creative writing mfa programs in washington state

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Featured story slideshow, master of fine arts in creative writing & poetics.

Image: LaTasha N. Nevada Diggs performing the opening keynote at the 2019 Fall Convergence

UW Bothell: Where Writers and Artists Converge

Find your voice as a writer while inquiring into the social, cultural and technological aspects of writing. How is writing an ethical, political and aesthetic endeavor?

Our students experiment across genres and are encouraged to extend their practice beyond the page, drawing upon media, art and performance.

Our unique curriculum includes workshops, seminars and opportunities to participate in readings, conferences and festivals.

Earn your degree with flexible evening classes designed for working professionals. Join a creative community and gain valuable skills for a vibrant writing career.

Learn more about our program below.

Explore the UW Difference

Designed for.

Writers who want to join a supportive community of literary peers and gain the credentials to work in diverse industries or teach at the college level

Program Highlights

• Experimental writing, hybrid forms and performance
• Critical thinking about contemporary literature and art
• Exploration across genres and media
• Hands-on collaboration with faculty
• Visiting writers and artists
• Connection with Seattle’s thriving literary community

Degree You'll Earn

Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing & Poetics

Program Length

2 years / 6 quarters

When Classes Meet

Evenings; part-time and full-time options available

Autumn 2024 Application Deadline

February 1, 2024

Our Faculty

Anida Yoeu Ali

Senior Artist-in-Residence

Investigates the artistic, spiritual and political collisions of a hybrid transnational identity

Amaranth Borsuk

MFA Program Director Associate Professor

Works at the intersection of print and digital media

Naomi Macalalad Bragin

Associate Professor

Dancer, writer and performance ethnographer

Ching-In Chen

Assistant Professor

Hybrid writer, community organizer and performer

Jeanne Heuving

Founding Director

Teaches classes in creative writing and poetics, literature and cultural studies

Ted Hiebert

Seattle-based interdisciplinary artist and theorist

Joe Milutis

Writer and media artist

Outcomes Worth the Investment

Alumni accomplishments.

MFA alumni go on to publish their work, found literary journals and small presses, study in doctoral programs and build literary communities in Seattle and beyond. Here are some recent stories:

• MFA's Talena Lachelle Queen’s new exhibit at Paterson Museum
• MFA alumni Amy Hirayama and Emily Mundy teach workshops in somatic exploration
• MFA alum Troy Landrum Jr. selected as Wa Na Wari Fellow

Average annual salary for writers and authors in Washington state in 2022

Projected annual job growth for writers and authors in Washington state (2020–30), which is much faster-than-average job growth

* Source: O*Net Online

“ Having other people come from an experimental poetry section, which I didn’t even know was a thing. And then also Filipino mythology and folklore, and people who are brilliant poets who use sound poetry — how the words sound and feel in your mouth as opposed to how they look on the page. Experiencing all these different artistic approaches was phenomenal. It was absolutely worth every second I could spend in class to learn .”

TERRELL FOX

Creative Writer, Editor, Mediator and Leader Alumnus, Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing & Poetics

Brought to you by UW Continuum College

© 2024 University of Washington | Seattle, WA

Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

At a Glance

Degree Type: Master of Fine Arts

Location: Bellingham

Total Credits: 55

Program Links

Department Website

Request More Information

Application Deadline

Program adviser.

Stefania Heim

[email protected]

(360) 650-3227

Program Coordinator

Erica Dean-Crawford

[email protected]

360-650-3232

Program Information

Western Washington University’s English Department offers a 2-year MFA program in Creative Writing within a community that values creative development and intellectual versatility. We encourage a focus on multigenre or cross-genre writing, based on our view that creative writing graduates need to be versatile in their comprehension of genre conventions and conversant in the way diverse genres inform one another. A variety of courses we offer stress either a multigenre focus or encourage experimental works that blur genre boundaries.

Creative writing practice and literary study are synergistic in our program. Students take seminars in creative writing and literature, as well as courses in rhetorical thinking and composition, digital and technical writing, film studies, and linguistics. We offer Graduate Assistantships that provide quality teacher training, as well as opportunities to gain editorial experience with the award-winning journal  Bellingham Review .

The MFA program in English is designed for those who desire to prepare for:

• Life as a serious author, with an understanding of the literary marketplace and publication
• PhD programs, as well as other advanced degrees in fields such as law or teaching
• Teaching at both two- and four-year colleges and universities
• Public or private teaching (elementary, middle, secondary)
• Careers in technical writing and communication
• Careers in editing and publishing
• Careers in nonprofit and other business organizations

The Bellingham Review

A literary journal produced by Creative Writing and English graduate students, The Bellingham Review is known for innovative poetry, fiction, nonfiction and hybrid works.

Application Requirements

• All applicants must complete the Graduate School's ApplyWeb  application  and pay the $100 application fee.
• Within the application you will be prompted to  upload an unofficial transcript  from each institution attended. If admitted, you will be asked to provide official transcripts.
• Additional application materials are specified below. Applications will not be forwarded to the department for review until  all required materials  have been received by the Graduate School.
• International Applicants: Please  review the requirements  for information regarding Degree Equivalency, English Language Proficiency and student VISA requirements.

Additional Application Requirements

• Three (3) Letters of Reference
• Statement of Purpose : This 1‐2 page statement should explain your intellectual and/or creative interests, and your professional goals. Reviewers value statements that are intellectually mature, coherent, and well‐organized. If you are interested in being considered for a funded Teaching Assistantship, please include relevant experience and information that will aid us in making funding decisions.
• Two writing samples : 10-15 pages of prose (fiction or creative nonfiction);  OR  10-15 pages of poetry;  OR  a combination of genres, 15 pages total;  AND  a critical writing sample of 7-12 pages of analytical work in literary study.

Testimonials

They were really good about recognizing what I was trying to do and helping me to do it better. Alyssa Quinn Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing; her thesis is to be published in the Cupboard Pamphlet, and she is a former managing editor of the Bellingham Review

English Department

• MFA Creative Writing

Learn More...

• Financial Aid
• Graduate Courses
• Graduate Faculty
• MA English Studies

I came to Western, a newly minted English major, and soon learned the attentive and engaging faculty at WWU would help me write the future of my own writing and teaching life. With small classes, provocative assignments, and opportunities for both cross-genre study and intensive, pedagogical training, I left Western knowledgeable, confident, and empowered to forge ahead in the literary and academic world. —Julie Marie Wade, Lambda Literary Award winner and author of Wishbone: A Memoir in Fractures

In our versatile MFA program, you will gain fluency in single genre, multigenre, cross-genre, or hybrid writing, as well as an understanding of the way diverse genres can inform one another. Our creative writing courses are coupled with in-depth literary study and analysis, making you a multifaceted scholar, writer, and teacher.

You may gain teaching experience (if awarded a teaching assistantship or internship), as well as professional editing experience with scholarly and creative writing journals, such as the award-winning Bellingham Review .

