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• MA in English in the Field of Creative Writing

The Department of English at the University of Toronto launched the MA Program in English in the Field of Creative Writing (MA CRW) in 2004-05. The program draws both on the expertise of faculty at the University of Toronto and on the extraordinary vitality of Toronto’s writing community. Internationally acclaimed writers, a multiplicity of cultural traditions, and an energetic publishing industry provide the environment for nurturing new talent. Students have at their disposal the academic and creative resources of the English Department, including its strengths in historical research and traditional scholarship, numerous interdisciplinary collaborations, its acknowledged expertise in world literature, and a faculty engaged in new theoretical studies in culture, race, and gender. Students also have access to one of the world’s great library systems, including the manuscript collections at the Fisher Rare Book library. While the program is designed to prepare participants for careers as professional writers, it will also qualify those wishing to pursue further graduate studies.

Admission Requirements

The MA in English in the Field of Creative Writing requires students to attend graduate-level English courses. The degree can lead to a PhD in English. Therefore, students must have at least seven full-year undergraduate courses in English or the equivalent in half-year courses (i.e., fourteen), or any combination of full- and half-year courses that add up to the equivalent of seven full-year courses .  It is not necessary to have an English major, as long as you have the seven undergraduate English courses. Students who do not meet this requirement cannot be admitted into the program.

A B+ average (GPA of 3.3) is the minimum requirement for entry into the program. Once this is met, the primary basis for the selection of candidates is the quality of the portfolio submission. It is not expected that students will have publication credits. Applicants do not need to provide GRE results.

Applications must be submitted online and are considered complete only when the following documentation has been received by the Department of English:

• Two academic letters of reference submitted online by academic referees/recommenders, each addressing your performance in university English and/or Creative Writing coursework. At least one letter must discuss your performance in English coursework. Do not use editors, publishers, employers, or fellow writers as referees.
• A statement of purpose, submitted electronically
• Digital Transcripts from each post-secondary institution attended (in pdf format), uploaded to the application, and UPON REQUEST ONLY official paper transcripts mailed directly to the Department. For more detailed information and instructions regarding submitting transcripts, please visit  "Checklist for a Complete GradAPP Package" in the section entitled Academic Transcripts  on our  APPLICATION INFORMATION page.
• Do not submit academic essays.
• To view the application details and requirements, please visit the SGS website here  SGS Admissions & SGS Application Requirements  and the application instructions on the SGS  How to apply  page. Additionally, here is the link to the School of Graduate Studies pages for Future Students .

Program Requirements

The MA program in English in the Field of Creative Writing usually requires 18-24 months to complete. Applicants must have an overall average of B+ or better and evidence of first-class work in English for admission to the program. The program requires the completion of two FCE’s (full course equivalents) in English; ENG6950Y Writing Workshop; and a supervised Writing Project (the equivalent of a thesis) completed under the direction of a mentor.

All candidates must complete the Writing Workshop in the first year of their program. Some sessions may feature on-campus visits from editors, publishers, professional archivists, researchers, and agents so that students can learn the pragmatics of the publishing industry. In their second year, students undertake a book-length Writing Project in a genre of choice – poetry, drama, fiction, or creative non-fiction. Each student is assigned a faculty member or adjunct faculty member with whom to consult on a regular basis about the Project. All advisors are published writers.

Writing Workshop

ENG6950YY: All candidates for the MA in English in the Field of Creative Writing must complete this workshop in the first year of their program. Students will also submit creative work in order to receive feedback from the instructor and fellow students, and this will allow them to develop their portfolios.

Writing Project

In the second year of the program, students will undertake a book-length Writing Project in a genre of choice (poetry, drama, fiction, or creative non-fiction). Each student will be assigned a faculty member or adjunct faculty member with whom to consult on a regular basis about the Project. All mentors will be published writers. The completed Project should normally be submitted before the beginning of April of the second year. The Department will then arrange an oral defense, to be chaired by the Director of the MA in English in the Field of Creative Writing. The Writing Project can be designated as Pass, Fail, or Distinction.

Student Funding

Students accepted into the MA Program in English in the Field of Creative Writing are eligible for teaching assistantships, including a number in Creative Writing courses. All incoming students are considered for incoming scholarships.

Students are strongly encouraged to apply for external funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, and for the Ontario Graduate Scholarship. For more information visit the Department of English Finances & Awards  webpage.

Faculty, Mentors, and Alumni

• MA CRW Program Adjunct Faculty (Mentor) Biographies
• MA CRW Faculty Biographies
• MA CRW Alumni Biographies

How many students are admitted each year?

We admit seven students each year.

I do not have 7 full-year (or equivalent) undergraduate courses in English. Can I still apply?

Because the program is an MA in English, students must have a strong background in English literature. Students who do not have sufficient undergraduate training may wish to take additional courses in English in order to qualify for admission.

My average is less than a B+. Can I still apply?

The academic requirements for admission to the MA in English in the Field of Creative Writing are very strict. The B+ minimum must be met or a student’s portfolio will not be considered. Students who do not have an adequate GPA may wish to take additional courses in order to improve their academic standing and qualify for admission.

I have taken courses in literature in a language other than English. Can I apply?

Unless the texts were studied in English translation, courses in literature in a language other than English do not qualify students for admission to the program.

How should I choose what to submit?

Choose your best writing.

Can I apply to enrol in January?

There is only one entry point for students in the MA in English in the Field of Creative Writing, which is September. Students may not begin the program in January.

Can I enrol in the MA in English in the Field of Creative Writing part-time?

Students must enrol full-time.

How much Financial Support can I expect?

Currently we are able to offer students in the Creative Writing program a TAship each year (number of hours TBA at the start of the program), to a maximum of two years. Successful applicants for the SSHRC CGS-M award can expect $17,500. OGS award holders can expect up to $15,000. All incoming students are considered for incoming scholarships.

For more information please contact us by e-mail, phone or by mail.

[email protected]  Director, MA in English in the Field of Creative Writing Department of English 170 St. George Street University of Toronto Toronto, Ontario Canada M5R 2M8

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Department of English

College of humanities, main navigation, creative writing, about the creative writing program.

Our Creative Writing Program is vibrant and highly successful. We are committed on all levels to developing well-rounded practitioners with substantial backgrounds in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, digital writing practices, hybrid and other experimental forms, book arts, and literary history and theory.  Our program hosts a dynamic reading series and opportunities for interaction with visiting authors and scholars.

