University of Florida
Creative Writing
Program information.
The Department of English offers the Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing. Complete descriptions of the minimum requirements for the M.F.A. are provided in the Graduate Degrees section of this catalog. Full information concerning courses of study is available from the graduate coordinator or by visiting https://mfa.english.ufl.edu/ .
Degrees Offered with a Major in Creative Writing
- Master of Fine Arts
Requirements for these degrees are given in the Graduate Degrees section of this catalog.
English Departmental Courses
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The Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing is a graduate-level major that emphasizes the craft of writing and concentrates on the student’s original work. The MFA typically will take three years for the student to complete. Our goal is to help MFA students to produce publishable theses and secure teaching or editing positions upon graduation.
Admission Information
Must meet University Admission and English Proficiency requirements as well as requirements for admission to the major, listed below. Students accepted into the program will begin coursework in the fall. No applications will be considered for spring or summer admission.
- Bachelor’s degree in English or related field, with a 3.20 average, or its equivalent
- Three (3) letters of recommendation, preferably from former English instructors, assessing the student’s potential to do graduate level work
- Prose should be double spaced. Indicate genre (fiction, memoir)
- Poetry should be single spaced
- A sample that includes both prose and poetry is permitted if the student plans to specialize in more than one genre
- Hybrid, graphic, text/image works and comics are invited (format is left up to the author)
- A two-to-three page personal statement, describing the student’s background, purpose for attending graduate studies, and career goals
- Interest in a Graduate Assistantship should be noted in the personal statement
- Candidates with a BA degree in a field other than English may be required to take undergraduate surveys in English and American Literature. Coursework will be determined by the Graduate Director in consultation with the student
Curriculum Requirements
Total Minimum Hours: 45 Credit Hours
- Core Requirements - 6 Credit Hours
- Additional Required Courses - 30 Credit Hours
- Thesis - 9 Credit Hours Minimum
The distribution of the requirements includes
- 18 hours in writing workshops and craft seminars and
- 12 hours in pedagogy and literature courses
Core Requirements (6 Credit Hours Minimum)
Must be taken in the student’s first or second semester of graduate studies.
- ENG 6009 Introduction to Graduate Study Credit Hours: 3
- ENC 6745 Teaching Practicum Credit Hours: 3
Additional Required Courses (30 Credit Hours)
Select six courses (18 Credit Hours) from the following:
- CRW 6130 Fiction Writing Credit Hours: 3 (May be taken up to three times for a maximum of 9 credits)
- CRW 6331 Poetry Writing Credit Hours: 3 (May be taken up to three times for a maximum of 9 credits)
- CRW 6236 Nonfiction Writing Credit Hours: 3 (May be taken up to three times for a maximum of 9 credits)
- CRW 6164 The Craft of Fiction Credit Hours: 3
- CRW 6352 The Craft of Poetry Credit Hours: 3
- CRW 6231 The Craft of Nonfiction Credit Hours: 3
- CRW 6025 Special Topics in Creative Writing Credit Hours: 3 (This course concentrates on screenwriting, translation, editing, creative writing pedagogy (with a community service component), or study of a particular genre or technique.) May be taken up to four times for a maximum of 12 Credit Hours)
Select four (4) courses (12 Credit Hours) in any combination of the courses below:
- CRW 6806 Creative Writing Pedagogy Practicum Credit Hours: 3
- CRW 6726 Practicum in Literary Editing and Publishing Credit Hours: 3
- ENG 6946 Internship Credit Hours: 3 (Required of students participating in the graduate internship program)
Any graduate-level (6000 or above) literature courses offered by the English Department. These coruses are coded AML 6—, ENL 6—-, and LIT 6—
Comprehensive Exam
Students do not take a written comprehensive exam. The thesis introduction serves in lieu of the comprehensive exam.
Thesis (9 Credit Hours Minimum)
The student must be registered in at least 3 hours of ENG 6971 during the semester prior to graduation.
Complete a book-length manuscript in creative nonfiction, fiction, poetry ,comics, or hybrid work that will meet departmental and university requirements for the thesis. The thesis shall consist of at least 40 pages of poems (single-or double-spaced), at least 100 pages of prose, or , in a hybrid work, a length determined in consultation with the thesis director. All students must write a three-to-ten-page introduction to their thesis that explains their goals for the work.
- ENG 6971 Thesis: Master’s Credit Hours: 2-19 (9 credits for the program) usually taken in the student’s final year of study
University of Florida
Gainesville , FL
https://mfa.english.ufl.edu
Degrees Offered
Fiction, Poetry
Residency type
Program length, financial aid.