Our Distinguished Alumni…

Kate Christie is the author of Gay Pride & Prejudice, Beautiful Game , and Leaving LA , published by Bella Books. She is the author of 15 titles and now writes full-time under her own imprint, Second Growth Books.

Jai Dulani was featured in Best New Poets 2020 . His work has appeared in Alaska Quarterly Review , The Offing , and Waxwing . He has received fellowships from Kundiman, VONA/Voices, and the Asian American Writers’ Workshop. He is co-editor of The Revolution Starts at Home: Confronting Intimate Violence in Activist Communities .

Spencer Ellsworth is the author of the Starfire Trilogy , which begins with Starfire: A Red Peace , published by TOR, Macmillan’s science fiction division.

Julie Marie Wade is the author of Wishbone: A Memoir in Fractures , winner of the Colgate University Press Nonfiction Book Award and the Lambda Literary Award. Her latest book, Catechism: A Love Story , was selected by C.D. Wright as the winner of the AROHO/To the Lighthouse Prize in Poetry.

Caroline Van Hemert is the author The Sun is a Compass , published by Little Brown Spark, which won the Banff Mountain Book Award for Adventure Travel and was cited as one of the best outdoor books of 2019 by Outside, Bustle , and Forbes . Her writing has been featured in the New York Times, Audubon, Outside, Washington Post , and others.

Soham Patel is a Kundiman fellow and an assistant editor at Fence and The Georgia Review . She is the author of four chapbooks of poetry including ever really hear it , winner of the 2017 Subito Prize.

Dayna Patterson is the author of If Mother Braids a Waterfall (Signature Books, 2020), and the founding editor of Psaltery & Lyre , an online literary journal dedicated to publishing literature at the intersection of faith and doubt.

Urban Waite is the author of The Terror of Living , The Carrion Birds, and Sometimes the Wolf (Harper Collins), which have been named to various Best Book of the Year lists, such as E squire, The Boston Globe, LitReactor, and Booklist. His novels have been translated into nine languages.

Program Requirements: 55 credits

Core courses: (20 credits total, each course is 5 credits) in creative writing to be taken in at least two different genres from the following:.

• English 502: Seminar in the Writing of Fiction (repeatable)
• English 504: Seminar in the Writing of Poetry (repeatable)
• English 505: Seminar in the Writing of Nonfiction (repeatable)
• English 506: Seminar in Creative Writing: Multigenre (repeatable)
• English 520: Studies in Poetry (repeatable)*
• English 525: Studies in Fiction (repeatable)*
• English 535: Studies in Nonfiction (repeatable)*

*These courses may be taken as either creative writing or literature credits, depending on the nature of your final project. To use them as part of the creative writing core requirement, you must take them as creative writing courses.

ELECTIVES: (20 credits total, each course is 5 credits) in literature, composition/rhetoric, pedagogy, or critical theory, to be taken from the following:

• English 500: Directed Independent Study
• English 513: Teaching Composition (required for Graduate Teaching Assistants)
• English 509: Internship in Writing, Editing and Production (repeatable)
• English 510: Seminar: Topics in Rhetoric (repeatable)
• English 515: Studies in Literary and Critical Theory (repeatable)
• English 540: Studies in Global Literatures (repeatable)
• English 550: Studies in American Literatures (repeatable)
• English 560: Studies in British Literature (repeatable)
• English 570: Topics in Cultural Studies (repeatable)
• English 575: Studies in Women’s Literature (repeatable)
• English 580: Studies in Film (repeatable)
• English 594: Practicum in Teaching
• English 598: Research in the Teaching of English (repeatable)

English 520, 525, and 535 (see creative writing courses) may also be used for literature credit, depending on the nature of the final project. The same class may not be used for both literature and creative writing credit.

THESIS: (10 credits granted upon program completion)

• English 690 Thesis Writing

Note: A student may, with permission, take up to 5 credits in approved 400-level courses. A student may have only 10 credits total/combined 400-level and/or 500 (Independent Study) credits. Students are encouraged to fill out their two years of study with electives that stress creative writing, pedagogy, editing/publishing, literature, or rhetoric, as dictated by the student’s interests and career goals. Must be enrolled each quarter for a minimum of 8 credits as a TA (Teaching Assistant) or 10 credits for Financial Aid.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• A successful creative thesis, with a critical preface, approved by the student’s Creative Writing Thesis Committee and the Graduate School.

Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

• Professional Practica
• Paying for School
• Frequently Asked Questions

Our MFA program, established in 1978, is a two-year, full residency, studio-based program featuring intensive study of fiction and poetry. We offer a wide range of fully-funded positions in teaching, editing, and arts administration! EWU MFA candidates can gain experience in book and magazine publishing, festival promotion, and teaching both composition and creative writing.

We are committed to diversity, inclusion, and equality in the Creative Writing program. We believe that a respect for policies and practices that foster and protect diverse voices and viewpoints is essential to the success of our students and our program. To that end, our program is committed to proactively fostering diversity and inclusion throughout its curriculum, admissions, and all day-to-day practices.

As of Fall 2021, we are no longer admitting students wishing to pursue an MFA degree with a focus in creative nonfiction. We will, however, continue offering graduate workshops and form and theory classes in creative nonfiction.

Why Earn Your MFA at EWU?

We provide an intensive, two-year, pre-professional course of study with an emphasis on the practice of literature as a fine art.

Our Professional Practicum Opportunities

We place MFA students in positions throughout the community so that you get valuable hands-on experience.

Our Faculty

Each of our faculty are practicing writers with significant national book publications and are committed, passionate, and accessible teachers of writing.

Our Funding

Many of our students receive a full tuition waiver plus a monthly stipend for teaching undergraduate composition and creative writing courses.

Get to Know Us

Our location.

The Master of Fine Arts program at Eastern Washington University is located in the heart of downtown Spokane. Learn more about our community, our campus and the local literary scene.

EWU in Spokane

Our Students 

We are consistently proud of the bright, dedicated, and kind students that make up our MFA cohort each year. There is a strong sense of camaraderie and respect among our students, which creates an atmosphere ideal for writing your best work. Our students range in age from people straight out of college to older, non-traditional students, some of whom have careers in other fields. Every year’s incoming class is different in its makeup.

Our MFA Alumni

From business owners to university professors, our MFA alumni have utilized their degrees to further their careers and to expand their creative work all over the world.

Chris Maccini '18

Producer | National Public Radio (NPR)

Jaime Curl '03

Director of Learning Design and Technology | Slalom Consulting, LLC

Shann Ray '05

Professor Leadership Studies | Gonzaga University

Our Alumni Work in Many Different Roles!

