mfa creative writing vermont

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

Written by Jennifer Williams

Vermont is home to a lot of writers. It’s funny – even official government data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics tracking job market trends shows Vermont in the number two spot among states with the highest concentration of writers and authors.

What is it about little ‘ol Vermont that gives rise to so much writing talent?

It can’t just be some combination of quaint small town charm, striking fall colors, or the scenic splendor of places like Lake Willoughby, Quechee Gorge, and the Champlain Islands that make for great writing material. There has to be something beneath the surface of it all that stirs the hearts of people compelled to write.

And, while the state’s panoramic backdrop is certainly impressive, it’s not nearly as impressive as the writers who’ve found a home here.

Some of the American Literary Greats Touched the Landscape of Virginia, If Only for a While

Sinclair Lewis , a renowned novelist, was born in Minnesota but spent much of his life in Vermont. In the summer months, he and his wife stayed at their 300-acre homestead, Twin Farms, in Barnard. He wrote a total of 24 novels and more than 70 short stories and plays and is best remembered for his works Main Street and It Can’t Happen Here. In 1926, he won the Pulitzer Prize for his novel Arrowsmith, but he declined to accept the award and was the first to ever do so. Sinclair disagreed with the sentiment that a contest should praise one book or writer over another, and he also didn’t feel that any one person or committee was competent enough to choose a best novel.

Chris Bohjalian , a long-time Lincoln resident, is another literary giant to hail from Vermont. His prospectus includes over 20 best-selling fiction books, three of which have been made into movies, and a slew of literary accomplishments. Some of the awards he’s accumulated include the New England Society Book Award for The Night Strangers, the ANCA Arts and Letters Award for The Sandcastle Girls , and Best Lifestyle Column for Idyll Banter by the Vermont Press Association. Many of his writings have also been chosen for Best Books of the Year by organizations like The Washington Post, Library Journal, and Bookpage.

Vermont’s exquisite backdrop has been a vacuum-like force bringing writers here for centuries and its unique diversity an added boon for literary expressionism. Today, large cities like Burlington are still hotspots of meaningful connection for up-and-coming writers.

Ultimately, though, it’s earning a degree in creative writing that will bring out what you have to offer. It’s the process of earning a BA or BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) in creative writing that makes the writer, not the holding of the degree. And for eager grad students interested in an MA or the lauded MFA (Master of Fine Arts) in creative writing, that process holds the real possibility of bringing out greatness.

“I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I – I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.” ~ Robert Frost, The Road Not Taken

Vermont’s Creative Writing Classes, Courses, and Workshops Can Prepare You for a Creative Writing Degree

By now, you’ve realized that a writing career isn’t accomplished by following a prescriptive, predetermined path. There’s no rigid outline that’s going to promise you success. A career in writing is simply not as traditional as most other professions. Writing is more like a literary expression of an author’s thoughts, feelings, passions, and convictions. It’s something unique that the writer creates from deep within, so unique, in fact, that no two writers take the same approach. You’ll find that your journey as a writer emerges as you get to know yourself.

Developing yourself as a writer, then, means you’ll need an outlet for self-reflection – a place where you can question your thoughts, challenge your ideas, and find your direction. Getting involved with your local writing community is the best way to accomplish this.

The League of Vermont Writers is a group committed to providing a supportive environment for all who share a love of the written word. They host open mic nights where you can get your work heard and critiqued, as well as live author events where you get a chance to meet-and-greet with published authors. The League of Vermont Writers also hosts quarterly programs where you can network and promote your work, interact with other writers, and learn more about the process of getting published. Meetings are rotated to different locations throughout the state but typically include Burlington and Rutland. The group also offers writing workshops that cover topics like character development, book proposals, and publishing.

The Burlington Writers Workshop is another resource you’ll want to check out. Through virtual and in-person workshops in Burlington, Montpelier, and Middlebury, you’ll have the opportunity to network with professional writers and participate in workshop events with peer critique. Panel discussions, group readings, and open mic nights are added benefits you don’t want to miss. The Lit Group is a subgroup which puts on book reading workshops and panel discussions once a week to help writers learn more about the publishing process. Its publication, Cold Lake Anthology, comes out every year and exclusively features the writings of Vermont authors.

Be sure to check out your local literary circulars, too. The Green Mountains Review is a literary print magazine that publishes poetry, essays, fiction, and creative nonfiction. This is a highly respected publication which has been recognized by The Boston Globe as a top-ten literary magazine in New England. Written work from this journal is regularly selected for prestigious awards like Best American Poetry, Best American Essays, and Pushcart Prize .

Another esteemed publication to follow is the New England Review, a quarterly publication of Middlebury College. It publishes mainly poetry, fiction, nonfiction, essays, and travelogues but is always on the lookout for fresh talent pushing the boundaries of convention. If your submission is selected for publication, you’ll receive a rate of $20 per page as well as two print copies and a 1-year subscription. The New England Review will be publishing an issue in December of 2023 that is exclusively dedicated to emerging writers, so if you’ve never been published before, it’s an excellent opportunity to get your work out there.

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

At the end of the day though, it’s a formal education in creative writing that’s going to set you up for success. It’s the final piece that hardens you to criticism, gives you the experience to know you can start from nothing again and rebuild, while helping foster connections and comradery that will last your whole life. A degree in creative writing is what distinguishes the professionals from the amateurs in this field – and it’s worth every bit of the effort it takes to earn.

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

Goddard college.

Accreditation:  NECHE

Degree: Bachelor – BFA

Private School

• Creative Writing (Drama, Poetry, Fiction, Hybrid Forms, Creative Nonfiction and Memoir)

Northern Vermont University

SCHOOL OF ARTS AND COMMUNICATIONS

Degree: Bachelor – BFA, BA

Public School

• BFA - Creative Writing
• BA - English-Writing concentration

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

Bennington college.

Degree:  Master – MFA

• Writing (Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Dual-Genre)
• Creative Writing (Fiction, Poetry, Playwriting, Screenwriting, Libretto Writing, Television Writing, Graphic Novel Scriptwriting, Cross-Genre and Hybrid Forms, Creative Nonfiction and Memoir)

Vermont College of Fine Arts

• Writing, Writing for Children and Young Adults

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Vermont College of Fine Arts–Writing

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MFA Program

Poetry: Richard Jackson, Philip Metres, Tomás Q. Morín, Natasha Sajé, Betsy Sholl, Leslie Ullman, Nance Van Winckel, David Wojahn

Fiction: Connie May Fowler, Miciah Bay Gault, T. Geronimo Johnson, Ellen Lesser, Brian Leung, Bret Lott, Robin MacArthur, Clint McCown, Adam McOmber, Wanjikū wa Ngūgī, Hasanthika Sirisena, Nance Van Winckel

Creative Nonfiction: Harrison Candelaria Fletcher, Connie May Fowler, Barbara Hurd, Bret Lott, Patrick Madden, Elena Passarello, Natasha Sajé, Sue William Silverman, Hasanthika Sirisena

The program offers fellowships and merit awards .

Hunger Mountain Review

Students attend two nine-day residencies each year, in July and January. Concurrent virtual residencies are also offered, along with overseas and domestic residencies held in unique cities of literary merit. Beginning with the Winter-Spring 2025 residency in January, residencies will be held at CalArts in Santa Clarita, California.

For Summer/Winter, the priority scholarship deadline is February 1; the final deadline is April 1. For Winter/Summer, the priority deadline is August 1; the final deadline is October 1.

