Creative Writing, M.F.A.

Admission Requirements

• Comply with the regular admission requirements  of the College of Graduate Studies and Research, which includes an undergraduate grade point average of 3.0.

Candidates who already possess the MA will receive preference in admission; however, we also encourage exceptional candidates who hold the bachelor’s degree. Applicants with an undergraduate degree in fields other than literature or writing maybe be admitted conditionally, pending additional course work.

All Applicants must submit:

1. Graduate admission application and fee.   (Applications closed for Fall 2024)
2. Official transcripts from all previously attended post-secondary institutions.
3. MA/MFA English Graduate Program Application Form (writeable PDF).
4. A resume or CV.
5. A statement of professional purpose describing their interest in the program (and if applying for a teaching assistantship, their preparedness for teaching).
6. A critical paper.
7. A writing portfolio (see below).
8. Three letters of recommendation that speak to their academic abilities (and if applying for a teaching assistantship speaking to their potential as a teacher).

Admission to the program is highly competitive and is determined primarily by the quality and promise of the applicant’s writing. All applicants must submit a writing portfolio in the genre in which they apply.  Page requirements are as follows:

Poetry: 10 pages
Fiction: 20-30 pages
Nonfiction: 20-30 pages 
Mixed: 20-30 pages of any mix of poetry, creative nonfiction, and fiction
Hybrid: 20-30 pages primary comprised of work that does not fall into traditional genre boundaries or categories, or that blends genres.

Application Due Dates

The application deadline is February 1 of each year, with new student cohorts starting each Fall semester.  (Applications closed for Fall 2024)