Undergraduates are introduced to a variety of writing lives through small workshops and intensive focus on their work, while studying the larger ecology of contemporary publishing.  In our graduate program, home to  Quarterly West  and  Western Humanities Review , students intensify and deepen their investigation. We offer a modular MFA in Environmental Humanities, the American West, or Book Arts.  Many graduates in our PhD Program, which  Atlantic Monthly  rated as among the top five in the country, publish widely in literary journals, place books before or soon after completing the program, win national and international awards, oversee and participate in a graduate reading series, and go on to find good academic positions.

Our renowned and aesthetically diverse faculty, whose honors include Guggenheim and NEA fellowships, Pushcart Prizes, the Berlin Prize, and other prestigious recognition of their creative work, scholarship, and teaching, includes Katharine Coles, Lindsey Drager, Michael Mejia, Jacqueline Osherow, Paisley Rekdal, and Rone Shavers.  Additionally, each year the Creative Writing Program brings in a nationally recognized ESRR Distinguished Visiting Writer to teach graduate and undergraduate workshops and seminars for a half semester or longer.

Contact Information

Michael Mejia Director, Creative Writing Program [email protected]

Karli Sam Graduate Advisor [email protected]

Graduate Degrees in Creative Writing

We offer   two graduate degrees   in Creative Writing: An MFA and a PhD that prepares students to pursue careers as teachers of writing.  The creative Writing faculty also sponsors an annual   Guest Writers Series  and the   Utah Symposium in Science and Literature .

Graduate students also comprise the editorial staff of   Quarterly West   and   Western Humanities Review , and host the monthly  Working Dog   readings.

Creative Writing MFA Information

CREATIVE WRITING MFA - Modular Track Information

CREATIVE WRITING PhD Information

English MFA - Creative Writing

The English MFA program in creative writing is small and selective. It gives students the   opportunity to study literature, participate in intensive writing workshops, and work in a close community of writers.   Studies may focus their literature coursework in any area of English or American literature.

Coursework Requirements

English mfa timeline.

Students will take a minimum of nine courses of at least three credit hours each:

• Four creative writing workshops
• English 7450: Narrative Theory and Practice   or   English 7460: Theory and Practice of Poetry (depending on the genre of the thesis)
• Four other courses, including at least two literary history courses

MA Thesis & Thesis Defense

During their residence, MFA students are expected to work closely with members of the creative writing faculty and write book-length thesis of publishable quality —a novel, a collection of stories, or a collection of poems.

A complete draft of the thesis should be submitted to the committee chair at least three weeks before the desired defense date. After the thesis has been approved by the chair, a defense date is scheduled and cleared with the other committee members. When the date and time have been set, the student should inform the Graduate Advisor, who will schedule a room for the defense and post an announcement so that the public may attend.

Click on the link below to download a recommended, two-year timeline for an MFA in English from our department.

   ENGLISH MFA TIMELINE

English MFA - Creative Writing (Modular Track)

The University of Utah Creative Writing Program offers a modular MFA program in poetry, fiction and nonfiction that allows students to take courses in Environmental Humanities, the History of the American West and Book Arts while completing a manuscript in the genre of their choice.

Funding Opportunities

About the modular track.

The modular MFA is the only MFA program in the nation that allows students to create courses of study that would capitalize on these three distinct areas, to use the historical, aesthetic and cultural knowledge gained from these subjects in their own creative writing.   Upon entering the MFA program, students interested in the modular MFA would declare whether they wanted to pursue a single track (MFA with an Environmental Humanities emphasis, for instance) or a multidisciplinary track (MFA with an American West/Environmental Humanities emphasis).

While enrolled in a writing workshop of their choice each semester, students will also take a wide variety of graduate and upper-level undergraduate courses from departments across campus, including History, Communication, Art and Art History, Philosophy and Film, as well as English.   These courses include topics such as Environmental Ethics, Film Directors of the American West, Bookbinding, Digital Arts, Global Environmental History, Videogame Studies, Sound Poetry, Artists’ Books, and Art and Architecture of the American West.   Students are also encouraged to take our hybrid graduate writing workshop called Experimental Forms in which students combine poetry, fiction, nonfiction and new media in diverse and original ways.

Modular MFA Requirements

Our traditional MFA program requires nine graduate courses, plus six hours of thesis research. Of these nine courses, four are creative writing workshops, one is a theory and practice in the genre of the student’s thesis, and at least four courses are in literary history and special topics.

Our modular MFA program requires the same number of courses and hours of thesis research, but allows students in particular modules (or multi-disciplinary modules) to take courses outside English to fulfill their four literary history/special topics requirements.

Approved Modular Courses

Below is a list of possible approved courses regularly offered at the university in each of the three modules that modular MFA students might take. This list is not exhaustive; modular MFA students are encouraged to research their departments of interest to find other graduate and upper-division undergraduate courses that might apply.  Courses not on this list must be pre-approved by both the Director of Graduate Studies and the Director of Creative Writing for the student to receive credit towards her modular MFA degree.

Environmental Humanities

EHUM 6900/005:  Environmental Leadership/Orientation Week 0, Fall1 EHUM 101:  Foundation in Environmental Humanities Fall1 EHUM 6103:  Ecology of Residency (Taft-Nicholson Center - Summer) Fall2 EHUM 6105:  EH Writing Seminar Spring1 EHUM 6804:  Tertulia - Reading/discussion group - Fall1, Spring 1

Other courses of interest

Environmental Humanities encourages students to explore courses offered through the College of Humanities. Courses vary semester to semester, year to year. Courses of interest might include:

COMM 6360:  Environmental Communication COMM 7200:  Environmental Communication EHUM 6850:  Issues in Environmental Humanities - topic varies according to semester ENGL 5980:  Ecoctriticism ENGL 6240:  Literature of the American West ENGL 6810:  Post-humanist Theory & Practice ENGL 7700:  Seminar in American Studies ENGL 7850:  Digital Humanities HIST 6380:  US Environmental History HIST 7670:  Colloquium in Environmental History PHIL 5530:  Environmental Philosophy PHIL 6520:  Advanced Bioethics

American West

ENGL 6200:   Introduction to American Studies ENGL 7700:   Special Topics in American Studies ARCH 6231:   Art and Architecture of the American West HIST 6910:   Special Studies in American History HIST 7620:   Colloquium in the History of the American West HIST 7870:   Colloquium in the American West FILM 7870:   Special Topics in American West Film and Filmmakers

