area of specialization and a brief self-evaluation of recent work (double-spaced, up to three pages or 750 words). The creative manuscript should be up to 20 pages of poetry or up to 30 pages of prose (prose should be double-spaced). Students applying for a teaching assistantship must submit a statement of teaching philosophy and an academic writing sample.
Session | Modality | Deadline | Type |
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Session A/C | In Person | 01/01 | Final |
Program learning outcomes identify what a student will learn or be able to do upon completion of their program. This program has the following program outcomes:
A Master of Fine Arts in creative writing graduate is prepared primarily for the professional creation of new art, including fiction, poetry and other written forms. In addition to working as novelists, poets and short story writers, graduates go on to careers in education, arts administration, media and entertainment, and in political and community organizations. Career examples include:
Department of English | RBHL 170 [email protected] 480-965-3168 Admission deadlines
Get an m.f.a. in creative writing.
Our creative writing M.F.A. allows students to focus on creative writing in a specific genre while also studying a broad and diverse range of literatures in English. This degree is not a studio degree. It offers students preparation for the following areas:
Admission to our creative writing program is extremely competitive, with up to 20 new students across the two genres selected each year from the hundreds of applications received from around the world. The curriculum for M.F.A. students emphasizes creative writing and literary study.
The city of Houston offers a vibrant, multi-cultural backdrop for studying creative writing at the University of Houston. With a dynamic visual and performing arts scene, the Houston metropolitan area supplies a wealth of aesthetic materials.
Minimum requirements for admission.
Applications to the M.F.A. in Creative Writing program are due January 15.
For more admissions information, visit the How to Apply web page for our M.F.A. in Creative Writing.
Over the years many more internationally acclaimed writers have made the Program their home, including Mary Gaitskill, Richard Howard, Howard Moss, Linda Gregg, Adam Zagajewski, Daniel Stern, David Wojahn, Edward Hirsch, Alan Hollinghurst, Mark Strand, David Wagoner, Philip Levine, Charles Wright, Claudia Rankine, Kimiko Hahn, Mark Doty and Ruben Martinez.
Current faculty includes Erin Belieu, Robert Boswell, Audrey Colombe, Chitra Divakaruni, Nick Flynn, francine j. harris, Antonya Nelson, Alex Parsons, Kevin Prufer, Brenda Peynado, Martha Serpas, Roberto Tejada, and Peter Turchi.
The Department of Writing Studies proudly offers an MA and PhD in Rhetoric and Scientific & Technical Communication (RSTC). As applications for Fall 2025 open this month, we chatted with Dr. Molly Kessler, Associate Professor, Director of Graduate Studies, and Associate Chair, to learn more about what sets RSTC apart from other graduate programs. We also invite prospective students to explore our research programs on our website !
The RSTC program is designed to support students in becoming experts in writing studies, rhetorical studies, and technical communication. Our program supports students in gaining the knowledge, experience, and skills to succeed as experts in RSTC fields. Specifically, our program provides training in research design and methods, academic writing, pedagogy and teaching, and skills for entering both academic and non-academic industries.
Folks interested in becoming experts in rhetoric, scientific, and technical communication! This might include folks aspiring to be teachers, researchers, or practitioners in RSTC areas.
We are extremely committed to accessible, inclusive, and student-centered practices and processes in RSTC. We take this commitment seriously across our curriculum, community, teaching, and programming. We also prioritize joy in RSTC and want our programs to be a place where folks feel like they belong, are supported, and can succeed in achieving their individual goals!
In any way we can! :) We know graduate school is about what you learn in courses and through programmatic milestones, but we also know that the graduate school experience includes professional development, teaching, building community, and engaging with various program, department, college, and university resources. RSTC works to meet students where they are and work with them individually and collectively to support their goals while creating an inclusive, rigorous, accessible, and fun program and community.
The students! I learn so much from the graduate students in this program. It is truly one of the biggest joys in my professional life to work with graduate students every day, learn from their innovative and creative ideas, and be challenged to always continue learning and growing myself.
Reach out to Allie Cooperman, our incredible Graduate Programs Coordinator, or to me directly. You can find our contact information on our Graduate Programs website . Talking with prospective students is one of the best parts of my job!
Celebrating the accomplishments of our recent and upcoming RSTC PhD graduates!
Q&A with Writing Studies MS student Matthew Bouvier
Technical Writing & Communication graduates share their experiences in Writing Studies and working in their major.
More Writing Studies News
Explore this course:.
Applications for 2024 entry closed at 5pm on Friday 6 September. Applications for 2025 entry open on Monday 16 September.