Daniel Abbott, Kelly Beard, Nickole Brown, Dominic Bucca, Ann Davila Cardinal, Sion Dayson, Miciah Bay Gault, Alison Hawthorne Deming, Allison Adelle Hedge Coke, Allison Hong Merrill, Bob Hicok, Marya Hornbacher, LeAnne Howe, Wally Lamb, Robin MacArthur, Jo-Ann Mapson, Sarah McCraw Crow, Jennifer McGaha, Robin Oliveira, Melissa Pritchard, Donald Quist, Maureen Seaton, Tim Seibles, Mahtem Shiferraw, Liza Nash Taylor, Kali White VanBaale, Neela Vaswani, Michelle Webster-Hein, Jonathan White, Laura Warrell

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Creative writing.

The English department is proud to offer several opportunities for students to pursue writing. Each semester we offer courses and seminars in creative writing which focus on techniques of writing poetry, short prose fiction, and creative nonfiction. Classes are organzied around the discussion and improvement of student work. Students pursue projects of their own design in small seminar workshops and explore a variety of creative nonfiction sub-genres such as the personal essay, literary memoir, literary journalism, and autobiography.

Students who pursue a degree in writing are equipped with marketable skills in creativity and critical thinking. Studying creative writing will foster valuable communication skills, an expansive imagination, along with editing and research--skills integral to a wide range of professions.

Degree Programs

Major in english with a concentration in writing, minor in writing, distinguished authors in the classroom, meet the faculty.

Eve Alexandra is a lecturer in the English department with areas of expertise in creative writing, poetry, and American literature. She is an accomplished poet who actively publishes across a wide number of journals, including the Harvard Review and The Academy of American Poets. She recently published her first book The Drowned Girl, which received The Stan and Tom Wick Poetry Prize.

Eve Alexandra's faculty profile   

Available Courses/ Course Descriptions

ENGS 001 - Written Expression First Years and Sophomores only. A foundational composition course featuring a sequence of writing, reading, and information literacy assignments. Students learn to write and revise for different rhetorical situations while increasing their mastery of academic conventions. Some sections designed for specific student audiences.

ENGS 002 - Written Expression: Theme Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors only. Intensive instruction and practice in writing, reading, research, and revision through the exploration of a theme related to the instructor’s expertise.

ENGS 005 - First Year Seminar Students write in a variety of forms, styles, and genres in response to selected texts of literary or cultural significance. Themes, texts, and writing assignments vary by section. Prerequisite: First-Year standing in College of Arts and Sciences.

ENGS 050 - Expository Writing Intermediate course in expository writing (nonfiction that describes, informs, and persuades) emphasizing rhetorical choices for varying audiences and purposes. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing.

ENGS 051 - Topics in Composition Representative topics include: Forms of Journalism and Writing for the Web. May be repeated for credit with different content. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing.

ENGS 053 - Intro to Creative Writing Introductory course on techniques of writing poetry, short prose fiction, and creative nonfiction. Classes organized around discussion of student work; weekly writing assignments. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing.

ENGS 104 - Tutoring Writing This course, for students who will be tutoring at the Writing Center, explores ways of responding to writers one-on-one. Permission required. Pre/co-requisite: Three hours in English courses numbered ENGS 005 - ENGS 096; minimum Sophomore standing.

ENGS 114 - Topics in Writing Topics vary by semester and professor. Representative topics: Writing Literary Criticism; Reading and Writing Autobiography; Literary Journalism. Prerequisites: ENGS 050 or ENGS 053; minimum Sophomore standing. May repeat for credit with different content.

ENGS 117 - Advanced Creative Nonfiction In this workshop for experienced writers, students pursue projects of their own design, in various creative nonfiction sub-genres, including personal essay, literary memoir, and/or literary journalism. May be repeated once for credit. Prerequisites: ENGS 050, ENGS 051, or ENGS 053; minimum Sophomore standing.

ENGS 118 - Advanced Writing: Fiction This upper-level course for fiction writers of proven ability employs a seminar/workshop format, with most classroom time devoted to manuscript discussion. May be repeated once for credit. Prerequisites: ENGS 053; minimum Sophomore standing.

ENGS 119 - Advanced Writing: Poetry This upper-level course for poets of proven ability employs a seminar/workshop format, with most classroom time devoted to manuscript discussion. May be repeated once for credit. Prerequisites: ENGS 053; minimum Sophomore standing.

ENGS 211 - Seminar in Writing Recent topics: "Writing the New Yorker;" "Writing Vermont Life;" "Editing and Publishing." Prerequisites: ENGS 100; ENGS 050 or ENGS 051 or ENGS 053; and one of the following pairs of courses: ENGS 021 and ENGS 022, ENGS 023 and ENGS 024, or ENGS 027 and ENGS 028; Instructor permission for Graduate students.

Department Creative Writing Prizes

Benjamin b. wainwright prize.

In honor of Professor Wainwright, who taught at the University of Vermont from 1925 to 1963, this prize goes to the student who submits the best poem each year.

Douglas A. Pinta Award

Established in the memory of a UVM graduate, this award is presented to a student dedicated to creative writing.

Learn more about Student Awards with the English department.

Looking for more opportunities to publish your work?

Check out our Outside Publication Opportunities page.

Student Opportunities

There are a number of opportunities outside the classroom available for students to pursue writing!

The Gist (previously known as Vantage Point) is a literary magazine where art and literature come together. Join their editing team or be a part of their semesterly publications! Learn more about the magazine in the The Gist spotlight or on The Gist on Facebook .

Submit creative work or email your questions to [email protected] .

The Writers Guild

Join the writers guild, a writing club where students peer-review writing in weekly/bi-weekly meetings. "We are Worldspinners. We are the ones who love to spin story webs. We're creative writers, and we are an SGA approved club who would love to have you join us!" Check out  the writer's guild facebook page to learn more.

The University of Vermont's Independent Voice Since 1883 is still making waves in the journalistic field after all these years. Learn more about how you can join the newspaper on their the Cynic website or the Cynic on Facebook . Check out The Vermont Cynic Vermont Cynic e-Edition to stay up to date with breaking news!

Minor in Reporting and Documentary Storytelling

In the Center for Research on Vermont's  newest minor in  Reporting & Documentary Storytelling , students study the practice and theory of telling socially and culturally engaged stories in print journalism and nonfiction writing, video, image, audio, and mixed media formats.

Students who pursue an internship during their college education get real world experience ahead of schedule. If you are a junior or senior, consider an internship to pursue your passion in writing. More information can be found on the Internships in English page or on The College of Arts Sciences Internship Courses.

Need more information?

Contact the English department at [email protected].

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

15 Best Creative Writing MFA Programs in 2024

May 15, 2024

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

What are the best Creative Writing MFA programs?

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

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

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

Why should I get an MFA in Creative Writing?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Types of Creative Writing MFA Programs

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

Fully-Funded Full-Time Programs

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

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

Full-Time MFA Programs

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

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

Low-Residency MFA Programs

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

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

Online MFA Programs

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

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

The Top 15 Creative Writing MFA Programs Ranked by Category

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

FULLY FUNDED MFA PROGRAMS

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

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

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

2) University of Texas, James Michener Center

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

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

3) University of Iowa

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

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

Best MFA Creative Writing Programs (Continued) 

4) university of michigan.

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

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

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

5) Brown University

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

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

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

6) University of Arizona

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

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

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

7) Arizona State University 

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

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

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

FULL-RESIDENCY MFAS (UNFUNDED)

8) new york university.