Book Arts / Publishing / New Media

ENGL 7050:   Experimental Forms ENGL 7810:   Publications Workshop: Lit and American Studies ENGL 6680, 7740 or 7720   (whichever number applies):

*Seminar in the Theory and Practice of New Media Writing *New Media and Poetry *Sound Poetry *Critical Studies in Artists’ Books

ARCH 6052:   Digital Media ART 3360:   Letterpress Printing ART 3365:   Bookbinding ART 3630:   Digital Studio ART 4060-065-070:   Nonmajor Letterpress II ART 4075:   Nonmajor bookbinding III ART 4090:   Nonmajor Artist’s Books COMM 6520:   Interactive Narrative COMM 6550:   Digital Imaging COMM 6640:   Comm Tech and Culture COMM 6650:   Videogames Studies COMM 6670:   Activism & New Media COMM 6680:   Computer Mediated Communication COMM 6690:   New Media, Special Topics COMM 7640:   New Media, Special Topics

Students interested in pursuing the Modular MFA have the option of applying or being considered for a number of fellowship opportunities. Students primarily interested in Environmental Humanities will be considered for a half-teaching fellowship that will cover half their tuition expenses and fees. Students interested in the American West and/or Book Arts/New Media studies will be eligible to apply for The Center for American West/ J.W. Marriott Special Collections Fellowships after they have been accepted into the MFA program. These fellowships will require that students work as archivists and transcribers in one of four areas:  Science and Technology in the West, Multimedia Archives of the West, Utah Oral Histories, and Utah Outdoor Recreation Oral Histories.

Students who are selected for one of these fellowships will receive first-year funding for tuition and fees of up to $12,400 with the possibility of the same amount of funding for a second year. Students who receive the Center for American West/J.W. Marriott Special Collections Fellowship will also be given credit for a one-credit independent study course in Archival Research that will be noted on their transcripts.

Publishing internships also may be made available with FC2, Eclipse, University of Utah Press, Red Butte Press/Book Arts, and other local journals and presses. Credit for internships may fall under the heading of ENGL 7810, the publications workshops for Literature and American Studies.

English PhD - Creative Writing

The English PhD with a specialization in Creative Writing is neither a fine arts degree nor simply a traditional literature PhD with a creative dissertation. The program is designed to help the student become a better writer, as well as a writer who knows the history of his or her chosen genre and who is aware of the critical theory relevant to it.

The PhD is generally recognized as a writer's best preparation for a teaching career at the college or university level.   Many colleges cannot afford to hire someone to teach only creative writing; the PhD is strong evidence that the writer can also teach literature courses and that he or she can take a full and active part in the academic community.

Qualifying Examinations

• English PhD Timeline

Students will take ten courses of at least three credits each:

• English 6480: Introduction to Critical Theory
• At least three workshops (one in a genre other than the dissertation is recommended)
• At least three courses in literary history, including one covering literature before 1700 and one covering literature between 1700 and 1900
• English 7450: Narrative Theory and Practice or English 7460: Theory and Practice of Poetry (depending on the genre of the dissertation)
• One or two electives (depending on the number of workshops taken; one of these courses may be taken in a department other than English, with the prior approval of the Director of Graduate Studies)

In creative writing, exams focus on the genre (poetry or prose) of the student’s dissertation. Students will be examined in four fields; lists in each field normally include 25-30 major works or their equivalent. Students must complete all required coursework and satisfy the language requirement before scheduling their qualifying exams. Examination lists will be devised by students in consultation with the members of their committee.

• The genre from its beginnings until the end of the nineteenth century
• The genre from the beginning of the twentieth century to the present
• Topics or themes are devised in consultation with the student’s supervisory committee, especially the committee chair, and might focus on specific literary, generic, or thematic areas (e.g., history of lyric, gothic literature, graphic novels, the literature of war, queer literature, etc.) or a cultural studies field or otherwise interdisciplinary area (e.g., American studies, digital humanities, film studies, race/ethnic studies, religious studies, gender/sexuality studies, art history, etc.).
• This list will focus on theoretical questions relevant to the genre or the dissertation.

English Creative PhD Timeline

Click on the link below to download a recommended, two-year timeline for a Creative Writing PhD in English from our department.

   ENGLISH Creative Writing PhD TIMELINE

Catalog 2019-2020 > Graduate and Continuing Studies > Graduate and Continuing Studies Degree Programs > Graduate Study in the College of Arts and Letters > Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

Catalog 2019-2020

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Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

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The University of Tampa’s low-residency Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program is a two-year, four-term course of individualized study designed to help poets, fiction writers and creative nonfiction writers advance their command of craft through exposure to literature from a writerly perspective and with supportive critique and mentoring. The program also encourages the rich interplay of participation in an extended literary community, and it seeks to deepen the understanding of writing as an ongoing engagement with discovery and transformation.

Mission Statement

The College of Arts and Letters (CAL) seeks to cultivate in students the inner recourses for the truly creative life: physical and emotional discipline, moral imagination, aesthetic receptivity, practiced memory, broad sympathy and intellectual courage. An education in the arts and letters is an engagement with the rigors and powers of devising forms and grasping the shapes of meaning. A deepening of this engagement is an undertaking to which CAL faculty are passionately dedicated. Students are immersed in their chosen fields of study not merely as learners but as practitioners of their respective disciplines.

Graduate Retention Standards

To remain in good academic standing, students must receive a satisfactory narrative evaluation from their assigned mentor and an award of credit for the most recent term of study. A student receiving a “U” grade (Unsatisfactory) is automatically placed on academic probation.  Two successive “U” grades will result in dismissal from the program.

A student may receive an “I” grade (Incomplete) at the discretion of the instructor and program director. The deadline for filing an “I” grade (Incomplete) is March 15th for the January term, September 15th for the June term. Students must satisfactorily complete the “I” term before they are permitted to enroll in a subsequent term.

The deadline for receiving a “W” grade (Withdrawal) is March 15th for the January term, September 15th for the June term.

If a student is unable to continue with the plan of study in a given term, the student may apply through the Office of Graduate and Continuing Studies for “enrollment maintenance” (EM). With the approval of the program director, the EM student’s plan of study is revised to allow for completion of the outstanding contracted work over the course of the succeeding term.

To return to regular student status in the program after an EM period, students must have completed the outstanding requirements of their plan of study for the term in which they applied for enrollment maintenance. Unless given special permission, students may remain on enrollment maintenance for one term only. Students returning to the program after an EM period may be assigned to a subsequent student cohort.

The entire program must be completed within seven years.

