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Find details about every creative writing competition—including poetry contests, short story competitions, essay contests, awards for novels, grants for translators, and more—that we’ve published in the Grants & Awards section of Poets & Writers Magazine during the past year. We carefully review the practices and policies of each contest before including it in the Writing Contests database, the most trusted resource for legitimate writing contests available anywhere.

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Emerson College’s Popular Fiction Writing and Publishing MFA

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MFA Program

Writing: Katie Williams, Margot Douaihy, Kirsten Imani Kasai, Jon Papernick, Jessica Treadway Literature: William Orem, Roy Kamada, Mary Kovaleski Byrnes, Adele Lee Publishing: Lisa Diercks, Gian Lombardo, John Rodzvilla

The program offers partial funding. Some students receive fellowships, and all applications are automatically reviewed for funding. The program offers the  Presidential Fellowship and Merit-Based Scholarships .

Students can apply to the program’s Transformational Leaders Fellowship which includes a stipend, scholarship, leadership training and a mentorship program.

The Online MFA in Popular Fiction Writing and Publishing Program hosts an online webinar series for students with writers and publishers of popular fiction to enable students to discuss their craft and foster connections with the writing and publishing community.

The priority decision is November 1, rolling admissions accepted through November 15 for spring admission. The priority decision is March 1, rolling admissions accepted through June 1 for fall admission. The priority decision is February 1, rolling admissions accepted through May 1 for summer admission.

Emerson College MFA in Creative Writing

MFA in Creative Writing

Emerson College

Emerson College

Introduction

Scholarships and funding, career opportunities, student testimonials, program tuition fee, english language requirements, about the school.

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Key Information

Campus location

Boston, USA

Study format

3 - 6 years

Full time, Part time

Tuition fees

Request info

Application deadline

02 Apr 2024 *

Earliest start date

05 Sep 2024

* Priority decision: February 1

Emerson’s Creative Writing (MFA) program focuses on the practice of writing and its literary foundations and is one of the longest-running programs of its kind.

We know writing is your life. That’s why our Creative Writing (MFA) focuses on the actual practice of writing, as well as its literary foundations. Our MFA program boasts some of the most impressive faculty in writing and publishing, is home to two award-winning literary journals and is strongly connected to the Boston publishing community.

Focus on your passion, choosing from the areas of literary fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, and explore writing as both an art form and a professional pursuit.

Find your inner voice and tell your story. With exceptional writing opportunities available at your fingertips, by the time you graduate you will have completed a professional thesis, a novel or novel excerpt, a nonfiction book or excerpt, or a collection of poems, short stories, or essays—ready for consideration by agents and publishing houses or for digital publication.

Program highlights include:

  • Focus on your genre of choice: poetry, nonfiction, or fiction
  • Develop your literary voice and explore the history and context of your chosen genre
  • Explore different forms of writing through your electives, including fiction to nonfiction, poetry to screenwriting, digital to traditional publishing, and more
  • Experiences outside of the classroom include teaching creative writing in our Writing Studies Program and editing journals such as Ploughshares and Redivider
  • No GRE requirements to apply
  • Full-time and part-time options and classes are offered evenings and nights to fit your schedule

As one of the longest-running creative writing MFA programs in the country, our Writing, Literature, and Publishing Department has attracted an industry-active faculty that offers a diverse range of perspectives and expertise.

Our creative writing faculty are all actively writing and publishing in their respective genres. Recent faculty accolades include:

  • Pulitzer Prize in Biography and Memoir
  • Fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts
  • Guggenheim Fellowship in Creative Arts
  • Fiction Honors from the Black Caucus of the American Library Association
  • Massachusetts Book Award in Nonfiction

Emerson Advantages

Emerson College offers everything aspiring writers need to hone their talents and refine their craft in a world-class city brimming with professional and artistic opportunities. We allow you to pursue your interests in teaching, editing, interning, or showcasing your own work.