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

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

9) Columbia University

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

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

10) Sarah Lawrence 

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

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

LOW RESIDENCY

11) bennington college.

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

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

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

12)  Institute for American Indian Arts

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

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

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

13) Vermont College of Fine Arts

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

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

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

ONLINE MFAS

14) university of texas at el paso.

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

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

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

15) Bay Path University

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

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

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

Best MFA Creative Writing Programs — Final Thoughts

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

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

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

Inspired to start writing? Get your pencil ready:

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

Best MFA Creative Writing Programs – References:

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

Julia Conrad

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

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Ellen Bryant Voigt speaking at the MFA Program’s 40th Anniversary Gala

The mfa program for writers.

In 1976, Ellen Bryant Voigt, renowned poet and master teacher, founded the nation’s first low-residency creative writing program. In 1981, the program relocated from Vermont’s Goddard College to one of the most beautiful campuses in the country, Warren Wilson College.  Today, forty-five years after its inception, the prestigious MFA Program for Writers at Warren Wilson College remains one of the top writing programs in the nation.  Students of the program range in age from their early twenties to mid-sixties, in profession from teacher and journalist, doctor and bartender, to lawyer and lumberjack, and join us from all over North America, Europe, and Asia.  Our faculty have won virtually every major honor in the country, including MacArthur and Guggenheim Fellowships, Pulitzer Prizes, and the National Book Award.  Several have served as state poets laureate, and two have been named national poets laureate.  Our alumni have published hundreds of books, and their work has been featured in The New Yorker  and on the front page of  The New York Times   Book Review .

About the Program

An alternative to the wholly residential workshop, the program is structured to meet students’ needs, to help them recognize specific strengths and address specific weaknesses in their work, and to encourage them to see themselves as active participants in the creation and study of literature.

Every six months, students from across the globe gather here on campus to form a cohesive, non-competitive community that offers camaraderie, direction, and inspiration. The four-semester course of study toward the Master of Fine Arts degree is carried out by alternating on-campus residency sessions with semesters of independent study under close faculty supervision.  The residencies, attended by all faculty and students, are ten days long and take place two times a year, once in early January, and once in early July.

Readings, lectures, classes, workshops, meetings, informal exchange, and conferences all aide in fostering a strong sense of community among peers.  In the classes and team-taught workshops, students will find an environment that is non-competitive, while our low student-faculty ratio (never more than 5:1) ensures that each student will receive personalized attention that will help provide direction for the semester.

Following the residency, correspondence between the student and  the faculty supervisor occur at regular, contracted intervals. This individualized course of study and thorough engagement with faculty, occurring within the context of one’s ongoing adult life, make the Program useful to writers at all stages of their development.

The Master of Fine Arts degree at Warren Wilson represents the study of literature from within the writer’s perspective.  It is not, however, a technical or narrow degree.  The reading and analytical components of each Semester Project, and the variety of classes and workshops offered during the residency periods, provide opportunities for unusually well-integrated, humanities-based curricula–without sacrifice of direct manuscript, work, and criticism.

The Program’s commitment to active teaching and active learning is unshakeable.  While the balanced study of literature and the craft of writing does make its graduates attractive candidates for teaching positions, no one should apply to the program if he/she seeks the degree mainly for employment purposes.  Likewise, while our graduates publish their work widely, no one should apply seeking only an editor for projects in progress.  Our goal is not to supply credentials or technical support but to assist students with their education and their development as writers.

Degree Requirements

The student’s record must indicate the following:.

• Full participation in five residency sessions
• Successful completion of four semester projects, with a minimum accumulation of 60 graduate hours
• Work with at least four different faculty supervisors
• Broad reading in literature and contemporary letters, as demonstrated by a comprehensive bibliography of usually at least 50-60 entries
• The ability to write clear prose, and to articulate cogent response to work by other writers, as demonstrated every semester in brief bibliographical annotations or their approved equivalent
• A substantial analytical essay (30-50 pp.) of intelligence and insight
• A Thesis Manuscript of poetry (30-50 pp.) or fiction (70-100 pp.) of high quality
• An objective assessment of that manuscript by faculty and peers in a one-hour Thesis Interview
• A one-hour graduate class taught to peers during a residency period
• A public reading of his/her work during residency

The MFA Program for Writers at Warren Wilson College

701 Warren Wilson Rd. Swannanoa, NC 28778 [email protected]     (828) 771-3715

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Vermont College of Fine Arts

Vermont, united states.

The Master of Fine Arts in Writing is a low-residency, two-year program, offering concentrations in poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction and translation. Intensive 10-day residency periods are followed by six-month non-resident study projects. Immersed in a stimulating environment, students develop working relationships with more experienced poets, fiction, and creative nonfiction writers. The emphasis throughout all aspects of the program is on student writing and the study of contemporary letters. Post-Graduate Semester and One-Year Intensive Post-Graduate Studies options offer graduates of writing programs an opportunity to broaden their studies in specific areas of interest.

Residencies take place in December/January and June/July on the Vermont College of Fine Arts campus. During the residency, each student participates in small, faculty-guided workshops in which student work is carefully examined. Daily seminars, lectures, and discussions as well as readings by faculty and visiting writers from all over the country afford students ongoing formal and informal exchange. Also during the residency, students, in concert with faculty, design a semester-long course of study. As a summation of the work of residencies and semester projects, graduating students, under the guidance of faculty, give lectures and public readings of their work during the final residency. The low student/faculty ratio (5 to 1) ensures close attention to the developing skills and talents of each writer.

The non-resident six-month semester project focuses on the student's own writing. Reading and critical study components appropriate to individual backgrounds, interests, and needs expand writing skills and critical judgment. Each faculty member supervises five students through correspondence during the semester. Students submit packets of work-in-progress, revisions, and brief essays five times throughout the semester. A dialogue concerning issues of craft, criticism, and aesthetics becomes the working medium for study and growth. Students and faculty submit written evaluations of the work, which become a part of the student's record and narrative transcript. At the beginning of the next semester, the student returns to campus to attend residency lectures and readings, and to plan for the next semester. Through the four semester projects, students take an active role in shaping their own curricula, while participating in a sustained dialogue with experienced writers of national reputation.

Criteria for the granting of the degree include general creative writing ability, understanding of literature, familiarity with contemporary letters, and experience in applied criticism. The student's record must include evidence of the following: full participation in five residencies; successful completion of four semester projects; presentation of a lecture during the final residency; an original book-length manuscript of high quality; a substantial critical thesis; work with at least two faculty members during the student's tenure in the Program; and broad reading in literature and contemporary letters.

The Program is dedicated to alternative, hands-on education. The study of writing should resemble the work patterns of professional writers, since fruitful learning occurs both on and off campus. Residencies and faculty-guided semester projects encourage student writers to develop independent work habits and are designed to serve writers who have jobs, families, and other responsibilities, as well as conventional students. Students also have the option of attending residencies in Slovenia and Puerto Rico.

Contact Information

36 College Street MFA in Writing Montpelier Vermont, United States 05602 Phone: 802-828-8839 Email: [email protected] http://vcfa.edu/writing

Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing +

Graduate program director.

The Master of Fine Arts in Writing is a low-residency, two-year program, offering concentrations in poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and writing for children. Intensive 10-day residency periods are followed by six-month non-resident study projects. Immersed in a stimulating environment, students develop working relationships with more experienced poets, fiction, creative nonfiction writers, and writers of children's literature. The emphasis throughout all aspects of the program is on student writing and the study of contemporary letters. Post-Graduate Semester and One-Year Intensive Post-Graduate Studies options offer graduates of writing programs an opportunity to broaden their studies in specific areas of interest.