A writing program should be easily affordable. All MFA students here receive a full tuition waiver. They also receive a fellowship and teaching-assistantship package currently worth $22,000 a year for the duration of the three-year program.
Teaching opportunities
In their first year, MFA candidates team-teach English Comp 1101 and 1102. In their second and third years, MFA candidates may teach creative writing workshops in their concentration, composition courses (English 1101 and 1102), Writing for Engineers, or other courses of their choice as part of a 2/1 or 1/2 teaching load. MFA candidates are guaranteed one section of creative writing in both the second and third years. In addition MFA candidates with expertise in fields outside creative writing may be given the opportunity to teach academic courses in their areas of expertise and to serve as TAs to faculty teaching lecture courses.
Editorial opportunities
During their three years at UF, MFA candidates are given the opportunity to work on Subtropics , our internationally recognized literary journal. For this work they receive elective credit.
Cross-genre study
Although at present we offer degrees only in poetry and fiction, we encourage cross-genre work and often have students in our fiction program whose work defies simple genre definitions.
- Chris Bachelder MFA (Fiction) 2002
- Nini Berndt MFA (Fiction)
- Wendy Brenner MFA (Fiction) 1991
- Geoffrey Brock MFA (Poetry) 1998
- Kevin Canty MA (Fiction) 1990
- Rebecca Evanhoe MFA (Fiction) 2013
- Jacob Guajardo MFA (Fiction) 2018
- Jerry Harp MFA (Poetry) 1991
- Noy Holland MFA (Fiction) 1994
- Savannah Horton MFA (Fiction) 2021
- Rachel Khong MFA (Fiction) 2011
- Noelle Kocot MFA (Poetry) 1995
- Andrew Kozma MFA (Poetry) 2002
- Victoria Lancelotta MFA (Fiction) 1994
- Harry Leeds MFA (Fiction) 2012
- Manuel Martinez MFA (Fiction) 1994
- Christopher Merkner MFA (Fiction) 2001
- Christina Nichol MFA (Fiction) 2012
- Daniel J. O'Malley MFA (Fiction) 2008
- Hai-Dang Phan MFA (Poetry) 2013
- John Poch MFA (Poetry) 1997
- Ralph James Savarese MFA (Poetry) 1994
- Emma Smith-Stevens MFA (Fiction) 2013
- Alexandra Teague MFA (Poetry) 1998
- Kevin Wilson MFA (Fiction) 2004
- C. Dale Young MFA (Poetry) 1993
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 .
Creative Writing (MFA)
Program at a glance.
- In State Tuition
- Out of State Tuition
Learn more about the cost to attend UCF.
The Creative Writing MFA offers a workshop-intensive program in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, emphasizing the art and craft of creative writing and concentrating on the student's written work. The program encourages hybrid and experimental forms.
The MFA program emphasizes the study of craft and published writing alongside the closely analyzed production of original work by students. Opportunities for professional development as writers, teachers, and editors abound. Our prolific, dedicated faculty members have won numerous prestigious awards for their work and have served as officers in national professional organizations. The MFA program in Creative Writing offers workshop courses in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, emphasizing the art and craft of creative writing and concentrating on the student's written work.
Total Credit Hours Required: 36 Credit Hours Minimum beyond the Bachelor's Degree
Application Deadlines
- International
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Career opportunities.
- Copy Writer
- Creative Writer
- Creative Writing English Professor
- Editor / Publisher
- High School English Teacher
- Technical Writer
University of Central Florida Colleges
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Program Prerequisites
Students are required to have a proficiency in American and British Literature as reflected by completing at least one survey course in each field. Students with baccalaureate degrees in subjects other than English whose transcripts do not clearly indicate successful completion of such courses will be required to complete survey courses in British and American literature as co-requisites before the thesis defense. The particular courses that satisfy these co-requisites are selected in consultation with the MFA program director.
Degree Requirements
Required courses.
- CRW6025 - Advanced Graduate Writing Workshop (3)
- CRW6920 - Fiction Workshop (3)
- CRW6921 - Multi-Genre Workshop (3)
- CRW6922 - Novel Workshop (3)
- CRW6923 - Nonfiction Workshop (3)
- CRW6924 - Poetry Workshop (3)
- While the student is expected to concentrate their workshop study in their chief genre, multi-genre proficiency is encouraged. Additional credit hours beyond the required 9 credit hours in workshops that include their chief genre are recommended to assist the student in developing better writing and publication skills.
