boston university mfa creative writing reddit

Boston University

Boston , MA

http://www.bu.edu/writing/

Degrees Offered

Fiction, Poetry, Drama

Residency type

Program length.

32 semester hours (1–1.5 years)

Financial Aid

All students receive a full tuition scholarship, a year of health insurance, and a stipend.

Teaching opportunities

All students teach for one semester during their time in the program. Most teach undergraduate Creative Writing at Boston University, but some (four per year) teach Creative Writing at Boston Arts Academy, a public school for the performing arts.

Editorial opportunities

All MFA students have the opportunity to intern at AGNI literary journal for a semester or year.

Cross-genre study

Yes, with approval from workshop leader

• D. M. Aderibigbe MFA (Poetry) 2016
• Elizabeth Alexander MA (Poetry) 1987
• Yu-Mei Balasingamchow MFA (Fiction) 2019
• Ellen Bass MA (Poetry) 1970
• Peter Campion MA (Poetry) 2001
• Christopher Castellani MFA 1999
• J. D. Daniels MFA 2003
• Peter Ho Davies MFA (Fiction) 1994
• Caitlin Doyle MFA (Poetry) 2008
• Emma Duffy-Comparone MFA (Fiction) 2012
• Pete Duval MFA (Fiction) 1995
• Suzi Ehtesham-Zadeh MFA (Fiction) 2016
• Kristin Ginger MFA (Fiction) 2010
• William Giraldi MA (Fiction) 2004
• Jowhor Ile MFA 2017
• Jillian Jackson MFA (Fiction) 2015
• Claire Jarvis MA (Poetry)
• Ha Jin MFA (Poetry) 1994
• Daphne Kalotay MFA (Fiction) 1994
• Julie Kane MA (Poetry) 1975
• Ted Kehoe MA (Fiction) 2006
• Marshall Klimasewiski MA
• Aviya Kushner MA (Poetry) 1998
• Jhumpa Lahiri MFA (Fiction) 1994
• Kathryn Maris MA (Poetry) 1996
• Jill McDonough MFA (Poetry) 1998
• Askold Melnyczuk MA 1977
• Jennifer Anne Moses MA (Fiction) 1982
• Andy Mozina MA (Fiction) 1990
• Patricia Park MFA (Fiction) 2010
• Carl Phillips MA (Poetry) 1993
• Dariel Suarez MFA (Fiction) 2012
• Shubha Sunder MFA (Fiction) 2012
• Pamela Sutton MFA (Poetry) 1999
• Lisa Taddeo MFA (Fiction) 2017
• Tess Taylor MFA (Poetry) 2006
• Melanie Rae Thon MA (Fiction) 1983
• Jessica Treadway MA 2002
• Farley Urmston MFA (Fiction) 2009
• Christopher Wall MA (Drama) 1996
• Anthony Wallace MA (Fiction) 1999
• Weike Wang MFA (Fiction) 2015
• Ryan Wilson MFA (Poetry) 2008
• Stefanie Wortman MA (Poetry) 2003

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

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

• Twitter Facebook Pinterest
• Virtual Tour
• Applications
• Entering Class Stats
• Accreditation
• Faculty Composition
• Distance Learning
• International
• Tuition And Fees
• Room And Board
• Financial Aid
• Graduation & Retention
• Return On Investment

Boston University MA in Creative Writing

Creative Writing is a concentration offered under the writing studies major at Boston University. We’ve gathered data and other essential information about the master’s degree program in creative writing, such as diversity of students, how many students graduated in recent times, and more.

You can jump to any section of this page using the links below:

• Graduate Cost
• Online Learning
• Student Diversity

Featured Programs

Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.

MFA in Creative Writing - Online

Embrace your passion for storytelling and learn the professional writing skills you'll need to succeed with our online MFA in Creative Writing. Write your novel or short story collection while earning a certificate in the Online Teaching of Writing or Professional Writing, with no residency requirement.

MA in English & Creative Writing

Refine your writing skills and take a step toward furthering your career with this online master's from Southern New Hampshire University.

Low-Residency MFA in Fiction and Nonfiction

Harness your passion for storytelling with SNHU's Mountainview Low-Residency MFA in Fiction and Nonfiction. In this small, two-year creative writing program, students work one-on-one with our distinguished faculty remotely for most of the semester but convene for weeklong intensive residencies in June and January. At residencies, students critique each other's work face-to-face, meet with major authors, agents and editors and learn how to teach at the college level.