Maya Jewell Zeller '07 | Associate Professor of English at Central Washington University

Industry Specialists

Amy Chase ’14| Human Resources Investigation Specialist at Hobby Lobby Corporate

Legal Professionals

Rost Olsen ‘13| Lawyer at State of Nevada

Creative Leaders

Daniel Spiro '19 | Director of Communications, Lippman Kanfer Foundation for Living Torah

Technical Writers

Anne Kilfoyle '17 | Instructional Designer at Pen

Publishing Editors

Lauren Hohle '17| Managing Editor The Gettysburg Review at Gettysburg College

Admissions Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited university
• A cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 in the last 90 quarter or 60 semester graded post-secondary credits

Curriculum & Requirements

Creative Writing, Master of Fine Arts (MFA)

Gregory Spatz, Program Director 400 Catalyst  509.828.1310

The Master of Fine Arts Program is an intensive, two-year, pre-professional course of study with an emphasis on the practice of literature as a fine art. The program includes coursework in the study of literature from the vantage point of its composition and history, but the student’s principal work is done in advanced workshops and in the writing of a book-length thesis of publishable quality in fiction or poetry. The MFA is a terminal degree program.

Catalog Listing

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of EWU’s MFA program in Creative Writing should be able to do the following, at a level of proficiency sufficient for entry into the profession:

• analyze works of literature using the technical language of the craft pertinent to their chosen genre of study (literary fiction, literary nonfiction, poetry);
• demonstrate an understanding of the contemporary literary landscape;
• produce texts that conform to the conventions specific to the genre being studied (literary fiction, literary nonfiction, poetry);
• provide constructive criticism of written works in progress;
• synthesize an understanding of the publishing process.

Newsletters

• October 2020
• February 2020
• January 2020
• November 2019
• October 2019
• February 2019
• January 2019
• October 2018
• September 2018
• February 2018
• November 2017
• October 2017
• February 2017
• January 2017
• November 2016
• October 2016
• September 2016
• December 2015
• November 2015
• January 2015
• December 2014
• November 2014
• February 2014
• January 2014

Our monthly program newsletter has information not only on our MFA program, but regional literary events as well. We also include a collection of calls for submission, contests, and fellowships.

View the January 2022 Newsletter   for the latest updates, or peruse our archives below for past issues.

Mailing Address

The MFA at EWU C/O Eastern Washington University CAT 400 601 East Riverside Ave. Spokane, WA 99202

We welcome comments and encourage questions from prospective and incoming students. Feel free to write, call, or email us with queries about the program, application process, or moving to Spokane (definitely check out our  Frequently Asked Questions , too).

Creative Writing Community

The Creative Writing Community offers students incredible opportunities to develop their craft in the company of peers, to perform their work in community settings, participate in internships, and work under the guidance of award-winning, supportive teachers.

The creative writing community at Washington State University is a vibrant part of the English Department as well as the larger campus and the public. The Creative Writing Major brings students together in the study of writing poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction and screenwriting, and prepares them as well for careers in editing and publishing. Our faculty members, all well published working writers and scholars, nurture young writers from beginning-level craft classes on to advanced workshops. Students and faculty and other from the community share new work and support each other through monthly Open Mics . Our curriculum also engages students in the study of literature as they pursue their writing. Finally, we offer a certificate in editing and publishing and internships and extracurricular programs to expose students to established writers and the professional publishing world. These include Blood Orange Review , an online journal of literature and art, EcoArts on the Palouse , a web project documenting ecological art in multiple genres and artforms, LandEscapes , a student-run fine arts journal, English Club , and the WSU Visiting Writer Series that brings major literary figures to campus for presentations and workshops.

For more information contact Director of Creative Writing, Linda Russo, at [email protected]

WSU Visiting Writer Series

The WSU Visiting Writers Series brings noted poets and writers of fiction and nonfiction to campus for creative readings, class visits, workshops, and collaborative exchanges across intellectual and artistic disciplines.

LandEscapes

LandEscapes provides a unique opportunity for students to work at a professional publication on both sides of the industry—the business side and the artistic side–and strives to uphold and spotlight the creative excellence that Washington State University has to offer by showcasing the full spectrum of student work in the arts—literature, the fine arts, and music.

English Club at WSU

English Club at WSU seeks to provide a safe and honest place for writers from all backgrounds to share their writing and meet other writers.

EcoArts on the Palouse

EcoArts on the Palouse is a student-and-community-centric project that features exhibits of contemporary art works in many media and forms. Our mission is to provide a lens onto the shared ecologies of overlooked wild edge spaces in the grassy Palouse biome and to explore how situated creative making may influence human relation to the land, water, and other species.

Students and faculty and others from the community share new work and support each other through monthly Open Mics held in various locations on campus and in downtown Pullman. Check the Open Mic page , updated regularly, for event times and venues as well as special guests and prizes.

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MFA in Creative Writing - Low Residency

Contact information.

Graduate Admission

Phone: 253-535-8570

Email: [email protected]

Pacific Lutheran University 12180 Park Avenue South Tacoma, WA 98447-0003

Speak to the Program Director

Make a phone appointment

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Innovation. Challenge. Community.

What are your goals as a student and maker of literature, as an artist contributing to the conversation about the urgent matters of our time? What is the work you want to do, the work that is specific to your experience, talent, and imagination?

Now celebrating over 19 years of accomplishment, the Rainier Writing Workshop has been helping writers to answer those questions, and to generate new, even deeper questions about the writer’s aspirations.

Our MFA is an innovative three-year, four-residency program in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction.

Mentorships with our faculty last for a full year, ensuring a high-quality experience at a more leisurely pace – ideal for busy professionals and those who wish to take time to develop their work’s fullest potential. Combining rigor and support, each mentorship year is tailored to the participant’s goals. Our faculty are nationally known writers who are also outstanding teachers.

Connect With Us

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Quick Links

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Outside Experience

Our MFA has other features that have made The Rainier Writing Workshop the Pacific Northwest’s premier low-residency MFA in creative writing.  We offer a unique “Outside Experience” component that allows each participant to design an independent project that will enhance their skills and advance specific writing goals. A participant’s final thesis can contain work in multiple genres. Our yearly residencies are held on the PLU campus in magnificent summer weather, in the shadow of Mount Rainier, with easy access to Seattle’s urban culture. We are highly selective, and our alumni have generated a substantial record of success in publication, teaching, and other literary achievements.

The Rainier Writing Workshop is a community of talented, mature, and independent writers, working in an atmosphere in which each writer’s work deepens and flourishes.

“You have achieved balance between mutual support and self-reliance – it’s unusual, and exactly right.”

“Who knew how magical and wonderful this program could be? I feel like I belong and that I’ve found a tribe I belong with, like I matter, and that I can be a writer.”

The Rainier Writing Workshop

Read more at RWW Soundings

Learn more about our mentors and faculty

Start your application for the Rainier Writing Workshop

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• Seattle Pacific University

Creative Writing

Master of fine arts in.

Page Sections

• A Welcome From the Director

The low-residency MFA at SPU is a creative writing program for apprentice writers — both Christians and those of other faith traditions — who not only want to pursue accomplishment in the craft of writing but also place their work within the larger context of world literature by writers of faith.

