washington university mfa creative writing

Let your curiosity lead the way:

Apply Today

• Arts & Sciences
• Graduate Studies in A&S

The MFA Program at Washington University in St. Louis is a two-year program focused on MFA degrees in fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. Each year our reading series brings a diverse group of poets, fiction writers, and nonfiction writers to the department. The two-year program is rigorous and challenging but fosters a close-knit community of support that continues long after the degrees have been granted. 

Entry into the program is highly competitive—out of hundreds of applications received, we accept only 14 students (five each in fiction and poetry and four in creative nonfiction).

Some Recent Visiting Hurst Professors Include: Edward P. Jones, Frank Bidart, Jorie Graham, Aleksandar Hemon, Lucie Brock Broido, George Saunders, Claudia Rankine, Deborah Eisenberg, Paul Muldoon, Lydia Davis, Matthea Harvey, Martha Collins, Kelly Link, and Richard Powers

application deadline: December 1, 2024 at 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time

contact: [email protected]

• Department of English

Landing Page

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

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

UW Bothell: Where Writers and Artists Converge

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

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

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

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

Learn more about our program below.

Explore the UW Difference

Designed for.

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

Program Highlights

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

Degree You'll Earn

Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing & Poetics

Program Length

2 years / 6 quarters

When Classes Meet

Evenings; part-time and full-time options available

Autumn 2024 Application Deadline

February 1, 2024

Our Faculty

Anida Yoeu Ali

Senior Artist-in-Residence

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

Amaranth Borsuk

MFA Program Director Associate Professor

Works at the intersection of print and digital media

Naomi Macalalad Bragin

Associate Professor

Dancer, writer and performance ethnographer

Ching-In Chen

Assistant Professor

Hybrid writer, community organizer and performer

Jeanne Heuving

Founding Director

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

Ted Hiebert

Seattle-based interdisciplinary artist and theorist

Joe Milutis

Writer and media artist

Outcomes Worth the Investment

Alumni accomplishments.

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

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

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

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

* Source: O*Net Online

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

TERRELL FOX

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

Brought to you by UW Continuum College

© 2024 University of Washington | Seattle, WA

Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

At a Glance

Degree Type: Master of Fine Arts

Location: Bellingham

Total Credits: 55

Program Links

Department Website

Request More Information

Application Deadline

Program adviser.

Stefania Heim

[email protected]

(360) 650-3227

Program Coordinator

Erica Dean-Crawford

[email protected]

360-650-3232

Program Information

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

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

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

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

The Bellingham Review

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

Application Requirements

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

Additional Application Requirements

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

Testimonials

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

2023-24 Bulletin

Creative writing.

The School of Continuing & Professional Studies offers a 16-unit Certificate in Creative Writing for those who want to explore in depth and achieve significant mastery of the art of writing fiction or creative nonfiction.

Instructors in this program are experienced professional writers, most of whom are associated with the Washington University Graduate Writing Program and the Department of English. All of the craft courses are taught using the workshop model, with open discussion and detailed, constructive criticism of each student's writing.

Contact Info

Certificate in creative writing.

Students may specialize in fiction or creative nonfiction. Each student will take five 3-credit, advanced-level (300 or higher) courses, including three courses devoted to mastering the craft of writing in the chosen specialty genre, one course primarily in the reading and analysis of the literature in that genre, and one course in a second genre.

The student's final course in the program will be taken for 4 credits rather than the usual 3, and it will include a 1-credit meta-commentary assignment. This assignment requires students to step back from the particular course and describe (in 1500 words) what they have learned about the differences between and similarities among the genres investigated and how these have affected their choice of genre. Students should look at the strategies they have chosen in their writing and explain why they chose them for a particular purpose. The goals of this assignment are for students to demonstrate the skills that they have learned during the course of their certificate studies as they think about the genres they have examined and to show how these skills govern their approach to creative writing.

Students with little previous experience in creative writing are encouraged to begin with a 200-level writing course or workshop as a foundation for the more advanced courses that will count toward the certificate.

Sample Courses

Visit online course listings to view semester offerings for U11 EComp .

U11 EComp 310 Genre Writing

This course is a creative writing workshop dedicated to genre fiction. With a primary focus on the contemporary genre story, the course will cover new and classic science fiction, fantasy, crime writing, and much more. Through a series of readings and writing workshops, we will discuss the craft of genre writing from the traditional to the contemporary, including long-standing genre conventions, recent cross-genre trends, and the current role of genre fiction in the literary landscape. This course can count toward the major in English for day students.

Credit 3 units. UColl : OLI

U11 EComp 313 Creative Nonfiction

This is a workshop for students interested in writing creative nonfiction and the personal essay. We examine the narrative techniques that writers use to shape their life experiences and observations. Students experiment with different approaches to writing process and have opportunities to complete work in various modes, such as memoir and the lyrical essay. We will also read published nonfiction essays that illuminate various aspects of style and craft.

U11 EComp 3151 Nonfiction: Reading and Writing the Memoir

This is a workshop for students interested in writing a memoir. We examine the narrative techniques that memoir writers use to craft stories based on life experience. Students gain practice in the form by completing a series of assigned short exercises and by writing two longer pieces that are read and discussed by the class. We also read several published memoirs chosen to illuminate various aspects of style and craft.