How Much Does a Master’s in Creative Writing from Boston U Cost?

Boston u graduate tuition and fees.

In 2019-2020, the average part-time graduate tuition at Boston U was $1,777 per credit hour for both in-state and out-of-state students. The average full-time tuition and fees for graduate students are shown in the table below.

Does Boston U Offer an Online MA in Creative Writing?

Online degrees for the Boston U creative writing master’s degree program are not available at this time. To see if the school offers distance learning options in other areas, visit the Boston U Online Learning page.

Boston U Master’s Student Diversity for Creative Writing

Male-to-female ratio.

Of the students who received their master’s degree in creative writing in 2019-2020, 50.0% of them were women. This is less than the nationwide number of 66.6%.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

Around 25.0% of creative writing master’s degree recipients at Boston U in 2019-2020 were awarded to racial-ethnic minorities*. This is about the same as the nationwide number of 24%.

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online

More about our data sources and methodologies .

Popular Reports

Compare your school options.

The BU Creative Writing Global Fellowships

follow our MFA candidates as they travel the world for inspiration

• Current Fellows
• Past Fellows

A generous donor, Robert Hildreth, has made it possible for us to send most of our students abroad after they complete their degree requirements. The Robert Pinsky Global Fellows in Poetry and the Leslie Epstein Global Fellows in Fiction may go to any country and do there what they wish, for a typical stay of up to three months. After a year of study with our faculty–our core faculty members are Leslie Epstein and Ha Jin (fiction) and Karl Kirchwey and Robert Pinsky (poetry)–we are very pleased to offer our students an experience that will continue to challenge as well as delight.

The Global Fellowship adventure is not only intended to help our MFA candidates grow as writers, but also to widen eyes, minds, and hearts–from which better writing and poetry might eventually flow. Our students have traveled to every continent but Antarctica (so far), to places such as Greenland , Patagonia , Iran , Bhutan and Thailand , Cuba , Russia , and Brazil . Please follow the links in our navigation bar to read about each fellow’s journey.

Please click here for details on how to apply to the MFA program.

• Apply for a BU Creative Writing MFA
• BU College of Arts & Sciences
• BU Creative Writing Blog
• BU Creative Writing Program
• Favorite Poem Project

BU Blogs | The BU Creative Writing Global Fellowships | Disclaimer | Contact Author

Request Info

• Admissions Overview
• Visit UMass Boston
• Financial Aid
• First-Year Students
• Transfer Students
• Graduate Students
• International Students
• Academics Overview
• Majors & Programs
• Online Learning
• Colleges & Schools
• Academic Calendar
• Healey Library
• Student Equity, Access & Success
• Global Programs
• Study Abroad
• Fellowships
• Campus Life Overview
• Student Groups & Activities
• Housing & Dining
• Health & Wellness
• Diversity & Inclusion
• Safety & Security
• Orientation & New Students
• Research Overview
• Community-Driven Research
• Recognizing Excellence
• Student Research
• Centers & Institutes
• Core Facilities
• Research & Sponsored Programs
• About Overview
• Leadership & Administration
• Mission & Vision
• Facts & Figures
• Accreditation & Rankings
• History of UMass Boston
• Student Consumer Information
• Athletics Overview
• Recreation at UMass Boston
• Current Students
• Parents & Families
• Faculty & Staff

UMass Boston

• Creative Writing MFA

Further your commitment to writing as the center of your professional life.

Intensive study and practice of fiction and poetry writing with award-winning and nationally renowned faculty at the most diverse university in new england..

UMass Boston's Creative Writing MFA offers you an intense, 3-year program and focused opportunity to further your commitment to writing as the center of your professional life. Through a combination of mentoring by accomplished faculty in a series of creative writing workshops, courses focused on the study of literature offered through the English MA Program, and electives that include the practice of literary editing, the teaching of creative writing, documentary poetics, the art of memoir, and more—you will have the guidance to develop and shape your work to the full extent of your talent.