  • Writing Studies Program The Writing Studies Program provides you with opportunities to mentor, teach and train undergraduate Emerson writing students.
  • Ploughshares Ploughshares is an award-winning literary journal offering exclusive job opportunities to Emerson writing students in editorial, marketing, production, and design.
  • Redivider Redivider is an award-winning literary journal produced by graduate students in the Creative Writing and Publishing and Writing programs. You can gain editing experience, publish your own work, and collaborate with other writers.
  • emersonWRITES emersonWRITES is a creative writing program offering free college-style workshops to students grades 8-12 enrolled in a Greater Boston public or charter school. Classes are taught by Emerson’s Creative Writing and Writing and Publishing graduate students.

Our Alumni have gone on to establish successful writing careers, publishing work ranging from poetry, fiction, nonfiction, children’s books, and more. Recent alumni who have gone on to publish their work include:

  • Ciera Burch ’20, The Inevitability of Home (Farrar, Straus, and Giroux)
  • Madeline Sneed ’20, The Light of West Texas (HarperCollins)
  • Stephanie Wrobel ’19, The Recovery of Rose Gold (Penguin Random House)
  • Noe Alvarez ’17, Spirit Run: A 6,000-Mile Marathon Through North America’s Stolen Land (Catapult)
  • Brionne Janae ’15, Blessed Are The Peacemakers (Northwestern University Press)
  • Amber McBride, Me (Moth) (Macmillan)

Curriculum Requirements

Write the stories you’re passionate about. Your admittance into the program is based on your genre of choice: poetry, nonfiction, or fiction. Focus on your genre during your required workshops and thesis, and explore different genres along the way through your elective courses.

Our Creative Writing MFA program requires 48 credit hours, including:

  • 20 credits of Writing Workshop Courses
  • 16 credits must be in your chosen genre
  • 12 credits of Literature Courses
  • 12 credits of Department Electives
  • 4-credit Master’s Thesis

Writing Workshop Courses (20 Credits Required)

Poetry Workshops

Nonfiction Workshops

Fiction Workshops

*Genre Workshops may be taken more than once

Electives Course Sampling (12 credits)

Literature Course Sampling (12 credits)

MFA Thesis (4 credits)

Elective Alternative: Focus in Translation*

Translation / Global Engagement Focus, 8 credits

You can fulfill elective requirements by taking two classes from the following options:

  • A class offered at the Emerson campus, such as the Translation Seminar or the Translating Cultures course (both listed under the Topics LI 615 number)
  • A course from one of the Global Pathways Programs
  • Directed study. You will complete a required translation project as part of this focus; You can do so as part of the work in one of the classes and options listed above.

*Approval from the Graduate Program Director is required for this focus

Elective Alternative: Teaching College Composition*

Each year, a select number of graduate students in Writing, Literature, and Publishing learn to teach writing at the undergraduate level.

Teaching College Composition is a 4-credit, one-semester course that prepares you to teach at Emerson and other institutions after graduation.

Although taking the course does not guarantee a part-time teaching position at Emerson, students who have completed the course are interviewed by faculty and may be offered appointments. Many students find this elective as a valuable tool when pursuing jobs after graduation.

At the conclusion of your coursework, you will submit and defend a “near publishable” manuscript in one genre to be approved by a thesis committee. You must complete at least 16 credits (four courses) of the required 20 credits of workshops in the genre of your thesis.

Your thesis may consist of a collection of poems, short stories, essays, a novel, a novel excerpt, or a nonfiction book or excerpt. Minimum required lengths for MFA theses vary according to the genre.

Financial Aid

Emerson College is proud to offer students and families financial aid options and resources. For a full list of our financial aid offerings, visit our  Financial Aid  page.

Scholarships

Upon applying to an Emerson Graduate Program, the Graduate Admission team automatically reviews every accepted student’s scholarship eligibility. For more information about scholarships, please visit our  Scholarships & Grants  page.

Apply today!

Career Outlook

Students interested in a writing career will enjoy a dynamic range of careers and industries, including:

  • Content Manager
  • Communications Coordinator
  • Public Relations Manager

Certify your English proficiency with the Duolingo English Test! The DET is a convenient, fast, and affordable online English test accepted by over 4,000 universities (like this one) around the world.

