mfa creative writing berlin

The Berlin Writers' Workshop

The Berlin Writers' Workshop is an open international community for writers and readers.

Workshops, seminars, readings, and meetups from Berlin's open international writing community.

Workshops and classes.

Kannan Mahadevan

Gurmeet Singh

Creative Writing I Intensive (In-Person)

Mitch Speed

Leila Boukarim

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Readings and Events

Upcoming workshops and other classes appear at left. Upcoming readings, meet-ups, and other events (always free) are listed above. Browse all our classes using the menu at the top of the page. If a class isn’t currently open for enrolment, sign up for the individual class waitlist to receive emails about the next workshop.

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We offer monthly courses and weekend workshops for professionals and hobbyists alike.

We host free literary readings, community meet-ups, and write-a-thons across Berlin.

Workshops at Work: We provide personalized storytelling and narrative workshops for creative teams.

"The instructors at the Berlin Writers' Workshop are among the best in the business: brilliant writers, thorough editors, thoughtful teachers, and insightful critics."

— Carmen Maria Machado, author, Her Body and Other Parties

"I feel lucky to have gotten to know and work with the faculty of the Berlin Writers' Workshop in classroom settings and beyond. As instructors, they're welcoming and warm. As working writers, they have firsthand experience navigating the world of contemporary publishing."

— Ariel Lewiton, Vice President, Tuesday Agency

56 Best universities for Creative Writing in Germany

Updated: February 29, 2024

Art & Design
Computer Science
Engineering
Environmental Science
Liberal Arts & Social Sciences
Mathematics

Below is a list of best universities in Germany ranked based on their research performance in Creative Writing. A graph of 62K citations received by 9K academic papers made by 56 universities in Germany was used to calculate publications' ratings, which then were adjusted for release dates and added to final scores.

We don't distinguish between undergraduate and graduate programs nor do we adjust for current majors offered. You can find information about granted degrees on a university page but always double-check with the university website.

Please note that our approach to subject rankings is based on scientific outputs and heavily biased on art-related topics towards institutions with computer science research profiles.

1. Free University of Berlin

For Creative Writing

2. Goethe University of Frankfurt am Main

3. University of Munich

4. Heidelberg University - Germany

5. Humboldt University of Berlin

6. University of Cologne

7. University of Hamburg

8. University of Freiburg

9. Saarland University

10. University of Bremen

11. University of Tubingen

12. University of Gottingen

13. Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz

14. University of Leipzig

15. University of Munster

16. University of Konstanz

17. University of Bonn

18. University of Bielefeld

19. University of Erfurt

20. University of Duisburg - Essen

21. University of Marburg

22. Ruhr University Bochum

23. University of Trier

24. University of Potsdam

25. University of Stuttgart

26. University of Wurzburg

27. University of Augsburg

28. University of Giessen

29. Heinrich Heine University of Dusseldorf

30. Dresden University of Technology

31. University of Bayreuth

32. University of Erlangen Nuremberg

33. University of Siegen

34. Kiel University

35. RWTH Aachen University

36. TU Dortmund University

37. Technical University of Munich

38. Friedrich Schiller University of Jena

39. University of Wuppertal

40. University of Regensburg

41. University of Kassel

42. Technical University of Berlin

43. Osnabruck University

44. Darmstadt University of Technology

45. University of Mannheim

46. University of Bamberg

47. Braunschweig University of Technology

48. Otto von Guericke University of Magdeburg

49. Leuphana University of Luneburg

50. Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg

51. University of Passau

52. Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

53. Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg

54. University of Paderborn

55. Leibniz University of Hanover

56. University of Rostock

The best cities to study Creative Writing in Germany based on the number of universities and their ranks are Berlin , Frankfurt , Munich , and Heidelberg .

Art & Design subfields in Germany

Fine Arts & Design

Masters of Fine Arts (MFA Degree) Programs in Germany

Masters of fine arts in germany.

Masters of Fine Arts, also called MFA degrees, offer graduate students the opportunity to study diverse subjects, from film-making and theater to creative writing and graphic design. MFA programs typically require 2-3 years of full time study and may offer some practical and applied learning, as well as lessons in technique and theory.

How Can I Earn a MFA Degree? in Germany

A Masters of Fine Arts (MFA, or M.F.A.) degree is considered a ‘terminal’ degree, meaning it is the highest academic degree available in the Fine Arts. Though there are exceptions, an MFA is typically enough credential for individuals aspiring to teach Visual Art, Design, Dance, Photography, Theatre, Film/Video, New Media, and Creative Writing at the university level. To apply for admission into a Master of Fine Arts program, students must possess a Bachelor’s degree, such as a Bachelors of Fine Art. Some MFA degree programs may also require a portfolio or audition as part of the admission procedure.

Working towards a MFA degree allows students of the arts to demonstrate and refine artistic and creative abilities, enhance conceptual development and improve techniques within a specialty field. Students may choose to focus their MFA program on a number of different areas, including administrative roles such as theatre management or arts administration. Potential areas of focus are listed below.

Visual arts
Creative writing
Graphic design
Photography
Performing arts

Masters of Fine Arts Programs Potential Curriculum in Germany

General Master of Fine Arts Degrees are typically oriented toward creative production. Many classes are designed to help each student acquire the technical and theoretical resources, as well as the confidence, to set up professional practice in today’s art world. Individualism of thought and execution is often encouraged so that artists develop in order to meet the challenges in professional careers. Masters of Fine Arts courses may be offered in a wide range of subjects, as today’s artist works in different careers, mediums and industries. That said, common topics students in MFA programs might explore may include those listed below.

Fine Arts : including theory and techniques to compose, produce or perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, painting, printmaking, and sculpture, studio arts, art history
Design : techniques, tools and principles involved in precise technical plans, blueprints or drawings
Personal Service : meeting quality standards, professionalism and client care
Sales and Marketing : how to show, promote or sell products and services with marketing strategy and other sales techniques

Popular Masters Degrees in Fine Arts in Germany

“MFAs listen to the wants and needs of real people. They gain a critical contextual awareness for whom they are designing products.” Click to Tweet!

What Can I Do With A Master in Fine Arts? in Germany

Fine Artists, including painters, sculptors, and illustrators, create original artwork using a variety of different methods and media. Some of the industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation include:

Independent artists, writers, performers
Motion picture and video industries
Miscellaneous store retailers
Newspaper, periodical book, and directory publishers
Software Publishers

Other potential career paths for graduates of Masters of Fine Arts programs might include:

Art Directors : responsible for the visual style and images in magazines, newspapers, product packaging, movie and television productions
Photographers : use their technical expertise, creativity, and composition skills to produce and preserve images that visually tell stories
Multimedia Artists and Animators : create animation and visual effects for television, movies, video games and other media
Web Developers : design and create websites
Graphic Designers : create visual concepts by hand or computer software and develop layout and production design for advertisements, brochures, magazines, and corporate reports
Technical Writers : prepare instruction manuals, journal articles and other documents
Writers and Authors : develop content for advertisements, books, magazines, movies, television, songs and other publications
Art, Drama and Music Teachers : teach courses in drama, music, and the arts including fine and applied art, such as painting and sculpture, or design and crafts. Some do a combination of both teaching and research.

FUN FACT The Master of Fine Arts differs from the Master of Arts in that the MFA, while an academic program, centers around practice in the particular field, whereas programs leading to the MA usually center on the scholarly, academic, or critical study of the field.

Top States for Employment for Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary
State	Employment	Annual Mean Wage
	11,010	$85,810
	10,940	$75,380
	6,150	$59,200
	5,540	$69,340
	5,190	$82,370

Bureau of Labor Statistics

Popular Schools with MFA Programs in Germany


		MS
		MS
		MS
		MAAE
		MFA
		MPS

Top 333 MFA Degree in Germany

Explore our Schools with Masters Programs in Germany

Applied Behavior Analysis
Counseling Psychology
Educational Leadership
Healthcare Administration
Human Resource Management
Marriage & Family Counseling
Organizational Leadership
Social Work

Northwestern University School of Continuing Studies

California college of the arts, st. mary's college of california, kansas state university, ocad university, howard university, hofstra university, nova scotia college of art and design, keele university, arkansas tech university, bloomsburg university of pennsylvania, henderson state university, browse graduate programs.

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1. johns hopkins university – krieger school of arts & sciences.

Master of Fine Arts in Fiction/ Poetry

Located in Baltimore, Maryland, Johns Hopkins is a world-renowned private research university. Their Master of Fine Arts in Fiction/Poetry is one of the best MFA creative writing programs anywhere. Students take courses and receive writing practice (in fiction or poetry) at the highest level. This MFA program also offers the opportunity to learn with an internationally renowned faculty.

Duration: 2 years
Financial aid: Full tuition, teaching fellowship (for all students set at $33,000/year)
Acceptance rate: 11.1%
Location: Baltimore, Maryland
Founded: 1876

2. University of Michigan – Helen Zell Writers’ Program

Master of Fine Arts

The University of Michigan is a public research university – and the oldest in the state. Its Master of Fine Arts program is one of the best MFA creative writing programs in the country, exposing students to various approaches to the craft. While studying under award-winning poets and writers, students may specialize in either poetry or fiction.

Duration: 2 years
No. of hours: 36
Financial aid: Full funding
Acceptance rate: 26.1%
Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
Founded: 1817

3. University of Texas at Austin – New Writers Project

Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

The University of Texas at Austin is a well-known public research university with around 50,000 students at the graduate and undergraduate levels. It offers one of the best MFA programs for creative writing, aiming to enhance and develop its students’ artistic and intellectual abilities.

Duration: 3 years
Financial aid: Full funding
Acceptance rate: 32%
Location: Austin, Texas
Founded: 1883

4. University of Nebraska – Kearney

Master of Arts

The University of Nebraska strives to provide quality, affordable education, including its online MA English program. Students can focus on four areas, including Creative Writing (which provides experiential learning in either poetry or prose).

Credit hours: 36
Tuition : $315 per credit hour
Financial aid : Grants, Work-study, Student loans, Scholarships, Parent loans
Acceptance rate: 88%
Location: Online
Founded: 1905

5. Bay Path University (Massachusetts)

MFA in Creative Nonfiction Writing

Bay Path University is a private university with various programs at undergraduate, graduate, and doctorate levels (including women-only undergraduate programs). This creative non-fiction writing program is one of the first fully online programs in the country. No matter their location, students are able to develop their creative writing skills and knowledge – in a range of literary genres.

Credits: 39
Tuition: $775 per credit
Financial aid : Federal Stafford loan, Student loans
Acceptance rate: 78%
Founded: 1897

6. Brown University (Rhode Island)

MFA in Literary Arts

Brown is a world-famous Ivy League university based in Providence, Rhode Island. Its two-year residency MFA in Literary Arts is designed for students looking to maximize their intellectual and creative exploration. The highly competitive program offers extensive financial support. In fact, over the past 20 years, all incoming MFA students were awarded full funding for their first year of study (and many for the second year).

Tuition: $57,591 (but full funding available)
Financial aid : Fellowship, teaching assistantships, and stipends.
Acceptance rate: 9%
Location: Providence, Rhode Island
Founded: 1764

7. University of Iowa (Iowa)

MFA in Creative Writing

The University of Iowa is a public university located in Iowa City. As one of the most celebrated public schools in the Midwest, students learn under established professors and promising writers during their two-year residency program.

Credits: 60
Tuition: $12,065 for in-state students, and $31,012 out-of-state
Financial aid : Scholarships, teaching assistantships, federal aid, and student loans.
Acceptance rate: 84%
Location: Iowa City, Iowa

8. Cornell University (New York State)

Cornell is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York. This highly competitive program accepts only eight students annually, and just two from each concentration. Not only do students enjoy a generous financial aid package, but they also have the opportunity to work closely with members of the school’s celebrated faculty.

Tuition: $29,500
Financial aid : All accepted students receive a fellowship covering full tuition, stipend, and insurance.
Acceptance rate: 14%
Location: Ithaca, New York
Founded: 1865

9. Columbia University ( NYC )

MFA in Fiction Writing

Founded in 1754, Columbia University is the oldest tertiary education institution in New York – and one of the oldest in the country. The school offers a Writing MFA in nonfiction, fiction, poetry, and literary translation. The fiction concentration promotes artistic and aesthetic diversity, with a diverse teaching staff and adjunct faculty from a wide range of diverse experience.

Credits: 60 points
Tuition: $34,576
Financial aid : Scholarships, fellowships, federal aid, work-study, and veterans’ grants.
Acceptance rate: 11%
Location: NYC, New York
Founded: 1754

10. New York University (NYC)

New York University (NYU) is known for delivering high-quality, innovative education in various fields. Located in the heart of NYC, the institution’s MFA in Creative Writing boasts celebrated faculty from poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction backgrounds. This dynamic program fosters creativity and excellence through literary outreach programs, public reading series, a literary journal, and special seminars from visiting writers

Credits: 32
Tuition: $53,229
Financial aid : Fellowships, scholarships, and federal aid.
Location: NYC
Founded: 1886

Common Courses for MFAs in Creative Writing

As part of your master’s in creative writing program, you’ll usually need to complete a number of compulsory courses, along with certain electives. Common courses you’ll need to take include:

Literary theory
History of storytelling
Genre conventions
Market trends
Marketing manuscripts to publishers
Thesis or dissertation

Typical Requirements for Applying to an MFA Creative Writing Program

Besides the application form and fee, most MFA in creative writing programs have standard requirements. While the following are the most typical requirements, always check with the specific program first:

Make sure your resume includes all relevant information to showcase your interests, skills, and talent in writing.

2. Writing Sample(s)

MFA creative writing program selection committees look for applicants who are serious about writing. Therefore, they typically ask for at least one 10-20 page writing sample. The best samples showcase talent in your preferred area of writing (e.g., fiction, non-fiction). MFA poetry programs have varied sample requirements.

3. Transcripts

You’ll need to show your undergraduate degree (and possibly high school) transcript.

4. Statement of Purpose

A statement of purpose is usually 1-2 pages and shows your passion for writing and potential to succeed in the program.

5. Recommendation Letters

Most programs require letters of recommendation from academic or professional contacts who know you well.

Related reading: How to Ask a Professor for a Grad School Recommendation

6. GRE Scores

Some MFA programs require GRE scores (though this is not the case for all universities). If you happen to need some assistance while studying for your GRE or GMAT, be sure to check out Magoosh for easy test prep!

What Can Creative Writers Do After Graduation?

As a creative writer with an MFA, you’ll have a variety of career options where your skills are highly valued. Below are a few of the common jobs an MFA creative writing graduate can do, along with the average annual salary for each.

Creative Director ( $90,389 )

A creative director leads a team of creative writers, designers, or artists in various fields, such as media, advertising, or entertainment.

Editor ( $63,350)

An editor helps correct writing errors and improve the style and flow in media, broadcasting, films, advertising, marketing , and entertainment.

Academic Librarian ( $61,190)

An academic librarian manages educational information resources in an academic environment (such as a university).

Copywriter ( $53,800 )

Copywriters typically work to present an idea to a particular audience and capture their attention using as few words as possible.

Technical Writers ($78,060)

Technical writers are tasked with instruction manuals, guides, journal articles, and other documents. These convey complex details and technical information to a wider audience.

Writer ( $69,510 )

A writer usually provides written content for businesses through articles, marketing content, blogs, or product descriptions. They may also write fiction or non-fiction books.

Social Media Manager ( $52,856 )

A social media manager is responsible for creating and scheduling content on social media, and may also track analytics and develop social media strategies.

Journalist ($ 48,370 )

Journalists may work for newspapers, magazines, or online publications, researching and writing stories, as well as conducting interviews and investigations.

Public Relations Officer ( $62,800)

A public relations officer works to promote and improve the public image of a company, government agency, or organization. This is done through work such as: preparing media releases, online content, and dealing with the media.

Lexicographer ( $72,620 )

Lexicographers are the professionals who create dictionaries. They study words’ etymologies and meanings, compiling them into a dictionary.

Can You Get a Creative Writing Degree Online?

Yes, a number of institutions offer online master’s degrees , such as Bay Path University and the University of Nebraska. Online courses offer a high degree of flexibility, allowing you to study from anywhere – and often on your own schedule. Many students can earn their degrees while continuing with their current job or raising a family.

However, students won’t receive the full benefits of a residency program, such as building close connections with peers and working with the faculty in person. Some on-campus programs also offer full funding to cover tuition and education expenses.

Pros and Cons of an MFA in Creative Writing

Like anything, studying an MFA in Creative Writing and pursuing a related career can have its benefits as well as drawbacks.

It’ll motivate you to write.

Many people are talented but struggle sitting down to write. An MFA program will give you the motivation to meet your deadlines.

You’ll have a community.

Writing can be a solitary pursuit. It can be hard to connect with others who are just as passionate about writing. An MFA program provides students with a community of like-minded people.

Graduates have teaching prospects.

An MFA is one option that can help you find a teaching job at the university level. Unlike some majors that require a Ph.D. to enter academia, many post-secondary instructors hold an MFA.

Not always the most marketable job skills

Although an MFA in Creative Writing will provide several useful skills in the job market, these are not as marketable as some other forms of writing. For example, copywriting arguably has a wider range of job prospects.