The spiritual dimension of this program is not intended to produce didactic, sectarian, or sentimental literature. On the contrary, this program seeks to extend what our faculty understand to be a longstanding conversation that comprises much of world literature, a conversation in which the highest levels of art, an open-eyed exploration of human experience, and a respect for mystery are all held in a proper balance.

Our models are Augustine and Dante, Saint Ephraim the Syrian and Saint Gregory of Nazianzus, the Pearl poet and Sor Juana de la Cruz, George Herbert and John Milton, Gerard Manley Hopkins and Emily Dickinson, Fyodor Dostoevsky and Alexandros Papadiamandis, T.S. Eliot and Flannery O’Connor, Walker Percy and James Baldwin, Annie Dillard and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

We believe that our program will appeal to writers for whom matters of faith are central. We also intend to cultivate reading and writing as spiritual disciplines. We are convinced that writers flourish best when they engage in a sustained dialogue with the great literature that has come before them. Therefore, our program maintains a strong emphasis on reading classic and current works by writers of faith, and assist our students in responding to them in a series of critical and creative engagements.

Unlike many MFA programs, ours focuses not only on matters of craft but also on the importance of vision. We believe that great writing is not merely an act of self-expression, but a single-minded effort to do justice to the world.

A Word about Inclusiveness

In keeping with the commitments of the faculty and students of Seattle Pacific University, our program is intentional in our proclaiming a commitment to pursuing class, race, gender, and LGBTQ+ inclusion; while we honor our various gifts and vocations, we understand our common calling to be one of reconciliation, of embracing the beauty and the necessity of difference within a beloved whole. We stand with our LGBTQIA+ students, alumni, faculty, and staff, who are a central and critical part of our campus community.

A Welcome from the Director

I first want to thank you for your interest in the low-residency Master of Fine Arts degree (MFA) at Seattle Pacific University. Ours is a program that specifically embraces the vital and generative relationship between literary study and creative writing, and ours is a program that intentionally includes — in our literary engagements — a long tradition of texts produced by people of faith.

I have been blessed with many accomplished teachers during my life as a writer, but Annie Dillard was the first to set my feet on this path that would lead to my finding a way to pair my writing life to an ongoing journey of spiritual development. This discovery — that a writer is primarily a pilgrim — lies at the heart of our program’s pedagogy. We hope to equip our MFA students with the tools to proceed along the way. Chief among those tools is the understanding that literature is a long and ongoing conversation, a conversation in which the aspiring writer must eventually take part.

Our faculty mentors work to educe from our students a sense that they must engage in dialogue with the greater tradition by attending to what has preceded them, and thereafter responding with new creation. Our faculty shares a sense that our students will develop most readily if they shed the idea that writing is primarily a way to express what they think they already know, but must come to trust, instead, that writing creatively is primarily a way of knowing. That is to say that if you are a writer who understands your own writing to be a way of — quite literally — coming to terms with who you are and with whose you are, then our program may be the program for you.

A recent comprehensive assessment by the Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP) noted that SPU’s MFA “meets and surpasses AWP’s hallmarks for rigor and intellectual engagement,” and concluded that “it is likely to enjoy national preeminence ... for many years to come.”

Our program is small, and highly selective. Should you join us, you will become part of an alive and enlivening community of mentors, students, and alumni — a community whose every member takes seriously the accomplishment of every other, a community that continues to serve its members long after graduation.

May it be blessed,

Scott Cairns , Director

3307 3rd Ave West, Seattle WA 98119-1997

206-281-2000

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How to Become a Writer in Washington with a BFA, MFA or Similar Creative Writing Degree

Written by Rebecca Turley

The Seattle area’s natural beauty is the stuff fairytales are made of, somehow idyllic and dreamy even when you’re stuck in traffic.  If you’re a creative type, you can’t help but feel a constant rush here. Fact is, inspiration is practically handed to you on a silver platter in the Evergreen State.

Washington is where old-growth forests are blanketed with lush, emerald-green mosses… where remote coastal beaches give way to crystal clear tide pools teeming with tiny anemones and fascinating sea stars… where farm-to-table restaurants in quaint seaside towns highlight local oysters, rhubarb pie, and the freshest Dungeness crab in the Pacific Northwest… where glacier-capped mountains provide the backdrop to death-defying ski runs… and where spring snow melt creates thundering waterfalls that are always worth the hike.

Rebecca Wells wrote her New York Times bestselling novel, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood when she lived in Seattle. Kristin Hannah, bestselling author of The Nightingale (it was a New York Times bestseller for a whopping 20 weeks), lives on Bainbridge Island. And Julia Quinn, author of the bestselling Bridgerton historical novel series (which have also become a wildly popular Netflix series) creates out of her Seattle home.

Coincidence? Nah, it’s the magic of Washington State.

You’ll find plenty of space to carve out your own creative writing career in Washington. With your favorite notebook or trusty laptop in hand, you’re free to explore your creative voice in whatever big city or small town in Washington you call home. Lively writing workshops, open mic nights, critique groups, and writing events both big and small can be found from Bellingham to Everett to Yakima and beyond. They provide writers like you with ample opportunities to elevate your craft and dive headfirst into the state’s lively writing community.

And when you’re ready to make the leap and turn your passion for writing into a real career, Washington is also where you’ll find a fantastic selection of world class creative writing degree programs.

Washington Poet Laureate Rena Priest Draws Inspiration From Her Indigenous Heritage and the Tribal Lands of the Pacific Northwest

The drunken monkey of truth/says, “It’s too late for you/to never tell me you love me.”/But I’ve already tasted in your kiss/the pixels of lightning/you keep in your lips. ~ “Canadian Tuxedo,” Sublime Subliminal

Her title as Poet Laureate is an important one (she’ll hold this honored position until March 31, 2023), as she’ll serve as the statewide ambassador for poetry during this time.

During her term as Poet Laureate, she’ll produce new work while also working to inspire and connect with readers and writers across the state through events and programs. While her plans aren’t yet formalized, she does plan to focus her work on the importance of preserving the tribal lands of Washington and promoting healthier ecosystems. As a longtime resident, she has an intimate connection with Washington and its land.

This Bellingham-based poet has already authored two books of poetry. Patriarchy Blues , her literary debut, received the 2018 American Book Award. Her most recent work is Sublime Subliminal . She holds a BA in English from Western Washington University and an MFA in Writing from Sarah Lawrence College.

Priest’s poetry offers unique observations about complex social issues, yet often delivers them with a sharp wit and crafty imagery. Sublime Subliminal is known for its playful, celebratory use of language. She says that her craft is always rooted in joy and that being able to address even darker topics in her work is a freeing, cathartic process. Readers will also find Priest expressing her Indigenous voice and exploring her culture and heritage throughout this book.

Creative Writing Classes, Courses, and Workshops in Washington Can Prepare You for a Creative Writing Degree

There’s a good chance you’re a quirky, forward-thinking, nature-loving wordsmith who never passes up a good opportunity to flex your creative muscle.