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Emerson College MA in Creative Writing

Creative Writing is a concentration offered under the writing studies major at Emerson College. Here, you’ll find out more about the major master’s degree program in creative writing, including such details as the number of graduates, diversity of students, and more.

You can jump to any section of this page using the links below:

  • Graduate Cost
  • Online Learning
  • Student Diversity

Featured Programs

Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.

MFA in Creative Writing - Online

Embrace your passion for storytelling and learn the professional writing skills you'll need to succeed with our online MFA in Creative Writing. Write your novel or short story collection while earning a certificate in the Online Teaching of Writing or Professional Writing, with no residency requirement.

Southern New Hampshire University Logo

MA in English & Creative Writing

Refine your writing skills and take a step toward furthering your career with this online master's from Southern New Hampshire University.

Low-Residency MFA in Fiction and Nonfiction

Harness your passion for storytelling with SNHU's Mountainview Low-Residency MFA in Fiction and Nonfiction. In this small, two-year creative writing program, students work one-on-one with our distinguished faculty remotely for most of the semester but convene for weeklong intensive residencies in June and January. At residencies, students critique each other's work face-to-face, meet with major authors, agents and editors and learn how to teach at the college level.

How Much Does a Master’s in Creative Writing from Emerson Cost?

Emerson graduate tuition and fees.

Part-time graduates at Emerson paid an average of $1,296 per credit hour in 2019-2020. This tuition was the same for both in-state and out-of-state students. Information about average full-time graduate student tuition and fees is shown in the table below.

Does Emerson Offer an Online MA in Creative Writing?

Emerson does not offer an online option for its creative writing master’s degree program at this time. To see if the school offers distance learning options in other areas, visit the Emerson Online Learning page.

Emerson Master’s Student Diversity for Creative Writing

Male-to-female ratio.

Of the students who received their master’s degree in creative writing in 2019-2020, 70.6% of them were women. This is higher than the nationwide number of 66.6%.

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Racial-Ethnic Diversity

Racial-ethnic minority graduates* made up 32.4% of the creative writing master’s degrees at Emerson in 2019-2020. This is higher than the nationwide number of 24%.

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*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

  • National Center for Education Statistics
  • O*NET Online

More about our data sources and methodologies .

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Creative Writing MFA

Award-Winning Creative Writing MFA Student Reflects on His Success

Award-Winning Creative Writing MFA Student Reflects on His Success

Tochukwu Okafor, current Creative Writing MFA candidate. Photo by Beowulf Sheehan Thinking about going to graduate school for creative writing? Wondering if a Creative Writing MFA is worth the investment? Today we’re featuring Tochukwu Okafor, a current student in Emerson … Continued

Creative Writing Thesis Spotlight: MFA Candidate Explores Monsters and Deep Sea with Their Novel

Creative Writing Thesis Spotlight: MFA Candidate Explores Monsters and Deep Sea with Their Novel

Daven McQueen, current MFA candidate in Emerson’s Creative Writing program If you’re looking into Creative Writing MFAs, you’re probably researching the thesis requirements of different programs. Today we’re interviewing Daven McQueen, a current student in Emerson’s Creative Writing MFA program, … Continued

Emerson Writing MFA Celebrating 40th Anniversary at AWP Conference

ciera burch resting elbows on gravestone

Writing, Literature and Publishing’s MFA turns 40 in 2024, and in celebration, a panel of alums will converge on the annual Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP) conference in February to present a panel, Emerson MFA at Forty: Celebrating Four Decades of Writing & Publishing .

The five alum writers – Ciera Burch, MFA ’20; Rebecca Morgan Frank, MFA ’03; Kenan Orhan, MFA ’18; Shuchi Saraswat, MFA ’10; and Madeline Sneed, MFA ’20 – will discuss how their work in publishing informs their writing, and give readings of work (poetry, essays, stories, novels, YA, and translation) they have published.