It could limit your creativity.

There is a risk that your writing could become too technical or formulaic, due to the theories learned during your MFA. It’s important to know the theory, but you don’t want to let it limit your creativity.

How Long Does It Take to Get an MFA Degree in Creative Writing?

A master’s in creative writing typically takes between 2-3 years to complete. Unlike other master’s degrees’ accelerated options, creative writing program requirements require a greater number of workshops and dissertations.

Alternatives to Creative Writing Majors

There are plenty of similar majors that can set you on the path to a career in the creative writing field. Consider alternatives like an MA in English , literature, humanities, media studies, and library sciences.

Related Reading: Master’s in Fine Arts: The Ultimate Guide

Frequently Asked Questions

What can i do with an mfa in creative writing .

An MFA graduate could teach creative writing at a secondary or college level. They may pursue a career in advertising, publishing, media, or the entertainment industry. They could also become an author by publishing fiction, non-fiction, or poetry.

Are MFA Creative Writing Programs Worth It?

Having an MFA opens doors to a range of well-paid careers (more on that above). If you’re skilled in writing – and want to make a decent living with it – an MFA program might be an excellent choice.

How Do I Choose an MFA in Creative Writing?

First, consider whether an on-campus or online MFA program is best for you (depending on your lifestyle and commitments). Another key consideration is a university with renowned authors on their teaching staff who will give you the highest levels of training in creative writing. Also, consider your preferred focus area (e.g., fiction, poetry, nonfiction) .

What Are MFA Writing Programs?

An MFA in writing or creative writing is an advanced program that teaches students the art and practice of writing. During these programs, students hone their writing skills and equip themselves to publish their own work – or pursue a career in media, teaching, or advertising.

Can You Teach with an MFA?

Yes! Teaching is one of the many career options an MFA provides . An MFA in creative writing can qualify you to be a teacher in creative writing (in schools or the higher education sector).

Is It Hard to Be Admitted to MFA Creative Writing Programs?

MFA creative writing programs are relatively competitive. Therefore, not all applicants will get into the program of their choice. However, if you are talented and ambitious that becomes more likely. Having said that, the most prestigious universities with the best MFA creative writing programs accept a small percentage of the applicants.

What Is the Best Creative Writing Program in the World?

A number of creative writing programs are known for their famous faculty and excellent courses, like the Master of Fine Arts in Fiction/ Poetry from Johns Hopkins and the MFA in Literary Arts from Brown University . Outside the US, the most celebrated English program is likely the University of Cambridge’s MSt in Creative Writing.

How Hard Is It to Get an MFA in Creative Writing?

An MFA is an intensive, highly-involved degree that requires a certain amount of dedication. Anyone with a passion for creative writing should find it rewarding and satisfying.

Should I Get an MA or MFA in Creative Writing?

Whether you choose an MA or MFA in creative writing depends on your own interests and career ambitions. An MFA in creative writing is ideal for anyone passionate about pursuing a career in fiction, poetry, or creative non-fiction. An MA is a broader degree that equips students for a wider range of career choices (though it will qualify them for many of the same roles as an MFA).

Can I Get Published Without an MFA?

Absolutely. However, studying for an MFA will equip you with a range of skills and knowledge that are extremely helpful in getting your work published, from honing your craft to submitting your manuscript to working with publishers.

What Are the Highest-Paying Jobs with a Master’s in Creative Writing?

An MFA in creative writing can help you land a range of jobs in the creative and literary fields. The highest-paying jobs for graduates with a master’s in creative writing include creative directors ($90,000) and technical writers ($78,000).

Key Takeaways

An MFA in creative writing program will hone your talents and develop the skills you need to become a successful writer. The best MFA creative writing programs will give you incredible knowledge of the field while developing your practical skills in fiction, non-fiction, or poetry.

The acceptance rate for the best MFA writing programs is fairly low, so it’s crucial to understand the requirements well and prepare thoroughly. To help you with your application, check out our guide to applying to grad school .

Top 5 Easiest Master’s Degrees + 10 Easiest Grad Schools to Get Into
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Lisa Marlin

Lisa is a full-time writer specializing in career advice, further education, and personal development. She works from all over the world, and when not writing you'll find her hiking, practicing yoga, or enjoying a glass of Malbec.

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Master's in Fine Arts: The Ultimate Guide

Biographical and creative writing M.A.

Learning how to write, applying this and teaching it to others..

In this study programme you will find out all about your personal writing style. You will learn the educational-didactic skills for leading writing groups and supporting individuals.

We are the first university to offer a Master’s study programme in this field for the German-speaking area. The study programme has been running since 2006 and was successfully re-accredited for the second time in 2015.

Goals and curriculum

The five-semester part-time graduate programme is for students who already hold their first academic degree. It qualifies graduates to help their clients in the fields of social work, preventative and curative health work, as well as in the fields of professional coaching, supervision, cultural work, adult education, and psychotherapy. This is the first graduate programme in this field in a German-speaking country. Our programme started in 2006, and was successfully re-accredited in 2010.

Students learn a broad range of creative methods to teach writing, and how to best employ them. It is important that students in the programme reflect on their own biography and writing style, as well as learning didactic skills to guide writing groups as well as individuals. In the field of the didactics of writing, students may develop a research project of their own, and present it in a master’s thesis.

Programme structure

The programme is structured by two basic elements: classroom instruction and Internet-based teaching and communication. In two foundational semesters, students learn the fundamentals of biographic and creative writing, and they also develop their own writing competence. During the second or third semester, these competencies are verified in a practical project, preferably in the context of students’ own professional environment. The third and fourth semester are devoted mainly to honing didactic skills for creative or biographic writing projects and to developing students’ individual writing and working styles. The fifth semester is reserved for the writing of the M.A. thesis.

This programme is subject to tuition fees. Applications can be submitted at any time. The language of instruction is German. For further information please switch to our German website.

Are you seeking one-on-one college counseling and/or essay support? Limited spots are now available. Click here to learn more.

15 Best Creative Writing MFA Programs in 2024

May 15, 2024

Whether you studied at a top creative writing university or are a high school dropout who will one day become a bestselling author , you may be considering an MFA in Creative Writing. But is a writing MFA genuinely worth the time and potential costs? How do you know which program will best nurture your writing? If you’re considering an MFA, this article walks you through the best full-time, low residency, and online Creative Writing MFA programs in the United States.

What are the best Creative Writing MFA programs?

Before we get into the meat and potatoes of this article, let’s start with the basics. What is an MFA, anyway?

A Master of Fine Arts (MFA) is a graduate degree that usually takes from two to three years to complete. Applications typically require a sample portfolio, usually 10-20 pages (and sometimes up to 30-40) of your best writing. Moreover, you can receive an MFA in a particular genre, such as Fiction or Poetry, or more broadly in Creative Writing. However, if you take the latter approach, you often have the opportunity to specialize in a single genre.

Wondering what actually goes on in a creative writing MFA beyond inspiring award-winning books and internet memes ? You enroll in workshops where you get feedback on your creative writing from your peers and a faculty member. You enroll in seminars where you get a foundation of theory and techniques. Then, you finish the degree with a thesis project. Thesis projects are typically a body of polished, publishable-quality creative work in your genre—fiction, nonfiction, or poetry.

Why should I get an MFA in Creative Writing?

You don’t need an MFA to be a writer. Just look at Nobel Prize winner Toni Morrison or bestselling novelist Emily St. John Mandel.

Nonetheless, there are plenty of reasons you might still want to get a creative writing MFA. The first is, unfortunately, prestige. An MFA from a top program can help you stand out in a notoriously competitive industry to be published.

The second reason: time. Many MFA programs give you protected writing time, deadlines, and maybe even a (dainty) salary.

Third, an MFA in Creative Writing is a terminal degree. This means that this degree allows you to teach writing at the university level, especially after you publish a book.

Fourth: resources. MFA programs are often staffed by brilliant, award-winning writers; offer lecture series, volunteer opportunities, and teaching positions; and run their own (usually prestigious) literary magazines. Such resources provide you with the knowledge and insight you’ll need to navigate the literary and publishing world on your own post-graduation.

But above all, the biggest reason to pursue an MFA is the community it brings you. You get to meet other writers—and share feedback, advice, and moral support—in relationships that can last for decades.

Types of Creative Writing MFA Programs

Here are the different types of programs to consider, depending on your needs:

Fully-Funded Full-Time Programs

These programs offer full-tuition scholarships and sweeten the deal by actually paying you to attend them.

Pros: You’re paid to write (and teach).
Cons: Uprooting your entire life to move somewhere possibly very cold.

Full-Time MFA Programs

These programs include attending in-person classes and paying tuition (though many offer need-based and merit scholarships).

Pros: Lots of top-notch non-funded programs have more assets to attract world-class faculty and guests.
Cons: It’s an investment that might not pay itself back.

Low-Residency MFA Programs

Low-residency programs usually meet biannually for short sessions. They also offer one-on-one support throughout the year. These MFAs are more independent, preparing you for what the writing life is actually like.

Pros: No major life changes required. Cons: Less time dedicated to writing and less time to build relationships.

Online MFA Programs

Held 100% online. These programs have high acceptance rates and no residency requirement. That means zero travel or moving expenses.

Pros: No major life changes required.
Cons: These MFAs have less name recognition.

The Top 15 Creative Writing MFA Programs Ranked by Category

The following programs are selected for their balance of high funding, impressive return on investment, stellar faculty, major journal publications , and impressive alums.

FULLY FUNDED MFA PROGRAMS

1) johns hopkins university , mfa in fiction/poetry.

This two-year program offers an incredibly generous funding package: $39,000 teaching fellowships each year. Not to mention, it offers that sweet, sweet health insurance, mind-boggling faculty, and the option to apply for a lecture position after graduation. Many grads publish their first book within three years (nice). No nonfiction MFA (boo).

Location: Baltimore, MD
Incoming class size: 8 students (4 per genre)
Admissions rate: 4-8%
Alumni: Chimamanda Adichie, Jeffrey Blitz, Wes Craven, Louise Erdrich, Porochista Khakpour, Phillis Levin, ZZ Packer, Tom Sleigh, Elizabeth Spires, Rosanna Warren

2) University of Texas, James Michener Center

The only MFA that offers full and equal funding for every writer. It’s three years long, offers a generous yearly stipend of $30k, and provides full tuition plus a health insurance stipend. Fiction, poetry, playwriting, and screenwriting concentrations are available. The Michener Center is also unique because you study a primary genre and a secondary genre, and also get $4,000 for the summer.

Location : Austin, TX
Incoming class size : 12 students
Acceptance rate: a bone-chilling less-than-1% in fiction; 2-3% in other genres
Alumni: Fiona McFarlane, Brian McGreevy, Karan Mahajan, Alix Ohlin, Kevin Powers, Lara Prescott, Roger Reeves, Maria Reva, Domenica Ruta, Sam Sax, Joseph Skibell, Dominic Smith

3) University of Iowa

The Iowa Writers’ Workshop is a 2-year program on a residency model for fiction and poetry. This means there are low requirements, and lots of time to write groundbreaking novels or play pool at the local bar. All students receive full funding, including tuition, a living stipend, and subsidized health insurance. The Translation MFA , co-founded by Gayatri Chakravorti Spivak, is also two years long but with more intensive coursework. The Nonfiction Writing Program is a prestigious three-year MFA program and is also intensive.

Incoming class size: 25 each for poetry and fiction; 10-12 for nonfiction and translation.
Acceptance rate: 2.7-3.7%
Fantastic Alumni: Raymond Carver, Flannery O’Connor, Sandra Cisneros, Joy Harjo, Garth Greenwell, Kiley Reid, Brandon Taylor, Eula Biss, Yiyun Li, Jennifer Croft

Best MFA Creative Writing Programs (Continued)

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.

This is a 2-3-year program in either fiction or poetry, with an impressive reputation. They also have a demonstrated commitment to “ push back against the darkness of intolerance and injustice ” and have outreach programs in the community.

Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Incoming class size: 18 (9 in each genre)
Acceptance rate: 2%
Alumni: Brit Bennett, Vievee Francis, Airea D. Matthews, Celeste Ng, Chigozie Obioma, Jia Tolentino, Jesmyn Ward

5) Brown University

Brown offers an edgy, well-funded program in a place that only occasionally dips into arctic temperatures. All students are fully funded for 2 years, which includes tuition remission and a $32k yearly stipend. Students also get summer funding and—you guessed it—that sweet, sweet health insurance.

In the Brown Literary Arts MFA, students take only one workshop and one elective per semester. It’s also the only program in the country to feature a Digital/Cross Disciplinary Track. Fiction and Poetry Tracks are offered as well.

Location: Providence, RI
Incoming class size: 12-13
Acceptance rate: “highly selective”
Alumni: Edwidge Danticat, Jaimy Gordon, Gayl Jones, Ben Lerner, Joanna Scott, Kevin Young, Ottessa Moshfegh

6) University of Arizona

This 3-year program with fiction, poetry, and nonfiction tracks has many attractive qualities. It’s in “ the lushest desert in the world, ” and was recently ranked #4 in creative writing programs, and #2 in Nonfiction. You can take classes in multiple genres, and in fact, are encouraged to do so. Plus, Arizona’s dry heat is good for arthritis.

This notoriously supportive program is fully funded. Moreover, teaching assistantships that provide a salary, health insurance, and tuition waiver are offered to all students. Tucson is home to a hopping literary scene, so it’s also possible to volunteer at multiple literary organizations and even do supported research at the US-Mexico Border.

Location: Tucson, AZ
Incoming class size: usually 6
Acceptance rate: 1.2% (a refreshingly specific number after Brown’s evasiveness)
Alumni: Francisco Cantú, Jos Charles, Tony Hoagland, Nancy Mairs, Richard Russo, Richard Siken, Aisha Sabatini Sloan, David Foster Wallace

7) Arizona State University

With concentrations in fiction and poetry, Arizona State is a three-year funded program in arthritis-friendly dry heat. It offers small class sizes, individual mentorships, and one of the most impressive faculty rosters in the game. Moreover, it encourages cross-genre study.

Funding-wise, everyone has the option to take on a teaching assistantship position, which provides a tuition waiver, health insurance, and a yearly stipend of $25k. Other opportunities for financial support exist as well.

Location: Tempe, AZ
Incoming class size: 8-10
Acceptance rate: 3% (sigh)
Alumni: Tayari Jones, Venita Blackburn, Dorothy Chan, Adrienne Celt, Dana Diehl, Matthew Gavin Frank, Caitlin Horrocks, Allegra Hyde, Hugh Martin, Bonnie Nadzam

FULL-RESIDENCY MFAS (UNFUNDED)

8) new york university.

This two-year program is in New York City, meaning it comes with close access to literary opportunities and hot dogs. NYU also has one of the most accomplished faculty lists anywhere. Students have large cohorts (more potential friends!) and have a penchant for winning top literary prizes. Concentrations in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction are available.

Location: New York, NY
Incoming class size: ~60; 20-30 students accepted for each genre
Acceptance rate: 6-9%
Alumni: Nick Flynn, Nell Freudenberger, Aracelis Girmay, Mitchell S. Jackson, Tyehimba Jess, John Keene, Raven Leilani, Robin Coste Lewis, Ada Limón, Ocean Vuong

9) Columbia University

Another 2-3 year private MFA program with drool-worthy permanent and visiting faculty. Columbia offers courses in fiction, poetry, translation, and nonfiction. Beyond the Ivy League education, Columbia offers close access to agents, and its students have a high record of bestsellers. Finally, teaching positions and fellowships are available to help offset the high tuition.

Incoming class size: 110
Acceptance rate: not publicized (boo)
Alumni: Alexandra Kleeman, Rachel Kushner, Claudia Rankine, Rick Moody, Sigrid Nunez, Tracy K. Smith, Emma Cline, Adam Wilson, Marie Howe, Mary Jo Bang

10) Sarah Lawrence

Sarah Lawrence offers a concentration in speculative fiction in addition to the average fiction, poetry, and nonfiction choices. Moreover, they encourage cross-genre exploration. With intimate class sizes, this program is unique because it offers biweekly one-on-one conferences with its stunning faculty. It also has a notoriously supportive atmosphere, and many teaching and funding opportunities are available.

Location: Bronxville, NY
Incoming class size: 30-40
Acceptance rate: not publicized
Alumni: Cynthia Cruz, Melissa Febos, T Kira Madden, Alex Dimitrov, Moncho Alvarado

LOW RESIDENCY

11) bennington college.

This two-year program boasts truly stellar faculty, and meets twice a year for ten days in January and June. It’s like a biannual vacation in beautiful Vermont, plus mentorship by a famous writer. The rest of the time, you’ll be spending approximately 25 hours per week on reading and writing assignments. Students have the option to concentrate in fiction, nonfiction, or poetry. Uniquely, they can also opt for a dual-genre focus.

The tuition is $23,468 per year, with scholarships available. Additionally, Bennington offers full-immersion teaching fellowships to MFA students, which are extremely rare in low-residency programs.