Credit 3 units.

U11 EComp 3153 Creative Nonfiction: Writing Ourselves, Writing the World

In this course, we will explore memoirs, essay collections, and individual articles in which the writers have merged their observations and research of the natural world with their own personal experiences or philosophical inquiries. We will consider biologist David George Haskell's The Forest Unseen alongside essay collections by nonfiction writer Amy Leach (Things that Are), fiction writer Michael Martone (The Flatness and Other Landscapes), and poet Mary Oliver (Long Life), as well as excerpts from books by Eula Biss, Bill Holm, Barbara Hurd, Robin Wall Kimmerer, and Lawrence Weschler. From these writers, we will learn how one might offer a view of the self through the lens of environment, place, biography, history, and reflection. Each student will also work on a manuscript of similar variety from idea to finished product.

U11 EComp 316 Poetry Writing

This course is an open-level poetry workshop for writers interested in exploring the craft of poetry. We will discuss uses of imagery, language, and rhythm in the context of creating experience and meaning in poetic form. Students will share original work--often generated from class activities and exercises--for discussion with the class. This course can count toward the major in English for day students.

U11 EComp 317 Fiction Writing: The Moral of the Story: Writing Fiction about Ethics, Philosophy, and Morality

Why do stories matter? How do stories help us grow? How do they challenge us? And how do they help us explore issues and ideas both new and old? This course is a fiction writing workshop with a focus on stories that deal in complex and meaningful ways with the world we live in. We read, write, and discuss stories that complicate the way we think and open new doors for considering what we believe, value, desire, and fear. In addition to reading a diverse group of authors with varying perspectives and styles, including queer writers, Latinx writers, and writers of color, our main goals are to write and share new original fiction writing and to discuss how elements of craft can help reveal the issues and ideas that our stories explore.

U11 EComp 3171 Long-Form Fiction Writing: The Short Novel and the Long Short Story

This course will explore the process of writing longer-form narratives, building on the knowledge of the craft and structure of the short story gained in Fiction Writing. We will introduce and practice strategies for plotting, researching, and developing story ideas into feasible long-term projects, rather than producing a finished full-length manuscript. We will read and analyze short novels and long short stories across multiple genres and styles. The diverse range of texts include novels by Michael Ondaatje, Jenny Offill, James Baldwin, Anne Carson, and Danielle Dutton, as well as short stories by Kelly Link, Leo Tolstoy, Alice Munro, and Franz Kafka. Prerequisite: U11 317 Fiction Writing.

U11 EComp 317K Fiction Writing: Young Adult Fiction

This is a workshop in writing in the wildly popular genre of young adult (YA) fiction. Through readings in a variety of recent YA novels, we will discover how the pros negotiate the particular challenges and joys of writing for this age group. Through a series of coordinated writing exercises, we will practice crafting the building blocks of the solid YA story/novel (e.g., plot, character, setting). Through workshop discussions, students will draft and submit their own YA stories or novel sample chapters for constructive response and critique. Writers of all (or no!) levels of prior practice or accomplishment are invited.

U11 EComp 317M Fiction Writing

Online version of the course U11 317. In this course, students will write, learn how to read like a writer, and write some more. Our focus will be on short fiction, and our approach will be to explore the stages linking inspiration to the final (or nearly final) draft -- in other words, we will explore how to find a story idea and how to grow it. The course will be run as a virtual workshop, which means that students will be actively engaged in meaningful online discussions about their classmates' original works-in-progress, and they will make their own compositions available for such discussions. Students will also be prompted -- via regular weekly reading responses and writing exercises -- to examine common craft-of-fiction elements, from the basic building blocks of stories such as details, characters, and dialogue to more slippery units of narrative design such as scene, summary, point of view, and theme. Along the way, we will also read a range of published short stories, from classics to works by contemporary masters.

U11 EComp 318 Fiction Seminar

This course is designed to introduce students to the craft of horror writing. Horror is a very popular genre in both literature and film, dating back to Gothic literature in England. Readings and writing activities will focus on three units of horror as outlined in The Dark Descent and will span the last 100 years of the genre, consisting of several short stories and two novels, offering students a foundation in the many different stories published in the horror genre. Academic texts and writing exercises will discuss what makes a horror story work and will help to build students' "toolboxes" when writing horror, with a focus on plot, character development, emotional, and tension building.

U11 EComp 321 Advanced Writing

U11 EComp 322 Writing Historical Fiction

This course is for writers working on short stories or novels of all genres. We will focus on preparing fiction for publication, presentation to an agent, or as part of an application portfolio for an MFA program or grant. Through assigned readings, craft discussions, and workshopping, we will hone the writer's craft. Additionally, we learn about the current literary marketplace, including magazines, small presses, self-publication and literary agencies. Each student will receive evaluation from the instructor as well as critique from fellow students.

U11 EComp 323 The Art of the Personal Essay

In this course we will study the structures, techniques and boundaries of the personal essay in which the writer is both observer and participant. Students will read and analyze classic and new examples in this genre. They will also draft and polish their own personal essays and share them with classmates in a discussion/workshop format. The emphasis is on developing a writer´s critical faculties, capacity for self-scrutiny, and literary skills. Prerequisites: U11 101 and 203 and one course in literature, or instructor permission.