Joining them in Kansas City or online will be dozens of alums and faculty members, who are sitting on panels, giving readings, and talking about teaching writing.

Madeline Sneed head shot

The AWP Conference & Bookfair convenes writers, teachers, students, editors, and publishers of contemporary creative writing for four days of events and exhibits that celebrate the joy and value of the written word. This year’s conference (Feb. 7-10) will feature a keynote address by poet Jericho Brown.

On Thursday, Feb. 8, 6-7:30 pm CST, Emerson will host a 40th anniversary celebration at the Kansas City Marriott Downtown. All conference attendees are invited.

Here’s who’s participating in the conference (visit the website for descriptions/schedules):

Alex Marzano-Lesnevich, MFA ’10 is on three panels — Queer Speculation: Transing Genre, Transing Gender ; The Hybrid Memoir: Weaving Personal Narrative with Research ; and Writing Trans Sex.

Headshot of Alex Marzano-Lesnevich

Danielle Legros Georges ’86, LHD ’16 will sit on Gathering the Loose Petals: A Celebration of the Work of Afaa Michael Weaver , and Readings from Wheatley at 250: Black Women Poets Reimagine the Verse of Phillis Wheatley Peters.

Matthew Salesses, MFA ’10 will join Crafting Unforgettable Characters – A Writer’s Guide to Storytelling and Vision & Re-Vision: Teaching Revision in University & Community Workshops.

Sophie Klahr ’07 will sit on Against Tradition, Tradition: Contradiction & the Prose Poem and Whose Line Is It Anyway? The Ecstasy & Agony of Collaborative Books

Rachel Simon ’15 will join Everything Is Awful: Sustaining Through Shitstorms & Systemic Obstacles and Exhausted & Overwhelmed: Attempting Queer Joy in 2024.

Danielle Legros Georges head shot

More Emersonians:

Eloisa Amezcua, MFA ’14 – Biography: The Radical Work of Writing Lives

G’Ra Asim ’14 – Rebel Voices Only

Kurt Baumeister, MFA ’99 – Down to the Wire: The Nuts & Bolts of Editing a Manuscript to Publication

Devon Capizzi, MFA ’20 – Split/Lip Press 10th Anniversary Reading

Sarah Chaves ’11 – The Stages of Writing & Publishing a Memoir

Kirstin Chen, MFA ’10 and Kim Liao, MFA ’09 – Beyond the Debut: Publisher One-Night Stands vs. Long-Term Relationships

Andrea Dupree, MFA ’97 – Evolving Literary Landscape: Creating Innovative Programming at Literary Centers

Lorena Hernández Leonard, MA ’11 and Shuchi Saraswat, MFA ’10 – Lit Mags Explore Challenges & Methods of Expanding Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Edwin Hill, MFA ’03 , affiliated faculty member – It’s a Crime! Genre Fiction’s Bad Rap (Sheet) in Academia’s Mean Streets

Taylor Johnson ’17 – Toward a Poetics of Tenderness: Hegemonic Masculinity & the Poetic Imagination

Alden Jones head shot

Alden Jones , writer-in-residence, and Zoe Sprankle ’20 – Queer Architectures: New Models for Memoir

Joanna Luloff, MFA ’02 – Collaboration in the Creative Writing Classroom

Matt Miller, MFA ’01 — Heroic Crowns: On the Values of Difficulty & Dazzle

Matt Miller, MFA ’05 — When the Old Names Fail Us

Phong Nguyen, MA ’02 – Show (Me), Don’t Tell: Missouri Writers Grappling with the State of Their State

Kim Roberts ’84 – Creating Community Residencies to Celebrate Queer Writers

Ivelisse Rodriguez, MFA ’00 – Breaking Silence: The Ethics of Writing Inherited Trauma across Genres

Ivelisse Rodriguez headshot B&W

Anna Ross , affiliated faculty member – Inside Out, Outside In: How Teaching in Prison Affects Creative Pedagogy Wesley Rothman, MFA ’12 – Communing with James Baldwin: A Centennial Celebration

Asako Serizawa, MFA ’01 – Fictionalizing Marginalized Histories: India, Jamaica, Japan, USA

Kimberly Southwick-Thompson ’06 – Experiential Learning, Multimodality & the Publishing Classroom, Oh My!