Location: Bennington, VT
Acceptance rate: 53%
Incoming class: 25-35
Alumni: Larissa Pham, Andrew Reiner, Lisa Johnson Mitchell, and others

12) Institute for American Indian Arts

This two-year program emphasizes Native American and First Nations writing. With truly amazing faculty and visiting writers, they offer a wide range of genres, including screenwriting, poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. In addition, each student is matched with a faculty mentor who works with them one-on-one throughout the semester.

Students attend two eight-day residencies each year, in January and July, in Santa Fe, New Mexico. At $12,000 in tuition a year, it boasts being “ one of the most affordable MFA programs in the country .”

Location: Santa Fe, NM
Incoming class size : 21
Alumni: Tommy Orange, Dara Yen Elerath, Kathryn Wilder

13) Vermont College of Fine Arts

VCFA is the only graduate school on this list that focuses exclusively on the fine arts. Their MFA in Writing offers concentrations in fiction, poetry, and nonfiction; they also offer an MFA in Literary Translation and one of the few MFAs in Writing for Children and Young Adults . Students meet twice a year for nine days, in January and July, either in-person or online. Here, they receive one-on-one mentorship that continues for the rest of the semester. You can also do many travel residencies in exciting (and warm) places like Cozumel.

VCFA boasts amazing faculty and visiting writers, with individualized study options and plenty of one-on-one time. Tuition for the full two-year program is approximately $54k.

Location : Various; 2024/25 residencies are in Colorado and California
Incoming class size: 18-25
Acceptance rate: 63%
Alumnx: Lauren Markham, Mary-Kim Arnold, Cassie Beasley, Kate Beasley, Julie Berry, Bridget Birdsall, Gwenda Bond, Pablo Cartaya

ONLINE MFAS

14) university of texas at el paso.

UTEP is considered the best online MFA program, and features award-winning faculty from across the globe. Accordingly, this program is geared toward serious writers who want to pursue teaching and/or publishing. Intensive workshops allow submissions in Spanish and/or English, and genres include poetry and fiction.

No residencies are required, but an optional opportunity to connect in person is available every year. This three-year program costs about $25-30k total, depending on whether you are an in-state or out-of-state resident.

Location: El Paso, TX
Acceptance rate: “highly competitive”
Alumni: Watch alumni testimonies here

15) Bay Path University

This 2-year online, no-residency program is dedicated entirely to nonfiction. Featuring a supportive, diverse community, Bay Path offers small class sizes, close mentorship, and an optional yearly field trip to Ireland.

There are many tracks, including publishing, narrative medicine, and teaching creative writing. Moreover, core courses include memoir, narrative journalism, food/travel writing, and the personal essay. Tuition is approximately $31,000 for the entire program, with scholarships available.

Location: Longmeadow, MA
Incoming class size: 20
Alumni: Read alumni testimonies here

Best MFA Creative Writing Programs — Final Thoughts

Whether you’re aiming for a fully funded, low residency, or completely online MFA program, there are plenty of incredible options available—all of which will sharpen your craft while immersing you in the vibrant literary arts community.

Hoping to prepare for your MFA in advance? You might consider checking out the following:

Best English Programs
Best Colleges for Creative Writing
Writing Summer Programs
Best Writing Competitions for High School Students

Inspired to start writing? Get your pencil ready:

100 Creative Writing Prompts
1 00 Tone Words to Express Mood in Your Writing
60 Senior Project Ideas
Common App Essay Prompts

Best MFA Creative Writing Programs – References:

https://www.pw.org/mfa
The Creative Writing MFA Handbook: A Guide for Prospective Graduate Students , by Tom Kealey (A&C Black 2005)
Graduate School Admissions

Julia Conrad

With a Bachelor of Arts in English and Italian from Wesleyan University as well as MFAs in both Nonfiction Writing and Literary Translation from the University of Iowa, Julia is an experienced writer, editor, educator, and a former Fulbright Fellow. Julia’s work has been featured in The Millions , Asymptote , and The Massachusetts Review , among other publications. To read more of her work, visit www.juliaconrad.net

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The Pratt Berlin study abroad program offers BFA in Writing majors in their sophomore or junior year a chance to spend the fall or spring semester in one of Europe’s most artistic and literary cities: Berlin, Germany.

Students can take a full 16 credits of core classes and electives with BFA in Writing faculty while living and learning in Kreuzberg, which is Berlin’s most central and exciting neighborhood.

A semester abroad allows students to broaden their cultural, intellectual, and creative horizons, and Berlin is an ideal city for such study and growth. It has a complex and rich history, and it is, like other major global cities, a dynamic and changing city, one that offers numerous opportunities for in-depth cultural exchange.

For a writer, spending a semester abroad can be a powerful experience, in that it offers you the chance to shift perspectives, learn new cultural narratives, and form more expansive world views, all of which deepen and complicate your imaginative potential. The chance to learn a new language is also a direct way to more fully understand and develop your own native language(s).

The program is housed in a newly renovated factory, offering new dorms, classrooms, a cafe, community spaces, communal kitchens, an event space, and 24 hour security–all this in the heart of Berlin, one of the art and cultural capitals of the world.

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MFA in Creative Writing

December 1 — MFA Round 1 applications due January 15 — MFA Round 2 applications due

The MFA degree in Creative Writing provides a combination studio/academic course of study.

Students receive critical feedback on their poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction in writing workshops, scrutinize aspects of genre in special topics classes and investigate larger theoretical and historical contexts for creative work in literature, rhetoric, writing, and linguistics courses.

They have the opportunity to gain editorial experience by working with Grist: A Journal of the Literary Arts and participate in cultural outreach programs such as The Young Writers’ Institute .

The MFA program culminates in a creative thesis comprised of a book-length manuscript of original creative work.

Excellent financial support, including generous funds for travel and manuscript submission. The Graduate Students in English organization, area study groups, and other activities draw students together as an intellectual and social community with shared passions and aspirations.

How to Apply

Note: The GRE is optional. All applications will receive equal consideration, and applications will not be harmed by not including GRE scores.

For Consideration in Round 1 (no fee)

creative writing sample of your choosing, consisting of no more than twenty-five pages of fiction or creative nonfiction, or fifteen poems;
a statement of purpose/letter of intent including your name, phone, and email.
applications open September 15 and close December 1;
applicants who wish to be considered in multiple genres should send separate applications for each genre.

Notifications for Round 1 will be emailed by January 1. Applicants who are finalists will be invited to submit a full application through the Graduate School, including paying the application fee.

For Consideration in Round 2

A full application (including a $60) is due to the Graduate School by January 15.

This application will also include:

Online Graduate School Application
Statement of Purpose
Transcripts for all colleges and universities previously attended
Three letters of recommendation
A critical writing sample of up to twenty pages with works cited
A creative writing sample of up to twenty-five pages of fiction or creative nonfiction or fifteen poems
Copies of GRE scores (OPTIONAL)
NOTE: International students must submit TOEFL scores as required by the Graduate School.

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MFA Programs Database

Help Keep This Database Current

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.

Adelphi University

Poetry: Jan-Henry Gray, Maya Marshall Prose: Katherine Hill, René Steinke, Igor Webb

Albertus Magnus College

Poetry: Paul Robichaud Fiction: Sarah Harris Wallman Nonfiction: Eric Schoeck

Alma College

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

American University

Poetry: Kyle Dargan, David Keplinger Fiction: Dolen Perkins-Valdez, Stephanie Grant, Patricia Park Nonfiction: Rachel Louise Snyder

Antioch University

Poetry: Cathy Linh Che Prose: Lisa Locascio Nighthawk

Arcadia University

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

Arizona State University

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

Ashland University

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

Augsburg University

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

Ball State University

Poetry: Katy Didden, Mark Neely Fiction: Cathy Day, Sean Lovelace Nonfiction: Jill Christman, Silas Hansen Screenwriting: Rani Deighe Crowe, Matt Mullins

Bard College

Jess Arndt, Shiv Kotecha, Mirene Arsanios, Hannah Black, Trisha Low, Christoper Perez, Julian Talamantez Brolaski, Simone White

Bath Spa University

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

Bay Path University

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

Bennington Writing Seminars at Bennington College

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

Binghamton University

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

Bluegrass Writers Studio at Eastern Kentucky University

Poetry: Julie Hensley, Young Smith Fiction: Julie Hensley, Robert Dean Johnson Nonfiction: Robert Dean Johnson, Evan J. Massey Playwriting: Young Smith

Boise State University

Poetry: Martin Corless-Smith, Sara Nicholson, Taryn Schwilling Fiction: Mitch Wieland (Director), Anna Caritj Creative Nonfiction: Chris Violet Eaton, Clyde Moneyhun

Boston University

Poetry: Andrea Cohen, Karl Kirchwey, Robert Pinsky Fiction: Leslie Epstein, Jennifer Haigh, Ha Jin

Boston University—MFA in Literary Translation

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

Bowling Green State University

Poetry: Abigail Cloud, Amorak Huey, Sharona Muir, F. Dan Rzicznek, Larissa Szporluk, Jessica Zinz-Cheresnick Fiction: Joe Celizic, Lawrence Coates, Reema Rajbanshi, Michael Schulz

Brigham Young University

Poetry: Kimberly Johnson, Lance Larsen, Michael Lavers, John Talbot Fiction: Chris Crowe, Ann Dee Ellis, Spencer Hyde, Stephen Tuttle Nonfiction: Joey Franklin, Patrick Madden

Brooklyn College

Poetry: Julie Agoos, Ben Lerner Fiction: Joshua Henkin, Madeleine Thien Playwriting: Dennis A. Allen II, Elana Greenfield

Fully Funded MFA Programs in Creative Writing

As part of our series How to Fully Fund Your Master’s Degree , here is a list of universities that have fully funded MFA programs in creative writing. A Master’s of Fine Arts in creative writing can lead to a career as a professional writer, in academia, and more.

Fully funded MFA programs in Creative Writing offer a financial aid package for full-time students that includes full tuition remission as well as an annual stipend or salary during the entire program, which for Master’s degrees is usually 1-2 years. Funding usually comes with the expectation that students will teach or complete research in their field of study. Not all universities fully fund their Master’s students, which is why researching the financial aid offerings of many different programs, including small and lesser-known schools both in the U.S. and abroad, is essential.

In addition to listing fully funded Master’s and PhD programs, the ProFellow fellowships database also includes external funding opportunities for graduate school, including fellowships for dissertation research, fieldwork, language study, study abroad, summer work experiences, and professional development.

Would you like to receive the full list of more than 1000+ fully funded Master’s and PhD programs in 60 disciplines? Download the FREE Directory of Fully Funded Graduate Programs and Full Funding Awards !

Here is the list of 53 universities that offer fully-funded MFA programs (Master’s of Fine Arts) in Creative Writing.

University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa, AL): Students admitted to the MFA Program are guaranteed full financial support for up to 4-years. Assistantships include a stipend paid over nine months (currently $14,125), and full payment of up to 15 credit hours of graduate tuition.

University of Arizona (Tucson, AZ): All accepted MFA students receive full funding through a graduate teaching assistantship for 3 years. This package includes tuition remission, health insurance, and a modest stipend (in 2018 it was about $16,100 per academic year).

Arizona State University (Tempe, AZ): 3-year program. All students admitted to the MFA program who submit a complete and approved teaching assistantship application are awarded a TA by the Department of English. Each assistantship carries a three-course per year load and includes a tuition waiver and health insurance in addition to the TA stipend ($18,564 per year). In addition, students have diverse opportunities for additional financial and professional support.

University of Arkansas (Fayetteville, AR): Four-year program. Teaching assistantships currently carry an annual stipend of $13,500 for students with a BA. TAs also receive a waiver of all tuition costs and teach two courses each semester. Nearly all of our accepted students receive TAs. Additionally, the students compete each year for several fellowships.

Boise State University (Boise, Idaho): 3-year fully funded MFA program dedicated to poetry and fiction. All students receive a tuition waiver, health insurance, and a Teaching Assistantship with a stipend of $11,450 per year.

Bowling Green State University (Bowling Green, OH): 2-year program, graduate assistantships (including stipend and scholarship) are available for all eligible face-to-face students. 100% tuition scholarship. Graduate stipend (the 2020-21 stipend is $11,500).

Brown University (Providence, RI): All incoming MFA students received full funding. All graduate students receive a fellowship that pays a monthly stipend and provides tuition remission, the health fee, and health insurance. The stipend for the 2020-2021 academic year is $29,926. Also, students in good standing receive a summer stipend of $2,993.

Boston University (Boston, MA): Tuition costs will be covered for every admitted student for the MFA degree in the BU Creative Writing Program. In addition, admitted students will receive university health insurance while they are enrolled, and all admitted students will receive stipend support of roughly $16,000 for the academic year.

Cornell University (Ithaca, NY): All MFA degree candidates are guaranteed 2 years of funding (including a stipend, a full-tuition fellowship, and student health insurance).

University of California Irvine (Irvine, CA): 3-year program. The Department is committed to providing 3 full years of financial support to all domestic students in the MFA Programs in Writing. Financial support for MFA students is given in the form of Teaching Assistantships providing full tuition coverage as well as University health insurance. Students will earn an estimated $22,569 for the academic year.

University of California San Diego (La Jolla, CA): MFA in Writing students are eligible for financial support if they study full-time, maintain good academic standing and make timely progress toward the degree. All students are eligible for full funding, including international students provided they meet the English language certification requirement for teaching assistants.

University of California Riverside (Riverside, CA): All incoming students are granted a full fellowship and stipend for their first year. After the first year, students receive full tuition and a salary through teaching assistantships.

Florida Atlantic University (Boca Raton, FL): 3-year program. All of the MFA students qualify for a position as a Graduate Teaching Assistant. The GTA position comes with a tuition waiver and a stipend. The standard stipend is $9,000, but some enhanced stipends are available. The Graduate College offers several fellowships for current graduate students.

Florida State University (Tallahassee, FL): The majority of students receive support in the form of a teaching assistantship and are provided with a stipend, a tuition waiver, and a health-insurance subsidy. MFA students receive a three-year assistantship. For 2022-23, MA/MFA stipends will be $16,400, and typically these amounts go up each year. Also, The FSU Graduate School offers several fellowships and awards.

Georgia College & State University (Milledgeville, GA): The MFA Program offers workshops in fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry, and students take cross-genre workshops. All students admitted to the MFA program receive a Graduate Assistantship for all 3 years that includes a stipend and tuition remission.

University of Houston (Houston, TX): MFA students can receive a teaching assistantship for 3 years. Starting salary for MFAs is $17,935/9 months. Students in the Creative. As part of the assistantship, students are awarded either a Graduate Tuition Fellowship, which remits tuition, or a Creative Writing Program Fellowship, which covers the cost of tuition.

University of Idaho (Moscow, Idaho): All English Teaching Assistants (TA’s) are offered full tuition waivers. Teaching Assistants are given a stipend of $14,000 per year. Also offers three scholarships and three outstanding fellowships to support qualified MFA, graduate students.

University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (Urbana, IL): Three-year MFA program. Students accepted into the MFA program will receive full tuition waivers, guaranteed teaching assistantships.

Indiana University (Bloomington, IN): M.F.A. programs offer a generous teaching package to creative writing students. All applicants receive consideration for appropriate fellowships that will carry a stipend of about $19,000, plus tuition and fee-remission that covers roughly 90% of the cost of enrollment.

Iowa State University (Ames, IA): 3-year MFA program. Starting half-time 20 hours per week teaching assistantships for MFA students total $19,250 over 10 months and also receive a full-tuition waiver scholarship (approximate value $10,140) and health insurance coverage. The department has several resources available through which to offer fellowships and scholarships to qualifying new students.

University of Iowa (Iowa City, IA): 2-year residency program. Financial assistance is available for all students enrolled in the program, in the form of teaching assistantships, research assistantships, and fellowships. Most fellowships and assistantships provide either tuition scholarships or full tuition remission.

John Hopkins University (Baltimore, MD): 2-year program. All students receive full tuition, health insurance, and a generous teaching fellowship, currently set at $30,500 per year. Some students work as assistant editors on The Hopkins Review. They often win prizes such as Stegner Fellowships or grants from the National Endowment for the Arts.

University of Maryland (College Park, MD): This 3-year program accepts 8 applicants who are fully funded by Teaching Assistantships for up to three years of graduate study. Our aid packages include a stipend of about $20,000 per academic year and 60 credit hours of tuition remission.

Miami University (Oxford, OH): All students admitted to the MFA program in Creative Writing hold generous Graduate Assistantships (which include a summer stipend). Non-teaching assistantships may also be available.

University of Miami (Coral Gables, FL): An intensive two-year study with a third year option. The James Michener Fellowships and Teaching Assistantships support all our graduate students. Awards include a full tuition waiver and annual stipend of $18,915.

University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI): All MFA students accepted into the program are offered a full tuition waiver, a stipend of $23,000/yearly as well as $5,000 in summer funding, and health care benefits. Additionally, various fellowships and prizes are awarded each year to MFA students.

University of Minnesota (Minneapolis, MN): All admitted MFAs receive full funding, in the form of teaching assistantships or fellowships. Teaching assistantships carry a full tuition waiver, health benefits, and a stipend of about $18,600. Also, a variety of fellowships are available for graduate students.