Residencies take place in January and June/July on the Vermont College of Fine Arts campus. During the residency, each student participates in small, faculty-guided workshops in which student work is carefully examined. Daily seminars, lectures, and discussions as well as readings by faculty and visiting writers from all over the country afford students ongoing formal and informal exchange. Also during the residency, students, in concert with faculty, design a semester-long study project. As a summation of the work of residencies and semester projects, graduating students, under the guidance of faculty, give lectures and public readings of their work during the final residency. The low student/faculty ratio (5 to 1) ensures close attention to the developing skills and talents of each writer.

The non-resident six-month semester project focuses on the student's own writing. Reading and critical study components appropriate to individual backgrounds, interests, and needs expand writing skills and critical judgment. Each faculty member supervises five students through correspondence during the semester. Students submit packets of work-in-progress, revisions, and brief essays. A dialogue concerning issues of craft, criticism, and aesthetics becomes the working medium for study and growth. Students and faculty submit written evaluations of the work, which become a part of the student's record and narrative transcript. At the beginning of the next semester, the student returns to the campus to attend residency lectures and readings, and to design a new project. Through the four semester projects, students take an active role in shaping their own curricula, while participating in a sustained dialogue with experienced writers of national reputation.

The Program is dedicated to alternative, hands-on education. The study of writing should resemble the work patterns of professional writers, since fruitful learning occurs both on and off campus. Residencies and faculty-guided semester projects encourage student writers to develop independent work habits and are designed to serve writers who have jobs, families, and other responsibilities, as well as conventional students.

Richard Jackson

Dispatches: Prose Poems, The Heart as Framed: New and Select Poems, Those Shadowy Reflections: Prose Poems, Where the Wind Comes From, Broken Horizons, A Bridge of Voices: Poems & Interviews with Slovene Poets (ebook)

The Heart’s Many Doors: American Poets Respond to Metka Krasovec’s images responding to Emily Dickinson, Traversings (poems), Out of Place, Retrievals, Resonance, Last Voyage: Selected Poems of Giovanni Pascoli (translation), Potovanje Sonca (Journey of the Sun) by Alexsander Persolja, Half Lives: Petrarchan Poems, Unauthorized Autobiography: New and Selected Poems, Svetovi narazen, Heartwall, Heart’s Bridge, Alive all day

http://www.vcfa.edu/writing/faculty/richard-jackson

Clint McCown

Mr. Potato Head vs. Freud: Lessons on the Craft of Writing Fiction, Music for Hard Times: New & Selected Stories, The Dictionary of Unspellable Noises: New & Selected Poems 1975-2018, Total Balance Farm (poems), The Weatherman (novel), Haints (novel), Dead Languages (poems), The Weatherman (novel), War Memorials (novel)

The Member-Guest (novel-in-stories), Wind Over Water (poems),

Sidetracks (poems)

http://www.vcfa.edu/writing/faculty/clint-mccown

Betsy Sholl

House of Sparrows, Otherwise Unseeable, Rough Cradle,

Late Psalm, Don’t Explain, The Red Line, Pick a Card, Rooms Overhead, Appalachian Winter, Changing Faces

http://www.vcfa.edu/writing/faculty/betsy-sholl

Sue William Silverman

Crayon Colors for Serial Killers, How to Survive Death and Other Inconveniences, If the Girl Never Learns (poetry), The Pat Boone Fan Club: My Life as a White Anglo-Saxon Jew,

Fearless Confessions: A Writer’s Guide to Memoir, Hieroglyphics in Neon (poetry), Love Sick: One Woman’s Journey through Sexual Addiction, Because I Remember Terror, Father, I Remember You

http://www.vcfa.edu/writing/faculty/sue-william-silverman

Leslie Ullman

The You That All Along Has Housed You: A Sequence, Library of Small Happiness (craft), Progress on the Subject of Immensity, Slow Work through Sand, Dreams by No One’s Daughter, Natural Histories

http://www.vcfa.edu/writing/faculty/leslie-ullman

Nance Van Winckel

The Many Beds of Martha Washington (poems), Our Foreigner (poems), Ever Yrs (novel/scrapbook), Boneland: Linked Stories, Pacific Walkers (poems), No Starling (poems), Beside Ourselves (poems), Curtain Creek Farm (stories), A Measure of Heaven, After a Spell (poems), Quake (stories), Limited Lifetime Warranty (stories), The Dirt (poems), Bad girl, with Hawk (poems)

http://www.vcfa.edu/writing/faculty/nance-van-winckel

David Wojahn

For the Scribe, World Tree, Interrogation Palace, Spirit Cabinet, Strange Good Fortune: Essays on Contemporary Poetry, The Falling Hour, Late Empire, Mystery Train

Glassworks, Icehouse Lights

http://www.vcfa.edu/writing/faculty/david-wojahn

Connie May Fowler

A Million Fragile Bones (memoir), How Clarissa Burden Learned to Fly, The Problem with Murmur Lee, When Katie Wakes (memoir), Remembering Blue, Before Women Had Wings, River of Hidden Dreams, Sugar Cage

http://www.vcfa.edu/writing/faculty/connie-may-fowler

Ellen Lesser

The Blue Streak (novel), The Shoplifter’s Apprentice (stories), The Other Woman (novel)

http://www.vcfa.edu/writing/faculty/ellen-lesser

Patrick Madden

Disparates (essays), Sublime Physick (essays), After Montaigne: Contemporary Essayists Cover the Essays, Selected Poems of Eduardo Milan, Quotidiana (essays)

http://www.vcfa.edu/writing/faculty/patrick-madden

Natasha Sajé

The Future Will Call You Something Else, Special Delivery (poems), Terroir: Love, Out of Place (prose), Windows and Doors: A Poet Reads Literary Theory (prose), Vivarium (poems), Bend (poems), Red Under the Skin (poems)

http://www.vcfa.edu/writing/faculty/natasha-saj%C3%A9

Geoff Bouvier

Glass Harmonica, Living Room

https://vcfa.edu/faculty-staff/geoff-bouvier/

Tarfia Faizullah

Registers of Illuminated Villages, Seam

https://vcfa.edu/faculty-staff/tarfia-faizullah/

Melissa Faliveno

https://vcfa.edu/faculty-staff/melissa-faliveno/

Harrison Candelaria Fletcher

Finding Querencia: Essays From In Between, Presentimiento: A Life in Dreams, Descanso for My Father: Fragments of a Life

https://vcfa.edu/faculty-staff/harrison-candelaria-fletcher/

Fernando A. Flores

Valleyesque: Stories, Tears of the Trufflepig, Death to the Bullshit Artists of South Texas

https://vcfa.edu/faculty-staff/fernando-a-flores/

Miciah Bay Gault

Goodnight Stranger

https://vcfa.edu/faculty-staff/miciah-bay-gault/

Barbara Hurd

The Epilogues: Afterwords on the Planet, Tidal Rhythms: Change and Resilience at the Edge of the Sea, Listening to the Savage: On River Notes and Half-Heard Melodies, Stepping into the Same River Twice, Walking the Wrack Line: On Tidal Shifts and What Remains, Entering the Stone: On Caves and Feeling Through the Dark, The Singer’s Temple (poems), Stirring the Mud: On Swamps, Bogs, and Human Imagination, Objects In This Mirror