U11 EComp 324 Writing for Public Speaking

A course in organizational communications drawing upon the "means of persuasion" from classical rhetoric to PowerPoint. Practice in writing, speaking, and listening in the various formats: paper, oral presentations, and Internet. Comparative analysis of what works best with varying topics, situations, audiences, and purposes. Prerequisite: U11 203 or 203M. This course will count toward major in English for day students.

U11 EComp 327 Writing the Short-Short Story and 10-Minute Play

In this class we will concentrate on the short forms of microfiction and ten-minute plays, exploring what kinds of stories we can tell in a short space. We will examine a variety of creative writing techniques, including character development, conflict, voice, story arc, setting, images, and especially dialogue. The heart of this class is workshop, but we will read aloud and study models and examples in each genre.

U11 EComp 330 The Art of Nature and Travel Writing

In this creative nonfiction course, students will discover the art of the essay in the realm of nature and travel writing and will write their own personally voiced narratives in which "place" plays a central role. Whether your journeys take you up the road, around the world, or more deeply into an environment you have experienced over time, attending to the sensory details, landscape, culture, and history of a place provides rich material for exploration. We will read and discuss essays by some of the many great writers who have worked in this genre, including traditionally underrepresented voices. Through an active learning approach, students will generate and share new work and provide each other feedback in a supportive, collaborative workshop setting. The writers we will focus on range from Rebecca Solnit, James Baldwin, Rahawa Haile, Barry Lopez, Annie Dillard, Terry Tempest Williams, and Pico Iyer, to Colson Whitehead, Leslie Jamison, John Jeremiah Sullivan, Patricia Hampl, and Ryan Knighton.

U11 EComp 331 Technical Writing

For those whose professions require them to present complex information precisely, logically, and efficiently. Examination of the audiences for technical writing and effective methods of organizing information to meet their needs. Variety of formats: letters, memos, trip reports, progress reports, proposals, and informal reports. Prerequisite: U11 203 or 203M.

U11 EComp 332 Introduction to Screenwriting

In this screenwriting class students will learn the various components necessary for writing a motion picture screenplay. Students will conceive and write the first act of a full-length screenplay, complete a full-length story synopsis, and complete a few in-class and take-home exercises. During weekly table reads, students will read and critique each other's work. We also will view and evaluate films, and analyze excerpts from successful movie screenplays, looking closely at the elements of plot and structure, character, dialogue, theme, genre, style, and format. Previous screenwriting experience is not required. Same as U18 Film 332

U11 EComp 3321 Advanced Screenwriting

This course is intended for students who have already taken FMS 332 Introduction to Screenwriting at University College (or a comparable introductory course elsewhere). Building on past experiences, students will continue their work in the craft of screenwriting by expanding their knowledge about screenwriting techniques. Students will complete Act II (approx. 45-50 pages) & Act III (approx. 20 pages) of the feature-length script they began in the introductory course. Topics and reading will include advanced plot structure, genre conventions, story archetypes, sequencing, POV, adaptions, short & independent film, query letters, and script pitches. In particular, script rewriting will be explored. This course will not count toward requirements in the FMS major or minor. Same as U18 Film 3321

U11 EComp 337 The Long Form

This course is a seminar and workshop for students interested in writing novels, memoirs, reportage, or collections (short stories, essays, or poems). We will study published works for techniques used to create a narrative, thematic, and/or technical arc. We will workshop our own writings, with the goal of understanding their places within a larger work, from proposing and outlining a full-length manuscript to sculpting an anchor piece for the larger work. Prerequisite: a 300-level writing course or instructor's permission.

U11 EComp 338 Writing Adventure and Creating Action

This course will study and practice the techniques necessary to write active and adventurous prose, both fiction and nonfiction. Topics include writing mechanics and style with the goal of mastering the diction and syntax of action while avoiding cliché or melodrama. We also examine broader craft elements such as pacing, scenes, setting, character development, adventure archetypes, suspense, and voice. Readings include adventure writers such as Elizabeth Gilbert, Ernest Hemingway, Pam Houston, Jon Krakauer, Herman Melville, Kira Salak, Gary Shteyngart, Cheryl Strayed, Mark Twain, and Jules Verne. Students will complete exercises and three stories of varying lengths, with at least one in each mode, to be shared in a workshop setting.

U11 EComp 339 Masters of Fantasy Writing

As one of the most commonly read genres of literature, fantasy offers its readers an escape from the everyday mundane into worlds where anything is possible. For writers of fantasy, the genre is a space where no topic is off limits and where they can let their imaginations run wild. This course explores the craft of fantasy writing and the many worlds an author can create, with a focus on the short story and novella form. Weekly readings of novellas and short stories will span the masters of fantasy literature, including Stephen King, Terry Pratchett, Ursula K. LeGuin, Anne McCaffrey and many more. Academic texts and writing exercises will build on students' "writing toolboxes," with a focus on emotion, dialogue, and description. Our goals are to explore the modern trends in fantasy and what makes successful fantasy literature; to understand the different process and style of writing a short story versus a novella in fantasy; to be able to develop an idea into a polished draft of a fantasy short story or the beginnings of a novella; and to improve the workshopping skills crucial to the development and revision process in creative writing.

