unm creative writing mfa

Application Instructions

The following information is provided to help the prospective student successfully apply for admission to the English (MFA) graduate program at the University of New Mexico. Although Graduate Studies strives to keep this information up-to-date, we still encourage you to visit the program's website to verify application instructions and required materials.

Please note:  These instructions are for application to the MFA program only; please click here for MA instructions and here for PhD instructions.

International students (including non-U.S. citizens on a visa) generally must complete additional steps to apply to a graduate program at UNM.  Please see the Global Education Office's  International Admissions website  for more information.

ONLINE APPLICATION

University of New Mexico

Albuquerque , NM

http://english.unm.edu/graduate/master-of-fine-arts/index.html

Degrees Offered

Fiction, Poetry, CNF

Residency type

Program length, financial aid.

The MFA faculty is committed to supporting its graduate students with teaching assistantships for the full three years it takes most students to complete the program, offering them the opportunity to teach not only Freshman Composition and Expository Writing but Introduction to Creative Writing as well. At UNM, we believe that MFA students should not go wildly into debt while completing their degrees. For this reason we encourage all applicants to our program to apply for teaching assistantships. Our program is small by national standards, but with a relatively small student-faculty ratio and competitive teaching stipends for three years, we believe we offer our MFA students the chance to fully immerse themselves in writing without the exorbitant price tags attached to some other MFA programs.

Teaching opportunities

TAships available

Editorial opportunities

Editorial opportunities with Blue Mesa Review are available.

Cross-genre study

Cross-genre work is a required component of the curriculum.

• Paul Bogard MA 2003
• Jeremy Collins MFA 2006
• Lisa Gill MFA
• Billy Howell MFA 2007
• Rachael Heather Johnson MFA (Poetry) 2020
• Celia Laskey MFA (Fiction) 2017
• Cary Mandel MFA (CNF) 2020
• Reid Maruyama MFA (Fiction)
• Laura Sewell Matter MFA 2009
• Natalie Scenters-Zapico MFA (Poetry)
• Mike Smith MFA (CNF) 2013
• Melanie Unruh MFA (Fiction) 2011
• Christopher Wrenn MFA 2010

Send questions, comments and corrections to [email protected] .

Disclaimer: No endorsement of these ratings should be implied by the writers and writing programs listed on this site, or by the editors and publishers of Best American Short Stories , Best American Essays , Best American Poetry , The O. Henry Prize Stories and The Pushcart Prize Anthology .

University of New Mexico - Main Campus MA in Creative Writing

How much does a master’s in creative writing from unm cost, unm graduate tuition and fees.

Does UNM Offer an Online MA in Creative Writing?

Unm master’s student diversity for creative writing, male-to-female ratio.

Of the students who received their master’s degree in creative writing in 2019-2020, 66.7% of them were women. This is about the same as the countrywide number of 66.6%.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

Around 33.3% of creative writing master’s degree recipients at UNM in 2019-2020 were awarded to racial-ethnic minorities*. This is higher than the nationwide number of 24%.

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New Mexico State University Creative Media Institute

Master of fine arts in creative writing, program highlights.

* Tuition numbers include university base tuition, college differential tuition, and university mandatory fees.

Creative Writing at the Creative Media Institute

The Creative Media Institute   at New Mexico State University offers the Master of Fine Arts  degree   i n Creative Writing, a 3-year program.   It’s an intensive immersion in the writing life, with workshops in poetry,   fiction, in nonfiction   writing, screenwriting , writing for digital media,   and others .  

Our mission is to emphasize the creation and critical analysis of literature, so that our students can be part of the national conversation about writing, graduating with a publishable manuscript.   Our graduates have gone on to media, education, and publishing careers. Dozens of books have been published, numerous awards and fellowships have been awarded, and since the degree’s founding in 2001,   we have prepared   our MFA students   to contribute to their communities as writers, publishing professionals, and teachers.  