Maybe you and your favorite journal can be found biking to your favorite outdoor spot for a little solitude and quiet time. Perhaps you can be found tapping away at your keyboard as you wait on your order at your favorite corner coffee shop. Or maybe your idea of the perfect creative day involves a rigorous hike followed by a writing session in the shade of a towering tree.

But Washington is also home to ample opportunities to move beyond your comfort zone and get involved in workshops, classes, and other meet-ups tailor made for creatives. You’ll fall in love with the camaraderie, get inspired by your fellow writers, and find new ways to hone your craft.

Cascadia Poetics Lab in Seattle is a vibrant community of poets that gathers for workshops, festivals, and events. Keep in touch with the latest happenings through their weekly newsletter, participate in online workshops, and make time to attend the annual Cascadia Poetry Festival.

Hedgebrook is billed as a global community of women writers that connects through books, poetry, plays, films, and music. This literary nonprofit, which is based in Freeland, provides women writers with unmatched opportunities to elevate their writing through writing residencies, Radical Craft Retreats, and salons at their picturesque retreat on Whidbey Island. Since 1988, Hedgebrook has welcomed more than 2,000 writers to their cottages.

The Pacific Northwest Writer’s Association is a member organization that helps writers develop their talent through education, access to the publishing industry, and through events and programs with their community of writers. PNWA members can often be found writing and attending special events at the Cottage in Issaquah – a charming retreat that’s perfect for creating. PNWA also hosts regular workshops through the year. Some of their workshops include a Write Your Story fiction course, The Art of the Personal Essay nonfiction course, Poetry Workshop and Discussion: Breaking Down the Boundaries, and Make $$ Writing marketing course.

The Write on the Sound Writers’ Conference is a regional favorite. Based in Edmonds, this conference offers a variety of sessions, workshops, and panel discussions for writers of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Writers here also have the opportunity to have their poetry or manuscript critiqued by a professional author or writing instructor!

No need to get out of those comfy pajamas to participate in the writing community. The state’s literary publications serve as a prime setting for reading other writers’ works and getting yours published.

Willow Springs is a biannual journal that’s been publishing contemporary fiction, nonfiction, and poetry for more than 45 years. Produced by the MFA Creative Writing program of Eastern Washington University, this journal accepts nonfiction submissions year-round and fiction and poetry submissions between September 1 and May 31.

Copper Canyon Press is a big name in indie publishing for poetry. Based in Port Townsend, Copper Canyon Press has been publishing groundbreaking poetry for 50 years. Get inspired by other poets and then forge ahead and submit your own original work for a chance at  being published.

Crab Creek Review is a Seattle-based literary journal that’s been proudly introducing readers to the best emerging and established writers of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. They also offer the Crab Creek Review Poetry Prize – a chance to get your poetry published and win $500!

Writing Colleges in Washington Offering Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Creative Writing Provide a Path to Becoming a Writer

There may be nothing quite as fulfilling as being able to transition your love of writing into a rewarding career. Making the leap from amateur to published pro takes a lot of work, plenty of dedication, and a solid plan that includes a creative writing degree.

Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA), Master of Fine Arts (MFA) and other undergrad and grad degrees in creative writing are widely available, both in Washington State and beyond, and are built on a solid foundation of theory and practice. A growing number of programs are also offered in an online or low-residency format to accommodate the busy schedules of working adults.

Top programs in creative writing offer options to specialize in one genre or explore several; opportunities to work alongside accomplished instructors who are often working writers themselves; and exciting opportunities to apply what you’ve learned through real-life, hands-on learning experiences.

Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) and Other Bachelor’s Degrees in Creative Writing in Washington

Central washington university.

COLLEGE OF ARTS AND HUMANITIES

Accreditation: NWCCU

Degree: Bachelor – BA

Public School

• Professional and Creative Writing

Eastern Washington University

COLLEGE OF ARTS, HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

• English-Creative Writing option

Pacific Lutheran University

COLLEGE OF HUMANITIES, INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES, AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

Private School

• English-Writing emphasis

Seattle Pacific University

COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

• English-Creative Writing concentration

Seattle University

• English-Creative Writing specialization

University of Puget Sound

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT

• English-Creative Writing focus

University of Washington-Seattle Campus

Western Washington University

COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

• English-Creative Writing emphasis

Master of Fine Arts (MFA) and Other Master’s Degrees in Creative Writing in Washington

Degree:  Master – MA

Degree:  Master – MFA

• Creative Writing
• Creative Writing-Rainier Writing Workshop (Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry)

University of Washington-Bothell Campus

SCHOOL OF INTERDISCIPLINARY ARTS AND SCIENCES

• Creative Writing and Poetics
• Creative Writing (Poetry, Prose)

COLLEGE OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

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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: Charles Rafferty, 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: Victoria Chang Prose: Lisa Locascio

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, Eunsong Kim, Alberto Álvaro Ríos, Safiya Sinclair Fiction: Matt Bell, Jenny Irish, Tara Ison, Mitchell Jackson, T. M. McNally Creative Nonfiction: Sarah Viren

Ashland University

Poetry: Aria Aber, Dexter Booth, Marcelo Hernandez Castillo, Adam Gellings, Tess Taylor, Vanessa Angélica Villareal

Fiction: Kirstin Chen, Brian Conn, 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, Kelly Sundberg

Augsburg University

Poetry: Jim Cihlar, Michael Kleber-Diggs Fiction: Stephan Eirik Clark, Lindsay Starck Nonfiction: Anika Fajardo, Kathryn Savage Playwriting: Alice Eve Cohen, Carson Kreitzer, TyLie Shider 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

Mirene Arsanios, CA Conrad, Hoa Nguyen, Christopher Perez, Cedar Sigo, Julian Talamantez Brolaski, Roberto Tejada, Monica de la Torre, Simone White

Bath Spa University

Poetry: Lucy English, Carrie Etter, Tim Liardet, John Strachan, Samantha Walton, Gerard Woodward Fiction: Gavin James Bower, Celia Brayfield, Alexia Casale, Lucy English, Nathan Filer, Aminatta Forna, Maggie Gee, Samantha Harvey, Philip Hensher, Steve Hollyman, Emma Hooper, Claire Kendal, Kate Pullinger, C.J. Skuse, Gerard Woodward Nonfiction: Celia Brayfield, Richard Kerridge, Stephen Moss Scriptwriting: Robin Mukherjee

Poetry: Lucy English, Carrie Etter, Tim Liardet, Gerard Woodward Fiction: Gavin James Bower, Celia Brayfield, Nathan Filer, Aminatta Forna, Maggie Gee, Samantha Harvey, Philip Hensher, Claire Kendal, Kate Pullinger, Gerard Woodward Nonfiction: Richard Kerridge, Stephen Moss

Bay Path University

Mel Allen, Leanna James Blackwell, Jennifer Baker, Sari Botton, Melanie Brooks, María Luisa Arroyo Cruzado, Áine Greaney, Shahnaz Habib, Jessica Handler, Ann Hood, Susan Ito, Karol Jackowski, Yi Shun Lai, Anna Mantzaris, Meredith O’Brien, Lisa Romeo, 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, Nancy Jensen, Robert D. Johnson Nonfiction: Nancy Jensen, Robert D. Johnson, Evan J. Massey

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, Margaret Litvin, Petrus Liu, Christopher Maurer, Roberta Micaleff, Robert Pinsky (advising), Stephen Scully, Sassan Tabatabai, J. Keith Vincent, William Waters, 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

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Apply to the MFA program

Each year, three to five new students are admitted to the Department of Art MFA graduate program.