University of Mississippi (University, MS): All of our students are fully funded. We offer two main sources of funding, the Grisham Fellowships and Teaching Assistantships.

University of Nevada Las Vegas (Las Vegas, NV): 3-year program. All MFA students admitted to the Creative Writing International program at UNLV are offered Graduate Assistantship funding of $15,000 per year (which includes in-state tuition and provisions for health insurance).

Northwestern University (Evanston, IL): Funding is provided for 3 full years, summers included. Tuition is covered by a tuition scholarship during any quarter in which you are receiving a stipend.

University of Notre Dame (Notre Dame, IN): Every student admitted to the MFA receives a full-tuition scholarship, a fellowship that carries a full stipend of $16,000 per year and access to a 100% health insurance subsidy.

North Carolina State University (Raleigh, NC): A two-year, fully-funded program, They accept only about a dozen students each year and offer full funding in the form of a graduate teaching assistantship to all eligible admitted applicants.

Ohio State University (Columbus, OH): All admitted students are fully funded for our 3-year MFA program in Creative Writing. In addition, all students receive either a graduate teaching associateship, a Graduate School fellowship or a combination of the two. For graduate teaching associateships, the student receives a stipend of at least $17,000 for the nine-month academic year.

University of Oregon (Eugene OR): A two-year residency MFA program. All incoming MFA students funded with a teaching appointment. Student instructors receive tuition remission, monthly stipends of approximately $18,000.

Oregon State University (Corvallis, OR): All students admitted to the MFA program will automatically receive a standard teaching Graduate Teaching Assistantship contract, which provides full tuition remission and stipend of approximately $12,800 per year to cover living expenses. In addition to tuition remission, all graduate students have the option to receive 89% coverage of health insurance costs for themselves and their dependents.

University of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, PA): 3-year MFA program. All students admitted to the program will receive Teaching Assistantships for two or three years. All Teaching Assistantships include salary, medical benefits, and tuition remission.

Rutgers University–Newark (Newark, NJ): Each full-time incoming student receives in-state Tuition Remission and a Chancellor’s Stipend of 15K per year. Students are also eligible for Teaching Assistantships, and Part-Time Lectureships teaching Comp or Creative Writing. Teaching Assistantships are $25,969 (approximate) plus health benefits.

University of South Florida (Tampa, FL): 3-year program. MFA students receive a tuition waiver, a teaching assistantship that comes with a stipend, and enrollment in group health insurance.

Southern Illinois University (Carbondale, IL): Almost all MFA students hold graduate assistantships, which provide stipends for the academic year and full remission of tuition. The annual stipend, which comes with tuition remission, ranges from $13,000 to $14,500.

Syracuse University (Syracuse, NY): Three-Year M.F.A. in Creative Writing. All students are fully funded. Each student admitted receives a full-tuition scholarship in addition to an annual stipend of $17,500.

University of South Carolina (Columbia, SC): 3-year MFA program. The MFA at Carolina is pleased to provide fellowship and/or assistantship funding to all accepted students, earning our program the designation of “fully funded” from Poets and Writers.

University of Tennessee — Knoxville (Knoxville, TN): There is no cost to apply to the MFA program. All of our PhD candidates and MFA students are fully funded, with generous opportunities for additional financial support.

University of Texas in Austin (Austin, TX): All students in the New Writers Project receive three years of full funding through a combination of teaching assistantships (TA), assistant instructorships (AI), and fellowship support. The complete package includes full tuition remission, health insurance, and a salary.

University of Texas James Michener Center (Austin, TX): A three-year, fully funded residency MFA program that provides full and equal funding to every writer. All admitted students receive a fellowship of $29,500 per academic year, plus total coverage of tuition.

Vanderbilt University (Nashville, TN): Each year a small, select class of talented writers of fiction and poetry enroll in Vanderbilt’s three-year, fully-funded MFA Program in Creative Writing. The University Fellowship provides full-tuition benefits, health insurance, and a stipend of $30,000/yearly. In 2nd year and third-year students have the opportunity to teach for one semester.

University of Virginia (Charlottesville, VA): Three-year MFA program. Students will receive fellowship support and/or teaching income in the amount of $20,000 each academic year, as well as full funding of your tuition, enrollment fees, and the health insurance premium for single-person coverage through the university.

Virginia Tech (Blacksburg, VA): Three-year MFA degree offers tracks in Poetry and Fiction, and all students are fully and equally funded via GTA-ships of more than $20,000 per year.

Washington University in St. Louis (St. Louis, MO): Because of selectivity and size they are able to offer all the new students full and equal financial aid for both years in the program in the form of a University Fellowship, which provides a complete tuition waiver plus a stipend sufficient for students to live comfortably in our relatively inexpensive city. All MFA students receive health insurance through Washington University.

Western Kentucky University (Bowling Green, KY): Three-year, fully-funded, residential MFA program in creative writing offering generous assistantships, which will allow MFA students to gain valuable experience tutoring and teaching.

West Virginia University (Morgantown, WV): A three-year program. All Master of Fine Arts students receive a full tuition waiver and an assistantship, which includes a stipend valued at $16,750.

Wichita State University (Wichita, Kansas): Most of the MFA students are GTAs who teach two composition classes each semester. They pay no tuition, receive $4,250 each semester and may buy discounted health insurance. The MFA program also awards two $12,500 fellowships each year.

University of Wisconsin–Madison (Madison, WI): All accepted MFA candidates receive tuition remissions, teaching assistantships, generous health insurance, and other financial support. In addition to the approximately $14,680 paid to each MFA annually in exchange for teaching, every MFA candidate will receive another $9,320 in scholarships each year.

University of Wyoming (Laramie, WY): All of our full-time MFA students are fully funded with two-year graduate assistantships. Currently, assistantships include a stipend of $12,330 per academic year, a tuition and fees waiver, and student health insurance. Students also receive summer stipends of up to $2,000 for the summer.

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Online MFA in Creative Writing Programs Focus Your Future in Fiction

Mariel Embry, who earned her degree from SNHU, wearing a grey SNHU sweatshirt with the ocean in the distance behind her.

Cost per credit $637

Total courses 16

Term length 10 Weeks

Program Overview Why get an MFA online?

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:

The business and technical sides of professional writing
Navigating the publishing ecosystem, identifying agents and editors, and marketing your work
Using social media to gain a following and build your brand
Teaching writing in a classroom setting

Mariel Embry wearing a navy blue sleeveless shirt working on her laptop with an SNHU sticker on the front .

Courses & Curriculum Put pen to paper with online MFA Creative Writing courses

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.

MFA Creative Writing course curriculum

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.

Courses may include:

Visit the course catalog to view the full MFA in Creative Writing curriculum .

PC (Windows OS) Technical Requirements

Component Type	PC (Windows OS)
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

Apple (Mac OS) Technical Requirements

Component Type	Apple (Mac OS)
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:

Laptop or desktop?   Whichever you choose depends on your personal preference and work style, though laptops tend to offer more flexibility.
Note:   Chromebooks (Chrome OS) and iPads (iOS) do not meet the minimum requirements for coursework at SNHU. These offer limited functionality and do not work with some course technologies. They are not acceptable as the only device you use for coursework. While these devices are convenient and may be used for some course functions, they cannot be your primary device. SNHU does, however, have an affordable laptop option that it recommends: Dell Latitude 3301 with Windows 10.
Office 365 Pro Plus  is available free of charge to all SNHU students and faculty. The Office suite will remain free while you are a student at SNHU. Upon graduation you may convert to a paid subscription if you wish. Terms subject to change at Microsoft's discretion. Review system requirements for Microsoft 365 plans for business, education and government.
Antivirus software:  Check with your ISP as they may offer antivirus software free of charge to subscribers.

Licensure and Certification Disclosures

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 .

Earn a career-focused writing certificate before graduating

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.

Graduate with a completed and revised novel

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."

Apply for free in minutes

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

Next term starts: Oct. 14, 2024

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.

What to expect:

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You’ll take your courses within SNHU’s Brightspace platform. This is where you’ll find your:

Schedule of weekly assignments
Discussion boards
Instructor announcements

What support services are available?

Chat with your advisors Get hands-on help from dedicated academic and career advisors.
Drop in for tutoring Work with a tutor, any time of the day or night – no appointment necessary.
Learn from industry professionals Instructors lead discussions and offer guidance – and they’re just an email away.
Use the online library Access 600,000+ resources or chat with a librarian 24/7.
Reach out for accessibility help Receive accommodations as an eligible student with disabilities.
Focus on your well-being Connect with professionals to improve your health and wellness.

Learn from published authors and award winners

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.

Featured Faculty

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

BA in Literature from the College of Creative Studies at the University of California-Santa Barbara
MFA in Creative Writing from Goddard College

"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:

U.S. News & World Report Named SNHU the 2024 Most Innovative University in the North
The United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA) Awarded SNHU the 21st Century Distance Learning Award for Excellence in Online Technology
Google.org Gave SNHU a $1 million grant to explore soft skills assessments for high-need youth

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.

5 ways SNHU makes the admission process "easy-peasy" #shorts

Admission Applying to SNHU is fast and free

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.

All it takes is 3 simple steps

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]

Accreditations

SNHU is accredited by the regional accreditor the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) . The university also carries specialized accreditations for some programs.

Tuition Cost & Savings College can be more affordable than you think

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.

Online graduate tuition

*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.

Transfer credits and lower your cost by:

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.

Ways to save on online tuition

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.

Career Outlook What can I do with an online MFA?

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.

What SNHU students are saying

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

Frequently Asked Questions

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.

Jane Friedman with the text Jane Friedman

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:

Submitting to, and being published in, our online literary journal, the Penmen Review
Joining Word for Word, our bimonthly live-streamed event, to hear published authors read their work aloud and discuss both their creative process and their path to publishing success
Entering our annual short-story competition (known as the Fall Fiction Contest ) for the chance to win SNHU scholarships, publication in the Penmen Review and other prizes
Viewing, or participating in, our Student Writers Spotlight, a live-streamed event where our talented creative writing students share their work

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:

MFAs generally have higher credit requirements and take longer to complete
MFAs tend to be more “studio-based” or writing-intensive than MAs, culminating in a manuscript-length thesis
MAs typically have more of an English literature focus, often containing more literary analysis and theory in addition to reading and writing

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.

Related Programs

Sources & Citations

1 Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, on the internet, at:

https://www.bls.gov/ooh/media-and-communication/writers-and-authors.htm (viewed June 20, 2024)
https://www.bls.gov/ooh/media-and-communication/editors.htm (viewed June 20, 2024)
https://www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/postsecondary-teachers.htm (viewed June 20, 2024)

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).

Literary Arts

Graduate students in Brown's Literary Arts MFA program may choose to focus in one of three tracks – Fiction, Poetry, or Digital/Cross Disciplinary Writing. The Graduate School has notified candidates regarding admission decisions for Fall 2024 in all three tracks: Cross-Disciplinary, Fiction and Poetry.

The two-year program is structured to allow graduate student writers maximum possible time for creative and intellectual exploration. Students attend two courses each semester: the writing workshop and an elective in the first three semesters (with an additional half-course in pedagogy in semesters two and three); and in the final semester an independent study for completing the thesis as well as an elective.

Elective courses may be selected from among the full offerings of the Brown University curriculum. In years past, students have taken courses in literature, history, philosophy, theater and performance studies, modern culture and media, religious studies, and foreign languages. Studio fine arts courses and translation workshops are often appropriate choices – as are workshops offered on special topics or in other genres.

The thesis may be a substantial work of fiction or poetry, or a substantial digital or cross-disciplinary project. It is intended to represent the student’s achievement during the two years in residency at Brown.

Application deadline

Applications may be submitted from 30 September to 11:59 pm ET on 15 December 2023. If seeking a fee waiver , the deadline is 1 December.

Learn More About the Program

Graduate program handbook, learn about applying, financial information.

About Hunter
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MFA Creative Writing

Fiction | creative nonfiction | poetry.

Adam Haslett , Director of the MFA Creative Writing Program, is the author of Imagine Me Gone , finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award, and winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Award; You Are Not a Stranger Here , finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award; and Union Atlantic , winner of the Lambda Literary Award and shortlisted for the Commonwealth Prize. His books have been translated into thirty languages, and his journalism on culture and politics have appeared in The Financial Times , Esquire , New York Magazine , The New Yorker , The Guardian , Der Spiegel , The Nation , and The Atlantic , among others. He has been awarded the Berlin Prize by the American Academy in Berlin, a Guggenheim fellowship, the PEN/Malamud Award, the PEN/Winship Award, and the Strauss Living Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. His new book, Mothers and Sons , will be published in January 2025.

Ayana Mathis 's first novel, The Twelve Tribes of Hattie (Knopf, 2012), was a New York Times Bestseller, second selection for Oprah's Book Club 2.0, a 2013 New York Times Notable Book, NPR Best Book of 2013, and was long listed for the Dublin Literary Award and nominated for Hurston/Wright Foundation's Legacy Award. Mathis's nonfiction has been published in The New York Times , The Atlantic , The Financial Times , Rolling Stone , Guernica and Glamour . Her work has been supported by the New York Public Library's Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers, the Civitella Ranieri Foundation, and the Bogliasco Foundation. She was a 2020-2021 American Academy in Berlin Prize Fellow. Mathis received her MFA at the Iowa Writers' Workshop and went on to become the first African-American woman to serve as an assistant professor in that program. Her new novel, The Unsettled is out now from Penguin Random House.

Visiting Faculty Fall 2024

James Hannaham 's novel Delicious Foods , which deals with human trafficking, won the PEN/Faulkner Award and the Hurston/Wright Legacy Award and was named one of Publishers Weekly 's top ten books of the year. The New York Times called it an "ambitious, sweeping novel of American captivity and exploitation." His debut novel, God Says No , was a Lambda Literary Award finalist. He has published fiction in One Story, Fence, StoryQuarterly, and BOMB. He reviews theater and art for 4Columns, and cofounded the New York City-based performance group Elevator Repair Service. In 2020, his work Everything Is Normal, Everything Is Normal, Everything Is Fine, Everything Is Fine was judged Best in Show at a national juried exhibition of artist books and text-based visual works, Biblio Spectaculum . His most recent published work is the 2022 novel Didn't Nobody Give a Shit What Happened to Carlotta.

Returning Faculty Spring 2025

Megha Majumdar is the author of the New York Times bestselling novel A Burning (Knopf, 2020), which was nominated for the National Book Award, the National Book Critics Circle's John Leonard Prize, and the American Library Association's Andrew Carnegie Medal. It was named one of the best books of the year by The Washington Post , The New York Times , NPR, The Atlantic , Vogue , and TIME Magazine . A 2022 Whiting Award winner, she was born and raised in Kolkata, India, and holds degrees in anthropology from Harvard and Johns Hopkins. Majumdar also studied Creative Writing in Hunter's MFA program and is the former editor in chief of Catapult books.

First Semester Literature Course

Foundation of Modern is a popular course taught by the celebrated Roxana Robinson , who characterizes the course this way: "We explore the possibilities of empathy, compassion and the sympathetic character, from the reader's and the writer's point of view. How does compassion vivify the text? How does emotional engagement enlarge the work? How are these things achieved?" Robinson is the author of eleven books--seven novels, three collections of short stories, and the biography of Georgia O'Keeffe. Four of these were chosen as New York Times Notable Books , two as New York Times Editors' Choices. Her fiction has appeared in The New Yorker , The Atlantic , Harper's , Best American Short Stories , The Southampton Review , Ep!phany and elsewhere. Her work has been widely anthologized and broadcast on NPR. Her books have been published in England, France, Germany, Holland and Spain. Robinson has received fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Guggenheim Foundation and the MacDowell Colony, and she was named a Literary Lion by the New York Public Library. Robinson has served on the Boards of PEN and the Authors Guild, and was the president of the Authors Guild. She has received the Barnes and Noble "Writers for Writers Award," given by Poets and Writers, and the Award for Distinguished Service to the Literary Community from the Authors Guild.

Past Fiction Faculty

Peter Carey

Sigrid Nunez

Rivka Glachen

Colum McCann

Téa Obreht

Colson Whitehead

Claire Messud

Nathan Englander

Nicole Krauss

Jenefer Shute

Andrew Sean Greer

Susan Daitch

David Gates

Chang-rae Lee

Creative Writing, M.F.A

School of humanities and social sciences, program overview.

This small, highly personal two-year program confers Master of Fine Arts degrees in fiction, playwriting, and poetry. It offers single-discipline and inter-genre workshops, literature seminars, small-group reading tutorials, and one-on-one tutorials, all of which emphasize relationships between students and eminent faculty. Additionally, students have the opportunity to work on our literary journal, The Brooklyn Review , and give public readings and performances in Brooklyn and Manhattan. The program offers fellowships and prizes. Students may also teach undergraduate courses for the English Department.