U11 EComp 340 The Magazine Feature: Idea to Finished Product

This course will explore the process of conceiving, reporting, drafting, revising, and placing a magazine feature story. We will read exemplary long-form magazine journalism — sometimes called literary journalism or narrative nonfiction — with an eye to process and craft. How do we find stories? What is the relationship between reporting and the published piece? How do we shed new light on common themes and approach storytelling in innovative ways? During the term, each student will develop a feature profile: securing a subject, devising a reporting strategy, incorporating research, and ultimately, exploring voice, theme, and structure through multiple drafts. The course will include literary analysis and discussion, writing exercises, workshop-style discussion of student work, and will prepare interested students to pitch their stories for publication.

U11 EComp 357 Writing Creatively for Magazine and Online Publication

This course is a writing workshop focused on a wide variety of nonfiction for both print and online venues. We will read and discuss forms of writing such as magazine feature stories, short- and long-form narrative reporting, informative personal and opinion writing, and much more. Our goal will be to produce smart, entertaining writing that can gain a reader's interest and inform readers at the same time. Whether you are interested in publishing magazine features or more informal, personal writing online, we will study and practice how to use research, storytelling, and your own original voice to make topics both fascinating and easy to read. Students will design and write their own projects, write and share a variety of short exercises, and workshop material from the class. We will also read a wide variety of published writing from different publishing venues and platforms. The course will provide a positive, engaging space for you to improve your writing skills and produce polished, high quality writing of your own.

U11 EComp 358 Multimedia Storytelling for Creative Writers

Storytelling in the 21st century is increasingly a digitized endeavor, with creators adapting their work to engage readers who seek material via electronic devices. These complementary formats may include embedded images, graphics, maps, audio or music recordings, videos, animations, twitter feeds, blog posts, and social media profiles. With an emphasis on writing fiction or nonfiction prose that can be accompanied by such media, this hybrid online course will explore and practice the many forms and techniques of transmedia storytelling. Students will propose, design, draft, and present a single transmedia narrative spanning a variety of formats. No advanced computer skills, equipment, or software are required.

U11 EComp 371 Narrative Structure and Story Development

U11 EComp 400 Independent Study

Credit variable, maximum 3 units.

U11 EComp 4012 Workshop in Composition: Adapting Writing Center Pedagogy to Elementary School

A collaborative workshop for elementary school teachers, facilitated by the Director of Washington University's Writing Center. Members will learn the art of one-to-one writing instruction and explore ways of adapting this pedagogical model to their elementary school setting. Biweekly journal, literary memoir and theory-into-practice project required. By permission only.

Credit 1 unit.

U11 EComp 494 Voices in Action

What sparks and sustains people's movements for social justice? This history and creative-writing course explores the contexts and expressions of 20th century and contemporary protest movements, ranging from labor, civil rights, the Vietnam War, ethnic people and women's movements, to contemporary social and environmental justice movements. We will explore speeches, manifestos, visual and oral texts, songs, and poetry to consider how dissent is voiced in response to specific social contexts and historic events. We will consider the role of personal expression in enacting democracy, focusing on poetry that helps articulate what is at stake in the protest movements of the 20th and 21st centuries. We will examine how language moves people, raising awareness of the facts and felt experiences of injustice, helping to fuel social movements and "call forth a public" to make change. Assignments include a mix of historical analysis, ethnographic and participatory work, creative writing, and reflection. Same as U89 AMCS 494

Credit 3 units. UColl : ACF, ACH, ACS, HUM

English Department

• MFA Creative Writing

Learn More...

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

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

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

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

Our Distinguished Alumni…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Program Requirements: 55 credits

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

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

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

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

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

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

THESIS: (10 credits granted upon program completion)

• English 690 Thesis Writing

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

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

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

Let your curiosity lead the way:

Apply Today

• Arts & Sciences
• Graduate Studies in A&S

Fellowships & Funding

Arts & sciences fellowships.

We are proud to not only offer our students among the most substantial stipends of any Writing Program in the country, but to provide full and equal funding to every student we accept. We feel this contributes substantially to the sense of fairness and collegiality in our workshops. Both years in the program are funded by an A&S Fellowship. In 2023-24, the value of full tuition remission is $57,750, and the A&S Fellowship stipend is $28,152 for 12 months.

Other Forms of Support

There are also three highly competitive university-wide fellowships which Writing Program students are urged to apply for separately. (The only students in the Writing Program who receive a different level of support are those who win these fellowships.)

The Dean’s Distinguished Graduate Fellowships in Arts & Sciences have been created to enhance the recruitment of and to recognize some of our most outstanding incoming graduate students. This program will support incoming PhD and MFA students with the promise of exceptional academic distinction; with a demonstrated interest to advance the public good; and who will contribute to the diversity and intellectual vitality of our university community. The primary intent of the program is to support the recruitment of outstanding candidates and help departments make a compelling offer to their best applicants.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE DEAN'S DISTINGUISHED GRADUATE FELLOWSHIPS IN ARTS & SCIENCES

The Dean's Awards for Teaching Excellence recognizes graduate students who have made significant teaching contributions in the instruction of Washington University students. Annually, several awards will be made across the disciplines and at a range of course levels; each recipient will receive a $1,500 prize, a certificate, and recognition in their graduation program. Each department or program may nominate up to two assistants in instruction or those engaged in a Mentored Teaching Experience. 