School of English, Faculty of Arts and Humanities
You’ll study contemporary creative writing methods and practices and develop your skills in different genres, cross-genres and a wide range of formal and genre experimentations. You’ll also develop and explore your own creative and critical writing through practical workshops and the critical reading of contemporary creative and theoretical texts.
You’ll be encouraged to take all four creative writing core modules, with a minimum of three, which are designed to interact with each other theoretically, thematically and methodologically, to allow for experimentation between literary practices and productive genre crossovers.
The course culminates in a dissertation. You’ll be producing portfolios of both creative and critical work for each module and for your dissertation, all of which may take the form of poetry, prose poetry, short stories, a novel extract, poetic prose, hybrid texts and other genres, as well as formal or cross-media experimentations.
This MA will help you develop your creative writing to a publishable quality, providing a positive, friendly, nurturing, intellectual and creative environment for confident, bold and imaginative development of contemporary creative writing forms and practices. You’ll explore your own writing through practical workshops and learn how to creatively and constructively critique your own and other students' work.
You’ll benefit from the buzzing literary culture at Sheffield and get involved in public and university readings, publications and festivals throughout your time with us. You're encouraged to publish your work and to participate in student-led, peer-feedback editorial sessions.
We run monthly public readings within the Centre for Poetry and Poetics with established writers and have an annually published creative writing journal, Route 57 , which is edited and assembled by our own creative writing students. Each year we also run various creative writing projects, student readings and hubs which will give you a variety of opportunities to meet fellow writers within our well established Postgraduate Creative Writing community which comprises current and alumni students of the MA and PhD.
An open day gives you the best opportunity to hear first-hand from our current students and staff about our courses.
You may also be able to pre-book a department/school visit as part of a campus tour. Open days and campus tours
For the four core creative writing modules, you’ll meet for a two-hour workshop each week. These workshops are held in the late afternoons or early evenings.
A workshop is an informal, creative and critical environment that allows you to receive feedback on your writing from both the tutor and your fellow students.
You’ll have the opportunity to discuss creative and theoretical practices, drawing on a wide range of selected contemporary reading material. You'll be encouraged to produce new writing on a weekly basis, which we discuss in the workshops.
Modules from MA English Literature are taught in seminars, which can vary from 1.5 to 2.5 hours long. These are held weekly or fortnightly depending on the module. Many of these seminars are held during the day.
Our current staff are active and internationally-recognised authors, academics and creative forces in their fields:
Former teaching staff have included Dr Vahni Capildeo, Professor Simon Armitage, Dr Honor Gavin, Professor Denise Riley, Dr Laura Joyce and Dr Rachel Genn.
You'll be assessed at the end of each term on creative writing portfolios which will include your creative work and a critical essay as well as your dissertation project which will consist of both creative and critical components.
The dissertation is 80% creative and 20% critical reflection on your own work, genre or relevant literary tradition. You'll prepare for it through work you've done in both creative writing modules. The word count for fiction is:
For poetry, the word count is:
Mixed portfolios are welcome. For work previously submitted, we would like you to submit drafts to show changes and developments made to the material.
Our alumni have gone on to publish creative work and pursue research paths in various sectors. View a list of publications by our current students and alumni who have published work during and since completing our degree programme in Creative Writing.
Alumni and student publications
Your career - the School of English
School of English
We're a research-intensive school with an international perspective on English studies. Students can specialise in their chosen subject, while taking modules from other programmes, forging interdisciplinary connections. We encourage you to get involved and to apply your academic learning, working in partnership with external organisations both within the city of Sheffield and beyond.
Our staff are researchers, critics, and writers. They're also passionate, dedicated teachers who work tirelessly to ensure their students are inspired.
We keep seminar groups small because we believe that's the best way to stimulate discussion and debate. Our modules use a range of innovative assessments and can include designing websites, writing blog posts, and working with publishing software, in addition to writing essays and delivering presentations.
We're committed to providing you with the pastoral support you need in order to thrive on your degree. You'll be assigned a personal tutor with whom you'll have regular meetings. You're welcome to see any of our academic staff in their regular student consultations if there's anything you want to ask.
Minimum 2:1 undergraduate honours degree in a relevant subject.
We accept degrees in the following subject areas:
Your degree should be in an Arts and Humanities or Social Sciences subject.
View an indicative list of degree titles we would consider
IELTS 7.5 (with 7 in each component) or University equivalent
If you're an international student who does not meet the entry requirements for this course, you have the opportunity to apply for a pre-masters programme in Business, Social Sciences and Humanities at the University of Sheffield International College . This course is designed to develop your English language and academic skills. Upon successful completion, you can progress to degree level study at the University of Sheffield.