Where You'll Go

Our graduates have had their work published widely and have won competitions sponsored by the Iowa Review , the Colorado Review , the Mississippi Review , and Zoetrope, among many others. They have had books published, received major prizes, founded presses and literary journals, and been included in numerous anthologies, including The Best New Young Poets , Best American Short Stories , Best American Nonrequired Reading , O. Henry , and Pushcart . Our playwrights have won Obie Awards, Guggenheim Fellowships, and the Pulitzer Prize; started theater companies; and had their plays produced in the United States and abroad.

Program Details

The program information listed here reflects the approved curriculum for the 2024–25 academic year per the Brooklyn College Bulletin. Bulletins from past academic years can be found here .

Program Description

Our small, highly personal two-year program confers a Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing in fiction, poetry, or playwriting. The program offers single-discipline and inter-genre workshops, literature seminars, small-group reading tutorials, and one-on-one tutorials, which all emphasize relationships between eminent faculty members and students. Additionally, students have the opportunity to work on The Brooklyn Review and give public readings/performances in Brooklyn and Manhattan. The program offers some fellowships as well as prizes and a winter writing residency at the Espy Foundation in Oysterville, Washington. Students may also teach undergraduate courses for the English Department.

Our graduates have had their work published widely and have won competitions sponsored by the Iowa Review, the Colorado Review, the Mississippi Review , and Zoetrope. They have been included in The Best New Young Poets anthology and The Best American Short Stories . Our playwrights have won Obies, started theater companies, and had their plays produced here and abroad.

Matriculation Requirements

Applicants who have completed a bachelor’s degree with a minimum GPA of 3.00 satisfy the undergraduate requirements of this program.

Fiction and Poetry: Thirty pages of original fiction or twenty pages of original poetry must be submitted for evaluation.

Playwriting: One original full-length play or two or more original one-act plays must be submitted for evaluation.

Applicants who did not major in English or creative writing as undergraduates but whose manuscripts show unusual talent are considered for admission. Manuscripts should be submitted with other application documents via the online application website at the time of application. Applications are not considered for spring semester admission.

Foreign applicants for whom English is a second language are required to pass the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a score of 650 on the paper-based test or 280 on the computer-based test or 114 on the internet-based test before being considered for admission.

General matriculation and admission requirements of Graduate Studies are in the chapter “Admission.”

Program Requirements (36 Credits)

Thirty-six credits are required for the degree: 24 credits in the respective creative writing specialization, plus 12 credits in literature courses.

Students may substitute for no more than two such courses any two 7000-level courses from the departments of Art, History, Modern Languages and Literatures, Philosophy, Speech, Television, Radio and Emerging Media, or Theater, or the Conservatory of Music, or another department with the approval of the deputy chairperson for graduate studies (these courses may also be taken through e-permits at other CUNY branches, including the Graduate Center, or through individual or small group tutorials). Students may substitute one writing workshop or tutorial outside of their major writing concentration for one literature course.

Permission to register for any of these substitute courses may be required from the graduate deputy chairperson of the appropriate department.

A substantial manuscript must be submitted and filed according to instructions available from the deputy chairperson. Students concentrating in fiction or poetry must submit original creative writing, in publishable form, such as a novel or collection of stories or poems. Students concentrating in playwriting must submit a full-length play or a number of one-act plays, in producible form, that would constitute a theatrical production. In cooperation with the Theater Department, efforts are made to produce the student’s major work.

Students choose a specialization in one of the following:

Playwriting

Recommendations.

Students are urged to take one workshop, one tutorial, and one literature course each semester in order to complete the program in four semesters. A reading knowledge of a foreign language is strongly recommended.

Student Learning Outcomes

Department goal 1: read and think critically..

Program Objective 1: Learn to read literature with a focus on the ways in which form serves content.

Program Objective 2: Use close reading effectively to identify literary techniques, styles, and themes.

Program Objective 3: Learn to read and comment constructively and critically on the creative writing of peers in the workshop context.

Department Goal 2: Understand how language operates.

Program Objective 1: Demonstrate knowledge of literary tropes and techniques (for example: metaphor, simile, metonymy, synecdoche, word play, and sonic effects such as alliteration, assonance, consonance, and rhythm, etc.)

Department Goal 3: Express ideas–both orally and in writing–correctly, cogently, persuasively, and in conformity with the conventions of the discipline.

Program Objective 1: Create original examples of creative writing that demonstrate complexity through attention to rhetoric, syntax and tone.

Program Objective 2: Comment and write cogently and persuasively about classmates’ writing in the workshop context.

Program Objective 3: Demonstrate the ability to respond to constructive criticism from instructor and peers by effectively revising writing assignments.

Program Objective 4: Demonstrate the ability to use the currently accepted conventions of standard English mechanics and grammar, with an eye toward how those standards can be stretched in order to achieve innovative modes of expression.

Department Goal 4: Conduct research.

Program Objective 1: Learn how to research and seek out historical and contemporary literary voices relevant to their individual voice.

Program Objective 2: Make use of the opportunities that Brooklyn College and New York City afford by attending readings, plays, literary panel discussions, and submitting to literary magazines.

Outcomes for demonstrating achievement of objectives

Written work (including poems/stories/plays, in-class writing exercises, short written reflections on literary techniques used by published writers, workshop responses for peers, revised writing samples, etc.)

Contributions to class discussions and workshops

Attendance at readings, panels, performances or a related research project (such as researching literary magazines/submitting one’s work); documented via written summary of the activity handed into instructor

Admissions Requirements

Fall Application Deadline—January 15
Spring Application Deadline—The program does not accept applications for spring

Supporting Documents for Matriculation

Submit the following documents to the Office of Graduate Admissions:

Transcripts from all colleges and universities attended. Applicants who earned a bachelor’s degree outside the United States need to submit a Course by Course International Transcript Evaluation. See Graduate Admissions for more information.
Two letters of recommendation.
A manuscript of original work in your intended genre (for fiction, about 30 pages; for poetry, about 20 pages; for playwriting, one full-length play, or two or more one-act plays).
A personal statement (one–two pages).

Required Tests

F-1 or J-1 international students must submit English Proficiency Exam. TOEFL- 79, IELTS- 6.5, PTE- 58-63, Duolingo 105-160.

Refer to the instructions at Graduate Admissions .

Geoffrey Minter

3149 Boylan Hall E: [email protected] P: 718.951.5000, ext. 3651

Or contact:

Office of Graduate Admissions

222 West Quad Center 2900 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11210 E: [email protected] P: 718.951.4536

Office Hours

Mondays–Fridays, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.

To make an appointment with a graduate admissions counselor, visit:

BC Admissions Appointment Tool

Specializations

English 7910X to be taken in the first semester. English 7912X to be taken four times, but not more than once in any semester; English 7911X once in the second semester; English 7913X to be taken two times in the second year, but not more than once in any semester.

Joshua Henkin, Coordinator

The M.F.A. fiction specialization at Brooklyn College is a two-year course that maintains an enrollment of 30 students. While every member of the ongoing and visiting faculty works according to their methods, we are united in our conviction that newer writers need a balance of encouragement and serious, thoroughly considered feedback.

The curriculum is designed sequentially. Students take a workshop every semester. The specialization typically offers two traditional short fiction workshops and one novel-writing workshop in the fall and three short fiction workshops in the spring. The novel-writing workshop is meant to address the particular needs of students who are writing novels and who would prefer to receive input on longer sections than a traditional workshop allows.

First-year students take a craft course in the short story in the fall and a reading seminar in the spring. The reading seminars, led by faculty members, discuss classic and contemporary literature from a writer’s point of view. If a traditional literature course is devoted, for instance, to understanding why Faulkner and García Márquez are considered great writers, the reading seminars are more concerned with how writers like Faulkner and García Márquez achieved their effects.

Second-year students take, along with their workshops, a one-on-one revisions/thesis tutorial in the fall and in the spring. The first is devoted to helping students with work that has already been discussed in their workshops, the second to helping them look over what they’ve done during their time at Brooklyn College, toward the completion of their theses. Both represent the specialization’s desire to give each student individual attention outside of the workshops.

We who teach in the fiction-writing specialization do so in part because we want not only to be useful to younger writers but to know them. We care about each student we admit. We are trying, to the best of our abilities, to maintain the M.F.A. program we wish had been available to us.

Over the course of the last decade, our graduates have published more than 50 books, including Helen Phillips’s The Need (Longlisted for the National Book Award); R.O. Kwon’s The Incendaries (National Bestseller and finalist for the National Book Critics Circle John Leonard Award for Best First Book and finalist for the Los Angeles Times Best First Book Prize); Garrard Conley’s Boy Erased ( New York Times Bestseller; adapted for film starring Russell Crowe, Nicole Kidman, and Lucas Hedges); Jai Chakrabarti’s A Play for the End of the World (Longlisted for the PEN Faulkner Award, winner of the National Jewish Book Award); Thomas Grattan’s The Recent East (Longlisted for the PEN Hemingway Award) and Robert Jones Jr.’s The Prophets (National Book Award Finalist and New York Times Bestseller).

English 7932X to be taken four times, but not more than once in any semester; English 7933X to be taken four times, but not more than once in any semester.

The playwriting specialization at Brooklyn College was started over 30 years ago by Jack Gelber, one of America’s most important experimental writers. Mac Wellman and Erin Courtney continued that tradition for a 20 year period, while seeking to embrace the widest definition of that concept. Now, Dennis A. Allen II and Sibyl Kempson are serving as interim leaders of this innovative course of study.

The playwriting specialization is dedicated to the proposition that writing for the theater is not a business of finished thought and dead rules. Rather, we endeavor to pursue kinds of writing that involve an ongoing conversation with theater of the past and (hopefully) the future. To this end, we encourage our M.F.A. playwrights to become students of the theater in every sense: to follow the current scene as well as study the classics from as many traditions as possible; to study the techniques of making theater as well as theory; and lastly, to become as well-read as possible in all the written arts, with special emphasis on what is most contemporary, most challenging, most alive. It is our conviction that each generation must reinvent a theater appropriate to the time; a theater the time deserves; a theater that refuses to settle for the merely tendentious, and the dreary dead hand of the already known.

We are looking for aspiring writers who follow the theater because they love theater and all that pertains to theatricality. Theatricality diversely considered, rotated in four-dimensional space. We are looking for writers unwilling to settle for less. We believe the gathering of diverse people, ideas, and cultures strengthens both our insights into the work we present on stage and our relationships with each other.

Talk to a Playwright

If you have questions you would like to ask students in the specialization, feel free to contact the following:

Frank Boudreaux
Leslie Gauthier

English 7922X to be taken four times, but not more than once in any semester; English 7923X to be taken four times, but not more than once in any semester.

Julie Agoos, Coordinator

Since its inception, the Brooklyn College Master of Fine Arts specialization in poetry has balanced a firm grounding in the history and tradition of the craft with cutting-edge experimental writing. Moderately priced and highly selective, this two-year specialization offers intensive workshops (limited to 10 students), private tutorials, and courses in the history and craft of the genre.

Attracting a diverse student body from all across the country, it has graduated such writers as John Yau, Sapphire, Paul Beatty, David Trinidad, Star Black, Karen Kelley, Tom Devaney, and Anselm Berrigan. Brooklyn’s “experimental tradition” is best exemplified by the late-modernist masters John Ashbery and Allen Ginsberg, both of whom taught in the specialization. Other teachers have included Mark Strand, William Matthews, Ann Lauterbach, Douglas Crase, David Shapiro, C. K. Williams, Susan Fromberg Schaeffer, Joan Larkin, and, more recently, Ron Padgett Joshua Clover, Marjorie Welish, and LaTasha N. Diggs.

At present, the permanent staff includes Julie Agoos, author of Echo Systems (2015), Property (2008), Calendar Year (1996), and Above the Land (1987), for which she won the Yale Series of Younger Poets Award; Ben Lerner, author of The Lichtenberg Figures (winner of the Hayden Carruth Award from Copper Canyon Press, a Lannan Literary Selection, and one of 2004’s best books of poetry, according to Library Journal ), Angle of Yaw (Copper Canyon, 2006, and a finalist for the National Book Award and the Northern California Book Award), and Mean Free Path (Copper Canyon, 2010); and Mónica de la Torre, author of Repetition Nineteen (Nightboat, 2020), The Happy End/All Welcome (Ugly Duckling Presse, 2017), Public Domain (Roof Books, 2009), and Talk Shows (Switchback Books, 2006).

Recent alumni of the M.F.A. poetry specialization have received such major recognitions as selection for The National Poetry Prize Series ( Courtney Bush , i love information , selected by Brian Teare, NY: Milkweeds, 2023), the Donald Hall Prize for Poetry ( Sahar Muradi , OCTOBERS , selected by Naomi Shahib Nye, Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh Press, 2023), and the 2022 APR/Honickman First Book Prize ( Chelsea Harlan , Bright Shade , selected by Jericho Brown, Philadelphia: The American Poetry Review, 2022). Others have received international honors for poetry and journalism ( Mohammed El-Kurd, RIFQA , Haymarket Books, 2022, Winner of The Calgary Peace Prize); for translation (Matthew Reeck , winner of the 2020 Albertine Prize for “Muslim”: A Novel , by Zahia Rehmani, Deep Vellum, 2019); for YA fiction ( Victoria Bond , winner of the 2020 John Steptoe/Coretta Scott King New Talent Author Award for Zora and Me (trilogy), with illustrator TR Simon, MA: Candlewick Press, 2020, 2018, 2011); and for books on art (John Yau, Please Wait by the Coatroom: Reconsidering Race and Identity in American Art , Black Sparrow Press, 2023, deemed a “revelatory volume” by Publishers Weekly, among other ravishing reviews). Our alumni currently occupy major Fellowships at the New York Public Library (Alexandra Kamerling, 2023 NYPL Dance Research Fellow), and the Library of America (Susana Plotts-Pineda, 2023 Latino Fellow), and have written, directed, and premiered feature film documentaries ( Jodie Childers , with Dan Messina, director and cinematographer of Down by the Riverside , 2023 World Premiere, Woodstock Film Festival; Tom Devaney , Bicentennial City , Green House Media, 2020). Recent and forthcoming publications include Claire DeVoogd , VIA (Winter Editions, 2023), Anselm Berrigan , Pregrets (Black Square Editions, 2021), Katherine Duckworth , Slow Violence (NY: Beautiful Days Press, 2023), Marcella Durand, To Husband Is to Tender (Black Square Editions, 2021), Tom Devaney , Getting to Philadelphia (Hanging Loose Press, 2020), Tom Haviv , Flag of No Nation (Jewish Currents, 2019), Gracie Leavitt , Livingry (Nightboat, 2018), Kennia Lopez , The Exodus (Tolson Books, 2020), Chime Lama , Sphinxlike (Finishing Line, 2023), Sharon Mesmer , Greetings from My Girlies Leisure Place (Bloof Books, 2015), Jed Muson , Commentary on the Birds (Rescue Press, 2023), Joshua Wilkerson , Meadowlands/Xanadu/American Dream, Beautiful Days Press, 2022), John Yau , Tell It Slant , Omnidawn, 2023); Charles Theonia , Gay Heaven Is a Dance Floor but I Can’t Relax , Archway Editions (March, 2024), and Zohra Saed with Sahara Muradi , eds., One Story, Thirty Stories: An Anthology of Contemporary Afghan American Literature (AR: University of Arkansas Press, 2022).

Talk to a Student

If you have questions you would like to ask students in the specialization, feel free to contact any of the following, all of whom are currently or recently enrolled:

Jackie Braje
Melina Casados
Anneysa Gaille
Monique Ngozi Nri
Suchi Pritchard

Departmental Information

Application process, how do i apply.

For comprehensive application information and the link to the online application, visit the Admissions page .

What is your rate of acceptance?

In recent years, we have received approximately 500 applications for 15 spots in fiction, approximately 120 applications for 10 spots in poetry, and approximately 70 applications for five spots in playwriting.

When will I find out if I was accepted?

Though it varies year to year, we plan to notify applicants in March and early April. We appreciate your patience.

Do you require the GRE?

I’m not sure if i have the 12 credits of advanced english requested on your admissions page. what should i do.

As per our Admissions page, “Applicants who do not meet course requirements but whose manuscripts show unusual talent are considered for admission.”

May the 30-page fiction manuscript consist of multiple works?

Yes, your 30-page fiction manuscript may come in any form you wish (short stories, excerpt(s) from a novel, flash fiction, or any combination of the above, up to 30 pages). We simply recommend that you send in whatever you think is your very strongest work.

How should the 20-page poetry manuscript be formatted?

You may format your poetry as you see fit. Please do not exceed 20 pages.

What should be in the personal statement?

Your one- to two-page personal statement should serve as a way for us to get to know you and come to understand why you want to pursue an M.F.A. at Brooklyn College.

Who should write my recommendation letters?

Your two recommendation letters should come from people familiar with your writing, such as professors, mentors, and/or employers.

How should recommendation letters be submitted?

They should be submitted online (this will be an option when you’re completing the online application). For more information, refer to the Supporting Documents page.

Do I need to send in transcripts from all of the institutions where I took undergraduate classes?

We require transcripts from all colleges and universities that you attended.

What is an official transcript?

Transcripts must arrive in envelopes sealed by the institution’s registrar office. Your college institution should mail transcripts to the Brooklyn College Office of Admissions.