Each student will be assigned to the program director for advising purposes pertaining to academic guidance. For matters related to registration, withdrawal and other administrative issues, students are assigned an advisor in the Office of Graduate and Continuing Studies.

Residency participants and mentoring faculty are distinguished practitioners and accomplished instructors from the on-campus faculty of The University of Tampa and from around the world. (Visit  www.ut.edu/mfacw/faculty  for the roster of current faulty and distinguished guests.)

MFA Admission

Students wishing to be considered for admission to the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) program must provide the following:

• Completed application.
• Application fee.
• Official transcripts of all previous college work (received directly from each institution). Undergraduates who are in the process of completing degrees may apply for admission, with full acceptance contingent upon completion of a baccalaureate degree.
• Personal statement articulating education experience not evident in your official transcripts. The personal statement should consist of three typed, double-spaced pages and address these topics: the role writing has played in your life; your aspirations as a writer and how you see this MFA program helping you meet your goals; and evidence of your ability to work well independently. Include your name and contact information on the upper right corner of each page. If the sample is submitted digitally, the file should be in PDF format and labeled: lastnamefirstnamePersonal_Statement.pdf.
• Sample of your creative writing in the genre in which you seek admission (10 pages of poetry, 20 pages of fiction or 20 pages of creative nonfiction). These samples should be typed (using a 12-pt. font) and double-spaced. Include your name and contact information on the upper right corner of each page. If the sample is submitted digitally, the file should be in PDF format and labeled: lastnamefirstnameCreative_Sample.pdf.
• Two letters of recommendation from individuals who can comment on your writing and your ability to work independently.
• Résumé.

Please send required documents to:

Office of Graduate and Continuing Studies

The University of Tampa

401 W. Kennedy Blvd.

Tampa, FL 33606-1490

For admission assistance, contact an admission counselor in the Office of Graduate and Continuing Studies at or (813) 258-7409. For program-specific information, contact the program director’s office at [email protected] or (813) 257-6311.

Transfer and Transient Credit Policy

Effective with January 2013 admissions, students who have qualified for admission to the program may transfer the equivalent of one term's worth of credit (12 credit hours) from another graduate English or creative writing program when approved by the program director and the MFA Committee. Only credits earned with grades of "B" or better will be considered. Coursework completed more than seven years prior to admission is ineligible for transfer consideration. Transfer credit requests are reviewed by the MFA Committee on a case-by-case basis.

Program and Course Requirements

Satisfactory completion of the MFA program requires a minimum of 52 credit hours of graduate work (12 credit hours per term over four terms, and four credit hours for the fifth culminating residency). Partial credit is not awarded. At the conclusion of each term, each student receives a narrative evaluation from the faculty mentor and the award of credit/no credit for completion of the work. Students must attend the entire residency and complete all contracted tutorial period work to the faculty mentor’s satisfaction. Mentor responses to tutorial period submissions, as well as final evaluations, are a matter of record and will be maintained in each student’s file.

Students may begin the program with either the January or June residency.

Residency and tutorial periods

Term One — 12 Credits ( WRI 600 Workshop in Fiction: WRI 610 Workshop in Poetry; WRI 620 Workshop in Non-Fiction)

A 10-day residency initiates term one, with program faculty delivering formal talks on elements of craft, as well as seminars on aesthetic issues and works from the literary canon. Students participate in faculty-guided genre and mentee workshops, and discussion sessions. They also attend readings and lectures by guest faculty and visiting writers and talks by editors and publishers. Assigned readings focus on principles of craft and techniques appropriate to the genre, providing the opportunity for deeper analysis from a writer’s point of view and a broader understanding of literary traditions.

The residency is followed by a five-month tutorial period with four submissions, at prescribed intervals, of original creative writing and annotations on readings. These submissions are critiqued by the faculty mentor. The nature and direction of the reading and writing projects during the tutorial period are planned and agreed upon during the residency through individual conferences with the faculty mentor, and are tailored to the specific needs of the student.

Term Two — 12 Credits ( WRI 600 Workshop in Fiction; WRI 610 Workshop in Poetry; WRI 620 Workshop in Non-Fiction)

Term two extends the student’s accomplishments in term one and begins with a 10-day residency. In plenary sessions and smaller group settings, program faculty offer presentations on elements of craft, as well as seminars on aesthetic issues and works from the literary canon, often involving pertinent concerns across genres. Students participate in faculty-guided genre workshops, small group sessions with mentors, individual conferences and more general discussion sessions. They also attend readings and lectures by guest faculty and visiting writers and talks by editors and publishers. As in term one, assigned readings focus on principles of craft and techniques appropriate to the genre and the development of the writing life, providing the opportunity for deeper analysis of works from a writer’s point of view and a broader understanding of literary traditions. Each term two student also assumes a more central role in seminars by serving as respondent in at least one session.

The term two residency is followed by a five-month tutorial period with four submissions, at prescribed intervals, of original creative writing and annotations on readings. These submissions are critiqued by the faculty mentor. The nature and direction of the reading and writing projects during the tutorial period are determined by a plan of study worked out by the student and faculty mentor during the residency. Each plan is tailored to build upon work thus far accomplished, as well as to address the specific needs and interests of the student.

Term Three — 12 Credits ( WRI 600 Workshop in Fiction; WRI 610 Workshop in Poetry; WRI 620 Workshop in Non-Fiction)

Term three begins with a 10-day residency, with activities similar to those outlined above. But in addition to the residency program, and a leadership role as an advanced respondent in a workshop or presentation, students attend a seminar on writing critical essays in preparation for the subsequent tutorial period focused on the writing of an extended critical essay (25 pages). With his or her faculty mentor, each student agrees upon an appropriate topic for the critical paper, as well as supporting readings and a schedule of draft submissions that will occur during the tutorial period. The completed critical paper is due at the end of the tutorial period. The student also submits drafts of original work and annotations in accordance with the negotiated plan of study.

Term Four — 12 Credits ( WRI 600 Workshop in Fiction; WRI 610 Workshop in Poetry; WRI 620 Workshop in Non-Fiction)

Term four starts with a 10-day residency, with activities similar to those outlined above. Each student takes on additional responsibilities as senior respondent in a residency session, but special emphasis is placed on preparation for teaching a graduating student seminar during the culminating residency and on completing the graduate thesis manuscript. Part of the tutorial period plan of study includes approval and signing of a thesis plan with a thesis director and a second faculty reader, as well as approval of the student’s culminating residency seminar topic. Term four students attend a pedagogy workshop to aid them in the preparation of the seminar each will conduct during the culminating residency.