Sebastian Stockman, MFA ’11 – About That Book Life: A Publishing Round Robin

Viktoria Valenzuela ’11 – Sin Fronteras: Navigating, Representing, and Publishing Latine Authors

asako serizawa head shot

Did we miss anyone? If so, email [email protected] with the name of the panel or session they’re in.

News & Stories

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Naropa Logo

Low Residency MFA in Creative Writing

Master of fine arts in creative writing and poetics (low-residency).

Our low-residency MFA provides the structure, support, and professional development you need to take your writing to the next level .

Program Overview

Naropa’s Low-Residency MFA in Creative Writing is designed for writers ready to hone their craft and earn their Master of Fine Arts degree through rigorous, cross-genre study. Students who can’t relocate to our Colorado Campus can acquire a quality asynchronous education with in-person residencies.

Whether you have a novel in progress, are preparing for a PhD program, or looking to strengthen your prose, poetry, and hybrid writing, our low-residency creative writing MFA program provides you with resources, accountability, and inspiration that fit your schedules.

Naropa takes traditional low-residency MFA programs a step further with our history of experimental and innovative writing, critical study, and cross-genre publishing. Our unique cross-genre online writing courses, generative residencies, and one-on-one mentorship provide students with a writing community, no matter where they live.

Cross-Genre Curriculum

Unlike other Creative Writing MFA programs, our low-residency MFA is open-genre. This means that writers can work in fiction, poetry, prose, non-fiction, playwriting, and hybrid forms throughout their degree program. Students experiment with narrative structures and forms that fit their unique voices. Writers develop their unique style, critical ear, and vast knowledge of contemporary trends across literary genres.

One-on-One Mentorship

One-on-one mentorship and small online writing classes help writers develop their style, refine their editing skills, and publish their work. Each writer dedicates their final semester to a thesis manuscript. Working one-on-one with their thesis mentor and workshopping with classmates through written exchange, students finish their MFA with a completed manuscript in the genre of their choice.

Generative Residencies

Every semester, our Low-Residency MFA students gather in Boulder, Colorado, for enriching and energizing residencies. MFA students meet one-on-one with mentors, enjoy master classes with guest writers, attend readings, and bond with writers. Residencies also overlap with our spring and fall symposiums, providing students with a rich 4-days of community and inspiration. Each academic year culminates in a week-long writing intensive at Naropa’s Summer Writing Program. This annual festival brings over 60 artists, writers, and thinkers to Boulder, for workshops, readings, panels, and professional development.

Quick Facts

  • Fifteen annual days of residency in Boulder, CO
  • Open-genre curriculum
  • One-on-one mentorship with accomplished faculty
  • Unique Experimental Approach
  • Participation in the Summer Writing Program
  • Cohort model developing a strong sense of community among MFA students
  • Several Scholarship and Financial Aid Opportunities
  • Applications open for August 2024

Program Format

Naropa’s Creative Writing MFA is a rigorous, generative, low-residency two-year program with 4 writing residencies in beautiful Boulder Colorado. The program combines asynchronous craft courses with on-campus residencies. 

Annual fall and spring residencies allow writers to connect with other writers and faculty , deepen their craft, and participate in symposium readings and panels with other MFA students in Boulder, CO. Spring and Fall Residencies run from Saturday through Tuesday during the Spring and Fall JKS Symposiums.

The summer residency immerses writers in a full week of the Jack Kerouac School’s world-renowned Summer Writing Program . Here, students attend workshops, lectures, panels, and readings by numerous visiting writers to hone their craft, make connections, speak on student panels, and prepare for the next step in their writing career.

emerson online mfa creative writing

Course Spotlight

Craft of writing: rooting in the archive.