I am an international student. Is it true that I have to have my international transcripts evaluated before my application will be complete?

Yes (though please note that students who received degrees from universities in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom are exempt from this requirement). For all other international applicants, see more information about the required international transcript evaluation.

Do international students with undergraduate degrees from U.S. universities need to take the TOEFL?

Once you have received a B.A. from a U.S. university, you no longer need to submit your TOEFL scores to apply to the M.F.A. program.

May I apply to two different genres?

No, you may only apply to one genre per year.

What are the program codes for Fiction, Playwriting, and Poetry?

Fiction—324
Playwriting—325

Is there any way I can check my application status online?

Yes. Once you’ve completed your application, you may check online for status updates .

I was not accepted to your program. Can you provide feedback on my application?

Because of the large number of qualified applicants, we may not be able to accept very strong candidates, nor can we offer specific feedback on individual applications. Note that the manuscript is by far the most important element of the application. We encourage interested applicants to reapply in the future.

How do I reapply?

As per the Graduate Admissions Office website , “To reapply, you need to complete and submit a new graduate degree application online. You do not need to resubmit any supporting documents (i.e. transcripts, letters of recommendation) if you applied within the last two years.” The $125 application fee is waived for re-applicants for up to one year. (If you applied for fall 2014 entry, for instance, you may reapply for fall 2015 without paying an additional fee.) You must send a new personal statement and manuscript to the Department of English each time you reapply.

Getting to Know the Program

Do you hold an open house.

Yes. Information will be available soon.

May I speak to a current or recent student?

Yes. Please see the student and alumni lists within each specialization.

May I come and visit an M.F.A. class?

In most cases, prospective students are permitted to visit classes once they’ve been accepted into the program.

Can you send me printed materials about the M.F.A. program?

Comprehensive information about our program, including the online application, is available on our website and on the more general Brooklyn College website under “Graduate Programs” and “Admissions.”

May I take a class in the Brooklyn College M.F.A. program as a nonmatriculated student?

Because of the small size of our program, only students matriculated in our M.F.A. program may take our graduate creative writing classes.

Where can I obtain information pertaining to international students?

The Brooklyn College Office of International Student Services will assist you with immigration issues, financial aid, and housing.

Financial Information

What is the cost of tuition.

Up-to-date tuition information is available on the Bursar’s website .

How many credits are required for the M.F.A. program?

Unlike other masters students, M.F.A. students take a nine-credit-per-semester load. Tuition should be calculated based on nine credits per semester.

Do you offer funding?

Yes. In addition to the salary for teaching undergraduate composition, our graduate students are eligible to receive some departmental funding. There is no special application for this funding; all admitted students will be considered automatically. The Office of Financial Aid primarily helps students obtain federal student loans and, if they are eligible, Work-Study funding. All students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) , which can be submitted online.

Do you offer teaching opportunities?

Yes. Students who wish to teach while they are enrolled in the M.F.A. program, but who don’t have prior composition teaching experience at the college level, are required to take English 7506, Practicum in Teaching College-Level Composition (which counts toward the M.F.A. degree requirements as an elective). The course includes a tutor-internship in an instructor’s classroom. After completing 7506, students may be assigned to teach their own section of a composition course, English 1010 or English 1012. The salary for one section of English 1010 or English 1012 is $6,875. Students may teach for up to three years, starting while they are students in the program and continuing after they graduate. There are also teaching opportunities at other CUNY schools.

I am an international student. How would this affect my employment opportunities at the university?

International students on F-1 Student Visas are permitted to work or teach up to 20 hours per week while they are in the program, and eligible to continue doing so, full-time, for one year after graduation, if the work is in the field for which they received the degree.

Do you offer a part-time, low-residency, or online option?

Do you offer a health insurance plan.

Health insurance is available via the New York State of Health Insurance Exchange , as per the Affordable Care Act, where you can search for insurance plans.

Brooklyn College students are profiled in Poets & Writers ‘ “MFA Nation” feature .
Fiction student Jai Chakrabarti talks about his M.F.A. experience in Litbridge’s “Interview with Brooklyn College.”
Fiction director Josh Henkin discusses the Brooklyn College M.F.A. as part of The Coffin Factory ‘s “MFA Corner.”
Flavorwire’ s list of “The 25 Most Literary Colleges in America” ranks Brooklyn College at #3.
The Masters Review Blog profiles the Brooklyn College M.F.A. program .
The New York Times profiles playwriting director Mac Wellman in two articles: “Mac Wellman, a Playwriting Mentor Whose Only Mantra Is Oddity” and “At Brooklyn College, Learning From Mac Wellman.”
Brooklyn Magazine ‘s list of “The 100 Most Influential People in Brooklyn Culture” features M.F.A. fiction alumni Halimah Marcus and Ben Samuel, playwriting alumnus Scott Adkins, and faculty members Ben Lerner (poetry) and Erin Courtney (playwriting).
Ploughshares explores the Brooklyn writing scene in its “Literary Boroughs” feature .

From the Literary Scene:

The Brooklyn Review
Recommended Reading
Poets & Writers Daily News

Program Awards

2019–20 program awards.

Zoya Haroon received the 2020 Ross Feld Award.

Chelsea Baumgarten received the 2020 Carole and Irwin Lainoff Prize.

The 2020 Himan Brown Awards in Creative Writing went to: Taylor Clarke, DJ Kim, and Sally Helm (fiction, first year); David Olesky, Elizabeth Robau, and Jessica Shabin (fiction, second year); Noelle Viñas (playwriting, first year); Michael Shayan (playwriting, second year); Chime Lama and Peter Soucy (poetry, first year); and Alexandra Kamerling and Kennia Lopez (poetry, second year).

2018–19 Program Awards

Nalea Ko received the 2019 Ross Feld Award.

Jill Winsby-Fein received the 2019 Carole and Irwin Lainoff Prize.

The 2019 Himan Brown Awards in Creative Writing went to: Chelsea Baumgarten, Avi Cummings, and Adrienne Wong (fiction, first year); Drew Pham, Erica Recordon, and Wesley Straton (fiction, second year); Nazareth Hassan (playwriting, first year); Arika Larson (playwriting, second year); Kennia Lopez and Charles Theonia (poetry, first year); and Adam Bangser and Henry Peterson (poetry, second year).

2017–18 Program Awards

Sameet Dhillon received the 2018 Ross Feld Award.

Jenzo Duque received the 2018 Carole and Irwin Lainoff Prize.

The 2018 Himan Brown Awards in Creative Writing went to: Jivin Misra, Erica Schecter, and Wesley Straton (fiction, first year); Sam Baldassari, Maddie Crum, and Alyssa Northrop (fiction, second year); Eri Borlaug (playwriting, first year); Jerry Lieblich (playwriting, second year); AJ Stoughton and Oscar Vargas (poetry, first year); and Laura Amelio and Marko Gluhaich (poetry, second year).

2016–17 Program Awards

Alexander Celia received the 2018 Ross Feld Award.

Alexandra Kessler received the 2017 Carole and Irwin Lainoff Prize.

The 2017 Himan Brown Awards in Creative Writing went to: Sandra Hong, Jess Silfa, and Stephen Snyder (fiction, first year); Joyce Li, Anna Marschalk-Burns, and Jon Sands (fiction, second year); Jerry Lieblich (playwriting, first year); Zach Rufa (playwriting, second year); Erika Kielsgard and Amanda Killian (poetry, first year); and Jenny Stella and Mike Smith (poetry, second year).

2015–16 Program Awards

Alexander Kessler received the 2017 Ross Feld Award.

Jane Pek received the 2017 Carole and Irwin Lainoff Prize.

The 2016 Himan Brown Awards in Creative Writing went to: Isabella Moschen, Kristen Olds, and Kelly Suprenant (fiction, first year); Nate Bethea, Casey Gonzalez, and Eric Boehling Lewis (fiction, second year); Corinne Donly (playwriting, first year); Paul Hufker (playwriting, second year); Rami Karim and Leah Williams (poetry, first year); and Courtney Bush and Stacy Skolnik (poetry, second year).

2014–15 Program Awards

Jacob Kaplan received the 2015 Ross Feld Award.

Lindsay Whalen received the 2015 Carole and Irwin Lainoff Prize.

The 2015 Himan Brown Awards in Creative Writing went to: Heloise Cormier and Paul Hufker (playwriting); Tom Haviv, Emily Heilker, James Loop, and Sahar Muradi (poetry); and Ben Cake, Molly Dektar, Eve Gleichman, Jacob Kaplan, Ilana Papir, and Jane Pek (fiction).

Courtney Bush received the 2015 Creative Writing Scholarship for Poetry. Mike Mikos received the 2015 Creative Writing Scholarship for Playwriting. Lisa Skapinker Metrikin received the 2015 Creative Writing Scholarship for Fiction.

2013–14 Program Awards

Marie Avetria received the 2014 Ross Feld Award.

Amanda DeMatto received the 2014 Carole and Irwin Lainoff Prize.

The 2014 Himan Brown Awards in Creative Writing went to: Heloise Cormier and Frances Koncan (playwriting); Georgia Faust, Sahar Muradi, Liz Roberts, and Ryan Schaefer (poetry); and Alice Broussard, Eve Gleichman, Laura Horley, Laura Macomber, Matthue Roth, and Joshua Sperling (fiction).

James Loop received the 2014 Creative Writing Scholarship for Poetry. Mike Mikos received the 2014 Creative Writing Scholarship for Playwriting. Molly Dektar received the 2014 Creative Writing Scholarship for Fiction.

Selected Student Publications

Greg ames, m.f.a. fiction 2002.

Buffalo Lockjaw , 2009

Mark Ari, M.F.A. Fiction 1985

The Shoemaker’s Tale , 2000

Rilla Askew, M.F.A. Fiction 1989

Strange Business , 1992
The Mercy Seat , 1997
Fire in Beulah , 2001
Harpsong (Stories and Storytellers Series), 2007
Kind of Kin , 2013

Paul Beatty, M.F.A. Poetry 1989

Big Bank Take Little Bank , 1991
Joker Joker Deuce , 1994
The White Boy Shuffle , 1996
Tuff , 2001
Slumberland , 2008
The Sellout , 2015

Lauren Belski, M.F.A. Fiction 2010

Whatever Used to Grow Around Here , 2012

Adam Berlin, M.F.A. Fiction 1991

Headlock , 2000
Belmondo Style , 2004
Both Members of the Club , 2013
The Number of Missing , 2013

Anselm Berrigan, M.F.A. Poetry 1998

They Beat Me over the Head With a Sack , 1998
Integrity & Dramatic Life , 1999
Zero Star Hotel , 2002
Some Notes on My Programming , 2006
To Hell With Sleep , 2009
Free Cell , 2009
Notes from Irrelevance , 2001
Loading , 2013
Primitive State , 2015
Come in Alone , 2016

Marie-Helene Bertino, M.F.A. Fiction 2007

Short story: ‘North Of’, 2008
Safe As Houses , 2012
2 A.M. at The Cat’s Pajamas , 2014

Star Black, M.F.A. Poetry 1984

October for Idas , 1997
Double Time , 1997
Balefire , 1999
Ghostwood , 2003
Velleity’s Shade , 2010

Victoria Bond, M.F.A. Poetry 2005

Zora and Me (co-author), 2010

Thomas Bradshaw, M.F.A. Playwriting 2004

Play: ‘Strom Thurman is Not a Racist’, 1985
Play: ‘Cleansed’, 1985
Play: ‘Phophet’, 2006
Play: ‘Purity’, 2007
A new play for the anthology , 2008
Play: ‘Southern Promises’, 2008
Play: ‘The Bereaved/Mary’, 2009
Play: ‘Intimacy’, 2014
Play: ‘Dawn’, 2010

Joanna Cantor, M.F.A. Fiction 2011

Alternative Remedies for Loss , 2018

Maisy Card, M.F.A. Fiction 2010

These Ghosts Are Family , 2020

Bryan Charles, M.F.A. Fiction 2003

Grab On To Me As Tightly As If I Knew The Way , 2006
Pavement’s Wowee Zowee (33 1/3) , 2010
There’s a Road to Everywhere Except Where You Came From: A Memoir , 2010

Erin Courtney, M.F.A. Playwriting 2003

Play: ‘Demon Baby’, 2006
Play included in anthology of 7 edgy works, 2008

Amanda Davis, M.F.A. Fiction 1998

Circling the Drain , 2000
Wonder When You’ll Miss Me , 2003

Molly Dektar, M.F.A. Fiction 2015

The Ash Family , 2019

Tom Devaney, M.F.A. Poetry 1998

The American Pragmatist Fell In Love , 1999

Heidi Diehl, M.F.A. Fiction 2011

Lifelines , 2019

Marcella Durand, M.F.A. Poetry 1995

Western Capital Rhapsodies , 2001
Traffic & Weather , 2008
Area , 2008

Juliet Escoria, M.F.A. Fiction 2011

Black Cloud , 2014
Witch Hunt , 2016
Juliet the Maniac , 2019

Amy Fox, M.F.A. 2005

Screenplay: ‘Heights’, 2005
Screenplay: ‘Equity’, 2016

James Franco, M.F.A. Fiction 2010

Palo Alto: Stories , 2010
Strongest of the Litter : (The Hollyridge Press Chapbook Series), 2012
113 Crickets: Summer 2012 , 2012
Actors Anonymous , 2013
Directing Herbert White : Poems, 2014
A California Childhood , 2014
Straight James / Gay James , 2016

Elizabeth Gaffney, M.F.A. Fiction 1997

Metropolis: A Novel , 2005
When The World Was Young , 2015

Sean Garritty, M.F.A. Poetry 2006

Lie Nearest Truth , 2011

Thea Goodman, M.F.A. Fiction 1995

The Sunshine When She’s Gone , 2013

CJ Hauser, M.F.A. Fiction 2009

The From-Aways , 2014

Elliott Holt, M.F.A. Fiction 2006

Short story: ‘Fem Care’, 2011
You Are One of Them , 2013

Andy Hunter and Scott Lindenbaum, M.F.A. Fiction 2008

Electric Literature (Founders) , 2009

Tanwi Nandini Islam, M.F.A. Fiction 2009

Bright Lines , 2015

Amelia Kahaney, M.F.A. Fiction 2006

The Brokenhearted , 2013

Andrew Kaufman, M.F.A. Poetry 1986

Earth’s Ends , 2004
Both Sides of the Niger , 2013

John M. Keller, M.F.A. Fiction 2004

A Bald Man With No Hair and Other Stories , 2012
Know Your Baker , 2013
The Box and the Briefcase, the Moleque and the Old Man and the First Coming of the Second Son of God , 2014
Abracadabrantesque , 2015
Johnny Allan , 2019

Stellar Kim, M.F.A. Fiction 2005

Short story: ‘Findings and Impressions’, 2007

Suki Kim, M.F.A. Fiction 1997

The Interpreter , 2003
Without You, There Is No Us: My Time with the Sons of North Korea’s Elite , 2014

Amy King, M.F.A. Poetry 2000

Antidotes for an Alibi , 2006
I’m The Man Who Loves You , 2007
Slaves to Do These Things , 2009
I Want to Make You Safe , 2011

Kristen Kosmas, M.F.A. Playwriting 2011

The Mayor of Baltimore and Anthem , 2013

R.O. Kwon, M.F.A. Fiction 2008

The Incendiaries , 2018

Gracie Leavitt, M.F.A. Poetry 2011

Monkeys, Minor Planet, Average Star , 2014

Marlene Lee, M.F.A. Fiction 2010

The Absent Woman , 2013

Halimah Marcus, M.F.A. Fiction 2012

Short story: ‘Swimming’, 2010

Sharon Mesmer, M.F.A. Poetry 1990

The Empty Quarter , 2000
Half Angel Half Lunch , 2002
In Ordinary Time , 2005
The Virgin Formica , 2008

Emily Mitchell, M.F.A. Fiction 2005

The Last Summer of the World , 2007
Viral: Stories , 2015

Cristina Moracho, M.F.A. Fiction 2008

Althea & Oliver , 2014

Stephen Motika, M.F.A. Poetry 2010

Western Practice , 2012

Christina Olivares, M.F.A. Poetry 2010

No Map of the Earth Includes Stars , 2015

Jeffrey Oliver, M.F.A. Fiction 2002

Failure to Thrive , 2011

Helen Phillips, M.F.A. Fiction 2007

Short story: ‘Twenty Tales of Natural Disaster’, 2010
And Yet They Were Happy , 2011
Here Where the Sunbeams Are Green , 2012
The Beautiful Bureaucrat , 2015
Some Possible Solutions , 2016
The Need , 2019

Sapphire, M.F.A. Poetry 1995

American Dreams , 1996
Push , 1997
Black Wings & Blind Angels , 2000
The Kid: A Novel , 2012

Sara Shepard, M.F.A. Fiction 2005

The Visibles , 2009
Everything We Ever Wanted , 2011
The Perfectionists Series , 2014-2015
Pretty Little Liars Series , 2006-2014
The Lying Game Series , 2010-2013
The Heiresses , 2014
The Amateurs , 2016

Mohan Sikka, M.F.A. Fiction 2006

Short story: ‘Uncle Musto Takes A Mistress’, 2007
Short story: ‘The Railway Aunty’, 2009

Lysette Simmons, M.F.A. Poetry 2013

Dear Robert , 2013

David Trinidad, M.F.A. Poetry 1990

Monday, Monday , 1985
November , 1986
Hand Over Heart , 1994
Three Stories , 1998
Plasticville , 2000
Phoebe 2002: An Essay in Verse , 2003
The Late Show , 2007
Saints of Hysteria: A Half-Century of Collaborative American Poetry , 2007
By Myself, An Autobiography , 2009
Dear Prudence: New and Selected Poems , 2011
Peyton Place: A Haiku Soap Opera , 2013
Notes of a Past Life , 2016

Jenny Williams, M.F.A. Fiction 2011

Short story in Battle Runes: Writings on War , 2011
The Atlas of Forgotten Places , 2017

John Yau, M.F.A. Poetry 1978

Radiant Silhouette: New and Selected Work , 1974-1988, 1989
Forbidden Entries , 1992
Edificio Sayonara , 1992
A.R. Penck , 1993
In the Realm of Appearances: The Art of Andy Warhol , 1993
Hawaiian Cowboys , 1994
Berlin Diptychon: Poems , 1995
The United States of Jasper Johns , 1997
My Symptoms , 1998
Randy Hayes: The World Reveiled , 2000
Borrowed Love Poems , 2002
My Heart Is That Eternal Rose Tattoo , 2002
Ing Grish , 2005
Paradiso Diaspora , 2006
The Passionate Spectator: Essays on Art and Poetry , 2006
A Thing Among Things: The Art of Jasper Johns , 2008
Further Adventures in Monochrome , 2012

Young Jean Lee, M.F.A. Playwriting 2005

Play: ‘The Appeal’, 2006

Julie Agoos

Julie Agoos is professor and coordinator of the Poetry specialization. Agoos, who received her M.A. from Johns Hopkins University, publishes widely in journals and is the author of three collections of poems, Property (Ausable/Copper Canyon, 2008), Calendar Year (Sheep Meadow, 1996), and Above the Land (Yale University Press, 1987), for which she won the Yale Series of Younger Poets Award. Her latest book Echo System was published in 2015.