Capstone Residency—4 credits ( WRI 800 MFA Thesis and Capstone)

Upon completion of their fourth term, students are required to attend a fifth, capstone residency at which they present a graduate seminar, present their thesis (a minimum of 125 pages of fiction or nonfiction, 55 pages of poetry) and their annotated bibliography, give a public reading of original work and complete all required program documentation. After approval by the program director, graduating students are required to submit an electronic version of their thesis to the Macdonald-Kelce Library for inclusion in the digital repository.

Graduation Requirements

All students must satisfactorily complete the four-term, five-residency program and all requirements as articulated above.

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Creative Writing Faculty

Listed here are the full-time professors in the Creative Writing program. We also have some extraordinary writing instructors that join us for particular courses -- you can find them listed  here .

Creative Writing

About the Program

Minor in Creative Writing is designed to allow students to focus on either the literary or dramatic arts, or to integrate their work in both these areas of creative expression.

Honours Bachelor of Arts

After completing your first year, you'll be asked to confirm what program(s) you wish to study – your Programs of Study. They can be integrated in unique ways to obtain your U of T degree, but must be one of the following three combinations: one Specialist; or two Majors; or one Major and two Minors. You don't need to worry about that now, but if you'd like to learn more about this process, watch our handy video (7 min).

Admission Requirements

You apply to an admission category , which is a collection of similar programs. Once you've accepted an offer of admission to our campus, we go into greater detail about specific program and course selection options.

At the end of your first year, you will choose your program(s) , which means that your first year is an excellent opportunity to explore the full breadth of offerings.

Regardless of what you study, remember that you will receive a prestigious University of Toronto degree when you graduate that tells everyone that you are ranked among the best in the world!

The admission average is calculated with English (ENG4U) plus the next best five Grade 12 U or M courses. Meeting these minimum requirements does not guarantee you admission to the University. Admission is subject to space availability and competition.

The content in this section is based on requirements in the Ontario curriculum.

Find requirements to other common curricula:

• Canadian High School
• International Baccalaureate
• U.S.-Patterned Education
• British-Patterned Education
• French Baccalaureate
• Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE)

Please visit the Admissions section of our site for full requirements.

Discover Your Potential

Like many university students Minal Ghayur felt scared and shy when she first came to UTM in 2016. She quickly identified a solution to overcome some of that initial apprehension and timidity: engage in extra-curricular activities.

Amna Adnan isn’t graduating with the highest grade point average. She changed her major six times between first and third year, discovering more about herself along the way. During her journey at UTM – best defined by determination and resilience – Adnan was also a role model.

Initially Professor Liza Blake had ambitions to be Agent Dana Scully from the X-files. However an intro Biology class during the first year of her undergrad program at The George Washington University in DC had her questioning if this path was the right fit.

Student Experience

Courses you would love.

The course will cover the work of some famous writers, such as Toni Morrison or J.M. Coetzee, and also new and emerging authors, from Canada to New Zealand to Nigeria.

An introductory survey of the forms and history of world drama from the classical period to the nineteenth century in its performance context. May include later works influenced by historical forms. 

Students will study a wide variety of digital texts, e.g., fanfiction, webcomics, viral Tumblr posts and tweets, and video games. Students may design of a narrative game, curate a digital exhibit, or develop text using visualization software. 

• English and Drama Student Society (EDSS)
• University of Toronto Professional Writing Student Association

Planning Ahead

Whether you want to land your dream job, conduct groundbreaking research, or start your own business, we can get you there. Here are resources to help you explore your career options.

Career Options

Created by our Career Centre, the Careers by Major database identifies some potential career fields, how to gain related skills and experience, and useful resources and job samples. But always remember, your program of study doesn't have to determine your career!

Program Plans

Program Plans are quick and accessible overviews of the many academic and co-curricular opportunities available to help you get the most out of your UTM experience.

The Career Centre offers dozens of tip sheets with helpful information about topics related to searching for work, planning your career, and pursuing further education.

View to the U: An eye on UTM research

View to the U is a podcast that features U of T Mississauga faculty members from a range of disciplines who will illuminate some of the inner-workings of the science labs and enlighten the social sciences and humanities hubs at UTM.

Liza Blake: Modern Early Modern

On this edition of the podcast, Professor Liza Blake, an Assistant Professor in the Department of English & Drama at U of T Mississauga, spins us through her work, exploring her current research program at UTM that includes two books in the works focused on medieval and Renaissance literature, poetics, literature and science, and literature and philosophy.

Learn More About this Program

Other Programs to Consider

This program specifically focuses on how literature in English has developed through the centuries, all over the world, and in a rich variety of different forms and modes, from oral recitations to digital media. Students will be introduced to the full range of literary genres and traditions.

Dramaturgy and Drama Studies

Dramaturgy and Drama Studies (DDS) integrates creative and scholarly approaches to theatre through a common emphasis on dramaturgy. The DDS program includes courses that examine theatre history, dramatic literature, critical theory, playwriting, devising, and intermedial performance, among others.

• Schools & departments

Creative Writing MSc

Awards: MSc

Study modes: Full-time

Funding opportunities

Programme website: Creative Writing

The community has been one of my favourite parts. The department has very warm and encouraging staff. Some of my classmates are now close friends, and we still workshop stories across time zones, and complain to each other about writing - and not writing! Bhavika Govil, prize-winning fiction writer MSc in Creative Writing, 2020

Discovery Day

Join us online on 18th April to learn more about postgraduate study at Edinburgh

View sessions and register

Programme description

Based in the first UNESCO World City of Literature, this one-year, full-time taught Masters programme is tailored towards your practice in either fiction or poetry.

There is a strong practical element to the programme, helping you develop your creative skills through:

• presenting your work for peer discussion
• hearing from guest writers and other professionals on the practicalities of life as a writer

You will also sharpen your critical skills through:

• seminars exploring the particulars of your chosen form
• option courses in literature, helping you move from theoretical considerations to practical applications

The programme culminates with the publication of ‘From Arthur’s Seat,’ an anthology of student work.

Why Edinburgh

Literature has been taught here for over 250 years, and today Edinburgh thrives on its designation as the first UNESCO World City of Literature. The city is home to the National Library of Scotland and the Scottish Poetry Library, and a number of celebrated publishing outlets, from Canongate and Polygon, to Luath Press, Birlinn and Mariscat. The University hosts the prestigious James Tait Black Awards, established in 1919 and one of the oldest literary prizes in Britain.