This course delves into the Naropa University Archive and its rich offerings to explore traditions, movements, and/or schools of writing that inform or extend the aesthetic vision of the Jack Kerouac School toward mindful writing. Possible recent historical examples include New American Poetry, the Beats, San Francisco Renaissance, the New York School, Black Mountain Poetics, the Black Arts Movement, and Language poetry, among others.

Degree Requirements

Unlike many online creative writing MFA programs, our asynchronous classes build community through writer-to-writer feedback and a structured curriculum.

Low Residency MFA in Creative Writing Requirements

26 credits of online asynchronous craft courses.

Students work one-on-one with a mentor, exchanging packets —consisting of letters, bibliographies, contemplative reflections, creative manuscripts, and critical essays—throughout the semester.

  • WRI-631E Craft of Writing: Rooting in the Archive(6)WRI-648E Craft of Writing: Contemplative Experiments(6)
  • WRI-678E Craft of Writing: Cultures & Communities(4)
  • WRI-735E Craft of Writing: Contemporary Trends(6)
  • WRI-755E Craft of Writing: Professional Development(4)

6 credits of MFA Thesis

6 credits of MFA Thesis (faculty mentorship on a book-length creative manuscript)

4 credits of the Summer Writing Program

Two eight-day summer residencies are completed at Naropa’s Boulder campus. Choose two of the following:

  • WRI-751 Summer Writing Program(2)
  • WRI-752 Week Two Summer Writing Program(2)
  • WRI-753 Summer Writing Program(2)

4 credits of fall and spring residencies in Boulder, CO.

  • WRI-789WE Fall Residency(1)
  • WRI-791WE Spring Residency(1)

Why Choose Naropa?

Strong writing tradition.

Founded in 1974 by Allen Ginsberg and Anne Waldman, the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics encourages experimental forms across genres , pushing for innovation inside and outside the classroom.

Career Readiness

Whether a student plans to teach, write, edit, or work in publishing, our low-residency program provides the framework they need to develop their professional skills alongside a vibrant and supportive writing community.

In-house Publishing

The Kerouac School’s student-run Bombay Gin literary journal publishes work from promising students and distributes it nationally through Small Press Distribution. Students interested in fine-craft letterpress printing can learn at Naropa’s Harry Smith Print Shop and Kavyayantra Press.

emerson online mfa creative writing

How this Program Prepares You

Professional dossier.

Graduates from our low-residency Creative Writing MFA emerge from the program with a solid record of written work . The pieces that make up their dossier are workshopped with peers and perfectioned with guidance from their tutor.

Critical Analysis

You’ll emerge from the program with critical analysis skills that go beyond reading between the lines of a written work. The program will teach you to recognize the role of intersectionality in the literary arts, looking at the wider spectrum that surrounds a piece, and identifying bias, assumptions and stereotypes.

Unleashing creativity

Our workshops, classes and Summer Writing Program encourage students to harness their creativity by exploring experimental forms . Low-residency students receive on-on one mentoring to help them develop their creative writing skills to the fullest, as well as feedback from their writing community, be it online or during their residency.

What You'll Learn

Highly developed writing craft.

Hone your voice in every step of the writing process.

Skill in Critical Analysis

Learn to discuss literary works through a variety of critical lenses.

Contemplative Writing Practice:

Use your writing practice as a tool for self-inquiry and discovery.

Social and Cultural Awareness

Recognize the role of race, class, and gender in literary history and works.

Career Preparedness

Graduate with a publishable manuscript and/or professional dossier.

Career Opportunities with a Low-Residency MFA in Creative Writing

  • Lyricist: write words for songs, matching melody and rhyme.
  • Poet: use language to creatively express emotion, ideas and experiences.
  • Proofreader: check written work for errors and inconsistencies.
  • English Teacher: teach at the postsecondary level.
  • Author: craft and publish original material.
  • Editor: review and improve written work for publication.

Hear from a Graduate

Jackie henrion, faqs about the low-residency mfa in creative writing, what is a low residency mfa in creative writing, why choose a low residency mfa creative writing program, how long does it take to complete a low residency mfa in creative writing, how is naropa’s low residency mfa in creative writing different from other programs, what types of funding are available.