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE DEAN'S AWARDS FOR TEACHING EXCELLENCE

The Dean's Award for Graduate Research Excellence, which is given annually, will help distinguish exemplary accomplishments of graduate students and research profiles of the Arts & Sciences' graduate programs. Examples may include first-authoring a publication in a top-ranked journal, leading a research or creative practice initiative that yields new possibilities for the student’s field, or leading innovative convergent research with colleagues across fields. Each department or program can underscore what constitutes excellence in research, scholarship, or creative practice. Semifinalists receive a $500 award, and finalists receive a $1,500 award in addition to a certificate of recognition.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE DEAN'S AWARDS FOR GRADUATE RESEARCH EXCELLENCE

There are no special awards for foreign applicants. Except for the fellowships listed above, there are no special application forms for applying for financial aid. The financial statement referred to in the application form is not required for first-year support, but you may request it from the Office of Graduate Studies (after January 1st) if you wish to apply for a loan to supplement any award you might receive.

Creative Writing Master of Fine Arts Degree

You are here: american university college of arts & sciences literature master of fine arts in creative writing.

• Request Info

Are you interested in…

Explore more.

Are you interested in...

202-885-2971

[email protected]

Battelle Tompkins, Room 237 on a map

Back to top

Hone Your Craft in the Capital City

For more than 30 years, writers have come to American University to develop their work and exchange ideas in the District’s only creative writing MFA program. Our graduate workshops provide a rigorous yet supportive environment where students explore a range of approaches to the art and craft of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.

As an MFA student at American, you are free to pursue a single genre or explore several. You will acquire a deeper understanding of your own work and hone your skills in a collaborative setting.

A Program of Study That Gets Results

This two-year, 36-credit-hour MFA program integrates writing, literary journalism, translation, and the study of literature to prepare students for a range of career possibilities. Write, give feedback, and receive guidance from a close-knit community of respectful peers and faculty. In the MFA program, you'll find lawyers, military veterans, musicians, teachers, and business executives who are passionate about the written word.

Connect with accomplished professors and the resources you need to reach your goal. Our faculty members have been featured in a variety of media and publications including the New Yorker , the New York Times , National Public Radio, Bill Moyers & Co., and the Washington Post.

Prominent Authors Dedicated to Your Success

Our faculty of award-winning poets, novelists, translators, and nonfiction writers will help you help you hone your craft and pursue your career as a writer. You will receive instruction and guidance from successful authors published by university presses and major publishers, including Houghton Mifflin, Scribner, Vintage Books, Viking Press, and WW Norton. Our active and engaged faculty members are regularly featured in top media outlets such as The New York Times, New Yorker, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, and New Republic ; in literary journals like Kenyon Review, Ploughshares, and Shenandoah ; and on television and radio.

A City For Writers

Living and learning in the nation's capital provides numerous benefits for MFA students. We partner with organizations like the National Endowment for the Arts, Library of Congress, 826DC, Writopia Labs, and Folger Shakespeare Library to facilitate opportunities for our students.

Our students have recently published books with WW Norton, Copper Canyon, University of Wisconsin Press, and MIT Press. They have been featured on This American Life , Poets & Writers , in Creative Nonfiction , Psychology Today , and more.

We Know Success

97% of graduates are employed, in grad school, or both 6 months after graduation.

Our alumni have gone on to work for organizations including:

• Catalogue for Philanthropy: Greater Washington
• EEO ClassIn
• Fulbright Association
• Goodwin University
• PEN/Faulkner Foundation
• Shout Mouse Press
• Street Sense Media
• The Building People
• W. W. Norton & Company, Inc

Publications

Folio is a nationally recognized literary journal sponsored by the College of Arts and Sciences at American University in Washington, DC. Since 1984, we have published original creative work by both new and established authors. Past issues have included work by Michael Reid Busk, Billy Collins, William Stafford, and Bruce Weigl, and interviews with Michael Cunningham, Charles Baxter, Amy Bloom, Ann Beattie, and Walter Kirn. We look for well-crafted poetry and prose that is bold and memorable.

News & Notes

Writers Series Brings Leading Authors and Thinkers to Campus this Fall

Recent award-winning publications by our MFA alumni :

• Valzhyna Mort won the 2021 International Griffin Prize for her third poetry collection, Music for the Dead and Resurrected (FSG, 2020), which was named one of the best poetry books of 2020 by The New York Times.
• Field Study by Chet’la Sebree won the 2020 Academy of American Poets James Laughlin Award; Mistress  won the 2018 New Issues Poetry Prize.
• "The Niece" by Yohanca Delgado was selected for the Distinguished Stories list in Best American Short Stories 2020 .
• Trouble Sleeping  by Abdul Ali won the 2014 New Issues Poetry Prize.
• Daydreamers by  Jonathan Harper was named a Kirkus Indie Books of the Month Selection.