There are lots of opportunities to write and share your work, from ‘The Student,’ the UK’s oldest student newspaper (founded in 1887 by Robert Louis Stevenson), to The Selkie, which was founded by Creative Writing students in 2018 to showcase work by people who self-identify as underrepresented.

Around the city, you will find:

• library readings and bookshop launches
• spoken word gigs
• cabaret nights
• poetry slams

Edinburgh isn’t just historic – it’s a modern hub for literature. That’s part of what makes the city great for writing.

Austin Crowley, MSc in Creative Writing, 2023

We team teach our programme so that you benefit from the input of a range of tutors, as well as your fellow students and our Writer in Residence, the poet and author Michael Pedersen, who also co-ordinates a range of student writing prizes and our annual industry and networking event.

The academic staff you will be working with are all active researchers or authors, including well-published and prize-winning writers of poetry, prose fiction and drama. They include:

• Dr Jane Alexander - Fiction
• Dr Lynda Clark
• Dr Patrick Errington - Poetry/Fiction
• Dr Miriam Gamble - Poetry
• Professor Alan Gillis - Poetry
• Dr Jane McKie - Poetry
• Dr Allyson Stack - Fiction
• Kim Sherwood - Fiction
• Alice Thompson - Fiction

Programme structure

Over the duration of the programme, you will:

• take two core courses, both worth 40 credits
• two optional courses chosen from a wide range of subjects, both worth 20 credits

The core activities in Creative Writing are:

• tutor-led workshops, in which you will present your work-in-progress and critique the work of your fellow students
• regular seminars exploring techniques and issues specific to your practice (either fiction or poetry) and the statements and theories of practitioners

Optional courses

We have a large number of option courses to choose from, including preferred courses for fiction and poetry (which will be offered to Creative Writing students in the first instance), and courses from across the Department of English Literature and the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures.

Visiting speakers

Throughout the programme, you will be expected to attend readings and talks by visiting speakers. Early on, these will be from published writers and, later, advisors from the writing business: literary agents, magazine editors and publishers.

Dissertation

The final element of the programme is your dissertation, a piece of creative writing (worth 60 credits) written with the advice and support of a designated supervisor.

Fiction dissertations are between 15,000 words and 20,000 words, and poetry dissertations between 25 and 30 pages.

Find out more about compulsory and optional courses

We link to the latest information available. Please note that this may be for a previous academic year and should be considered indicative.

Learning outcomes

On successful completion of this course, you should be able to:

• identify, conceptualise and define formal elements of craft in your chosen field (poetry or fiction) within published works and within works by your peers
• remain open to criticism and respond effectively and creatively to feedback on your own creative work
• work from initial conception through multiple drafts to the final version of a creative piece within your chosen field (fiction or poetry)
• transfer editorial skills and creative abilities from one context to another
• analyse creative works within your chosen field (fiction or poetry), work with a focus on craft effectiveness, and articulate strengths and weaknesses in a piece of writing in a constructive manner

Career opportunities

Over the course of this programme, you will complete a body of creative work that has been rigorously peer reviewed.

Our students go on to careers in a wide variety of fields, including:

• arts administration
• web and audio book editing
• script and ghost writing
• gaming narrative design

Some decide to extend their studies and take a PhD with us.

Many of our alumni go on to achieve literary success, publishing novels and short story and poetry collections, and winning awards. Our graduates’ recent successes include:

debut novels from:

• Amanda Block (The Lost Storyteller, published by Hodder Studio)
• Karin Nordin (Where Ravens Roost, published by Harper Collins)
• Marielle Thompson (Where Ivy Dares to Grow, published by Kensington Books)
• August Thomas (Liar’s Candle, published by Simon and Schuster)
• Rosie Walker (Secrets of a Serial Killer, published by One More Chapter)
• Mark Wightman (Waking the Tiger, published by Hobeck Books and shortlisted for Scottish Crime Debut of the Year 2021)

debut short story collections from:

• Dayle Furlong (Lake Effect, published by Cormorant Books)
• Dima Alzayat (Alligator and Other Stories, shortlisted for the James Tait Black Award for Fiction)
• a non-fiction debut from Sonali Misra (21 Fantastic Failures, published by Rupa Publications India)

debut poetry collections from:

• Rebecca Tamás (WITCH, published by Penned in the Margins)
• Naomi Morris (Hyperlove, published by Makina Books)
• Aileen Ballantyne (Taking Flight, published by Luath Press)
• the 2022 Edwin Morgan Poetry Award, won by Alyson Kissner
• the 2021 Brotherton Poetry Prize, won by Lauren Pope
• the 2021 Pontas & JJ Bola Emerging Writers Prize, won by Bhavika Govil

Meet our graduates

From Arthur’s Seat – stories from the heart of Edinburgh

Tim Tim Cheng

• Bhavika Govil
• Dima Alzayat

What's the best type of masters programme for you?

Entry requirements.

These entry requirements are for the 2024/25 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2025/26 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2024.

A UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in any discipline. This will often be in a directly related subject like English Literature/Creative Writing, but we welcome applicants from all academic backgrounds.

Applicants who are entered into selection will be asked to provide a sample of written work to enable their suitability for the programme to be assessed.

Students from China

This degree is Band C.

• Postgraduate entry requirements for students from China

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

• Entry requirements by country
• English language requirements

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency at a level that will enable you to succeed in your studies.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

• IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 6.5 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
• TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 with at least 23 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
• C1 Advanced ( CAE ) / C2 Proficiency ( CPE ): total 185 with at least 176 in each component.
• Trinity ISE : ISE III with passes in all four components.
• PTE Academic: total 70 with at least 62 in each component.

Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS , TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE , in which case it must be no more than two years old.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

• UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries (non-MESC).

• Approved universities in non-MESC

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old* at the beginning of your programme of study. (*Revised 05 March 2024 to extend degree validity to five years.)

Find out more about our language requirements:

Fees and costs

Scholarships and funding, featured funding.

If you are intending to study full time on this Creative Writing programme, you are eligible for a William Hunter Sharpe Memorial Scholarship which will contribute towards your tuition fees.

You do not need to apply for this scholarship – all eligible candidates who apply for the programme by Monday 6 May 2024 will be considered for them and contacted if successful.

• Find out more about the William Hunter Sharpe Memorial Scholarship and other scholarships in literatures, languages and cultures

UK government postgraduate loans

If you live in the UK, you may be able to apply for a postgraduate loan from one of the UK’s governments.