https://vcfa.edu/faculty-staff/barbara-hurd/

T. Geronimo Johnson

Welcome to Braggsville (novel), Hold It ‘Til It Hurts (novel)

https://vcfa.edu/faculty-staff/t-geronimo-johnson/

Negesti Kaudo

RIPE: Essays

https://vcfa.edu/faculty-staff/negesti-kaudo/

Samuel Kolawole

The Road to Salt Sea (forthcoming 2022)

https://vcfa.edu/faculty-staff/samuel-kolawole/

Brian Leung

All I Should Not Tell (novel), Ivy vs. Dogg: With a Cast of Thousands!, Take Me Home (novel), Lost Men(novel), World Famous Love Acts, Not Another Feel-Good Singles Book (nonfiction humor)

https://vcfa.edu/faculty-staff/brian-leung/

Letters and Life: On Being a Writer, On Being a Christian (essays), Dead Low Tide (novel), Ancient Highway (novel), The Difference Between Women and Men (stories), Before We Get Started: A Practical Memoir of the Writer’s Life (memoir), A Song I Knew by Heart (novel), A Year in Place (stories), The Hunt Club (novel), Fathers, Sons, and Brothers (essays), How to Get Home (stories), Reed’s Beach (novel), Jewel (novel), A Dream of Old Leaves (stories), A Stranger’s House (novel), The Man Who Owned Vermont (novel)

https://vcfa.edu/faculty-staff/bret-lott/

Robin MacArthur

Heart Spring Mountain (novel), Half Wild: Stories

https://vcfa.edu/faculty-staff/robin-macarthur/

Adam McOmber

Fantasy Kit (novel), The Ghost Finders (novel), Jesus and John (novel), My House Gathers Desires: Stories. The White Forest: A Novel, This New & Poisonous Air: Stories

https://vcfa.edu/faculty-staff/adam-mcomber/

Philip Metres

Shrapnel Maps (poems), The Sound of Listening (essays), Pictures at an Exhibition: A Petersburg Album (poems), Sand Opera (poems), I Burned at the Feast: Selected Poems of Arseny Tarkovsky (Cotranslator with Dimitri Psurtsev), Compleat Catalogue of Comedic Novelties: Poetic Texts of Lev Rubinstein (Cotranslator with Tatiana Tulchinsky), A Concordance of Leaves (poems), abu ghraib arias (poems), Ode to Oil (poems)

https://vcfa.edu/faculty-staff/philip-metres/

Wanjiku wa Ngugi

Seasons in Hippoland (novel), The Fall of Saints (novel)

https://vcfa.edu/faculty-staff/wanjiku-wa-ngugi/

Elena Passarello

Animals Strike Curious Poses (novel), Let Me Clear My Throat (essays)

https://vcfa.edu/faculty-staff/elena-passarello/

Dominant Genes (novel), Blue-Skinned Gods (novel), Marriage of a Thousand Lies (novel), I Once Met You But You Were Dead (novel)

https://vcfa.edu/faculty-staff/sj-sindu/

Hasanthika Sirisena

Confessions of a Dark Tourist (essays), Every Day People, The Color of Life (short story anthology), The Other One (stories)

https://vcfa.edu/faculty-staff/hasanthika-sirisena/

Publications & Presses +

Hunger Mountain

Visiting Writers Program +

Paige Ackerson-Kiely, Kaveh Akbar, Alison Bechdel, Emily Bernard, Dominic Bucca, Mary Cappello, Joy Castro, Alexander Chee, Chen Chen, Mojie Crigler, Kyle Dargan, Tere Davila, Jaquear Diaz, Danielle Evans, Tarfia Faizullah, Dewaine Farria, Fernando A. Flores, Vievee Francis, Diana Goetsch, James Hannaham, Terrance Hayes, Yuri Herrera, Garrett Hongo, Major Jackson, Laurie Jean, Tyehimba Jess, T. Geronimo Johnson, J. Kates, Sydney Lea, Victor LaValle, Jeffrey Thomas Leong, Ada Limon, Carmen Maria Machado, Terese Marie Mailhot, Lauren Markham, Alex Marzano-Lesnevich, Khaled Mattawa, Jamaal May, Richard Michelson, Maggie Nelson, Aimee Nezhukumatathi, Jenny Offill, Tommy Orange, Wendy C. Ortiz, Jericho Parms, Dolen Perkins-Valdez, Emily Raboteau, Mary Ruefle, Liara Tamani, Liza Nash Taylor, Clifford Thompson, Kristin Valdez Quade, Laura van den Berg, Jerald Walker, Amy Wallen, Wendy S. Walters, Sunil Yapa, Paul Yoon

Reading Series +

VCFA MFA in Writing Readings ( http://vcfa.edu/programs-faculty/writing/visiting-faculty )

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MFA in Writing

Read. Write. Be Read.

One of the top low-residency programs in the country, the Bennington Writing Seminars is a  two-year, rigorous exploration of craft. You commit as much to reading as to writing and critical literary analysis. You create bold new works of fiction, nonfiction, or poetry, and may work in a dual-genre . You finish with a polished thesis and a critical paper. All this with the expert 1:1 guidance of acclaimed authors who develop a stake in your work. Our alumni, faculty, students, and staff publish work at the highest levels. Applications accepted March 1 and September 1.

What our Alumni Say

“There’s such an unparalleled and unwavering sense of support.”

Models & Mentors

Our faculty-student ratio of 1:1 provides true mentorship. You work closely with a faculty member who is an accomplished writer and a distinguished teacher.

Develop Your Skills

You may focus on one or more genres at Bennington. While most choose to specialize in fiction , nonfiction , or poetry , others work across two genres through our Dual-Genre Degree .

You may apply to begin during either of the 10-day residency sessions in 2025: Winter term (residency: January 9-19, 2025) or Summer term  (residency dates to come). Application deadlines are September 1  to begin in January and March 1 to begin in June.

Inclusive Community

We are committed to increasing access to our program for students from diverse backgrounds and to building community through sustained dialogue and practice. We offer  scholarships, and fund the emerging voices we want to support and read .

Bennington offer a self-directed pace that allows you to develop a sustainable, lifelong writing practice. We know how important it is for MFA students to gain teaching experience so we've developed the Residential Teaching Fellows program—a first-of-its-kind teaching opportunity among low residency MFA programs , among others.

Scholarships, Fellowships, Loans

We offer a range of scholarships  and  federal financial aid loans . All applicants are considered for merit scholarships.  Please contact us with any questions .

What Our Faculty Members Say

Nonfiction faculty member and MFA alum Hugh Ryan explains how the low-residency format worked for him.

@BennMFA_Writing

Goddard College

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More information about Creative Writing

Goddard College offers the nation’s first low-residency MFA in Creative Writing and first and only low-residency BFA 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 conventional Master of Fine Arts 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.

The Bachelor of Fine Arts community values experimentation and encourages students to write in ways that might be new for them. BFA students design a program wherein they write in two genres (poetry, creative non-fiction, fiction, drama, hybrid forms), study works across eras and cultures, become acquainted with literary theory, write on the ethics of being a writer, and compile a senior study which contains a creative manuscript and critical writing that puts their work in context.

In our low-residency model, each semester you work one-on-one with a professional writer who is an expert in the genre you are most passionate about. Whether you are new to writing or have spent decades developing your creative voice, we are prepared to support your work.