Rachel Louise Snyder recounts how her mother’s death left her unmoored and untoward in her new memoir .

Kyle Dargan served as editor for The Memory Librarian: And Other Stories of Dirty Computer  with Janelle Monáe.

Dolen Perkins-Valdez (Literature) won the 2023 NAACP Image Award for fiction for her most recent novel, Take My Hand . 

Ralvell Rogers MFA, Creative Writing

More about ralvell.

MFA Creative Writing candidate Ralvell Rogers is making his mark on the literary world.

My time at AU has been brilliant in the fact that I've already learned much about what it means to be a Writer with a capital "W" and more importantly, a literary scholar. Though there is an obvious focus on our course work, it's been made clear to me that our work isn't exactly all that matters in the classroom. We are continuously connecting our work in class to the lives that we live on a daily basis and the world that we all live in, and I think that is very important for writers and entrepreneurs in the publishing sector because we are essentially the historians of our respective generations.

He is the author of The Kansas City Boys Choir: Providing Hope for Tomorrow , which has been endorsed by luminaries Kevin Powell, G.S. Griffin, and Congressman Emanual Cleaver II. Ralvell has also established his own publishing company, Ambitious Stories, LLC, out of Kansas City, MO. He founded it earlier this year to focus on "often unheard, yet riveting and inspiring stories from the heart."

Valzhyna Mort MFA Creative Writing

More about valzhyna.

Alumna Valzhyna Mort has gained international acclaim for her third poetry collection, Music for the Dead and Resurrected (FSG, 2020), which won the 2021 International Griffin Prize and was named one of the best poetry books of 2020 by the New York Times . Publishers Weekly called this work in their starred review, "poems of reclamation and resurrection; to live in them is to confront the hard work of witness." The New Yorker wrote in its review, "Memory, metaphor, and myth intermingle to sometimes nightmarish effect in this collection by a Belarus-born poet. Mort excavates the individual and communal traumas wrought by a violent and repressive national history, and calls herself 'a test-child exposed to the burning reactor of my grandmother’s memory.'" Mort teaches poetry, literature, and translation at Cornell University.

Look inside the Creative Writing MFA

For more than 40 years, writers have come to American University to develop their work and exchange ideas in the District’s only creative writing MFA program.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the application deadline for a merit award.

The application deadline is February 1. All applications are automatically considered for merit awards. After February 1, the program continues to consider applications, but cannot guarantee those applicants will be considered for merit awards.

What is the MFA thesis?

The required MFA thesis consists of an original, book-length manuscript. It may be a novel, a novella, a memoir or collection of stories, creative nonfiction, or poems. The thesis is due approximately a month before the end of the student's final semester.

How long does it take to earn the MFA degree at American University?

Most students complete the 36-credit degree in 2 years. Full-time study is 9 credits (3 classes) per semester. Others pursue their degree part-time, taking 1-2 classes per semester as best fits their schedules. All workshops, and many literature courses, are offered at night, so that students with full-time jobs can still complete their coursework.

What does the admissions committee look for in an applicant's writing sample?

The committee regards the writing sample as the most important part of the application. It's therefore important that you pay close attention to the manuscript guidelines (see below). Send what you feel is your strongest work that shows your demonstrated talent. It is not important to the committee whether or not work has been previously published.

Those submitting applications in poetry should send no more than 12 poems or 15 pages (with no more than one new or continuing poem per page). If submitting fiction/nonfiction, please submit 15-25 pages. While the catalog calls for a 25-page writing sample, we value quality over quantity. We are interested in seeing only your very best work, which can consist of one or more stories or works of creative nonfiction or an excerpt from a novel. If you send an excerpt from a novel, please include a brief description of the work as a whole.

Still have questions? Email [email protected] .

Please send me information about Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

It looks like you already used that name and address to request information for one or more AU graduate program(s).

If you have not previously requested AU graduate program information, create a new request

Creative Writing Community

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

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

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

WSU Visiting Writer Series

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

LandEscapes

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

English Club at WSU

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

EcoArts on the Palouse

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

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

• Professional Practica
• Paying for School
• Frequently Asked Questions

Graduate Admission Requirements

Application Deadline: March 1st, 2024. Questions about applying? See our FAQs below .

Complete the Online Graduate Studies Application

• Your official transcripts
• A graduate admissions essay
• A writing sample labeled with contact information (poetry 10-15 pages, prose 15-25 pages)
• Two letters of reference to the EWU Graduate School application

If you’re an international student from a non-English speaking country, you’ll also need to submit your TOEFL score.

You will not need  GRE scores as part of your application.

Complete your FAFSA

You must file the standard Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to be considered for financial aid.

Submit a Graduate Service Appointment (GSA) Application (Optional)

If you wish to be considered for a  Teaching Assistantship , you must both submit a  Graduate Service Appointment (GSA) Application here   and add a teaching statement to your EWU Graduate School application using the document uploads section. (The teaching statement is a brief letter describing your interest in and prior experience with teaching. This teaching statement is in addition to the Graduate Admission Essay.)

Application Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Do i have to have a ba or bs in order to apply.

Yes. You may apply before having completed your bachelor’s degree; however, you must have graduated with it before you can enroll in the program.