Anselm Berrigan

Anselm Berrigan ’98 M.F.A. is the author of five books of poetry, most recently the book-length poem Notes from Irrelevance (Wave Books, 2011). Other titles include Free Cell (City Lights, 2009), Some Notes on My Programming (Edge, 2006), and Zero Star Hotel (Edge, 2002). Skasers , a book jointly written with poet John Coletti, was be published in 2012 by Flowers & Cream Press. He is the current poetry editor for The Brooklyn Rail and a member of the subpress publishing collective. From 1998 to 2007 he worked for The Poetry Project at St. Mark’s Church in various capacities, including a stint as artistic director from 2003 to 2007. Berrigan is also co-chair of Writing at the Milton Avery Graduate School for the Arts, Bard College’s interdisciplinary summer M.F.A. program.

Erin Courtney

Erin Courtney’s play I Will Be Gone , directed by Kip Fagan, premiered at Actors Theater of Louisville, Humana Festival in 2015. Her play A Map of Virtue, produced by 13P and directed by Ken Rus Schmoll, won a special citation OBIE in 2012. She has written two operas with Elizabeth Swados, The Nomad and Kaspar Hauser : Both were commissioned and produced by The Flea Theater. Her play Honey Drop was developed at The Atlantic Theater, the Clubbed Thumb/Playwrights Horizons Superlab, and New Georges. Her other plays include Alice the Magnet, Demon Baby, Quiver and Twitch , and Black Cat Lost . She is an affiliated artist with Clubbed Thumb, a member of the Obie Award–winning playwright collective 13P, and the co-founder of the Brooklyn Writer’s Space. Courtney teaches playwriting at Brooklyn College, where she earned her M.F.A. with Mac Wellman. She earned B.A. from Brown University, where she studied with Paula Vogel. She has been a member of New Dramatists since 2012 and is a 2013 Guggenheim Fellow.

LaTasha Diggs

A writer, vocalist and performance/sound artist, LaTasha N. Nevada Diggs is the author of TwERK (Belladonna, 2013). Diggs has presented and performed at California Institute of the Arts, El Museo del Barrio, The Museum of Modern Art, and Walker Art Center and at festivals including: Explore the North Festival, Leeuwarden, Netherlands; Hekayeh Festival, Abu Dhabi; International Poetry Festival of Copenhagen; Ocean Space, Venice; Poesiefestival, Berlin; and the 2015 Venice Biennale. As an independent curator, artistic director, and producer, Diggs has presented events for BAMCafé, Black Rock Coalition, El Museo del Barrio, Lincoln Center Out of Doors, and the David Rubenstein Atrium. Diggs has received a 2020 C.D. Wright Award for Poetry from the Foundation of Contemporary Art, a Whiting Award (2016) and a National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowship (2015), as well as grants and fellowships from Cave Canem, Creative Capital, New York Foundation for the Arts, and the U.S.-Japan Friendship Commission, among others. She lives in Harlem.

Myla Goldberg

Myla Goldberg is the best-selling author of Bee Season , Wickett’s Remedy , and The False Friend . Her short stories have appeared in Harper’s, and she is an occasional contributor to NPR. She teaches at various M.F.A. programs and leads writing workshops in and around New York City.

David Grubbs

David Grubbs, associate professor in the Conservatory of Music at Brooklyn College, has released 11 solo albums and appeared on more than 150 commercially released recordings. He is known for his cross-disciplinary collaborations with writers such as Susan Howe and Rick Moody, and with visual artists such as Anthony McCall, Angela Bulloch, Cosima von Bonin, and Stephen Prina. His work has been presented at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, MoMA, the Tate Modern, and the Centre Pompidou. Grubbs was a founding member of the groups Gastr del Sol, Bastro, and Squirrel Bait, and directs the Blue Chopsticks record label. He is currently completing the book Records Ruin the Landscape: John Cage, The Sixties, and Sound Recording for Duke University Press. Grubbs was a 2005–06 grant recipient from the Foundation for Contemporary Arts and has been called one of two “Best Teachers for an Indie-Rocker to Admire” in the Village Voice and “le plus Français des Américains” in Libération. He holds a Ph.D. in English from the University of Chicago.

Joshua Henkin

Joshua Henkin , professor and coordinator of the fiction specialization, is the author of the novels Swimming Across the Hudson , a Los Angeles Times Notable Book; Matrimony , a New York Times Notable Book; and The World Without You , which was named an Editors’ Choice Book by The New York Times and The Chicago Tribune and was the winner of the 2012 Edward Lewis Wallant Award for Jewish American Fiction and a finalist for the 2012 National Jewish Book Award. His short stories have been published widely, cited for distinction in Best American Short Stories , and broadcast on NPR’s “Selected Shorts.” His reviews and essays have appeared in The New York Times , the Los Angeles Times , The Wall Street Journal , The Boston Globe , the Chicago Tribune , the San Francisco Chronicle , and elsewhere.

Lisa Jarnot

Lisa Jarnot is the author of four books of poetry and a biography, Robert Duncan, The Ambassador from Venus (University of California Press). Her Joie de Vivre: Selected Poems 1992–2012 was published by City Lights in 2013.

Associate Professor Ben Lerner is the author of three books of poetry: The Lichtenberg Figures (2004), Angle of Yaw (2006), and Mean Free Path (2010), all published by Copper Canyon Press. He has been a finalist for the National Book Award in poetry and the Northern California Book Award, a Fulbright Scholar in Spain, and a Howard Foundation Fellow. In 2011 he became the first American to win the Preis der Stadt Münster für Internationale Poesie for the German translation of The Lichtenberg Figures . His first novel, Leaving the Atocha Station (Coffee House, 2011) won The Believer Book Award and was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Award for First Fiction and the New York Public Library’s Young Lions Award. It was named one of the best books of the year by The New Yorker , The Guardian , The New Statesman , The Boston Globe , The Wall Street Journal , The New Republic , and New York Magazine , among many others. His recent criticism can be found in Art in America , boundary 2 , and Critical Quarterly , where he also serves as poetry editor.

Fiona Maazel

Fiona Maazel is the author of the novels Last Last Chance . (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2008) and Woke Up Lonely (Graywolf, 2013). She is a 2008 National Book Foundation “5 Under 35” honoree and winner of the Bard Prize for fiction in 2009. Her work has appeared in Anthem, Bomb, Book Forum, Boston Book Review, The Common, Conjunctions, Fence, Glamour, The Millions, Mississippi Review, N+1, The New York Times, The NY Times Sunday Book Review, Salon, Selected Shorts, This American Life, Tin House, The Village Voice, The Yale Review , and elsewhere. She lives in Brooklyn.

Ernesto Mestre

Ernesto Mestre is the author of two novels, The Lazarus Rhumba and The Second Death of Unica Aveyano . His fiction has been collected in various anthologies, including Best American Gay Fiction 1996 , A Whistler in the Nightworld: Short Fiction from the Latin Americas , and Cubanisimo!: The Vintage Book of Contemporary Cuban Literature .

Meera Nair’s debut collection, Video , received the Asian-American Literary Award for Fiction in 2003. She has published fiction in The Threepenny Review and Calyx , and in the anthology Charlie Chan Is Dead . She is at work on her first novel, which will be published by Pantheon.

Sigrid Nunez

Sigrid Nunez has published six novels, including A Feather on the Breath of God , The Last of Her Kind , and, most recently, Salvation City . She is also the author of Sempr e Susan: A Memoir of Susan Sontag. Among the journals to which she has contributed are The New York Times , Threepenny Review, Harper’s , McSweeney’s , Tin House, The Believer , and Conjunctions. Her honors and awards include four Pushcart Prizes, a Whiting Writer’s Award, a Berlin Prize Fellowship, and two awards from the American Academy of Arts and Letters: the Rosenthal Foundation Award and the Rome Prize in Literature. She has taught at Amherst College, Smith College, Columbia University, and the New School, and has been a visiting writer or writer in residence at Baruch College, Vassar College, Boston University, and the University of California at Irvine, among others. She has also been on the faculty of the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference and of several other writers’ conferences across the country.

Jenny Offill

Jenny Offill’s novel, Last Things , was chosen as a notable or best book of the year by The New York Times , the Village Voice, and the Guardian (U.K.), and was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times First Book Award. She is also the editor, along with Elissa Schappell, of two anthologies, The Friend Who Got Away and Money Changes Everything . She has written one children’s book, 17 Things I’m Not Allowed to Do Anymore , and has two more forthcoming from Random House. She received a NYFA fellowship in fiction in 2008 and was a Stegner Fellow at Stanford University from 1991 to 1993. Her flash fiction is featured in the anthology Long Story Short (UNC-Press, 2009).

Julie Orringer

Julie Orringer is the author of a novel, The Invisible Bridge, and an award-winning story collection, How to Breathe Underwater, which was a New York Times notable book and was named Book of the Year by the LA Times and the San Francisco Chronicle. Her stories have appeared in The Paris Review, The Yale Review, and The Washington Post, and have been widely anthologized; she has received fellowships from the New York Public Library, Stanford University, The MacDowell Colony, Yaddo, and the National Endowment for the Arts. She lives in Brooklyn, where she is working on a new novel.

Helen Phillips

Helen Phillips is the author of the novel-in-fables And Yet They Were Happy (Leapfrog Press, 2011), which was a semifinalist for the VCU Cabell First Novelist Award, a finalist for the McLaughlin-Esstman-Stearns First Novel Prize, and declared a notable collection of 2011 by The Story Prize. Her second book, Here Where the Sunbeams Are Green (Random House Children’s Division/Delacorte Press, 2012), is a children’s adventure novel, and has been published internationally as Upside Down in the Jungle (Chicken House UK, 2012; Chicken House Germany, 2013). She is the recipient of a Rona Jaffe Foundation Writer’s Award, the Italo Calvino Prize in Fabulist Fiction, The Iowa Review Nonfiction Award, the DIAGRAM Innovative Fiction Award, the Meridian Editors’ Prize, and a Ucross Foundation residency. Her work has twice been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and was featured on NPR’s Selected Shorts in fall 2012. She has been published in Tin House, BOMB , Mississippi Review, and PEN America , among many others. 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.

Madeleine Thien

Madeleine Thien is the author of four books, including Dogs at the Perimeter , and a story collection, Simple Recipes . Her most recent novel, Do Not Say We Have Nothing , was shortlisted for the 2016 Man Booker Prize, the Women’s Prize for Fiction, and The Folio Prize; and won the Scotiabank Giller Prize and the Governor-General’s Literary Award for Fiction. The novel was named a New York Times Critics’ Top Book of 2016 and longlisted for a Carnegie Medal. Madeleine’s books have been translated into twenty-seven languages and her essays and stories have appeared in The New York Times , The Guardian , Brick , The Sunday Times , frieze , Granta , and elsewhere. Her first libretto will premiere with Vancouver City Opera in 2021.

Mónica de la Torre

Mónica de la Torre ’s is the author, most recently, of Repetition Nineteen , a book of poems and prose (Nightboat, 2020). Her other poetry books include The Happy End/All Welcome (Ugly Duckling Presse, 2017) Public Domain (Roof Books, 2009) and Talk Shows (Switchback Books, 2006). Two Spanish-language collections of poems, Acúfenos (Taller Ditoria, 2006) and Sociedad Anónima (UNAM/Bonobos, 2010), were published in Mexico. She is a member of the women’s collective whose eponymous book, Taller de Mecanografía , appeared in 2011 from Tumbona Ediciones. She has translated an array of poets from the Spanish including Gerardo Deniz, Lila Zemborain, and Amanda Berenguer. Her latest translation is Defense of the Idol by Chilean modernist Omar Cáceres (Ugly Duckling Presse, 2018). Born and raised in Mexico City, she has lived in New York City since the 1990s, where she frequently writes about art and collaborates with other writers and artists. She served as BOMB Magazine ’s senior editor from 2007–16, and has taught poetry and translation at Columbia, Brown, and Bard’s M.F.A. programs.

Ellen Tremper

Ellen Tremper , professor and chair of the English Department, received her Ph.D. from Harvard University. Specializing in 19th- and 20th-century British poetry and fiction, she has published many articles on Henry James, Virginia Woolf, and children’s literature, and is the author of “Who Lived at Alfoxton?”: Virginia Woolf and English Romanticism (Bucknell University Press) and I’m No Angel: The Blonde in Film and Fiction , which was published by the University of Virginia Press in 2006.

Mac Wellman

Mac Wellman, professor and coordinator of the playwriting specialization, received his M.A. from the University of Wisconsin. His recent work includes The Difficulty of Crossing a Field (Montclair, 2006) and 1965 UU (Chocolate Factory, 2008). His most recent collection of plays is The Difficulty of Crossing a Field (University of Minnesota Press, 2008). Four other collections of his plays have been published: The Bad Infinity and Cellophane (PAJ/Johns Hopkins University Press), and Two Plays and The Land Beyond the Forest (Sun & Moon). He has written a volume of stories, A Chronicle of the Madness of Small Worlds (Trip Street Press, 2008), as well as three novels: Q’s Q (Green Integer, 2006), Annie Salem (Sun & Moon 1996), and The Fortuneteller (Sun & Moon, 1991). His recent books of poetry are Miniature (Roof Books, 2002), Strange Elegies (Roof Books, 2006), and A Shelf in Woop’s Clothing (Sun & Moon, 1990). In 1997 he received the Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Writers’ Award. In 2003 he received his third Obie, for lifetime Achievement ( Antigone, Jennie Richee and Bitter Bierce all cited). In 1990 he received an Obie (Best New American Play) for Bad Penny , Terminal Hip and Crowbar . In 1991 he received another Obie for Sincerity Forever . He has received numerous honors, including both NEA and Guggenheim Fellowships. In 2004 he received an award from the Foundation for Contemporary Performance Arts. He is the Donald I. Fine Professor of Playwriting at Brooklyn College. Currently, he is working on two plays for chorus: The Invention of Tragedy (Classic Stage Company) and Nine Days Falling (Stuck Pigs Company, Melbourne, Australia).

The Support You’ll Find

Brooklyn College is an integral part of the cultural and artistic energy of New York City. Our faculty members in English offer incomparable expertise and tremendous talent, and each brings a unique perspective to their teaching and mentoring in and out of the classroom.

Eric Alterman

Sophia Bamert

Matthew Burgess

Monica De La Torre

Joseph Entin

Nicola Masciandaro

Simanique Moody

Jonathan Nissenbaum

Tanya L. Pollard

Karl T. Steel

Dorell Thomas

Internships and Employers

Brooklyn College creative writing alumni have found employment with many organizations, including:

BRIC (Arts and Media in Brooklyn)
Central Casting
New York City Department of Education
New York University

Student Resources

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The 10 Best Creative Writing MFA Programs in the US

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.

University of Oregon (Eugene, OR)

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 (Ithaca, NY)

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 University (Tempe, AZ)

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.

University of Texas at Austin (Austin, TX)

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.