Application Requirements

• Personal Statement
• Writing Sample
• Resume or CV
• Minimum of 3 Recommendation Letters
• Application Deadline: Admit for Fall semesters only with a February 21st deadline.

For more questions, please email Connie Voisine  [email protected] . 

Program Requirements 

The MFA is for dedicated students who want to hone their writing with the support of their professors and the community of writers at NMSU. Since joining the Creative Media Institute, creative writing students have increased opportunities to engage with genres of writing for digital media such as web series, animation, and television. Our distinguished faculty are active in their fields, have won numerous awards, and are committed MFA mentors. For three years, you will write, read, participate in our Nelson Boswell Distinguished Visiting Writers Series, and work on our internationally recognized literary journal  http://www.puertodelsol.org  to develop artistically and professionally.

• complete 54 hours of graduate-level coursework,
• present a book-length thesis of original work with an introduction or afterward,
• perform a public reading from the thesis, and
• pass an oral examination in the final semester. 

* Students will take 21 credits (7 classes) in various areas of study of interest. A student might take a mix of graduate level classes in other genres within the Creative Media Institute (Writing for Television, Playwriting, etc.) to develop a solid subspecialty, scholarly classes in the English Department, Gender and Sexuality Studies Program or the Borderlands and Ethnic Studies Program. Others have taken graduate History classes, Geography classes, and Art classes. Internships are available with small presses (Zephyr Press), literary nonprofit (Zoeglossia, an organization for disabled writers) and Film and Digital Media projects on campus when available. These electives can be used to build creative writing training that will be unique to your own interests and a coherent program of study should be developed with your advisor.

Learn how we’re helping students build memorable experiences.

"With the encouragement of the faculty and my fellow students, I was able to put on the page the people and places that meant so much to me. I had wanted to write since I was a girl but I became a writer at NMSU.”

“I became a more confident reader and writer during my time at NMSU. I learned how to slow down, hone in at the sentence level, and be a more critical editor of my own work."

"I developed a real love for the effort of writing, even if the outcome wasn't always what I'd hoped for. And I became a better reader, and a better friend. NMSU was an amazing community, and I've been able to carry it with me ever since.”

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Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education

NMSU participates in WICHE, a tuition exchange program.  Residents of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming are eligible for in-state tuition n.

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Universities

University of New Mexico

MFA in Creative Writing

University of New Mexico, New Mexico

College of Arts and Sciences

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• A popular choice for international students with a diverse community
• Learn from the best faculty members and become their research assistants
• High-end labs to facilitate research work
• Excellent placement programs after course completion

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$19,059 / year

$57,177 / 36 months

5000+ Students

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MFA in Creative Writing

About the Program

Our innovative MFA program includes both studio instruction and literature courses. Writers can take workshop courses in any genre, and they can write a thesis in fiction, nonfiction, poetry or “hybrid” (multi-genre) form. In the second year, they teach popular Creative Writing courses to Davis undergraduates under faculty supervision, gaining valuable experience and sharing their insight  and enthusiasm with beginning practitioners.

Questions? Contact:

Sarah Yunus Graduate Program Coordinator, MFA Program in Creative Writing [email protected]   Pronouns: she/her  

Admissions and Online Application

Events, Prizes, and Resources

• Funding Your MFA

At UC Davis, we offer you the ability to fund your MFA. In fact, all students admitted to the program are guaranteed full funding in the second year of study, when students serve as teachers of Introduction to Creative Writing (English 5) and receive, in exchange, tuition and health insurance remission as well as a monthly stipend (second year students who come to Davis from out of state are expected to establish residency during their first year). We have a more limited amount of resources – teaching assistantships, research assistantships, and out of state tuition wavers – allocated to us for first year students, but in recent years, we’ve had excellent luck funding our accepted first years. We help students who do not receive English department funding help themselves by posting job announcements from other departments during the spring and summer leading up to their arrival. We are proud to say that over the course of the last twenty years, nearly every incoming student has wound up with at least partial funding (including a tuition waiver and health insurance coverage) by the time classes begin in the fall.  