Is there a foreign language requirement?

No. There is no foreign language requirement either to apply to the program or to complete the degree.

Do I have to take the GRE?

No. GRE scores are no longer required.

What are the specific requirements for the Graduate Admissions Essay?

The Graduate Admissions Essay should be an 800-word letter stating your reasons for pursuing the MFA. The most important component of your submission is your writing sample, but you should consider the admissions essay another opportunity to familiarize us with you as a writer and as a candidate for our program.

Where do I send my application materials?

All materials can be submitted through the EWU Graduate School application using the document uploads area.

Which part of my application matters most?

The most important element of your application is your writing sample (10-15 pages for poetry, 15-25 pages for prose). We weigh this sample more heavily than letters of recommendation or GPA, and so should you. However, no application is complete until we have all application forms, official transcripts and letters of recommendation.

Program Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How many students do you accept into the program each year.

We accept about 20-24 students.

How will I choose a thesis advisor?

During your first year you will have a chance to work with any faculty member in your elected genre. Toward the end of your first year, in anticipation of the following year’s work on your thesis, you will be asked your preference for faculty thesis advisor, with whom you will work on the thesis project during your second year. Your thesis advisor will also act as your academic advisor during this time, from the end of your first year until completion of the program.

What sort of academic background do most of your students have? Do I have to have a BA in English or creative writing?

Though the majority of our students have some formal, academic background in the study of literature and/or creative writing, such a background is not mandatory. The desire to write coupled with some inherent ability to do so, as well as a desire to read penetratingly — these are our only real requirements. Some of our most interesting and successful students have come to the program with formal training in completely unrelated disciplines, including medicine, law, philosophy, anthropology, history, and many others.

As an incoming student, do I have to choose which genre I want to concentrate in, or can I wait and make that choice later? Can I apply in more genres than one?

Your writing sample must include work in the genre for which you want consideration as a degree candidate; it will be reviewed by the faculty who write primarily in that genre. If you choose to apply in more than one genre you must submit a complete writing sample for each genre for which you want consideration. Very occasionally, and with consent from the thesis director, students will submit a final thesis that is a hybrid of work in more than one genre; with equal infrequency, MFA candidates elect to switch genres midway through the program—such a switch must be approved by your advisor and by the program director, and generally involves extra coursework.

I noticed all of your coursework in fiction focuses on traditional literary fiction. Do you have any classes focusing on genre fiction? What kind of fiction can I send in my application packet?

It’s true that our core fiction faculty teach and write mainstream literary fiction almost exclusively. We do, however, offer occasional courses stretching beyond this, including seminars in speculative literary fiction, YA fiction, detective novels, etc.

We are aware of various genre breaking and genre stretching trends in fiction today, and we encourage experimentation of all kinds! So long as the work is original, imaginative and non-formulaic, we are in favor. In submitting your writing sample please bear this in mind. We are generally inclined toward fiction which is well crafted and unique, and not toward fiction which is formulaic or easily characterized as mainstream genre fiction.

Sometimes I see your program under the name "Inland Northwest Center for Writers" or "The MFA at EWU." What's that all about?

Our MFA program is the oldest in the state, and when it first began it was called the Inland Northwest Center for Writers. We have decided to simplify and update, which is why we are now The MFA at EWU. Official transitions of this nature take time, so please bear with us as we make this change. You can now follow us on Twitter @EWUmfa , on Instagram @MFAewu , and on Facebook @EWUMFA .

Can I extend my program of study from two years to three? Or longer?

Yes, you may take as long as six years to complete your MFA degree. However, only students enrolled full-time (taking a minimum of ten credits per term) are eligible for financial aid. If you enroll at twelve credits per term and fulfill specific course requirements, you will finish the program in two years.

Once students have finished all coursework, they do occasionally elect to spend an extra quarter or more in residence, enrolled part-time, in order to complete work on the thesis. At present, there is no financial aid available to students who stay on in this way.

Do you expect to offer an MFA degree option in creative nonfiction any time soon?

If national enrollment trends change and if funding for the MFA program improves, this will be a top priority. Hopefully before too long, but it’s anyone’s guess. Meanwhile, enrollment for fiction and poetry is robust, as is funding, and there is no perceived risk to those degree tracks.

How old are most of the students in your program?

The students in our program range in age from people straight out of college to older, non-traditional continuing students, some of whom have already experienced careers in other fields. Every year’s incoming class is different in its makeup. It is consistently inconsistent in this regard, however the trend as of late has been that the bulk of our students are in their twenties and thirties.

How difficult is it to find a place to live? Where should I live? Is rent expensive in Spokane?

Most of our students have little trouble finding rentals not too far from the EWU Spokane campus where all of our classes are held. Spokane is an affordable city; apartments go for $550/month and upward, with most of our students paying about $700/month for rent. If you’d like to save on rent, you might choose to live with other members of your cohort.

Since almost all of the MFA classes will be held at the EWU Spokane campus, most students prefer to live nearby rather than in Cheney, where the main campus of EWU is located and TAs teach their classes. The Cheney campus is 17 miles away, and an EWU student ID grants free rides on the public transit system.

