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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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Virginia Tech

MFA in Creative Writing

Info for Current Students

** Deadlines for Spring 2023 **

March 1, 202 4: Deadline to apply for graduation on Hokie Spa

May 11, 202 4: Last Day to defend for MFA students

April 6, 2024 :  Your Annual Review form is due to your advisor electronically

By  April 15, 202 4: advisors put completed Annual Review form (hard copy) in advisees’ boxes or send via email; advisees sign these and bring them to Marie Trimmer in 310 Shanks Hall (or put them in her mailbox #113)

April 15, 2024 : Your Plan of Study form, with signatures, is due to Marie Trimmer, Graduate Program Coordinator

General Forms

MFA Plan of Study  

Plan of Study Change Form

Change of Committee/Advisor Form

Annual Review of Student Progress  

Independent Study Request Form

Request to enroll in a 4000-level course 

Thesis Information and Forms

Creative Thesis, Defined

Individual MFA Faculty Thesis Guidelines and Info

Thesis Committee Request Form

Thesis & Exam Timeline

MFA Program Deadlines Checklist

Graduate School Degree Deadlines

Guidelines for Submitting Thesis to Graduate School

MFA Policies & Procedures

Travel Forms

• Fill out the MFA Travel Approval Spreadsheet (shared via email) by Sept 16 (for fall travel) or Jan 15 (for spring travel)
• Submit the  TRAVEL APPROVAL FORM  to Andrew Fortin at least 4 weeks BEFORE you travel (and please use  GSA rates  for per diems).
• Submit the  TRAVEL REIMBURSEMENT FORM  to Sandra Ross within 2 weeks of returning–and never later than June 1

Info on Literary Prizes

Fall Literary Awards

Virginia Tech Fiction Prize : The Virginia Tech Fiction Prize is awarded for the best short story or novel excerpt written by a student currently enrolled in the MFA program. Entries are due by November 1st. Click here for full submission guidelines.

Virginia Tech/Poetry Society of Virginia Award : Administered by the Academy of American Poets. The Virginia Tech/Poetry Society of Virginia Prize is awarded for the best poem written by a student currently enrolled in the MFA program. Entries are due by November 1st. Click here for full submission guidelines.

Creative Nonfiction Nomination for AWP Intro Journals Project : 2015 was the first year the MFA program accepted submissions of creative non-fiction pieces, in order to choose one to nominate for the  AWP Intro Journals Project . Entries are due November 1st. Click here for full submission guidelines.

Spring Literary Awards

Emily Morrison Prize for Fiction: This prize is provided through the generosity of the Morrison family. The annual prize is awarded to a student enrolled in the MFA Program in Creative Writing at Virginia Tech, and will be judged by a writer who is not a part of the Virginia Tech faculty. Entries are due March 15th. Click here for full submission guidelines.

Emily Morrison Prize for Poetry: This prize is provided through the generosity of the Morrison family. The annual prize is awarded to a student enrolled in the MFA Program in Creative Writing at Virginia Tech, and will be judged by a writer who is not a part of the Virginia Tech faculty. Click here for full submission guidelines.

Miscellaneous

Graduate Student Handbook

MFA Bookshelf

8 Lessons From Nikki Giovanni

The Best 15 Creative Writing MFA Programs in 2023

April 7, 2023

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? This article walks you through the considerations for an MFA program, as well as the best Creative Writing MFA programs in the United States.

First of all, what is an MFA?

A Master of Fine Arts (MFA) is a graduate degree that usually takes from two to three years to complete. Applications require a sample portfolio for entry, usually of 10-20 pages of your best writing.

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.

Reasons to 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.

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 programs 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 (baltimore, md).

This is a two-year program, with $33,000 teaching fellowships per year. This MFA offers the most generous funding package. Not to mention, it offers that sweet, sweet health insurance, mind-boggling faculty, and a guaranteed lecture position after graduation (nice). No nonfiction MFA (boo).

• Incoming class size: 8 students
• Admissions rate: 11.1%
• Alumni: Chimamanda Adiche, 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 (Austin, TX)

A fully-funded 3-year program with a generous stipend of $29,500. The program offers fiction, poetry, playwriting and screenwriting. The Michener Center is also unique because you study a primary genre and a secondary genre, and also get $3,000 for the summer.

• 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 (Iowa City, IA)

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. Most students are funded, with fellowships worth up to $21,000. The Translation MFA, co-founded by Gayatri Chakravorti Spivak, is also two years, 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: 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

4) University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI)

Anne Carson famously lives in Ann Arbor, as do the MFA students U-Michigan’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 $23,000 stipend, summer funding, and health care.

This is a 2-3-year program, 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.