Washington University in St. Louis (St. Louis, MO)

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.

Indiana University (Bloomington, IN)

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.

University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (Ann Arbor, MI)

University of Michigan College of Literature, Science, and the Arts

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.

University of Minnesota (Minneapolis, MN)

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.

Brown University (Providence, RI)

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.

University of Iowa (Iowa City, IA)

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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Creative Writing

Writers as artists, writers in the world.

Creativity, Clarity, Community

Oberlin offers undergraduates the rare opportunity to major in creative writing—not as a concentration in another department, but as an independent discipline in its own right. Creative Writing provides an intense and rigorous course of study with instruction, studio training, and coursework in a variety of genres, including poetry, fiction, nonfiction, drama, translation, screenwriting, and hybrid forms. Our program encourages work across disciplines and prepares students for a range of careers both within and beyond the literary world.

An Inclusive and Imaginative Workshop Culture

Creative Writing at Oberlin emphasizes an inclusive workshop climate where creative expression, experimentation, and collaboration thrive. Our faculty are practicing poets, novelists, screenwriters, and essayists who value the art of teaching and supportive mentorship. Advanced creative writing students pursue large-scale independent projects with the support of a faculty mentor and a dedicated small group of peers. Because we are more than just a studio program, our students employ the skills of open inquiry and intellectual curiosity: their liberal arts education enriches their creative work, and their creativity inspires rigorous cross-disciplinary thinking both in the classroom and beyond.

Writers in the Community

In Oberlin Writers in the Schools (WITS), students learn how to take their passion for writing into the local schools in meaningful and effective ways.

Learn more about WITS

Distinguished Visitors

Students have the opportunity to connect with diverse visiting writers, including notable alumni, through campus readings, master classes, craft workshops, and individual consultations.

Explore the work of Creative Writing alumni

Featured Courses

Word & image: poetry in dialogue with visual art.

Join in the dynamic conversation between poetry and visual art and explore how visual art can inspire and challenge the making of poetic image and meaning. Through collaboration with the Allen Memorial Art Museum, students have the opportunity for close-looking at superb and diverse works of art across many cultures and centuries.

Race and Poetic Innovation

Explore the dynamic relationship between racial identity and creative inventiveness in poetry. Delve into contemporary and classic poems that broaden and challenge notions of race and representation. Experiment with using craft and technique to subvert conventional understandings of identity and racialized experience.

Plot & Structure

In this course, cross-listed with Comparative Literature, students read experimental contemporary fiction from around the world. Students gain an understanding of the historical basis of Western narrative structure, while simultaneously considering alternate models and learning to question established rules about managing plot and action. Students respond to texts both critically and creatively, with the goal of structuring their own narratives more boldly.

False Documents

A false document is “a technique employed to create verisimilitude in a work of fiction.” This can take many forms, such as epistolary novels, or fictions in the form of annotated poems, online reviews, author acknowledgments, wills, indexes, email threads, and beyond. How do we perceive verisimilitude as readers? How do we, as writers, fake it? In addition to examining literary false documents (and hoaxes and frauds), students will write a number of short fictions over the course of the semester.

Student Profiles

Paige reinstein ’21.

“In this tight-knit community we get to see each other grow (as both people and writers) from introductory courses as awkward first-years to capstone senior year. The faculty and students are some of the most supportive people in my life, and I love learning with them.”

Fiona Warnick ’22

“I feel so consistently lucky to have such dedicated professors. Everyone I’ve worked with in the Creative Writing Program cares deeply about their students both as writers and as people. Classes are small, so you’re able to actually know and trust each other, which is important for productive workshopping.”

Khalid McCalla ’21

“From the professors to the students, everyone always wanted to see me and my writing grow and develop, but not at the expense of what made my voice unique. It's a warm and supportive community that only gets better the longer you're a part of it.”

Upcoming Creative Writing Events

Reading and book signing with chanda feldman and elizabeth lindsey rogers, what does creative writing at oberlin look like.

Three people sit on one side of a table facing an audience.

Professor Tom Hopkins moderates an alumni panel on publishing and journalism in the first annual Creative Writing Program Career Fair.

Award-winning novelist and essayist Zadie Smith ( White Teeth , NW , Grand Union ) reads to a packed house at Finney Chapel.

A group meets around a round table, laptops open and papers out.

Editorial board meeting for Two Groves Review , a new student publication dedicated to poetry, literary criticism, and writing about writing.

3 book covers:All Adults Here by Emma Straub; Deacon King Kong by James McBride; Minor Feelings an Asian American Reckoning by Cathy Park Hong.

Our alumni have found notable success in the publishing world: these were only a few of the best-selling books by Obies published in 2020.

Get in touch; we would love to chat.

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DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH

Litowitz MFA+MA Program

The Litowitz MFA+MA Program in Creative Writing and English

Program faculty, the department of english is grateful to northwestern university alumna jennifer leischner litowitz ’91 and her husband, alec litowitz for helping launch and support this program..

The Litowitz MFA+MA Program in Creative Writing offers intimate classes, the opportunity to pursue both creative and critical writing, close mentorship by renowned faculty in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, and three fully supported years in which to grow as writers and complete a book-length creative project. The Litowitz MFA+MA curriculum gives students time to deepen both their creative writing and their study of literature. Students will receive full financial support for three academic years and two summers, a total of 33 months. Both degrees—the MFA in Creative Writing and the MA in English—are awarded simultaneously at graduation.

Drawing on innovative scholarship, deep immersion in process, and cross-pollination between critical and creative texts, Litowitz students will complete a Capstone essay—a 20-25 page expanded version of a paper written for an English department graduate or MFA+MA seminar—by the end of their second year, and will spend their third year working on a book-length creative thesis of their own design, either within one genre or across genres. The MFA+MA program's small size and attentive faculty will develop students' sense of literary context, the possibilities of genre, and their creative practice, while encouraging them to pursue the individual distinctiveness of their projects.

The Litowitz MFA+MA program provides significant exposure to a second genre in addition to the genre in which a student has been admitted. Students must take at least one out-of-genre workshop and have the option of taking more.

Over two years of coursework students will take:


English 403: Writers’ Studies in Literature	Three quarters of a seminar-workshop focused on interpreting literature from a writer’s perspective and on deepening the process and projects of the writer.
English 410: Introduction to Graduate Study	Seminar focusing on principles, techniques, and consequences of representative modes of literary inquiry exemplified in works of contemporary scholarship and criticism.
English 496, 497, 498: Creative Writing Workshop (Poetry; Fiction; Creative Nonfiction, respectively)	Four workshops in the home-genre One workshop in a different genre One workshop in any genre
Graduate-level seminars	Two English seminars focusing on pre-1800 literature Two English seminars focusing on post-1800 literature One seminar in or out of the English department
English 571: Teaching Creative Writing	A seminar on designing and teaching undergraduate creative writing courses.
English 491: Editorial Practicum	During the summer after the first and second years, each student will register for this practicum, which consists of participating in the editing of .

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.

Admissions Cycle

Each year, the MFA+MA program admits in all three genres. Information on the application process can be found here .

The Department of English offers the Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing for students committed to pursuing the writing life. This three-year degree provides advanced graduate-level coursework in writing, language, literature, as well as studies in a related field.

Workshops in poetry, fiction, and literary nonfiction are at the heart of the creative writing program, while courses in the Reading as Writers and Topics in Advanced Writing series enable writers to explore a variety of issues relating to contemporary themes in American and world literature. The program encourages experimentation across genres, fostering the discovery of new and varied forms for a developing voice.

Our program is committed to the goal of improving diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of departmental operations. Diversity, here, includes but is not limited to: race, indigeneity, gender identity, sexual orientation, caste, religion, cultural/educational background, (dis)ability, nationality, and socioeconomic status.

Please view our graduate handbook for more information.

Requirements for the MFA Degree

The MFA thesis, completed in the spring of your third year in the program, is a book-length manuscript suitable for publication. The minimum length for prose is 120 pages and the minimum length for poetry is 50 pages. (Some students, in consultation with their advisors, have completed multi-genre theses.) Feel free to consult the bound MFA theses on the bookshelf in the Assistant Director's office in 112 Pillsbury.

Class of 2025: Your thesis is due to your committee on Monday, April 21, 2025. Please work out specific arrangements (e.g. time, format) with your committee.

The MFA booklist will consist of 20 books of your choice, books that have been particularly influential or useful to you in the composition of your work. The list must include at least one book from each genre. The booklist should be assembled during your first and second years in the program. Strive for a balanced list, keeping classic as well as contemporary works in mind. Please keep your thesis advisor updated on your progress assembling the booklist.

Class of 2025: Your booklist is due to your committee on Monday, April 28, 2025.

During the fall of your third year, in the context of the thesis seminar, you'll devise a topic for your MFA essay (see below). During early spring of your third year, you'll consult with your thesis advisors about the MFA essay. In April of your third year, one week after the due date for the MFA thesis, you must give the completed essay, along with the booklist, to your thesis director and second reader, in preparation for your defense. Note: no changes to the thesis or other materials may be made between the date when you hand them in and the defense. Commentary and feedback on the MFA essay will take place within the context of the defense.

What should the MFA essay look like? This is a literary essay, personally voiced and intellectually rigorous. It is 2,500–3,500 words long (10–15 pages, double-spaced). It should focus on a specific topic (e.g. structure in experimental fiction; trauma and memoir; urban settings in contemporary poetry) as evidenced in your booklist and in your own work. You do not need to admire all of the works on your list; nor are you expected to discuss all twenty selections from your booklist in your essay. The essay is not a "hoop" through which you must jump, it can serve as both a preface to your thesis and as a way of reflecting on your own writing process and on the place of your own work within a larger tradition.

Class of 2025: your booklist and essay are due to your committee on April 28, 2025.

Thesis defense

The MFA defense will take place in May. Students who are deemed not ready to defend will be discouraged from doing so. At the defense, you will read briefly from and discuss your creative work (for about 30 minutes) and then field questions from audience members (30 minutes) about your thesis. The first portion of your defense is open unless otherwise requested. The second portion of your defense (60 minutes) will consist of you and your committee members only; this portion is closed to the public. Your committee will ask questions about the thesis, booklist and essay. After a brief private discussion with each other, your committee members may either sign off on the thesis as is, or ask for revisions to the thesis–or the essay.

MFA Thesis Defenses will take place May 5-9, 2025.

The Thesis is due April 21, 2025. The MFA essay and booklist are due April 28, 2025.

Thesis advising

At least two faculty members of your choice will work with you as advisors on your final manuscript.

In some circumstances, you may be able to petition by letter to the Director of the Creative Writing Program to have an affiliate faculty member serve as your second reader. Approval will rest on your previous coursework experience with the instructor and whether funds are available to pay them for the additional work.
If you choose to have two co-advisors , one of the two must be a member of the creative writing faculty; the other may be a faculty member of any department. You will divide your four thesis credits (and the workload) between your co-advisors; often, this means you will work with one advisor in the fall semester (for two credits), and the other advisor in the spring (for two credits).

It is your responsibility to seek out faculty who you think will be the most supportive of you as a writer, regardless of department.

Note: Mentorship is a mutual endeavor. Make use of faculty office hours to introduce yourself to potential advisors.

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The Truth about a M.F.A. in Creative Writing
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Everything you need to know about an MFA in creative writing!
Amazon.com: Creative Writing Mfa Handbook: A Guide for Prospective
MFA Creative Writing
Applying to an MFA in Creative Writing: One Accepted Student's Story

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La Bella Tangolita
The Rutgers Alum Cultivating Creative Writing Connections
Novel with MA/MFA Creative Writing
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City, University of London: What's different between MA Creative Writing and MFA Creative Writing?
Solstice MFA Program: Growing As Artists

COMMENTS

Applying to the MFA
Berlin Writers' Workshop About What We Do Testimonials FAQ Workshops Creative Writing I Fiction Writing I Nonfiction Writing I Poetry Writing I Creative Writing II Fiction Writing II Poetry Writing II Screenwriting I Application Writing
The Berlin Writers' Workshop
The Berlin Writers' Workshop is an open community for writers and readers. We host creative writing workshops, creative writing classes, writing seminars, creative writing MFA tutorials, readings, casual writing groups, editorial services, and mentorships with professional writers.
56 Best universities for Creative Writing in Germany
Below is the list of 56 best universities for Creative Writing in Germany ranked based on their research performance: a graph of 62K citations received by 9K academic papers made by these universities was used to calculate ratings and create the top.
Creative Writing M.F.A. Student Awarded Prestigious Grant for Medieval
About the Program in Creative Writing and Translation: Founded in 1966, the University of Arkansas Program in Creative Writing and Translation in the Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences consistently ranks in the top 40 M.F.A. programs nationwide, according to Poets & Writers magazine. The Atlantic Monthly named the U of A among the "Top Five Most Innovative" M.F.A. programs in the nation.
Best MFA Degree in Germany 2024+
Masters of Fine Arts in Germany Masters of Fine Arts, also called MFA degrees, offer graduate students the opportunity to study diverse subjects, from film-making and theater to creative writing and graphic design. MFA programs typically require 2-3 years of full time study and may offer some practical and applied learning, as well as lessons in technique and theory.
Writing, BFA
Housed in a newly renovated button factory in Kreuzberg, one of Berlin's most central and exciting neighborhoods, the program offers writing majors and minors in creative writing, critical and visual studies, and humanities and media studies a full 16 credits of core classes and electives with BFA Writing faculty.
The 10 Best MFA Creative Writing Programs [2024]
What are the best MFA creative writing programs? From requirements to jobs post-graduation, discover what you need to know about choosing MFA programs.
Profile
Biographical and creative writing M.A. Learning how to write, applying this and teaching it to others.
15 Best Creative Writing MFA Programs in 2024
The best MFA Creative Writing Programs in 2024 are revealed. We cover everything from online MFAs to fully-funded residential programs.
Pratt Berlin
Students can take a full 16 credits of core classes and electives with BFA in Writing faculty while living and learning in Kreuzberg, which is Berlin's most central and exciting neighborhood. A semester abroad allows students to broaden their cultural, intellectual, and creative horizons, and Berlin is an ideal city for such study and growth.
MFA in Creative Writing
December 1 — MFA Round 1 applications due January 15 — MFA Round 2 applications due. The MFA degree in Creative Writing provides a combination studio/academic course of study. Students receive critical feedback on their poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction in writing workshops, scrutinize aspects of genre in special topics classes and investigate larger theoretical and historical ...
MFA Programs Database: 255 Programs for Creative Writers
Our list of 255 MFA programs for creative writers includes essential information about low-residency and full-residency graduate creative writing programs in the United States and other English-speaking countries to help you decide where to apply. It also includes MA programs and PhD programs.
Berlin MFA in Fiction / Creative writing : r/AskLiteraryStudies
Berlin MFA in Fiction / Creative writing Hi! I'm looking to apply to MFA programs abroad for fiction. Does anyone know any programs in Berlin, my research isn't leading me to anything!! I'd love to do ideally Berlin or London. I ofcourse found some options in London- Royal College, Cambridge, Oxford, but they're all tuition based.
Fully Funded MFA Programs in Creative Writing
53 fully funded MFA programs in Creative Writing that offer full tuition remission as well as an annual stipend or salary during the entire 1-2 year program.
Online MFA in Creative Writing Degree Program
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.
Graduate
Graduate students in Brown's Literary Arts MFA program may choose to focus in one of three tracks - Fiction, Poetry, or Digital/Cross Disciplinary Writing. The Graduate School has notified candidates regarding admission decisions for Fall 2024 in all three tracks: Cross-Disciplinary, Fiction and Poetry.
Creative Writing MFA Home
She was a 2020-2021 American Academy in Berlin Prize Fellow. Mathis received her MFA at the Iowa Writers' Workshop and went on to become the first African-American woman to serve as an assistant professor in that program. Her new novel, The Unsettled is out now from Penguin Random House. Visiting Faculty Fall 2024.
Creative Writing, M.F.A
Our small, highly personal two-year program confers a Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing in fiction, poetry, or playwriting. The program offers single-discipline and inter-genre workshops, literature seminars, small-group reading tutorials, and one-on-one tutorials, which all emphasize relationships between eminent faculty members ...
The 10 Best Creative Writing MFA Programs in the US
University of Oregon (Eugene, OR) Visitor7, Knight Library, CC BY-SA 3.0. 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 ...
Creative Writing Department
Our Creative Writing Program prepares students with a broad and balanced program of study that emphasizes interconnections between various literary genres: fiction, poetry, nonfiction, playwriting, and screenwriting.
The Litowitz MFA+MA Program in Creative Writing and English
The Litowitz MFA+MA Program is the highest-funded graduate creative writing program in the country, providing a full three years of funding and free tuition, as well as health insurance and conference funding. Our faculty includes Natasha Trethewey, Chris Abani, Charif Shanahan, Juan Martinez, Daisy Hernández, and Sarah Schulman.
MFA
MFA. The Department of English offers the Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing for students committed to pursuing the writing life. This three-year degree provides advanced graduate-level coursework in writing, language, literature, as well as studies in a related field. Workshops in poetry, fiction, and literary nonfiction are at the ...