We have other resources for students, too – like the Miller Fund, which supports attendance for our writers at any single writer’s workshop or conference. Students have used these funds to attend well-known conferences like AWP, Writing By Writers, and the Tin House Conference. The Davis Humanities Institute offers a fellowship that first year students can apply for to fund their writing projects. Admitted students are also considered for University-wide fellowships.

Cost of Attendance

• Course of Study

The M.F.A. at Davis is a two-year program on the quarter system (our academic year consists of three sessions of ten-week courses that run from the end of September until mid-June). The program includes classes and a thesis project. It requires diverse, multidisciplinary study and offers excellent mentorship.  

Writers concentrate in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or “hybrid” (multi-genre) forms. They take at least four graduate workshops, and they’re required to take one workshop outside their primary genre (many of our students choose to take even more). Writers at Davis also take graduate courses in literature from abundant options, including the program’s Seminars for Writers. Writers can also take graduate courses in literary study taught by scholars in the English Department. And many of our writers enroll in courses relevant to their work in other departments like art history, comparative literature, linguistics, and performance studies.  

At the end of the first year, writers form a thesis committee with a Director and two additional readers from the faculty. In the second year, writers at Davis concentrate on Individual Study units with these mentors, working closely with their committee to create a book-length creative work. Writers present their projects at intimate, intense, celebratory defense in May with all members of their committee in attendance.

• History of the Program

We’re a new MFA, but we’ve been a successful and respected Creative Writing Program since 1975—a “sleeper” program, as one guide to MFA programs called us. The people who founded the CW program at UC Davis were all lovers and teachers of literature, and chose to call the program an MA, rather than an MFA because they wanted to ensure that the degree would not be seen as a “studio” degree but one in which the study of literature was integral.  In the 1980’s and 1990’s, most often under the leadership of Jack Hicks and Alan Williamson, the program emphasized writing on the American West and the wilderness. Our high profile faculty included Sandra McPherson, Gary Snyder, Sandra Gilbert, Clarence Major, Katherine Vaz, Elizabeth Tallent, Max Byrd, and Louis Owens.  

We also created an introductory sequence of workshops taught by graduate students, which has become one of the highlights of the program for the second years who teach the courses and the undergraduates who take them. There’s more to teaching these courses than learning to teach; teaching helps our writers understand their own writing in ways that no other aspect of a writing program can do. Pam Houston joined the program in the early 2000’s and she led a faculty that included Lynn Freed and Yiyun Li. As an MFA, we remain a place that values sustained literary study as core to the making of art, but we’re also allowing our vision of genre to expand and embrace the other arts and media.

The town of Davis began as "Davisville," a small stop on the Southern Pacific railway between Sacramento and the Bay Area.  Some of our graduate students choose to live in Sacramento or the Bay Area, making use of the commute-by-train option, which is still very much in place.  For those commuting by car, Davis is a 15-25 minute drive from Sacramento and a 60-90 minute drive from the Bay Area.

Students also choose to live in Davis itself, which CNN once ranked the second most educated city in the US.  Davis is a college town of about 75,000 people. Orchards, farms and ranches border it on all sides. The town boasts a legendary twice-weekly farmers market (complete with delicious food trucks and live music). Bike and walking paths lead everywhere (many students prefer not to own a car while they are here) and there are copious amounts of planned green space in every subdivision. The flatness of the land makes Davis ideal for biking, and the city over the past 5 decades has installed bike lanes and bike racks all over town. In fact, in 2006,  Bicycling Magazine , in its compilation of "America's Best Biking Cities," named Davis the best small town for cycling. Packed with coffee houses, bookstores, and restaurants that serve cuisine from every continent, Downtown Davis has a casual vibe. It’s a great place to hole up and write. Davis is filled with hard wood trees, and flower and vegetable gardens, and wild ducks and turkeys walk the campus as if they own the place. It’s a gentle place to live. Although summers get quite hot, the other three seasons are mild, and each, in their own way, quite beautiful. For more about the town, check out  the Davis Wikipedia page .