- LIT6039 - Studies in Contemporary Poetry (3)
- LIT6097 - Studies in Contemporary Fiction (3)
- LIT6076 - Studies in Contemporary Nonfiction (3)
- CRW5130 - Form and Theory in Creative Writing (3)
Elective Courses
- CRW6720 - Professional Development in Creative Writing (3)
- CRW6721 - Literary Journal Editing (3)
- CRW6976 - Scholarship and Publication Models (3)
- CRW6806C - Teaching Creative Writing (3)
- CRW5948C - Creative Writing Service Learning (3)
- CRW6946 - Internship (1 - 99)
- CRW 5938 - Special Topics Seminar 3 Credit Hours may also be taken if offered CRW 6920, CRW 6921, CRW 6922, CRW 6923, CRW 6924 may substitute for CRW 6025
- LIT6216 - Issues in Literary Study (3)
- LIT6936 - Studies in Literary, Cultural, and Textual Theory (3)
- ENC5705 - Approaches to Teaching College Composition (3)
- LIT6276 - Teaching College Literature (3)
- Earn at least 3 credits from the following types of courses: An additional elective.
- Earn at least 6 credits from the following types of courses: CRW 6971 Thesis 3 Credit Hours The candidate will complete a book-length manuscript of publishable quality, written and revised in CRW 6971 Thesis, that meets both departmental and university requirements for the thesis.
Practicum and Internship (Optional)
- Although a practicum or an internship is not required, they are encouraged to better prepare the student for their profession. These courses fulfill the 6-hour requirement in restricted electives and are listed in that category. CRW 6946 Internship The Florida Review Internship 3 Credit Hours The Cypress Dome Internship 3 Credit Hours Other Approved Internship 3 Credit Hours CRW 5948C - Creative Writing Service Learning 3 Credit Hours
Independent Learning
- The creative thesis, a book-length manuscript of original creative work, is the independent learning experience.
Grand Total Credits: 36
Application requirements.
Florida State University
FSU | The English Department
The English Department
Creative writing.
Consistently ranked among the top writing programs in the country, Florida State University’s Creative Writing Program has an internationally recognized reputation of excellence. Among our faculty are winners of the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, the Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship, and the National Poetry Series. Our faculty is not only dedicated to the craft of their own writing, but is also widely known for strong mentorship and committed teaching.
Our students are respected as some of the strongest emerging and established voices in writing today, frequently going on to meaningful careers in academia, and publishing their work with some of the most respected presses in the country. Located in the heart of Tallahassee, a capital city with Southern charm, our program offers a thriving community to all writers who are looking to strengthen their craft while building life-long relationships in writing.
For questions about the Creative Writing Program, and/or graduate admissions, please e-mail [email protected] .
Faculty Bookshelf
English Department
405 Williams Building Tallahassee,
Florida 32306-1580
Phone: (850) 644-4230
Program Contacts
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University of South Florida
Department of English
TAMPA | ST. PETERSBURG | SARASOTA-MANATEE
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Creative writing mfa.
For a complete list of Department of English faculty with contact information, visit the Faculty Contact page.
John Henry Fleming
Fiction, speculative fiction, horror
Julia Koets
Essay, lyric essay, memoir, poetry
Jarod Roselló
Fiction, short novel, writing for children, comics
Natalie Scenters-Zapico
Poetry, multilingual/codeswitch writing, feminist poetics, borderland poetics
Heather Sellers
Essay, memoir, flash/micro, poetry
Fiction, novel-in-stories
COMMENTS
On November 5th, 2021, MFA@FLA welcomed authors Adam Ehrlich Sachs ( Organs of Sense, Inherited Disorders) and Paisley Rekdal ( Appropriate: A Provocation , Nightingale )—to deliver a reading at Ulster Hall. New York, My Village, by Uwem Akpan (faculty), has been named Fiction Pick of the Month by the Strand, a December selection for ...
Deadline: We will not accept applications for the MFA in Creative Writing for academic year 2024-2025. We will resume our usual admissions cycle next year. You must apply to the University online through the UF Online Application Portal . The portal will guide you through the process and provide information on the application fee.
MFA@FLA Requirements (2022) The MFA takes three years to complete, and requires 54 credit hours of the following: Each of the courses above carries 3 credit hours. Graduate courses on offer in the English department can be found here. Please note that the "Time (s)" listed on this page are not hours but UF course periods.