Funding includes the Allen Ginsberg, Anne Waldman, and Anselm Hollo Graduate Fellowships.

The fellowships are awarded annually to three incoming MFA Creative Writing and Poetics students (residency program). Allen Ginsberg, Anne Waldman, and Anselm Hollo fellowship recipients will receive full funding (tuition and fees), plus an additional $5,000 scholarship as well as a $4,500 stipend. Fellowship recipients may not simultaneously hold a Graduate Assistantship.

Additionally, partial funding is provided for students who have applied for and been offered graduate assistantships with the Naropa Writing Center.

Visit our Graduate Scholarship page to read more about funding, fellowships and scholarships for the Low-Residency Creative Writing & Poetics MFA and other degrees.

Learn More About the Program

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Graduate Admissions Counselor

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Admission requirements.

Naropa University values both academic excellence and critical self-reflection . Our application process not only evaluates academic performance but also candidates’ openness and willingness to engage in contemplation.

Learn more about admission requirements and the application process for our Low-Residency Creative Writing MFA.

Graduate Students

Prospective students who have completed an undergraduate degree are welcome to apply to Naropa. When applying, candidates must submit a transcript of their undergraduate coursework, a statement of interest, a resume, two letters of interest and a creative writing sample. They may also apply for financial aid at this stage. Discover all admission requirements.

International Students

If you obtained your undergraduate diploma from a non-US university, we require additional documentation to review your application. Learn how to apply to Naropa as an international student.

Costs and Financial Aid

Naropa University students have access to several financial aid opportunities and scholarships – over 75% of our graduate students receive some sort of financial support to pursue their studies. Use our calculator to estimate your tuition, housing, materials and other costs.

Undergraduate Scholarship Opportunities

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Interested in our Low-Residency Creative Writing MFA?

Read our blog or listen to our podcast, heartfire festival returns to naropa university, episode 92. andrew schelling: writing as a spiritual practice, womxn of naropa celebrates national poetry month, summer writing program from the archives, together in spirit, student support and resources, academic support, online student support, career services, financial aid, accessibility, related programs, mfa in creative writing, ba in creative writing and literature, request information, plan a visit, about naropa, events & community, user information, support naropa.

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Naropa campuses closed on friday, march 15, 2024.

Due to adverse weather conditions, all Naropa campuses will be closed Friday, March 15, 2024.  All classes that require a physical presence on campus will be canceled. All online and low-residency programs are to meet as scheduled.

Based on the current weather forecast, the Healing with the Ancestors Talk & Breeze of Simplicity program scheduled for Friday evening, Saturday, and Sunday will be held as planned.

Staff that do not work remotely or are scheduled to work on campus, can work remotely. Staff that routinely work remotely are expected to continue to do so.

As a reminder, notifications will be sent by e-mail and the LiveSafe app.  

Regardless of Naropa University’s decision, if you ever believe the weather conditions are unsafe, please contact your supervisor and professors.  Naropa University trusts you to make thoughtful and wise decisions based on the conditions and situation in which you find yourself in.

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  1. Everything you need to know about an MFA in creative writing!

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VIDEO

  1. Ep. 001: WHAT IS RPBR?

COMMENTS

  1. Graduate Creative Writing (MFA)

    Writing for Film and Television (MFA-Low Residency) Publishing and Writing (MA) Boston. 120 Boylston Street. Boston, MA 02116. 617-824-8500. Los Angeles. The Netherlands. Notice of Non-Discrimination: Emerson College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnicity, sex (under Title IX), pregnancy, sexual ...

  2. Emerson College's Popular Fiction Writing and Publishing MFA

    Find details about every creative writing competition—including poetry contests, short story competitions, essay contests, awards for novels, grants for translators, and more—that we've published in the Grants & Awards section of Poets & Writers Magazine during the past year. We carefully review the practices and policies of each contest before including it in the Writing Contests ...