Applications are processed by the WSU Graduate School and must include:

• A statement of professional interest . Indicate your area(s) of focus, the subject of your work, the concepts and issues you are exploring, and how you foresee your work evolving within the program.
• A digital portfolio of 20 images , plus an inventory with the title, medium, size, and approximate date of completion for each work.
• A writing sample describing your favorite object (200 words or less).
• Three letters of recommendation .
• Your current CV or resume .

Applications including the all of the required materials will be automatically considered for financial support, usually in the form of a graduate teaching assistantship.

Deadline : The annual application deadline is January 15 for admission to the program the following fall semester.

Apply today!

Complete your application at the WSU Graduate School website .

Feel free to reach out to Krista Brand , the Department of Art graduate program coordinator, to learn more about the portfolio requirement, admission process, living in Pullman, or any other questions you may have about the WSU MFA program.

Goddard College

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Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

We believe in the power of your imagination. Since 1976, when Goddard College launched the nation’s first low-residency Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program , we have provided an enduring creative home for writers like you. Our goal is to help you find, refine, and share your words with the world.

Unlike many conventional MFA programs, we welcome writers in a variety of genres, including libretto, television writing, and the graphic novel, as well as creative nonfiction, poetry, dramatic writing, fiction, speculative fiction, and hybrid forms.

We support you in determining your artistic direction and work with you to individualize the course of study that will enable you to fulfill your dreams. We’ll provide the structure, deadlines, and guidance you need from professional mentors who are working writers in your chosen genre.

you’ll be inspired and energized, with a reading list designed specifically for you and a comprehensive plan to produce your creative thesis. During the semester, you’ll stay in close contact with your advisor as you produce monthly packets of work.

By the time you graduate, you not only will have accomplished your goal of finishing your book, play, script, or libretto, but you also will have radically transformed your sense of confidence and purpose as a writer.

About Goddard

Education for real living, through the actual facing of real life problems

• The Goddard Difference

Our philosophy starts with the idea experience and education are intricately linked

The MFA in Creative Writing Program supports students writing in the following genres:

• Creative Nonfiction / Memoir
• Playwriting
• Libretto Writing
• Screenwriting
• Television Writing
• Graphic Novel Scriptwriting
• Cross-Genre / Hybrid

Program Details

Monthly “packet exchanges” allow you to sustain an ongoing dialogue with your faculty advisor about your work throughout the semester. Every packet contains your work — creative pages, critical essays, and/or other degree requirements. Packets also include a process letter in which you raise any artistic concerns or questions about your work and life as a writer.

You’ll submit four written packets to your advisor each semester, on specific due dates, and your advisor will respond with detailed margin notes, a comprehensive response letter, and an engaging dialogue about how your critical explorations can assist you in bringing your creative work closer to your vision. In addition, you’ll engage in a “virtual packet” midway through the semester, consisting of a one-hour virtual meeting or phone call with your advisor.

Core Curriculum

The core focus of your MFA studies is your creative work. The intellectual rigor you gain through reading and critical analysis will help you develop your craft and voice. You’ll have many opportunities to share your work in readings and workshops, and you’ll deepen what you’ve learned by applying it in your Teaching Practicum.

Creative Work

Your thesis project consists of a complete book, play, script, or libretto. To help you progress toward that goal, you’ll be expected to engage actively in creative writing throughout each semester. Our students are encouraged to experiment with different genres and methods at each residency and during their first semester, and by their second semester, select a particular genre for their final thesis and concentration.

By the end of your final semester, you are expected to produce a unified creative thesis of professional quality, conforming to standard industry length. You will share an excerpt from this work at a public reading during your commencement residency.

Critical Writing

Close reading is the foundation of the critical work you’ll do at Goddard. Close reading means avidly exploring the construction of the text and moving beyond general impressions to note specific authorial choices and to consider their implications.

Each semester you will work with your advisor to create a reading list that reflects the themes, technical/craft issues, and literary traditions you choose to explore in depth. Your selections will be informed by your own personal experiences, educational background, and reading habits, with attention to such factors as gender, genre, and multiculturalism.

In response to your reading, over the course of your MFA you’ll complete 45-60 annotations, two five-page critical papers, and one twenty-page critical paper.

Teaching Practicum

As a terminal degree, the MFA in Creative Writing is a credential for faculty positions in higher education. To offer you the skills necessary to confidently enter the classroom as a teacher of creative writing, you are also required to complete a “teaching practicum,” as described in the next section.

Unique among MFA programs, Goddard has created a model that gives you:

• the freedom to shape the creative writing course that best serves your goals
• your choice of location and student populations
• your choice of craft topics
• an opportunity to expand your resume
• a way to give back to your community

With a minimum of just three students, our students have offered creative writing courses at colleges, grade schools, retirement communities, libraries, juvenile detention centers – even coffee shops!

Publishing Opportunities

You can be involved in all aspects of publishing, from editing to layout, with these opportunities:

• The Pitkin Review: the literary journal written and edited by Goddard College MFA in Creative Writing students
• Clockhouse : the national, Pushcart-mentioned literary journal, edited and published by Goddard College MFA in Creative Writing alumni
• The Writer in the World: the Goddard College MFA in Creative Writing blog for students and alumni

Visiting Writers & Professionals

At residencies, you’ll meet a diverse range of visiting writers and professionals from the worlds of book publishing, theater, and film and television production.

• Our  Visiting Writers Series  is one of the most anticipated aspects of each residency. Recent guest writers include Chris Abani, Lynda Barry, Nilo Cruz, Meghan Daum, Mary Gaitskill, Pablo Medina, Dinaw Mengestu, Ruth Ozeki, and Dani Shapiro.
• Our Visiting Professionals Series will introduce you to professionals from the publishing and production industries. Recent guests include editors and agents from Penguin/Tarcher, Hawthorne Books, Janklow & Nesbit, Feminist Press, Simon & Schuster, and Copper Canyon Press.
• Our  Alumni Readers Series  celebrates the professional achievements of our alumni. Recent alumni readers include Mark Doty, Justin Hall, Cara Hoffman, Simone John, Matthew Quick, and Selah Saterstrom.
• Our  Playwrights’ Enrichment Series  is unique among MFA writing programs. Once a year, on our Vermont campus, we welcome a visiting luminary from theatre or film. Recent guests include playwrights, librettists, and dramaturgs, as well as literary managers and directors from theatrical powerhouses, such as The Public Theater, HowlRound, Lark Theater, Dramatists Guild, Eugene O’Neill Theater, and the Sundance Institute.