The type and amount of financial support you are eligible for will depend on:

• your programme
• the duration of your studies
• your tuition fee status

Programmes studied on a part-time intermittent basis are not eligible.

• UK government and other external funding

Other funding opportunities

Search for scholarships and funding opportunities:

• Search for funding

Further information

• Phone: +44 (0)131 650 4086
• Contact: College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences Admissions Office
• School of Literatures, Languages & Cultures
• 50 George Square
• Central Campus
• Programme: Creative Writing
• School: Literatures, Languages & Cultures
• College: Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

Select your programme and preferred start date to begin your application.

MSc Creative Writing - 1 Year (Full-time)

Application deadlines.

Due to high demand, the school operates a number of selection deadlines. We will make a small number of offers to the most outstanding candidates on an ongoing basis, but hold the majority of applications until the next published selection deadline when we will offer a proportion of the places available to applicants selected through a competitive process.

Please be aware that applications must be submitted and complete, i.e. all required documents uploaded, by the relevant application deadline in order to be considered in that round. Your application will still be considered if you have not yet met the English language requirement for the programme.

Deadlines for applicants applying to study in 2024/25:

(Revised 27 March 2024 to extend Round 3 application deadline)

• How to apply

You must submit one reference with your application.

The online application process involves the completion of a web form and the submission of supporting documents.

You should supply a portfolio of writing.

• For poetry, this should be six (6) pages of poetry, starting a new page for each new poem of 14 lines or over.
• For fiction, this should be a complete story or stories, or an equivalent amount from a longer work (between 2,500 and 3,500 words).

These are firm limits.

If you are undecided about whether to apply for fiction or poetry, you should send a sample of both, i.e. six (6) pages of poetry and 2,500-3,500 words of fiction (if offered a place it will be for one or the other).

Work in other forms (for example journalism, life writing or advertising) will not be considered.

Personal statement

When writing your personal statement, consider the following questions:

• What do you most hope to learn/gain from a Creative Writing degree, and why is ours the programme for you?
• Tell us about your writing: what are you interested in and why? Are there aspects of your current practice you're particularly proud of? Things you know you need to work on?

What (if any) prior experience do you have of studying Creative Writing?

Guidance on the application process and supporting documents

All supporting documents, including references, must be uploaded to the online application system by the deadline date.

Find out more about the general application process for postgraduate programmes:

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Creative Writing Master's

Want more info.

We're so glad you're interested in UNT! Let us know if you'd like more information and we'll get you everything you need.

Why Earn a Creative Writing Master's?

The M.A. program in Creative Writing offers training in the writing of poetry, fiction and non-fiction. Each master's student in Creative Writing divides coursework evenly between workshop and literature classes, leading to the writing of an original thesis submitted in fulfillment of the degree plan.

You'll have the opportunity both to work closely with the creative writing and literature faculties and to explore ways in which knowledge of literary traditions develops craft. The concentration in creative writing requires you to take workshops in fiction, poetry and/or creative nonfiction alongside a range of literature courses.

Many recent M.A. students have gone on to further study in elite M.F.A. or Ph.D. programs, including the Ph.D. Program at Stanford and the M.F.A. program at the University of Houston.

• Construct persuasive, evidence-based arguments
• Communicate findings clearly and concisely
• Understand historical and cultural perspectives
• Evaluate critically sources and narratives
• Prepare oral and written presentations

Creative Writing Master's Highlights

What can you do with a creative writing master's.

Students pursue the degree in order to become better writers, able to create prose and poetry that draw on a full range of the craft. On a more practical level, MFA students become better writers, which prepares them for a variety of careers: an array of jobs in technical and digital fields, marketing, public relations, journalism, arts administration, and editing.

Creative Writing Master's Courses You Could Take

Learn More About UNT

Explore more options.

English Master's

English Creative Writing Ph.D.

It’s easy to apply online. Join us and discover why we’re the choice of nearly 47,000 students.

M.F.A. in Creative Writing

Get an m.f.a. in creative writing.

Our creative writing M.F.A. allows students to focus on creative writing in a specific genre while also studying a broad and diverse range of literatures in English. This degree is not a studio degree. It offers students preparation for the following areas:

• Creative publication
• Expert teaching in creative writing and literature
• Leadership in communication for business, education, and arts organizations
• Advanced studies in literature and creative writing in a doctoral program.

Admission to our creative writing program is extremely competitive, with up to 20 new students across the two genres selected each year from the hundreds of applications received from around the world. The curriculum for M.F.A. students emphasizes creative writing and literary study.

The city of Houston offers a vibrant, multi-cultural backdrop for studying creative writing at the University of Houston. With a dynamic visual and performing arts scene, the Houston metropolitan area supplies a wealth of aesthetic materials. 

Overview of Admissions Requirements

Minimum requirements for admission.

• B.A. degree
• 3.0 GPA in undergraduate studies 

Application Deadline

Applications to the M.F.A. in Creative Writing program are due January 15.

For more admissions information, visit the How to Apply web page for our M.F.A. in Creative Writing.

History of the Creative Writing Program

Over the years many more internationally acclaimed writers have made the Program their home, including Mary Gaitskill, Richard Howard, Howard Moss, Linda Gregg, Adam Zagajewski, Daniel Stern, David Wojahn, Edward Hirsch, Alan Hollinghurst, Mark Strand, David Wagoner, Philip Levine, Charles Wright, Claudia Rankine, Kimiko Hahn, Mark Doty and Ruben Martinez.

Current faculty includes Erin Belieu, Robert Boswell, Audrey Colombe, Chitra Divakaruni, Nick Flynn, francine j. harris, Antonya Nelson, Alex Parsons, Kevin Prufer, Brenda Peynado, Martha Serpas, Roberto Tejada, and Peter Turchi.

Quick Links

Program Breakdown & Degree Requirements

Financial Aid

How to Apply

Inprint Student Writing Awards

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Current Students

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Admission Steps

English and literary arts - creative writing - phd, admission requirements.

Terms and Deadlines

Degree and GPA Requirements

Additional Standards for Non-Native English Speakers

Additional standards for international applicants.

For the 2023-2024 academic year

See 2024-2025 requirements instead

Fall 2023 quarter (beginning in September)

Final submission deadline: December 15, 2022

Final submission deadline: Applicants cannot submit applications after the final submission deadline.

Degrees and GPA Requirements

Bachelors degree: All graduate applicants must hold an earned baccalaureate from a regionally accredited college or university or the recognized equivalent from an international institution.