Creative Writing Degree Options

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

• Hybrid Forms
• Creative Nonfiction and Memoir

Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

• Playwriting
• Screenwriting
• Libretto Writing
• Television Writing
• Graphic Novel Scriptwriting
• Cross-Genre and Hybrid Forms

Individualized Master of Arts

• Writing as Transformative Practice
• Writing for Social Change
• Writing with Communities
• Writing as Spiritual Practice

Low-Residency Model

The low-residency model removes the barriers between living your life and learning. Each semester begins with an eight-day residency. Students can participate virtually from home or onsite in Vermont. Residencies offer seminars, meetings with your advising groups, workshops, one-on-one meetings with an advisor, and presentations. You will also connect with faculty, practitioners, activists, and artists, and your fellow students.

Following the residency, students return home for 16 weeks of independent work in close collaboration with a faculty advisor.

Request more information from an Admissions Counselor.

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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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Home » Academic Programs » Creative Writing, B.F.A.

Creative Writing, B.F.A.

Indulge your passion for words while building strategic skills for your future in the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program at Vermont State University. Work closely with professors who share your love of the literary craft as you develop your voice through poetry and a variety of prose forms. You’ll also sharpen your analytical skills as you dive into literary theory and analysis.

At the same time, build practical experience in publishing, editing, website design, and digital marketing through coursework, internships, and working with fellow students to produce the nationally-recognized Green Mountains Review. You’ll graduate brimming with inspiration and equipped with job-ready skills for careers in education, writing, publishing, editing, marketing, and anywhere else careful thought and well-crafted words are needed.

Reach out with Questions

Dylan Thorburn

Admissions Counselor

802.626.6648

Andy Alexander

Affordability and costs, financial aid and scholarships.

We understand that the cost and value of your education is important to you. That’s why we’re committed to being one of the most affordable colleges in Vermont and why more than 80% of our students receive aid. We're here to help you fit this program into your unique financial picture. Contact this program's Admissions Counselor any time to discuss what types of financial aid are right for you.

Tuition, Fees, and Program Costs

Combined with scholarships and aid, a Vermont State education is within reach for students from all financial backgrounds. Speak with our Admissions Counselor to estimate what your true out-of-pocket costs might be for this program.

For complete information on tuition and fees across all programs and locations, as well as indirect costs of attendance, visit the complete tuition and fees page .

Why Study Creative Writing at Vermont State?

Program highlights.

• Real-World Publishing Experience:  Graduate with a strong writing portfolio and solid publishing experience. Through internships with our nationally recognized Green Mountains Review literary journal and work on our undergraduate student literary journal, Pamplemousse, you’ll gain experience and skills in every area of publishing and production, from editing to layout to marketing. 
• Thriving Literary Community:  Find inspiration and friendship in a community of fellow writers. Take part in open mic nights, chapbook publishing, readings and lectures by visiting writers, and serious study and discussion of our discipline. The internationally known Vermont Studio Center, just minutes from the Johnson Campus, presents a regular reading series for the many resident and visiting writers hosted at the center each year. 
• Pathway to Teaching:  You can combine your Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing with our Secondary Education program and be eligible to pursue endorsement for secondary education teacher licensure.  
• Award-Winning Faculty:  Get expert instruction and career guidance from faculty who have earned recognition for both their teaching and writing. Your instructors bring a wealth of experience, from publishing books and essays, to working as a journalist, to managing and editing publications.  
• In-Demand Skills:  Maybe a best-selling book is in your future? In the meantime, don’t worry about earning a paycheck. You’ll graduate with well-developed skills in communication, research, marketing, teamwork, and analysis — five of the most in-demand soft skills among employers, according to recent research from LinkedIn. There is no shortage of jobs you can get with a creative writing degree. 

Academic Experience

What You’ll Learn  

During the Creative Writing B.F.A. program at Vermont State, you’ll develop in three distinct areas that combine to give you a great foundation for many career directions. 

• As a creative writer: You’ll practice the craft in a number of genres with the support and mentorship of experienced faculty who will help you hone your style. By the time you graduate, you will have created a nearly book-length manuscript in your genre of choice. 
• As a reader: You’ll grow in your ability to analyze, interpret, savor, and explain literature. Your study of theory and close reading of texts will broaden and sharpen your thinking in any context. 
• As a professional: You’ll gain experience with the basic elements of production and publishing, including using the modern tools of digital media. You will understand how to make a living as a writer or editor in areas like journalism, marketing, and publishing. 

Outside the Classroom, In the Community  

As a student in the program, you’ll get to share your writing and engage in the production and publishing process through: 

• The Green Mountains Review: This award-winning literary magazine publishes poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, literary essays, interviews, and book reviews by both well-known writers and promising newcomers. In one of your required courses, you’ll work with fellow students over the course of a semester to produce an issue of the journal. This means that, before you even graduate, you will have your name on the masthead of a journal cited as one of the top literary magazines in New England. 
• Pamplemousse : Choose to work on our undergraduate student literary journal and learn to do everything from writing and editing work for publication to soliciting submissions and meeting publication deadlines. Pamplemousse publishes high-quality, forward-thinking, innovative, and well-crafted writing in many genres and styles. 

Internships: Gain industry experience, forge career connections, and enhance your skills for the job market during a summer internship placement.

Special Facilities

• The perfect setting: ​ Fuel your inspiration and find creative solitude in the picturesque mountains, forests, and valleys of Vermont.  
• Digital labs: Take your creativity into the 21st century. Get access to computer labs where you’ll find iMacs equipped with Adobe Creative Suite and other digital media tools. 

Sample Courses

• Gateway to Literature 
• History and Art of Publishing 
• Creative Writing 
• Form & Theory 

Related Programs

• Animation & Illustration, B.F.A.
• Communications, B.A.
• Literature & Writing, B.A.
• Theater Arts, B.A.

Student Stories

John and Olivia McDonough met in the creative writing program. They both went on to earn their M.F.A. degrees in writing and married each other. Their wedding was officiated by one of their professors.

“I was blown away by the number of world-class writers I was exposed to and worked with in the classroom. That stands out as one of the most valuable things for me as I move forward in life as a writer,” John said. “Meeting high-caliber writers…clarified and distilled the work of being a writer. I gained a good understanding of how to cultivate creativity in everyday life,” Olivia said. John and Olivia McDonough

Meet Our Faculty

Castleton Campus

Jensen Beach

Associate professor.

Johnson Campus

Jeff Higgins

Randolph Campus

Andrea Luna

Lyndon Campus

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Virginia Tech

MFA in Creative Writing

Why Virginia Tech?

July 1, 2020 By VTCWMFA

Our 3-year MFA program is consistently ranked among the top MFA programs in the country. We offer tracks in poetry and fiction, encourage cross-genre writing, and fully fund all students with stipends of $20,000+.

VIRGINIA TECH VISITING WRITERS SERIES 2023-2024

August 31, 2023 By Matthew Vollmer

2022-2023 Faculty and Alumni Publications

July 24, 2023 By Florence Gonsalves

Welcome, Class of 2026!

June 9, 2023 By Florence Gonsalves

August 31, 2023 Matthew Vollmer

July 24, 2023 Florence Gonsalves

Faculty Books: Alumni Books: Community Events & Readings:

June 9, 2023 Florence Gonsalves

Jesus Govea Jesus Govea is a writer from Chicago, Illinois. He received his B.A in Creative Writing from Columbia College Chicago. He has been published in Poetry, Respect the Mic: […]

Congratulations to the Class of 2023!