Woodland and Winters, two small towns close by to Davis, are also options for housing—and they’re good options for those who are not so desirous of the college town scene.  Yet another option is to live in the scenic rural areas Davis is surrounded by.

To the west of Davis, Lake Berryessa and the Napa valley are close by.  To the east, the Sierra mountains are close by; Reno and Tahoe are just a couple hours drive in that direction. 

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15 Best Creative Writing MFA Programs in 2024

May 15, 2024

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

What are the best Creative Writing MFA programs?

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

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

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

Why should I get an MFA in Creative Writing?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Types of Creative Writing MFA Programs

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

Fully-Funded Full-Time Programs

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

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

Full-Time MFA Programs

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

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

Low-Residency MFA Programs

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

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

Online MFA Programs

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

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

The Top 15 Creative Writing MFA Programs Ranked by Category

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

FULLY FUNDED MFA PROGRAMS

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

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

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

2) University of Texas, James Michener Center

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

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

3) University of Iowa

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

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

Best MFA Creative Writing Programs (Continued) 

4) university of michigan.

Anne Carson famously lives in Ann Arbor, as do the MFA students in UMichigan’s Helen Zell Writers’ Program. This is a big university town, which is less damaging to your social life. Plus, there’s lots to do when you have a $25,000 stipend, summer funding, and health care.

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

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

5) Brown University

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

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

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

6) University of Arizona

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

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

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

7) Arizona State University 

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

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

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

FULL-RESIDENCY MFAS (UNFUNDED)

8) new york university.

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

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

9) Columbia University

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

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

10) Sarah Lawrence 

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

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

LOW RESIDENCY

11) bennington college.

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

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

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

12)  Institute for American Indian Arts

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

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

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

13) Vermont College of Fine Arts

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

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

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

ONLINE MFAS

14) university of texas at el paso.

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

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

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

15) Bay Path University

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

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

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

Best MFA Creative Writing Programs — Final Thoughts

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

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

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

Inspired to start writing? Get your pencil ready:

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

Best MFA Creative Writing Programs – References:

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

Julia Conrad

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

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Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Dramatic Writing

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Program Overview – 60 Minimum Hours

Department of Theatre & Dance

The MFA in Dramatic Writing at the University of New Mexico is a three-year program requiring 60 hours to complete the degree.

The program offers continuing opportunities for producing new work from writers working in the MFA program. These opportunities create an environment where students are either preparing scripts for submission to our annual new works festival called Linnell Festival of New Plays, submitting material for production to the local theatre community, or for the season of plays selected by students that is presented in our black-box, Theatre X. The Linnell Festival presents new work over three weeks in multiple venues on and off campus. Five students in our writing program have won national playwriting awards for the plays presented in this festival four of them from Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival.

Completing this program means you will have created a portfolio of a minimum of 6 scripts (3 full length stage plays, 1 full length screen play, 1 short screen or stage piece, and dissertation work). This work will have emerged from the courses in the Writing Core taken by all the MFA Writing students. It involves four intensive semester-long writing seminars that confront the principles and craft of dramatic writing, the resources of the writer’s world, and a way of thinking about dramatic work.

MFA Dramatic Writing Admission Requirements

• To be considered for admission to any of our graduate programs, you must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.*
• For the MFA in Dramatic Writing, a specific undergraduate major is less important than a demonstrated and sustained commitment to creative writing.
• We require a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 (B) or better . Exceptions can be made to the GPA requirement, but it is extremely rare that we admit students whose undergraduate GPA in their major is below 3.0.

* Students may apply during their final year of undergraduate study; however, any offer of admission is contingent upon successful completion of the bachelor’s degree.

* In rare, extraordinary cases, students who have completed more than 100 hours of undergraduate coursework but do not have a degree may be considered for graduate admission based on a strong professional record.