• Incoming class size: 18
• Acceptance rate: 4% (which maybe seems high after less-than-1%)
• Alumni: Brit Bennett, Vievee Francis, Airea D. Matthews, Celeste Ng, Chigozie Obioma, Jia Tolentino, Jesmyn Ward

5) Brown University (Providence, RI)

Brown offers an edgy, well-funded program in a place that doesn’t dip into arctic temperatures. Students are all fully-funded for 2-3 years with $29,926 in 2021-22. 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.

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

Best MFA Creative Writing Programs (Continued) 

6) university of arizona (tucson, az).

This 3-year program 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 dry heat is good for arthritis.

This notoriously supportive program pays $20,000 a year, and offers the potential to volunteer at multiple literary organizations. You can also do supported research at the US-Mexico Border.

• Incoming class size: 9
• Acceptance rate: 4.85% (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 (Tempe, AZ):

Arizona State is also 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. Everyone gets a $19,000 stipend, with other opportunities for financial support.

• 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 (new york, ny).

This two-year program is in New York City, meaning it comes with close access to literary opportunities and hot dogs. NYU is private, and 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.

• Incoming class size: 40-60
• Acceptance rate: 6%
• 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 (New York, NY)

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.

• Incoming class size: 110
• Acceptance rate: 21%
• 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 (Bronxville, NY)

Sarah Lawrence offers speculative fiction beyond the average fiction, poetry, and nonfiction course offerings. 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.

• Incoming class size: 30-40
• Acceptance rate: N/A
• Alumni: Cynthia Cruz, Melissa Febos, T Kira Madden, Alex Dimitrov, Moncho Alvarado

LOW RESIDENCY

11 bennington college (bennington, vt).

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, and then you get a degree. The tuition is $23,468 per year, with scholarships available.

• Acceptance rate: 53%
• Incoming class: 40
• Alumni: Larissa Pham, Andrew Reiner, Lisa Johnson Mitchell, and others

12)  Institute for American Indian Arts (Santa Fe, NM)

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 offered, in screenwriting, poetry, fiction, and nonfiction.

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

• Incoming class size : 22
• Acceptance rate: 100%
• Alumni: Tommy Orange, Dara Yen Elerath, Kathryn Wilder

13) Vermont College of Fine Arts

One of few MFAs where you can study the art of the picture book, middle grade and young adult literature, graphic literature, nonfiction, fiction, and poetry for young people. Students meet twice a year for nine days, in January and July, in Vermont. 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 is $48,604.

• 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 (el paso, tx).

The world’s first bilingual and online MFA program in the world. UTEP is considered the best online MFA program, and features award-winning faculty from across the globe. Intensive workshops allow submitting in Spanish and English, and genres include poetry and fiction. This three-year program costs $14,766 a year, with rolling admissions.

• Alumni: Watch alumni testimonies here

15) Bay Path University (Long Meadow, MA)

This 2-year online program is dedicated entirely to nonfiction. A supportive, diverse community, Bay Path offers small class sizes, close mentorship, and a potential field trip in Ireland.

There are many tracks, including publishing, Narrative Medicine, and teaching. Core courses include memoir, narrative journalism, and the personal essay. The price is $785/credit, for 39 credits, with scholarships available.

• Incoming class size: 20
• Acceptance rate: an encouraging 78%
• Alumni: Read alumni testimonies here

Prepare for your MFA in advance:

• Best English Programs
• Best Creative Writing Schools
• Writing Summer Programs

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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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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College of Arts and Sciences

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].

Goddard College

• Home ›
• Goddard College Event Calendar ›

MFA in Creative Writing-Vermont Virtual Visit Day

Please join us for the MFA in Creative Writing-Vermont program’s event-filled Virtual Visit Day for prospective students on Monday July 6th.

RSVP by filling out the Goddard Virtual Visit Day Form here.

Would you like a taste of our low-residency program and opportunity to ask questions? Are you ready to take the next step towards earning your MFA in Creative Writing? Then come learn more during our Vermont-based residency, taking place virtually this summer. Participate throughout the day in a sampling of residency activities: meet with admission and get all your application questions answered, connect with MFA in Creative Writing Program Director, Elena Georgiou, to learn more about the program, and attend workshops.

This virtual visit day will take place on zoom.