If you have any questions about entry requirements, please contact the school/department .
There are a number of studentships and fee bursaries available, funded by the University. Deadlines for funding applications are usually in winter/early spring.
Applications for 2024 entry closed at 5pm on Friday 6 September. Applications for 2025 open on Monday 16 September.
[email protected] +44 114 222 0220
Meet vida davidovic.
September 12, 2024
Area of study: Creative Writing (English, Masters) Degrees: BA in Playwrighting and Dramaturg, MA in Theory of Dramatic Arts and Media Hometown: Banjauka, Bosnia and Hercegovina
Why did you select your program? I gained a Fulbright stipend at UNL. Apart from that, I wanted to experience the U.S. Creative Writing programs and workshops, since there are not many opportunities in my country to actually learn something about Creative Writing as a discipline. My culture focuses more on teaching playwriting, which I deeply appreciate, but I wanted to broaden my horizons a bit, maybe by trying to write more fiction. What has been your best experience as a graduate student at Nebraska? An opportunity to learn things about American history and culture. An opportunity to engage in conversations with brilliant writers, poets, theorists, and people. Who have been some of your strongest mentors or role models here? I enjoyed Amanda Gailey's classes quite a lot. This professor is both intellectually and personally inspiring in so many ways. Do you have research experience? If so, please describe. I did an MA back in Belgrade, Serbia, at the University of Arts in Belgrade. It was on dramatic theory, questioning the dramatic structure of three contemporary Serbian playwrights (Tanja Sljivar, Maja Pelevic, Dimitrije Kokanov) to confirm the hypothesis that the dramatical structure of these writings shows patriarchal discourses on a woman and sexual violence (especially acts of initiation into patriarchal society - rape being seen as a "rite-of-passage"). What are your plans once you have earned the degree? To write. Always to write.
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4) University of Michigan. Anne Carson famously lives in Ann Arbor, as do the MFA students in UMichigan's Helen Zell Writers' Program. This is a big university town, which is less damaging to your social life. Plus, there's lots to do when you have a $25,000 stipend, summer funding, and health care.
Through the master's degree in creative writing and literature, you'll hone your skills as a storyteller — crafting original scripts, novels, stories, and works of creative nonfiction. In small, workshop-style classes, you'll master key elements of narrative craft, including characterization, story and plot structure, point of view ...
A three-year, fully funded program that combines an MFA in Creative Writing and an MA in English. Students can pursue poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction, and take workshops, seminars, and editorial practicum with renowned faculty.
Find essential information about low- and full-residency graduate creative writing programs in the US and other English-speaking countries. Compare programs by genre, residency, deadline, core faculty and more.
MFA in Creative Writing Program Guide. Whether focusing on poetry, fiction, or nonfiction, a creative writing degree prepares students for a multitude of career options. Spanning two years, a master of fine arts (MFA) program trains you to become a skilled writer, communicator, and editor who can receive and apply feedback effectively.
Find out which MFA programs in creative writing offer the best support, guidance, and opportunities for aspiring writers. Learn about the features, faculty, alumni, and funding of these top-ranked programs across the country.
Online + Campus. Avg. Cost per Credit: In-State | $849. Out-of-State | $849. Credits to Graduate: 36. In Albertus Magnus College's MFA in creative writing program, you can choose between a fully online master's program or a blended learning environment. This program can be completed full- or part-time.
Gainesville, FL ·. University of Florida ·. Graduate School. ·. 1 review. Master's Student: Overall, the University of Florida seems to be a great school as far as rankings and attendance rates go. Despite the political turmoil going on in the state of Florida, there seems to be a relatively strong student body of undergraduate students.
Earn a master's degree in writing online with JHU, a university with a reputation for academic rigor and creative innovation. Choose from nonfiction or fiction concentration, explore various genres and styles, and complete a manuscript for your thesis project.
There are four concentrations to choose from within the creative writing master's: (1) Fiction, (2) Nonfiction, (3) Poetry, and (4) Screenwriting. Southern New Hampshire University Online (SNHU) is a private university offering a Master of Arts in English and Creative Writing that requires 36 credit hours. This online program is designed to ...
Learn how to choose a master's in creative writing program that suits your interests and goals, and explore the top 50 accredited schools in the US. Compare tuition, curriculum, faculty, and financial aid options for these terminal degrees in the fine arts field.