Social Justice Book Club

We are a community of creative writers who are also serious readers—readers who want to be engaged, entertained, and enlightened. We come from a rich array of backgrounds and experiences.

It is this diversity that makes the residency a special place where we can explore books about race, gender, immigration, sexuality, or other topics related to social justice. The resulting conversations allow us to develop our identities—that is, who we are and what we want to say as writers in the world.

Some of the books the SJBC has chosen recently are:  Between the World and Me  by Ta-Nahisi Coates,  Good Kings, Bad Kings  by Susan Nussbaum,  All the Names  by Dinaw Mengestu,  Fun Home: A Tragicomedy  by Alison Bechdel, and  Night Sky with Exit Wounds  by Ocean Vuong.

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Alumni Mwalim Daphunkee Professor Peters

Faculty Member Louise Glück

Keynote Speaker Dharna Noor Addresses Climate Change

Pandemic Theater? A Goddard Playwright Adjusts

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Important Announcement

Demo Description

The Board of Directors for Goddard College have made the difficult decision to close the college at the end of the 2024 Spring term.  

Current Goddard students will have the opportunity to complete their degrees at the same tuition rate through a teach-out with like-minded institution, Prescott College . Updates and scholarship funds will be available in the coming weeks and months. Information will be posted to www.goddard.edu . 

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The Best 15 Creative Writing MFA Programs in 2023

April 7, 2023

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? This article walks you through the considerations for an MFA program, as well as the best Creative Writing MFA programs in the United States.

First of all, what is an MFA?

A Master of Fine Arts (MFA) is a graduate degree that usually takes from two to three years to complete. Applications require a sample portfolio for entry, usually of 10-20 pages of your best writing.

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.

Reasons to 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.

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 programs 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 (baltimore, md).

This is a two-year program, with $33,000 teaching fellowships per year. This MFA offers the most generous funding package. Not to mention, it offers that sweet, sweet health insurance, mind-boggling faculty, and a guaranteed lecture position after graduation (nice). No nonfiction MFA (boo).

• Incoming class size: 8 students
• Admissions rate: 11.1%
• Alumni: Chimamanda Adiche, 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 (Austin, TX)

A fully-funded 3-year program with a generous stipend of $29,500. The program offers fiction, poetry, playwriting and screenwriting. The Michener Center is also unique because you study a primary genre and a secondary genre, and also get $3,000 for the summer.

• 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 (Iowa City, IA)

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. Most students are funded, with fellowships worth up to $21,000. The Translation MFA, co-founded by Gayatri Chakravorti Spivak, is also two years, 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: 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

4) University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI)

Anne Carson famously lives in Ann Arbor, as do the MFA students U-Michigan’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 $23,000 stipend, summer funding, and health care.

This is a 2-3-year program, 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.

• Incoming class size: 18
• Acceptance rate: 4% (which maybe seems high after less-than-1%)
• Alumni: Brit Bennett, Vievee Francis, Airea D. Matthews, Celeste Ng, Chigozie Obioma, Jia Tolentino, Jesmyn Ward

5) Brown University (Providence, RI)

Brown offers an edgy, well-funded program in a place that doesn’t dip into arctic temperatures. Students are all fully-funded for 2-3 years with $29,926 in 2021-22. 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.

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

Best MFA Creative Writing Programs (Continued) 

6) university of arizona (tucson, az).

This 3-year program 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 dry heat is good for arthritis.

This notoriously supportive program pays $20,000 a year, and offers the potential to volunteer at multiple literary organizations. You can also do supported research at the US-Mexico Border.

• Incoming class size: 9
• Acceptance rate: 4.85% (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 (Tempe, AZ):

Arizona State is also 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. Everyone gets a $19,000 stipend, with other opportunities for financial support.

• 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 (new york, ny).

This two-year program is in New York City, meaning it comes with close access to literary opportunities and hot dogs. NYU is private, and 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.

• Incoming class size: 40-60
• Acceptance rate: 6%
• 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 (New York, NY)

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.

• Incoming class size: 110
• Acceptance rate: 21%
• 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 (Bronxville, NY)

Sarah Lawrence offers speculative fiction beyond the average fiction, poetry, and nonfiction course offerings. 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.

• Incoming class size: 30-40
• Acceptance rate: N/A
• Alumni: Cynthia Cruz, Melissa Febos, T Kira Madden, Alex Dimitrov, Moncho Alvarado

LOW RESIDENCY

11 bennington college (bennington, vt).

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, and then you get a degree. The tuition is $23,468 per year, with scholarships available.

• Acceptance rate: 53%
• Incoming class: 40
• Alumni: Larissa Pham, Andrew Reiner, Lisa Johnson Mitchell, and others

12)  Institute for American Indian Arts (Santa Fe, NM)

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 offered, in screenwriting, poetry, fiction, and nonfiction.

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

• Incoming class size : 22
• Acceptance rate: 100%
• Alumni: Tommy Orange, Dara Yen Elerath, Kathryn Wilder

13) Vermont College of Fine Arts

One of few MFAs where you can study the art of the picture book, middle grade and young adult literature, graphic literature, nonfiction, fiction, and poetry for young people. Students meet twice a year for nine days, in January and July, in Vermont. 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 is $48,604.

• 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 (el paso, tx).

The world’s first bilingual and online MFA program in the world. UTEP is considered the best online MFA program, and features award-winning faculty from across the globe. Intensive workshops allow submitting in Spanish and English, and genres include poetry and fiction. This three-year program costs $14,766 a year, with rolling admissions.

• Alumni: Watch alumni testimonies here

15) Bay Path University (Long Meadow, MA)

This 2-year online program is dedicated entirely to nonfiction. A supportive, diverse community, Bay Path offers small class sizes, close mentorship, and a potential field trip in Ireland.

There are many tracks, including publishing, Narrative Medicine, and teaching. Core courses include memoir, narrative journalism, and the personal essay. The price is $785/credit, for 39 credits, with scholarships available.

• Incoming class size: 20
• Acceptance rate: an encouraging 78%
• Alumni: Read alumni testimonies here

Prepare for your MFA in advance:

• Best English Programs
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• Writing Summer Programs

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 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)

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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MFA Program Structure

The Writing Program leads to the Master of Fine Arts in Writing (MFA). It is a two-year program, requiring satisfactory completion of 42 semester hours, the Mentored Teaching Experience, a thesis and thesis defense.  

Course Work 

Of the 42 credit units required, 24 will consist of the graduate poetry, creative nonfiction or fiction workshop taken every semester. The remainder will primarily be literature and craft courses from the English department, but in consultation with the Director of the Program, graduate-level courses from any department are acceptable as long as the student has the appropriate preparation and the permission of the instructor, and the course will enrich the student's writing.  