• Professional experience may compensate for uneven academic preparation. If you believe that your life experiences make up for gaps in your undergraduate training, you should make this clear in your letter of intent.
• Please note, however, that professional experience in the performing arts is not by itself a substitute for a completed bachelor’s degree. All our Graduate Programs are academically rigorous, and require solid preparation in reading, writing, and research skills.
• For students who do not own their own computers, the University maintains a number of free labs or computer pods where students can use Windows or Mac computers to write papers, access e-mail, etc.

How to Apply

Log on to the Admissions website at http://admissions.unm.edu/ and apply online. Please follow all the directions provided. Be sure to include all the required materials.  Information can be found at the website listed below:

http://grad.unm.edu/prospective-students/admissions-criteria.html

  Required Materials:

• Select: College of Fine Arts; MFA Dramatic Writing
• Letter of Intent clearly expressing your ability to undertake graduate study.
• Letters of Recommendation (3)
• A full-length script (stage, screen television play; drama or comedy or two one-act plays)

*     One UNOFFICIAL transcript from each college you have attended. (Exception:  UNM transcript)

There are additional requirements for Applicants who are not U.S. Citizens or Permanent Residents . Please contact:

• Office of International Admissions

(505) 277-5829, [email protected]

Please note that application materials will not be returned.

Deadlines for Applications :  APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED SEPT 1 – FEB 1. Late applications will be accepted through April 1 but will only be considered if spaces remain.

Please note:

• The MFA Programs do not admit students at mid-year.
• Applicants from outside the U.S. are especially advised to submit their applications early, as processing of these applications usually takes longer than for domestic applicants.

For further information on UNM’s admissions policies and procedures at:

http://catalog.unm.edu/catalogs/2016-2017/

Submission and Review of Applications:

Your application submission will be sent to the Theatre and Dance Department where it will be reviewed by faculty members in your area of intended emphasis.

In certain cases, the faculty may contact you to arrange an interview (by telephone for out-of-state candidates). Applicants are strongly encouraged to visit the UNM campus and meet with faculty.

Notification of admission or rejection will normally be sent by March 1 (notification may be earlier or later depending on the volume of applications in a given year).

If, at any point in the process, you wish to inquire as to the status of your application, you may e-mail Angelica Chavez at  [email protected] .

Dramatic Writing Area Advisor Greg Moss

[email protected]

New students accepted Fall Semester only. Application Deadlines: postmarked no later than Feb.1 for financial aid and no later than Apr. 15 if spaces remain.

Back to Graduate Degrees

Master of Arts (MA) in Theatre & Dance

• All students must be admitted to the University, whether as an incoming freshman, transfer student, or non-degree student. Apply online through the Admissions Department at UNM

•After meeting all CFA admission requirements, students must apply to become a declared major .

Academic Advisement

The College of Fine Arts Student Success & Advisement Center is committed to serve the UNM community with compassion, guidance, and respect as we promote academic excellence.

To speak with a CFA advisor, please call (505) 277-4817.

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• MFA in Creative Writing

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Write here. Write now.

Our MFA in Creative Writing program is a two-year, full time, residential degree program in creative nonfiction, fiction, or poetry. We welcome writers from all walks of life and embrace risk taking on and off the page. Our literary community is made stronger when more voices are heard.

“By becoming a better reader, I became a much better writer.”

In the MFA in Poetry program I was not only exposed to a diverse range of texts, I also learned creative ways of approaching even the most experimental ones. This reading stretched my writing and helped me uncover the more raw, authentic layers of my own voice and rhythm.

– MFA in Creative Writing, Poetry alumna Kelly Egan

Explore Further

“I’m a better writer than I was two years ago, and a better person, too.”

Kehinde Badiru, MFA ’23, reflects on his journey from eco-poetry in Nigeria to being awarded the inaugural Brenda Hillman Award.

MFA in Creative Writing Upcoming Events

Smc mfa in creative writing in the news.