Visiting Writers Series 2022-2023

September 2, 2022 Shannon Sullivan

Craft talk and Reading with Lillian-Yvonne Bertram

October 19, 2021 VTCWMFA

FREEDOM REVOLUTIONS: Reading with Lucinda Roy and Bessie Flores Zaldivar

October 13, 2021 VTCWMFA

Virginia Tech Visiting Writers Series 2021-22

September 30, 2021 VTCWMFA

Congrats Alum! Shaina Phenix: WICW Fellow 2021-2022.

July 31, 2021 VTCWMFA

Khadijah Queen Wins 2021 William Carlos Williams Award

June 21, 2021 VTCWMFA

Click here to read one of the winning poems

MFA Bookshelf

8 Lessons From Nikki Giovanni

click here to read it now

Read this week's magazine

What You Won’t Learn in an MFA

An mfa can teach you skills, but will it prepare you for a writing career.

By 2018, I had written five books and decided to pursue an MFA in creative writing with a concentration in fiction. For me, earning an MFA gave me the time and space I needed to quit my day job and transition to writing full-time, but that was something I had been building toward for over a decade. Of course, I can’t speak to all MFA programs, but in many cases, they focus almost exclusively on writing skills and don’t give writers the concrete skills they need to make money writing and publishing. I often found myself answering questions for my classmates about what publishing was really like. It simply wasn’t being taught, sometimes because faculty themselves were struggling with how to navigate writing as a business.

An MFA program may be the right choice to help you become a better writer, or because you want the qualification to teach writing at a college; it may not give you insights into navigating the publishing landscape.

Here are some of the professional development skills you may need to gain outside of the classroom on your writing journey.

Getting published

Many MFA programs don’t talk to authors about the good, the bad, and the ugly in both traditional publishing and self-publishing. There is often an assumption that if you’re in an MFA program, you’ll be seeking a traditional publishing deal. But most programs also don’t teach writers the skills to query small presses or agents who can query large presses. Even as self-publishing has become an increasingly popular publishing choice, many MFA programs aren’t giving students a clear picture of what it involves.

Contracting

My MFA program was great, but never once during my studies did I hear anyone talk about how to read, negotiate, or understand a contract. As an indie author, you’ll have fewer contracts to interact with than authors who choose to traditionally publish their work, but contracts will still come up—contracts with designers who are working on your books, contracts with podcasts or magazines publishing excerpts of your work. In my MFA program, students who were publishing were left to talk with each other to try to understand how contracts work. Most writers aren’t legal experts, and we benefit from having either a private attorney or an attorney through an organization such as the Author’s Guild review our contracts. I would love to see MFA programs better prepare writers to navigate these business interactions, to negotiate writing rates, and to understand what rights we may be signing away with a particular contract.

Writing to market

The culture of MFA programs often shames or diminishes the idea of writing to market, and instead prioritizes creating literary art for the sake of art. This is a completely valid way to approach your writing life. However, if your goal is to publish your work and sell books, understanding the market and how to write books that appeal to readers is important. There’s nothing wrong with writing books with mass-market appeal, but, depending on the program you attend, you may not hear that in classes. Especially for writers considering the self-publishing route, learning how to understand current trends and how to write books that connect to them is invaluable.

Writing is your passion, and seeing your name in print might be your dream, but when it happens, your writing also becomes a business. Understanding how to manage a writing business is something that most new writers won’t have a lot of experience with. For example, when you get paid from book sales, speaking arrangements, or most anything to do with your books, taxes aren’t going to be withheld. Instead, you’ll need to put money aside to pay your taxes. MFA programs generally don’t cover these details or highlight the importance of hiring an accountant or tax professional to help you with setting up your writing business. You may need to form an LLC for your self-publishing business, open a business bank account, and file taxes appropriately for your writing work. As a self-published author, you also may need to keep records tracking orders and inventory.

Most authors are not able to make a living from books alone. Many writers are balancing a variety of different content creation and income streams. This may include teaching at a college or university (for which a terminal degree such as an MFA is required), freelance writing, and independent teaching, to name a few possibilities. The more writing programs can give MFA students the tools they need to understand the business side of their work, the more successful they will be.

Sassafras Lowrey writes fiction and nonfiction and was the recipient of the 2013 Lambda Literary Award for emerging LGBTQ writers.

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Creative Writing (M.F.A.)

Campus:   Virginia Tech Blacksburg Campus,  Instructions: Residential/On Campus

Program Overview

Our three-year M.F.A. degree offers tracks in Poetry and Fiction, and all students are fully and equally funded via GTA-ships of more than $20,000 per year. We encourage cross-genre experimentation, offer additional courses in creative nonfiction, playwriting, new media creative writing, and literary editing, and all students have the opportunity to teach creative writing and composition, as well as serve as editors of our literary journal,  The New River Journal .

Why choose this program?

Our three-year M.F.A. degree offers tracks in Poetry and Fiction, and all students are fully and equally funded via GTA-ships of more than $20,000 per year. We encourage cross-genre experimentation, offer additional courses in creative nonfiction, playwriting, new media creative writing, and literary editing, and all students have the opportunity to teach creative writing and composition, as well as serve as editors of our literary journal, The New River Journal .

In the years since the program started, we’ve been consistently ranked among the top 30 programs in the country by Poets & Writers in their  M.F.A. rankings .

The faculty members in our creative writing program at Virginia Tech are accomplished, prize-winning, innovative, and diverse: Ed Falco ,  Evan Lavender-Smith ,  Khadijah Queen ,  Lucinda Roy , Sophia Terazawa , and Matthew Vollmer .

Our program is small—we admit 4–5 students a year in each genre—and we pride ourselves on the diversity and rigor of our program, our respect for our students’ voices, our financial support for our students, the individual attention students receive from faculty, and our robust  Visiting Writers Series . 

Our  students  and  alumni  are exceptional; they have  published books , received prestigious awards and fellowships for their writing, and gone on to further success as writers, teachers, and professionals.

All students have the opportunity to to hold editorial positions and gain publishing experience working on the digital journal, The New River Journal .

Emily Morrison Prizes in Fiction and Poetry, and other M.F.A. writing awards offered each year.

What You'll Study

The M.F.A. in Creative Writing is designed to be completed in three years. Students may specialize in Fiction or Poetry. A minimum of 49 hours is required for this terminal degree. A series of creative writing workshops, courses in form and theory, new media writing, composition pedagogy, and literature and theory electives are designed for students wishing to pursue careers as writers or writer/scholars at the college level. Students also have the opportunity to work as editors on The New River: a Journal of Digital Writing and Art . A creative thesis, a written final exam, and an oral defense are required.

The 49 hours required for the degree must be distributed as follows:

• Creative Writing Workshops: 15 hours (6704/Fiction, 6714/Poetry, 6724/Playwriting, 6734/Creative Nonfiction, 6744/New Media Writing); at least 9 hours must be in the designated specialty; students are encouraged to explore other genres in 6 hours of workshops.
• Form and Theory Courses: 6 hours (5734/Form and Theory of Fiction, 5744/Form and Theory of Poetry).
• GTA Training and Composition Pedagogy: 3 hours.
• Creative Writing Pedagogy and Practicum: 3 hours.
• Editing a Literary Journal (5774): 6 hours 
• Research & Thesis (5994): 6 hours; a book-length creative thesis (a collection of poetry; a collection of short stories, or a novel)
• Graduate English courses: 9 hours; students may use an independent study in Editing a Digital Journal to help fulfill this requirement.