Spokane offers the majority of the area’s restaurants, coffee shops, museums, book stores, and general culture. Most of our students choose to live either in historic Browne’s Addition or the lower South Hill, although neighborhoods like the Perry District and Peaceful Valley, and others north of the river are steadily on the rise.

Teaching Assistantship Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How many teaching assistantships do you offer first year students.

The number of TAships available for incoming students each year varies, and can be as many as ten in Composition.

Can I apply for a teaching assistantship in my second year?

Not usually. Teaching assistantships are offered almost exclusively as two-year appointments to incoming, first-year students. There may be individual instances of second-year TA appointments, but second-year students are eligible for other types of financial aid, as specified on our funding page .

Besides first year-awarded TAships, are there other opportunities for teaching experience?

Yes. Many students are able to gain experience teaching through our WITC (Writers in the Community) internship/practicum which offers students experience in the teaching of creative writing at various community placements. In all cases, faculty mentorship and pedagogy training are provided.

TAs are encouraged to apply for a chance to teach creative writing at EWU in their second year. These students teach one section of introductory creative writing (they have the freedom to create their own unique curriculum), which replaces their composition class for that quarter.

Mailing Address

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

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

• Directories

Search form

You are here.

• News Archive

Ongoing Changes to the MFA in Dance

Black Movement in Art & Protest, Imaginative Realms- A Worldbuilding Laboratory, Experiential and Historical Understanding of Chinese Dance: These are the titles of courses that second-year MFA Dance candidates are teaching in the Department of Dance this quarter. This list of courses reflects the increasingly inclusive scope of the MFA in Dance program at the UW, which previously focused on modern and contemporary dance primarily rooted in Euro-American traditions. Now, the program is growing to support the development of educators in any dance form by making changes to admission cycles, program curriculum, and the graduate student performance company Chamber Dance , to align with this broader focus while continuing to advance modern and contemporary dance. 

However, in addition to being students themselves, like most graduate programs in the US, the MFA candidates play a vital role in the department's workforce as instructors and teaching assistants. While having a combined number of six graduate students every year to support the robust list course offerings each quarter was indispensable, it also demanded that the full-time faculty stretch their time between teaching seminar courses to the first-year grads and guiding second-year students on their final research and course creations, while simultaneously supporting undergraduate major, minor, and honors students.

MFA candidate Jeremy Zihao Yuan, teaching Chinese Dance. Photo by Michael B Maine. 

Now, the MFA program will expand its admissions to five (or six) students every two years. By doing this the department will effectively keep the much needed teaching support from the graduate students, while also offering more attention to each cohort in their stage of the program. The cherry on top is that this will provide a more sustainable workload for the full-time faculty. The graduate seminars will only need to be taught once every two years, allowing the time necessary for faculty to broaden and improve their course content between offerings, and enhancing faculty participation in the undergraduate program.

The educational mission of the undergraduate program has been transforming in the Department of Dance over the last 15 years. Several rounds of curricular changes to the dance major have passed since the 2010s, such as diversifying course requirements to involve techniques beyond ballet and modern, including idioms not traditionally associated with dance forms taught in academia. These changes have been largely successful and gaining momentum, with enthusiasm from the student body reflected in bursting course enrollments in classes such as Commercial Dance, Street Styles, Capoeira, Tango, Salsa, and many more. As the undergraduate program has changed, the Department’s teaching needs from  the graduate students have also changed. This trickle-down (or in this case, up ) effect will also reach the repertoire performed by the resident graduate program performance group, the Chamber Dance Company. 

MFA candidate Derek Crescenti, teaching modern dance. Photo by Michael B Maine. 

For 30 years, the renowned Chamber Dance Company was the representation of the UW Dance graduate program as a repertoire company based on the Western theatrical modern and contemporary dance canon. Now, as the department continues to dial a broader focus, the Chamber Dance Company is also pivoting in its scope. This October, the concert program will showcase all original premieres by the second-year MFA candidates, as well as a work set by Bebe Miller, with performers including professionals from the Seattle dance community. 

In the years and months ahead, the MFA in Dance program will continue to push itself in the direction of greater inclusivity through its curriculum, performance repertoire, and recruitment. While the demands for teachers in higher education that have a more diverse skill set in dance styles is increasingly self-evident, the recruiting of such individuals and ensuring that they are well supported at an institution–one that, like most Western universities, traditionally excluded such practitioners in higher education–will be an ongoing effort. 

• Announcements
• Community Impact
• Faculty and Staff
• Program Innovation
•   Instagram
•   News Feed
•   Newsletter

• Innovation at WSU
• Directories
• Give to WSU
• Academic Calendar
• A-Z Directory
• Calendar of Events
• Office Hours
• Policies and Procedures
• Schedule of Courses
• Shocker Store
• Student Webmail
• Technology HelpDesk
• Transfer to WSU
• University Libraries

Creative writing MFA graduates will read their work

Come celebrate the 2024 graduates of the MFA program in creative writing as they share selections from their literary works at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, April 27 in the Ulrich Museum of Art.

A reception will be at 2 p.m. Everyone is welcome to attend the free event.

• Make a Gift
• Directories

Search form

You are here.

• Programs & Courses
• Creative Writing

People - Creative Writing Programs

•   Instagram
•   Newsletter