All accepted students receive funding. Graduate assistantships offer the opportunity to work with students as teaching assistants and fellows, or in editorial positions with one of our sponsors, including 826 Boston, Hanging Loose Press, Write on the Dot, Consequence Magazine, Breakwater Review, and Arrowsmith Press.

Career Possibilities

Pursue a career as a professional writer, publishing your work in literary journals, magazines. Work as an editor and collaborate with writers to refine their work and shape the final product for publication. These are just a few of the possibilities.

Become a(n):

• Writer/Author
• Literary Agent
• Writing Instructor/Professor

Start Your Application

Plan Your Education

How to apply.

Applicants must meet general graduate admission requirements in addition to the following program-specific requirements:

• A 3.0 GPA overall and in the student’s major
• Three substantive and detailed letters of recommendation, from former teachers familiar with the applicant’s most recent academic and creative work
• A 3-5 page personal statement focusing on the role of the candidate’s reading life in his or her development as a writer. (Note: The general Graduate Admissions application refers to this as a statement of interests and intent. They are one and the same.)
• Applicants must indicate whether they are applying in FICTION or POETRY in their Statement of Purpose. If you want to apply in both genres, include one writing sample in FICTION and one in POETRY and indicate in the Statement of Purpose that the application is for both.
• A writing sample of 10 manuscript pages of poetry or 20 manuscript pages of fiction

Deadlines & Cost

Deadlines: January 15 (priority) for fall. While rare, if space is available, we’ll happily consider applications until June 1 (final deadline).

Application Fee: The nonrefundable application fee is $75. UMass Boston alumni and current students that plan to complete degree requirements prior to graduate enrollment can submit the application without paying the application fee.

Program Cost Information: Bursar's website

Writing Workshops (24 Credits)

Complete one from below four times.

• CW 601 - MFA Poetry Workshop 6 Credit(s) or
• CW 602 - MFA Fiction Workshop 6 Credit(s)

Literature Courses (9 Credits)

Complete three graduate literature courses.

Electives (9 Credits)

Complete three from below.

• CW 605 - Memoir Workshop 3 Credit(s)
• CW 606 - Literary Editing and Publishing 3 Credit(s)
• CW 614 - The Teaching of Creative Writing 3 Credit(s)
• CW 675 - Creative Writing Internship 3 Credit(s)
• CW 697 - Special Topics in Creative Writing 1-6 Credit(s)

Students may elect courses offered by other graduate programs with approval from the graduate program director.

• ENGL 459 Seminar for Tutors may be taken for graduate credit (see Undergraduate Catalog)
• ENGL 675 - Reading and Writing Poetry 3 Credit(s)
• ENGL 676 - Reading and Writing Fiction 3 Credit(s)
• ENGL 681 - Advanced Workshop in Poetry 3 Credit(s)
• ENGL 682 - Advanced Workshop in Fiction 3 Credit(s)

Thesis Courses (6 Credits)

Complete the course below both semesters of the third year.

• CW 699 - MFA Thesis 3 Credit(s)

Graduation Criteria

Complete 48 credits from twelve courses including four writing workshops, three literature courses, three electives, and two semesters of thesis workshops.

The MFA degree requires six semesters of full-time study, with 9 credits required in each of the first four semesters, and 6 credits in the final two semesters, during which students will concentrate on completing a thesis in fiction or poetry under the direction of a faculty member. MFA workshops are limited to 12 students, and seminars are limited to 15. Students have the opportunity to interact with writers in our Global Voices Visiting Writer series (recent visitors have been Raquel Salas Rivera and Carole Maso), and work with visiting prose writers - recently these have included Jane Unrue, ZZ Packer, and Fanny Howe.

Capstone: Completion of an MFA thesis of 48 to 64 pages of poetry or 100 to 200 pages of fiction written under the supervision of a thesis advisor, reviewed by a thesis committee, and subject to a public defense.

Statute of limitations: Five years.

Contact & Faculty

Graduate Program Director John Fulton john.fulton [at] umb.edu (617) 287-6700

English & Creative Writing MFA Department englishmfaprogram [at] umb.edu (617) 287-6702

Fiction Faculty

John Fulton , Program Director & Associate Professor Askold Melnyczuk , Professor Eileen Pollack , Visiting Assistant Professor

Poetry Faculty

Jill McDonough , Professor Shangyang Fang , Associate Lecturer

English Department

Learn more about UMass Boston's English department, our programs, and our faculty.