The Department of English offers the Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing. Complete descriptions of the minimum requirements for the M.F.A. are provided in the Graduate Degrees section of this catalog.
The Creative Writing model, when sufficiently diverse, is adequate preparation for admission to graduate writing programs. Category I: At least two, but not more than six, upper-division creative writing workshops. Students are encouraged to take one workshop in an alternate genre: CRW 3310 Adv. Sem: Poetry.
The creative writing program at the University of Florida, one of the oldest creative writing programs in the US, nurtures and pushes its graduate students ... MFA@FLA also hosts the annual Florida Writers Festival in the fall. While rankings are quirky in such a subjective field, the program embraces one ranking, bestowed by Poets & Writers ...
The Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing is a graduate-level major that emphasizes the craft of writing and concentrates on the student's original work. The MFA typically will take three years for the student to complete. Our goal is to help MFA students to produce publishable theses and secure teaching or editing positions upon graduation.
The Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing at the University of South Florida is a funded three-year degree. MFA students receive a full tuition waiver and the teaching assistantship comes with a stipend and health insurance. Each year we accept an average of nine students who write comics, creative nonfiction, fiction, and poetry.
Teaching opportunities. In their first year, MFA candidates team-teach English Comp 1101 and 1102. In their second and third years, MFA candidates may teach creative writing workshops in their concentration, composition courses (English 1101 and 1102), Writing for Engineers, or other courses of their choice as part of a 2/1 or 1/2 teaching load.
Embark on your journey with the Studyportals Scholarship! We're giving away a total of 20,000 euros to help you achieve your dream of studying abroad. Apply for Scholarship. The Department of English at University of Florida offers the Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing.
The Creative Writing MFA at Florida Atlantic University is home to an engaged and lively literary community. During the three-year (48-credit) program students take writing workshops in fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry, as well as literature courses. Students can take additional coursework in Literary Translation, Bookarts, and Creative ...
Program Information. In the first year, students are required to take the Introduction to Graduate Studies and the teaching practicums. Every effort is made to enroll students in the workshop and craft courses of their choice. Thesis committees are formed in the fall of the second year. In the third year, students submit their thesis in March.
In State. Out of State. $369.65 per credit hour. Learn more about the cost to attend UCF. The Creative Writing MFA offers a workshop-intensive program in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, emphasizing the art and craft of creative writing and concentrating on the student's written work. The program encourages hybrid and experimental forms.
My experience applying to 15 of the best Creative Writing MFA programs in the United States / a note for anyone who might be thinking about applying to Creative Writing MFA's. ... I got into Baltimore University, Southern Connecticut State University, Emerson College, and University of South Florida. University of South Florida is the only 100% ...
Tallahassee, Florida 32306-1580. Phone: 850 644 4231. Fax: 850 644 0811. Director, Skip Horack. [email protected]. Creative Writing Consistently ranked among the top writing programs in the country, Florida State University's Creative Writing Program has an internationally recognized reputation of excellence. Among our faculty are winners of ...
Information on how to apply to the Creative Writing MFA program with the Department of English at the University of South Florida. ... University of South Florida. Department of English. TAMPA | ST. PETERSBURG | SARASOTA-MANATEE. Search. Search for: Main Navigation. Menu. Give Now. About Us. Mission; Vision; Values; Diversity and Inclusion ...
The MFA in Creative Writing is a supportive and vibrant community for writers. Ours is a 2-year program (36 credits) with a creative thesis. Our award-winning faculty are dedicated to the growth of each writer in the program. We have between 30-40 students in the program, and we admit 15-20 new students each year.
Christine M. Lasek holds an MFA in fiction from the University of South Florida, where she served as the managing editor of Saw Palm: Florida Literature and Art. She currently teaches creative writing and serves as the academic professional for the Creative Writing Program at the University of Georgia. The first 30 years of Christine's life ...
Our Masters of Creative Writing degree program offers comprehensive online courses in literary arts, encompassing advanced writing studies in various genres such as fiction, poetry, non-fiction, and more. Students benefit from one-on-one mentorship with renowned and published writers in their respective genres, providing invaluable guidance and support to hone their craft. With flexible online ...
Michael Newirth (MFA, 1995) Essays and stories in The Baffler , Open City , Chicago Reader , Pushcart Prize XXII , Boob Jubilee: The Cultural Politics of the New Economy. Fiction Editor, Bridge Magazine. Lecturer, University of Illinois at Chicago and the MCW program at Northwestern's School of Continuing Studies.
For a complete list of Department of English faculty with contact information, visit the Faculty Contact page.