Admissions Requirements

• Minimum GPA 3.0 (4 Scale)
• TOEFL/ IELTS score Required  (If Applicable)

Learn more 

Tuition and Fee

Tuition & Fee Rates

Funding Opportunities

The Department of English has a limited number of  graduate assistantships and fellowships  available for students applying for full time study on the Blacksburg Campus. Entering students can apply for such funding as part of their admissions application.  No separate application  required.

• All students equally and fully funded through Graduate Teaching Assistantships.
• GTA-ships include tuition remission, health insurance, and stipends of more than $20,000 per year for all three years of the program

Find out what loans are available as a graduate student and other opportunities.

How to Apply?

Visit the Admission Requirements page for information on how to apply, including requirements, deadlines, and application fee.

Course List

Course List 

Plan of Study

Download Plan of Study

Applications Deadlines

Deadline is Jan. 15, 2024. 

Visit Campus

Visit Campus / Attend an Open House

Contact Program Leader

Matthew Vollmer 431 Shanks Hall  540-231-8322 [email protected]

Contact Program Specialist

Marie Trimmer Graduate Programs Coodinator 310 Shanks Hall 540-231-4659  [email protected]

Meet Our M.F.A. Students

Our Students

Current Students

• Visiting Writers Series
• Meet Our Graduates
• M.F.A. Bookshelf
• Graduate School
• Forms and Documents
• Time Table of Classes
• Add/Drop Online

Matthew Vollmer 431 Shanks Halll 540-231-8322l [email protected]

Faculty In Creative Writing

• --> General Item Ed Falco -->
• --> General Item Khadijah Queen -->
• --> General Item Evan Lavender-Smith -->
• --> General Item Matthew Vollmer -->
• --> General Item Lucinda Roy -->
• --> General Item Sophia Terazawa -->

Literary Awards 

• Creative non-fiction nomination
• Emily Morrison prize for fiction
• Emily Morrison prize for poetry 

Faculty Bookshelf

Related Programs

English (M.A)  

Rhetoric and Writing (Ph.D.)

Creative Writing Program Marks Three Decades of Growth, Diversity

By Luisa A. Igloria

2024: a milestone year which marks the 30 th  anniversary of Old Dominion University’s MFA Creative Writing Program. Its origins can be said to go back to April 1978, when the English Department’s (now Professor Emeritus, retired) Phil Raisor organized the first “Poetry Jam,” in collaboration with Pulitzer prize-winning poet W.D. Snodgrass (then a visiting poet at ODU). Raisor describes this period as “ a heady time .” Not many realize that from 1978 to 1994, ODU was also the home of AWP (the Association of Writers and Writing Programs) until it moved to George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.

The two-day celebration that was “Poetry Jam” has evolved into the annual ODU Literary Festival, a week-long affair at the beginning of October bringing writers of local, national, and international reputation to campus. The ODU Literary Festival is among the longest continuously running literary festivals nationwide. It has featured Rita Dove, Maxine Hong Kingston, Susan Sontag, Edward Albee, John McPhee, Tim O’Brien, Joy Harjo, Dorothy Allison, Billy Collins, Naomi Shihab Nye, Sabina Murray, Jane Hirshfield, Brian Turner, S.A. Cosby, Nicole Sealey, Franny Choi, Ross Gay, Adrian Matejka, Aimee Nezhukumatathil, Ilya Kaminsky, Marcelo Hernandez Castillo, Jose Olivarez, and Ocean Vuong, among a roster of other luminaries. MFA alumni who have gone on to publish books have also regularly been invited to read.

From an initial cohort of 12 students and three creative writing professors, ODU’s MFA Creative Writing Program has grown to anywhere between 25 to 33 talented students per year. Currently they work with a five-member core faculty (Kent Wascom, John McManus, and Jane Alberdeston in fiction; and Luisa A. Igloria and Marianne L. Chan in poetry). Award-winning writers who made up part of original teaching faculty along with Raisor (but are now also either retired or relocated) are legends in their own right—Toi Derricotte, Tony Ardizzone, Janet Peery, Scott Cairns, Sheri Reynolds, Tim Seibles, and Michael Pearson. Other faculty that ODU’s MFA Creative Writing Program was privileged to briefly have in its ranks include Molly McCully Brown and Benjamín Naka-Hasebe Kingsley.

"What we’ve also found to be consistently true is how collegial this program is — with a lively and supportive cohort, and friendships that last beyond time spent here." — Luisa A. Igloria, Louis I. Jaffe Endowed Professor & University Professor of English and Creative Writing at Old Dominion University

Our student body is diverse — from all over the country as well as from closer by. Over the last ten years, we’ve also seen an increase in the number of international students who are drawn to what our program has to offer: an exciting three-year curriculum of workshops, literature, literary publishing, and critical studies; as well as opportunities to teach in the classroom, tutor in the University’s Writing Center, coordinate the student reading series and the Writers in Community outreach program, and produce the student-led literary journal  Barely South Review . The third year gives our students more time to immerse themselves in the completion of a book-ready creative thesis. And our students’ successes have been nothing but amazing. They’ve published with some of the best (many while still in the program), won important prizes, moved into tenured academic positions, and been published in global languages. What we’ve also found to be consistently true is how collegial this program is — with a lively and supportive cohort, and friendships that last beyond time spent here.

Our themed studio workshops are now offered as hybrid/cross genre experiences. My colleagues teach workshops in horror, speculative and experimental fiction, poetry of place, poetry and the archive — these give our students so many more options for honing their skills. And we continue to explore ways to collaborate with other programs and units of the university. One of my cornerstone projects during my term as 20 th  Poet Laureate of the Commonwealth was the creation of a Virginia Poets Database, which is not only supported by the University through the Perry Library’s Digital Commons, but also by the MFA Program in the form of an assistantship for one of our students. With the awareness of ODU’s new integration with Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS) and its impact on other programs, I was inspired to design and pilot a new 700-level seminar on “Writing the Body Fantastic: Exploring Metaphors of Human Corporeality.” In the fall of 2024, I look forward to a themed graduate workshop on “Writing (in) the Anthropocene,” where my students and I will explore the subject of climate precarity and how we can respond in our own work.

Even as the University and wider community go through shifts and change through time, the MFA program has grown with resilience and grace. Once, during the six years (2009-15) that I directed the MFA Program, a State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) university-wide review amended the guidelines for what kind of graduate student would be allowed to teach classes (only those who had  already  earned 18 or more graduate credits). Thus, two of our first-year MFA students at that time had to be given another assignment for their Teaching Assistantships. I thought of  AWP’s hallmarks of an effective MFA program , which lists the provision of editorial and publishing experience to its students through an affiliated magazine or press — and immediately sought department and upper administration support for creating a literary journal. This is what led to the creation of our biannual  Barely South Review  in 2009.

In 2010,  HuffPost  and  Poets & Writers  listed us among “ The Top 25 Underrated Creative Writing MFA Programs ” (better underrated than overrated, right?) — and while our MFA Creative Writing Program might be smaller than others, we do grow good writers here. When I joined the faculty in 1998, I was excited by the high caliber of both faculty and students. Twenty-five years later, I remain just as if not more excited, and look forward to all the that awaits us in our continued growth.

This essay was originally published in the Spring 2024 edition of Barely South Review , ODU’s student-led literary journal. The University’s growing MFA in Creative Writing program connects students with a seven-member creative writing faculty in fiction, poetry, and nonfiction.

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