College of Liberal Arts

Learn more about the faculty, research, and programs that make up our College of Liberal Arts.

Boston University Arts & Sciences Writing

• Financial Support
• MFA Degree Requirements
• Program Overview
• MFA Program Description
• English Department
• How to Apply
• Admissions Materials
• Submit an Application
• Repeat and international applicants
• Featured Alumni
• Alumni Achievements
• Global Fellows
• Undergraduate Courses
• Graduate Courses
• Publication News
• The Ha Jin Visiting Lecturer Series
• Robert Lowell Memorial Lecture Series
• Black Box Reading Series

Frequently Asked Questions

How many applications do you receive, and how many are admitted?

In February 2016, we received about 700 applicants.  We admitted ten in fiction and eight in poetry.

Do I need to have a bachelor’s degree in English or Creative Writing?

No.  As long as you have a bachelor’s degree by the time you register at BU, you are eligible to apply.  In the past, we have accepted students with bachelor’s degrees in chemistry, music, and philosophy.

Do you require the GRE?

No. If you’ve already taken the test, you’re welcome to send your scores. Our GRE code is 3087.

Does your program accept letters of recommendation through Interfolio?

No. Letters of recommendation should be submitted via our application portal.

Where do I send my application materials?

Please upload all materials into the online application portal. Do not mail anything to the Creative Writing office. If you must mail a transcript or letter, send it to:

BU GRS Admissions 725 Commonwealth Avenue, Room 112 Boston, MA 02215

Do you require official transcripts?

No, unofficial transcripts are fine for the application.  If you are accepted, we will ask you to send official transcripts.

Do you schedule department tours or on-campus interviews?

Because of our high volume of applications, we do not require interviews. Boston University schedules official campus tours here: http://www.bu.edu/admissions/visit-us/#campustour. If you have questions about the program that aren’t addressed on the website, you are welcome to send them to [email protected].

The Graduate School lists an earlier deadline than yours; which is right?

The Graduate School Admissions website lists general deadlines and departmental deadlines.  Please adhere to the Creative Writing Program’s final deadline (January 16) which can be viewed on our website and on the departmental deadlines link through the Graduate School Admissions website: http://www.bu.edu/cas/prospective-students/graduate-admissions/apply/application-requirements-and-deadlines/

Do I need to submit a separate application for financial aid?

No. All students will be considered for aid. For more information about our department’s financial aid, please visit http://www.bu.edu/creativewriting/about/letter/financial-aid/ .

Do I apply for a Global Fellowship now, or after I’m admitted?

Our Global Fellowship application process occurs midyear, usually in February, for MFA students who have already matriculated. For more information about the global fellowships, please visit http://blogs.bu.edu/world/ .

Must I choose one, fiction or poetry, when I apply? Can’t I apply in both?

We ask that you choose one genre when you apply. If admitted, you’ll take four (two in fall, two in spring) writing workshops in your concentration, with your cohort of eight to ten fiction or poetry students. You and your small group go through the intense workshop experience together and become quite close. There simply isn’t time to take all the fiction AND all the poetry workshops. However, the professors often allow fiction students to take one poetry workshop (and vice versa), with that instructor’s consent, to fulfill one of their literature requirements.

What should I include in my writing sample, and how should it be formatted?

You should include forty pages of what you consider your best writing. For fiction applicants, we strongly recommend sending two or three stories so we can see your range. Please include page numbers, use clear, 12-point font, and double-space your prose.

What should I include in the personal statement?

We’d like to know more about you: why you write and/or why you’re choosing to pursue an MFA in creative writing, what writers and works have influenced your writing, what you hope to do at BU (and beyond), and why the BU creative writing program is the place for you. Please double-space this document as well.

For any and all other questions, please contact our administrator Annaka Saari at [email protected] or visit the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences’ FAQ page or Admissions website:

Graduate Admissions FAQ

Prospective Graduate Students

Graduate Students General Information

About the Program

Our MFA students have the opportunity to live, write, and travel anywhere in the world

Read about BU's renowned Translation Seminar

• 236 Bay State Road, Boston, MA 02215
• Phone: (617) 353-2510
• email: [email protected]