January 31, 2024

National Honors for Writers Marilyn Abildskov and Matthew Zapruder: NEA Fellowship and Finalist for National Book Critics Circle Awards

January 15, 2024

Making Meaning as Veterans and Writers

May 25, 2023

In Their Own Words: Kehinde Badiru, MFA ’23 Came to Study Poetry with Brenda Hillman. Now, He’s Won Her Award.

Admissions and Financial Aid

Admitted students in the MFA in Creative Writing program are automatically considered for scholarships. Fellowships, assistantships and community partner paid internships are also available.

School and Department Information

Chris Feliciano Arnold Director, MFA in Creative Writing [email protected] 925-631-8556

Collin Skeen Assistant Director of Admissions and Recruitment  [email protected] 925-631-4190

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MFA in Writing

Welcome. The MFA Program in Writing welcomes brave and innovative writers and encourages the formation of mutually-supportive, inspiring literary communities. The program is small, with typically 4 to 8 new students admitted and funded each year. The intimate nature of the program allows students to work very closely with writing faculty and each other within the quarterly cross-genre workshop.

The MFA program is a two-year full-time, in-person program foregrounding the interconnectedness of literary arts practice, modes of production and distribution, and the rigorous study of literatures, arts, and cultures. The program offers the option of extending to a third year; the majority of students choose to do so.

All graduate writing workshops are cross-genre and often interdisciplinary, investigating and often undermining a studio-versus-academic distinction in advanced literary education. Moreover, the program encourages interdisciplinary research and holistic approaches to teaching and learning. Therefore, teaching creative-critical reading and writing skills as a Teaching Assistant is a popular choice among all Writing students in the MFA program, most of whom are eligible for scholarships and fellowships in addition to union-represented compensation for Teaching Assistant work.

Program participants are encouraged to focus exclusively on writing, teaching, research, and art-making during their residency, allowing writers to integrate pedagogical training and artistic practice as a way to prepare for future scholarly endeavors while creating a book-length work of literature. To that end, each quarterly cross-genre workshop discusses writing-in-progress and published works in terms of poetics, prosody, and literary conventions alongside the interrelationship between aesthetic intervention/ experiment and radical social change across cultures, nations, regions, and movements.

While each writer’s extra-departmental coursework is flexible, program participants are expected to take five workshops. The cross-genre workshops function less as editorial sessions or as explications of craft techniques than as vibrant skill-sharing intellectual roundtables. UCSD’s writers generate dazzlingly diverse collaborations in writing and literary/arts events, many of which result in various forms of publication. Both faculty and graduate projects tend to repurpose, interweave, hack, and muddle generic categories and/or radically elasticize their conventions.

UC San Diego is a tier-one research university respected internationally for untangling mysteries and manifesting world-altering possibilities in the arts, humanities, and sciences. The MFA in Writing is part of the Department of Literature, a world literature department with a focus on critical theory, social justice, and cultural, ethnic, and gender studies, where faculty members work in multiple languages, geographies, and historical periods. All graduate writing workshops are offered in English, but program participants may work with Literature and extra-departmental faculty on bilingual or multilingual projects, including works in translation.

With ties to   Visual Arts ,   Music ,   Ethnic Studies ,   Science Studies ,  the   Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers' Workshop  and the   Arthur C. Clarke Center for Human Imagination , along with other departments, centers, and programs, unprecedented entanglements of artistic and scholarly experimentation are encouraged. The MFA program co-exists with a thriving undergraduate writing major and benefits from the long-established   New Writing Series   and the   Archive for New Poetry . Current MFA Writing Faculty include   Kazim Ali , Amy Sara Carroll ,  Ben Doller ,   Camille Forbes ,   Lily Hoang ,   Jac Jemc ,  Casandra Lopez ,  Brandon Som , Anna Joy Springer , and Marco Wilkinson . Emeriti Writing Faculty include   Rae Armantrout   and   Eileen Myles .

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MFA Admission 2025

Application Period 9/4/2024 - 12/4/2024

Decision Notifications February - April 2025

Program Begins Fall 2025

[ Admission Overview  ]

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