In the first year, students enroll for 24 units: the graduate workshop in their genre (6 units) plus two additional 3-unit courses each semester. 

In the second year, students take a total of 18 units: the workshop each semester again (12 units) and 6 additional units, of which 3 can be thesis hours. Students also participate in the Mentored Teaching Experience during both semesters of the second year.  

The Mentored Teaching Experience 

The Mentored Teaching Experience allows our MFA students to learn through mentorship, teaching and gain valuable experience as instructors in the creative writing classroom. The MTE begins in the spring of the first year with a required one-week pedagogy workshop during which students will draft a syllabus, compile reading lists and exercises, learn about university policies and resources, and participate in mock-workshops, among other activities designed to help prepare to teach their own sections of a 200-level undergraduate creative writing workshop both semesters during the second year.  

All students teach in their own genre. Classes meet twice a week for an hour and twenty minutes and enrollment is limited to 12. During the second year, students will receive mentorship and support for their teaching from faculty and the director.  

First Year Review 

At the end of the first year there will be a review of overall performance in the program. At this time, students who are lagging in their academic work may be put on warning or may be dropped, though this is extremely rare. 

The required work for the MFA culminates in a thesis, which may take different forms: in poetry, usually a volume of poems; in fiction a collection of short stories, or a novel / novella or some combination thereof; in nonfiction a collection of essays or a book-length nonfiction manuscript or some combination thereof. In the spring of their second years, students undergo an oral examination dealing principally with the thesis. Thesis committees are made up of 3 faculty members. 

Graduate School regulations require the filing of a "Thesis Title, Scope, and Procedure" form at least six months before the date of the degree-granting period. Students in the program, when filing this form, will select a committee of three readers (a thesis director and two other full-time members of the faculty). Generally, the thesis will be completed and defended in the spring of the second year.  

Oral Examination 

Near the end of the second year, after the thesis has been submitted in final form, the department will schedule an oral examination with the selected committee, dealing principally with the thesis. 

Return to:  3220 Department of English    

The Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing is a terminal degree that prepares students to write and to teach at the college level. It also provides students an excellent foundation if they choose to continue their graduate work at the doctoral level. Upon attaining the M.F.A. degree, students will have acquired a productive specific knowledge of their chosen genre/area of specialization (either Poetry or Fiction). Any student who receives more than one C during the program will be dropped from the M.F.A. program.

The M.F.A. student must complete satisfactorily a minimum of 36 hours of graduate coursework (12 courses), plus at least 6 hours of thesis research credit.

Degree Requirements

All Poetry and Fiction workshops (ENGL 8020 Poetry Writing, ENGL 8030 Fiction Writing), creative writing craft courses (ENGL 8201 Contemporary Poetry, ENGL 8202 Contemporary Fiction Craft), and form and theory coursework (ENGL 8160 Form and Theory of Literary Craft) must be completed at Georgia State University during the degree program.

• ENGL 8020 - Poetry Writing 3 Credit Hours
• ENGL 8030 - Fiction Writing 3 Credit Hours
• ENGL 8201 - Contemporary Poetry 3 Credit Hours
• ENGL 8202 - Contemporary Fiction Craft 3 Credit Hours
• ENGL 8160 - Form and Theory of Literary Craft 3 Credit Hours
• Creative Writing, M.F.A., Fiction Concentration  
• Creative Writing, M.F.A., Poetry Concentration  

Shortly before, or directly after completing all required Creative Writing coursework, and no later than the semester before a student plans to graduate, the student must submit to the thesis director, and to the Director of Creative Writing, a written proposal that describes the thesis project. The M.F.A. thesis must be a minimum of 50 pages of creative writing for a manuscript of poems or a minimum of 150 pages of creative writing for a manuscript of prose fiction. In addition, M.F.A. theses must include an introduction or an afterword that discusses the student’s approaches, styles, methods, and influences. 

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Graduate College Awards honor excellence in the Creative Writing MFA Program

The Graduate College Awards, held this year on April 25, 2024, honored three individuals within the Creative Writing MFA Program for exceptional work and mentorship. Professor Mitch Wieland, Director of the Creative Writing MFA Program, received the Excellence in Graduate Mentoring Award. Ayotola Tehingbola, who graduated this year with an MFA in fiction, received the Presidential Scholar Award in Performance and Visual Arts. Caleb Merritt, a current MFA student in poetry, received the Audience Choice Award for the Three-Minute Thesis Competition. In a lovely turn of coincidence, Tehingbola nominated Professor Wieland for the mentorship award. “ I have felt supported by Mitch in these past three years,” Tehingbola said. “Mitch is a patient teacher and he front-loads the foundations. He also makes the business of writing a priority. From applying to grad school to preparing me for my job interview, Mitch was a solid.” For Professor Wieland, who helped found the MFA program at Boise State, mentorship undergirds his teaching philosophy. “ As a graduate student, I had the good fortune to study with George Garrett, a legendary writer and teacher famous for his mentorship,” Professor Wieland said. “My approach to mentorship is to be like George and pass it on. I’m very thankful Boise State recognizes all the mentorship our tireless graduate faculty does week in and week out.”

Graduate College Awards

Excellence in Graduate Mentoring Award: Professor Mitch Wieland, Director of the Creative Writing MFA Program. 

Presidential Scholar Award in Performance and Visual Arts: Ayotola Tehingbola, MFA alum

Three-Minute Thesis Competition Audience Choice Award: Caleb Merritt, MFA student 

You can learn more about the Creative Writing MFA Program here.

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MFA Funding and Support

Basic funding package.

We offer a funding package to all admitted MFA students. The funding package includes a tuition waiver, health insurance, and a monthly stipend for two academic years, contingent on satisfactory academic progress and performance of duties. Funding includes a combination of teaching and fellowship quarters. During the teaching quarters, students will be responsible for teaching one class each quarter. Most classes will be in the composition program; there are a limited number of opportunities to teach an introductory creative writing class in their genre. During the fellowship quarters, the monthly stipend amount may be lower.

Grants and Prizes

The program administers over half a dozen scholarships and prizes for graduate and undergraduate students in creative writing. We also have a long-standing relationship with the Amazon Literary Partnership, which enables us to offer graduate student support. Please visit the Creative Writing Scholarships and Prizes page for more details.  

Conference Travel

Graduate students who are presenting at a conference are encouraged to apply for travel funding through the UW Graduate and Professional Student Senate (GPSS) .

Loans, Work-Study Eligibility, and other Financial Aid

Information is available through the following:

Office of Student Financial Aid University of Washington Box 355880 Seattle WA 98195-5880

E-mail [email protected] Call 206-543-6101

  The Graduate School also maintains a page devoted to funding resources: How do I pay for graduate school?

Graduate Funding Information Service

The GFIS is a resource offered by the UW Libraries to help graduate students locate funding oportunities for graduate school related expenses, including tuition, research, conference and research travel.  Students can visit GFIS for drop-in hours, schedule individual appointments, or request information by e-mail. 

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