The MFA is considered a terminal degree, which is similar to professional degrees granted in other fields, such as the PhD or the EdD, according to guidelines established by the College Art Association of America. 3 For that reason, most universities view it as a qualification to teach creative writing at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.
Find out which colleges and universities offer the best master's degree programs in creative writing based on various factors such as quality, demand, resources and accreditation. See the ranking of the top 23 schools for creative writing students in the US and learn more about their programs.
Learn from stellar faculty and renowned authors in this fully funded, three-year master's degree program. Explore fiction, poetry, literature, theory, teaching and more in a nurturing and rigorous community.
The Master's of Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Writing degree program at Drexel University provides students with the tools and skills to forge professional ties and succeed as professional writers. This two-year program leverages Drexel's historical approach to education with an emphasis on experiential and career-focused opportunities. With a mix of online and in-person opportunities, the MFA ...
The MFA in Creative Writing program is designed to help you become an excellent creative writer across the genres of creative fiction, nonfiction, screenwriting, and poetry.
Graduate. Students enrolled in the Master of Liberal Arts program in Creative Writing & Literature will develop skills in creative writing and literary analysis through literature courses and writing workshops in fiction, screenwriting, poetry, and nonfiction. Through online group courses and one-on-one tutorials, as well as a week on campus ...
While majors in English or Creative Writing are preferred, we also consider students in related disciplines who have completed at least 18 credit hours in upper-level English courses. The Graduate School requires a 2.7 GPA average in all previous coursework for admission to all master's programs, but most of our applicants have a much higher GPA.
The Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Writing is a terminal degree awarded by the University of Illinois. Our three-year MFA program provides students with graduate study and professional training in the writing of fiction and poetry with our distinguished graduate faculty: Ángel García, Janice Harrington, Amy Hassinger, Christopher Kempf ...
The Graduate Program in Creative Writing at Western Colorado University seeks to create transformative learning experiences for our students, built from a strong foundation that honors our students' unique voices and is supported within inclusive environments established both virtually and at yearly residency gatherings.
This two-year, 36-credit-hour MFA program integrates writing, literary journalism, translation, and the study of literature to prepare students for a range of career possibilities. Write, give feedback, and receive guidance from a close-knit community of respectful peers and faculty. In the MFA program, you'll find lawyers, military veterans ...
The Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing is a two year program offering a degree in either Poetry or Prose, and is a part of the English Department's Creative Writing Program. Founded in 1947 by Theodore Roethke, the Creative Writing Program's tradition of transformative workshops continues with our current faculty: David Bosworth, David ...
ASU's creative writing program, distinguished by an outstanding faculty whose works have received major national and international recognition, is consistently ranked among top-tier programs in poetry and fiction. The program's curricular strengths, community outreach and close mentorship combine to advance pragmatic, effective outcomes for students, graduates and artist-citizens.
Admission to our creative writing program is extremely competitive, with up to 20 new students across the two genres selected each year from the hundreds of applications received from around the world. The curriculum for M.F.A. students emphasizes creative writing and literary study. The city of Houston offers a vibrant, multi-cultural backdrop ...
A graduate of Yale and the Brooklyn College M.F.A. program, she is an assistant professor of creative writing at Brooklyn College. Named one of the Breakout Brooklyn Book People of 2011 by The L Magazine , Helen (born and raised in Colorado) now lives in Brooklyn with her husband, artist Adam Douglas Thompson, and their baby girl.
The Department of Writing Studies proudly offers an MA and PhD in Rhetoric and Scientific & Technical Communication (RSTC). As applications for Fall 2025 open this month, we chatted with Dr. Molly Kessler, Associate Professor, Director of Graduate Studies, and Associate Chair, to learn more about what sets RSTC apart from other graduate programs.
This module can be taken as a standalone module, though it complements EGH443,EGH440 and EGH441,a practical and theoretical workshop which is designed to look at current methods of creative writing exploring a wide range of forms of poetry and poetics, prose poetry, poetic prose and the hybrid.
Area of study: Creative Writing (English, Masters) Degrees: BA in Playwrighting and Dramaturg, MA in Theory of Dramatic Arts and Media Hometown: Banjauka, Bosnia and Hercegovina Why did you select your program? I gained a Fulbright stipend at UNL. Apart from that, I wanted to experience the U.S. Creative Writing programs and workshops, since there are not many opportunities in my country to ...
Fiction: Creative Writing Workshop 1 Overview. Fiction Creative Writing Workshop. Learning Outcomes. To promote writing of fictions by the students, to encourage self-criticism and revision, to create a dialogue among them about fiction-writing and each other's work. Skills. Development of creative-writing skills in the genre of fiction.