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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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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 2024-25: Summer term  (residency: June 6-16, 2024) or Winter term (residency: January 9-19, 2025). 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

Program Description 

Vermont State University’s Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program offers students the opportunity to work with award-winning professors who share their passion for the well-turned phrase, the blinding insight, and the masterful plot twist. The program teaches the crafts of prose and poetry through literature courses and writing workshops. Small classes and individualized instruction support students in finding their voice and fine-tune their craft. Students learn from visiting poets and writers and they contribute to a thriving literary community on campus-open mic nights, chapbook publishing, and the serious and deep study of the discipline. The internationally known Vermont Studio Center presents a regular reading series for the many residents and visiting writers hosted there every year. In short, VTSU’s BFA in Creative Writing program is a literary and lively place for young writers to develop. 

Opportunities are available to study and write in a variety of genres, to study literature rigorously and with much focus. By graduation, students will have completed a nearly book-length manuscript in their genre of choice, working alongside a dedicated faculty mentor.  

Students graduate with a strong writing portfolio and solid publishing experience. Through internships with the nationally recognized Green Mountains Review literary journal and work on the undergraduate student literary journal, Pamplemousse, as well as Basement Medicine, the student-produced community newspaper and web site, program students gain real-world publishing skills and experience. From building and maintaining websites, to publishing a literary print journal and an award-winning newspaper, students gain valuable experience in all areas of the field. 

The BFA in Creative Writing at VTSU prepares students for a career in teaching, publishing, editing, or any number of other paths. Students choose to continue their studies in graduate school or perhaps become a life-long reader and writer who explores other avenues. Regardless of future plans, graduates of the program will be well-prepared to think creatively, write wonderfully, and read deeply.  

Program Outcomes 

Produce poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction and become proficient readers and interpreters of imaginative literature. 

Identify the major genres of literature, to recognize the features of each genre and to explore and evaluate different approaches to literary criticism and interpretation.  

Analyze and explicate literary texts so that they can identify themes and ideas as well as recognize how formal literary devices affect meaning.  

Conduct inquiry by researching, synthesizing, and documenting the voice(s) and ideas of others to produce engaging, insightful, and persuasive texts.  

Program Core

• ENG 1101 - Gateway to Literature 3 cr
• ENG 2031 - History and Art of Publishing 3 cr
• ENG 2101 - Creative Writing 3 cr
• ENG 3032 - Literary Publishing in the 21st Century: Green Mountains Review 3 cr
• ENG 4200 - Form & Theory 3 cr
• ENG 4901 - Capstone 3 cr

Program Electives

30 elective credits are required. At least 9 credits at the 2000 level, at least 9 credits at the 3000 level, and at least 3 credits at the 4000 level. All electives may be repeated for credit with change of topic.

• ENG 2200 - Literature Survey 3 cr (Recommended to repeat)
• ENG 2300 - Explorations in Literature 3 cr
• ENG 2400 - Explorations in Writing 3 cr (Recommended to repeat)
• ENG 2500 - Explorations in Publishing 3 cr
• ENG 3500 - Studies in Literature 3 cr
• ENG 3600 - Studies in Writing 3 cr (Recommended to repeat)
• ENG 3700 - Studies in Publishing 3 cr
• ENG 3810 - Internship in English 1-12 cr

Note: ENG 4200 can be repeated for credit with a different topic (three topics are offered: poetry, fiction, and non-fiction.) In the BFA, students must take one version of ENG 4200 as a core course and at least one other version as an elective.

Credits Required for Program: 48

To obtain a degree, students must fulfill the major-specific requirements as well as satisfy all other Degree Requirements    including the General Education Requirements   .

• Creative Writing

The  Creative Writing  major prepares you to be a writer of poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction, drama, or to go into editing or publishing. At Virginia Tech, you will create your own literary events, publish your writing in on-campus journals and professional magazines, and interact with famous writers. In addition to your creative writing classes you will complete courses in literature, digital media, and critical frameworks. Under the guidance of published writers, you’ll develop a portfolio showcasing your range and versatility as a writer.

Career Options

• Creative manager
• Literary agent
• Grant writer
• Video game developer
• Editor and copywriter
• Web designer
• Television writer
• Journalist and reporter

Matthew Vollmer

540-231-8322

[email protected]

403 Shanks Hall 180 Turner Street, NW Blacksburg, VA 24061

Want to become a Hokie?

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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

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College of Liberal Arts

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

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 Lucinda Roy -->
• --> General Item Matthew Vollmer -->
• --> General Item Sophia Terazawa -->

Literary Awards 

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

Faculty Bookshelf

Recent Academic News

• --> Article Item Students Participated in 2023 Women’s and Gender Studies Undergraduate and Graduate Conference , article -->
• --> Article Item Faculty Members Awarded Research Grants from CLAHS in 2022-2023 , article -->
• --> Article Item Faculty Awarded Funding Through New Faculty Mentoring Grant Program , article -->

News Stories

Related Programs

English (M.A)  

Rhetoric and Writing (Ph.D.)