  3. Creative Writing (MFA) Submission

    For more information, visit our MFA in Creative Writing program pages or learn about applying . If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected] or 617-824-8610, and we look forward to staying in touch. Boston. 120 Boylston Street. Boston, MA 02116. 617-824-8500.

  4. 25 Best Online Creative Writing MFAs for 2021

    Emerson College offers two of Boston's best online MFA creative writing programs with its MFA in Writing for Film and Television or its Master of Fine Arts in Popular Fiction Writing and Publishing. The best online creative writing MFA degree program in popular fiction writing/publishing is available entirely online (with the completion of 36 ...

  5. Emerson College MFA in Creative Writing

    Emerson's Creative Writing (MFA) program focuses on the practice of writing and its literary foundations and is one of the longest-running programs of its kind. ... As one of the longest-running creative writing MFA programs in the country, our Writing, Literature, and Publishing Department has attracted an industry-active faculty that offers ...

  6. Creative Writing (MFA) at Emerson College on FindAMasters.com

    About the course. Emerson's Creative Writing (MFA) program focuses on the practice of writing and its literary foundations and is one of the longest-running programs of its kind. We know writing is your life. That's why our Creative Writing (MFA) focuses on the actual practice of writing, as well as its literary foundations.

  7. Emerson College MA in Creative Writing

    Emerson Graduate Tuition and Fees. Part-time graduates at Emerson paid an average of $1,296 per credit hour in 2019-2020. This tuition was the same for both in-state and out-of-state students. Information about average full-time graduate student tuition and fees is shown in the table below. In State.

  8. The Creative Writers Workshop at Emerson College: A Deep Dive

    Application Procedure. Online Application: Start by filling out the online application provided by Emerson College for the Pre-College Creative Writers Workshop. This application serves as your initial submission. Application Fee: Pay a non-refundable application fee of $60.

  9. My experience applying to 15 of the best Creative Writing MFA ...

    I have an MFA in Creative Writing from Syracuse University. I also got accepted at Columbia and Iowa. But Syracuse wouldn't cost me any money, so I chose there. It was a decent program -- Mary Karr, Tobias Wolff, Stephen Dobyns, etc. Graduated. Then moved to NYC, got a job, and started going to a writing workshop.

  10. Award-Winning Creative Writing MFA Student Reflects on His Success

    For more information about Emerson College's Creative Writing MFA, be sure to schedule a call with an admissions counselor. Or, to get a sense of what it's like to be in the program, check out our blog about a day in the life of a creative writing graduate student .

  11. Creative Writing MFA Archives

    Daven McQueen, current MFA candidate in Emerson's Creative Writing program If you're looking into Creative Writing MFAs, you're probably researching the thesis requirements of different programs. Today we're interviewing Daven McQueen, a current student in Emerson's Creative Writing MFA program, … Continued

  12. Three MFA Alumnae Awarded NEA Creative Writing Fellowships

    Asako Serizawa, MFA '02. Photo/Matthew Modica. Alumnae LaTanya McQueen '06, MFA '06, Asako Serizawa, MFA '01, and Laura van den Berg, MFA '08 were three of 35 authors awarded National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Creative Writing Fellowships for 2022.. The program awards grants of $25,000 to recipients to allow the time and space to create and further develop their writing projects.

  13. Emerson Writing MFA Celebrating 40th Anniversary at AWP Conference

    Ciera Burch, MFA '20 will join a panel of MFA alums at AWP to celebrate the program's 40th anniversary. Writing, Literature and Publishing's MFA turns 40 in 2024, and in celebration, a panel of alums will converge on the annual Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP) conference in February to present a panel, Emerson MFA at Forty: Celebrating Four Decades of Writing & Publishing.

  14. Low Residency MFA Creative Writing

    Naropa's Low Residency MFA in Creative Writing offers a unique cross-genre study path. Learn more. The Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics at Naropa University is on the cutting-edge of experimental literature, hybrid, and cross-genre writing. Get your MFA in Creative Writing in just 2 years in our Low-Residency MFA degree program.