Masters degree: This program requires a masters degree as well as the baccalaureate.

Grade point average: The minimum undergraduate GPA for admission consideration for graduate study at the University of Denver is a cumulative 2.5 on a 4.0 scale or a 2.5 on a 4.0 scale for the last 60 semester credits or 90 quarter credits (approximately two years of work) for the baccalaureate degree. An earned master’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution supersedes the minimum standards for the baccalaureate. For applicants with graduate coursework but who have not earned a master’s degree or higher, the GPA from the graduate work may be used to meet the requirement. The minimum GPA is a cumulative 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for all graduate coursework undertaken.

Program GPA requirement: The minimum undergraduate GPA for admission consideration for this program is a cumulative 2.5 on a 4.0 scale

Official scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), International English Language Testing System (IELTS), C1 Advanced or Duolingo English Test are required of all graduate applicants, regardless of citizenship status, whose native language is not English or who have been educated in countries where English is not the native language. Your TOEFL/IELTS/C1 Advanced/Duolingo English Test scores are valid for two years from the test date.

The minimum TOEFL/IELTS/C1 Advanced/Duolingo English Test score requirements for this degree program are:

Minimum TOEFL Score (Internet-based test): 80

Minimum IELTS Score: 6.5

Minimum C1 Advanced Score: 176

Minimum Duolingo English Test Score: 115

English Conditional Acceptance Offered: No, this program does not offer English Conditional Admission.

Read the English Language Proficiency policy for more details.

Read the Required Tests for GTA Eligibility policy for more details.

Per Student & Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) regulation, international applicants must meet all standards for admission before an I-20 or DS-2019 is issued, [per U.S. Federal Register: 8 CFR § 214.3(k)] or is academically eligible for admission and is admitted [per 22 C.F.R. §62]. Read the Additional Standards For International Applicants policy for more details.

Application Materials

Transcripts, letters of recommendation.

Required Essays and Statements

Writing Sample

We require a scanned copy of your transcripts from every college or university you have attended. Scanned copies must be clearly legible and sized to print on standard 8½-by-11-inch paper. Transcripts that do not show degrees awarded must also be accompanied by a scanned copy of the diploma or degree certificate. If your academic transcripts were issued in a language other than English, both the original documents and certified English translations are required.

Transcripts and proof of degree documents for postsecondary degrees earned from institutions outside of the United States will be released to a third-party international credential evaluator to assess U.S. education system equivalencies. Beginning July 2023, a non-refundable fee for this service will be required before the application is processed.

Upon admission to the University of Denver, official transcripts will be required from each institution attended.

Three (3) letters of recommendation are required.  Academic recommendations preferred.  Letters should be submitted by recommenders through the online application.

Essays and Statements

Essay instructions.

A sample of critical prose (e.g., a seminar paper, scholarly publication, or excerpt from thesis or other longer work demonstrating familiarity with the conventions of academic research and writing) not to exceed 20 pages.

Personal Statement Instructions

The 1-2 page personal statement should address the applicant's past academic experience, future scholarly goals, and address his/her suitability for graduate study in our program.

Résumé Instructions

The résumé (or C.V.) should include work experience, research, and/or volunteer work.

Writing Sample Instructions

Applicants must submit representative samples of creative work (for Prose, no more than 30 pages; for Poetry, 5 - 10 poems).

Start the Application

Online Application

Financial Aid Information

Start your application.

Your submitted materials will be reviewed once all materials and application fees have been received.

Our program can only consider your application for admission if our Office of Graduate Education has received all your online materials and supplemental materials by our application deadline.

Application Fee: $65.00 Application Fee

International Degree Evaluation Fee: $50 Evaluation Fee for degrees (bachelor's or higher) earned from institutions outside the United States.

Applicants should complete their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by February 15. Visit the Office of Financial Aid for additional information.

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Creative Writing: Creative Non-fiction

B Trimester

This course explores the key elements of creative non-fiction writing, engaging with a variety of non-fiction texts including memoir, biography, the personal/lyric essay, and auto/biographical meta-fiction.

Teaching Periods and Locations

If your paper outline is not linked below, try the previous year's version of this paper .

Timetabled lectures and tutorials

Indicative fees.

You will be sent an enrolment agreement which will confirm your fees. Tuition fees shown are indicative only and may change. There are additional fees and charges related to enrolment - please see the  Table of Fees and Charges for more information.

Available subjects

Writing studies, creative writing, additional information.

Subject regulations

• Paper details current as of 27 Jan 2024 23:37pm
• Indicative fees current as of 8 Apr 2024 01:30am

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Director of Saint Leo’s Master of Creative Writing Program Awarded 2023 Bronze Medal in Florida Book Awards

Dr. Anne Barngrover’s ‘Everwhen’ poetry collection earns a top prize in the state. Read more about her book and her advice for writers.

• News and Events

Tags in Article

• College of Arts Sciences and Allied Services
• Creative Writing
• Master of Arts in Creative Writing
• MA in Creative Writing
• Florida Book Awards
• Graduate Program
• Liberal Arts
• National Poetry Month

During National Poetry Month, it’s fitting to congratulate Saint Leo University’s Dr. Anne Barngrover, who has been awarded the 2023 Bronze Medal by the Florida Book Awards for her poetry collection, Everwhen.  Barngrover, associate professor of creative writing, and director of the  Master of Arts in Creative Writing Program , will attend the awards ceremony in Tallahassee, FL, at the end of April. 

The Florida Book Awards were established in 2006. The 18th annual competition featured 170 eligible publications submitted across 11 categories for books published in 2023.

Earning the gold medal for poetry was Kweku Abimbola of Tampa for Saltwater Demands a Psalm (Graywolf Press) and the silver medal was awarded to Jessica Q. Stark of Jacksonville for Buffalo Girl .

Barngrover’s Everwhen will be among the other Florida Book Award-winning books on permanent display in the library at the Governor's Mansion in Tallahassee and in an exhibit case on the third floor of Florida State University's Strozier Library.

Published by the University of Akron Press, the award-winning Everwhen is Barngrover’s third poetry collection. Barngrover’s  Brazen Creature was published in 2018 also by the University of Akron Press and was a finalist for the 2019 Ohioana Award for Poetry, and Yell Hound Blues  was published by Shipwreckt Books in 2013. 

Originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, Barngrover earned her Bachelor of Arts from Denison University, her Master of Fine Arts from Florida State University, and her doctorate in English and creative writing from the University of Missouri.

Q&A with Dr. Anne Barngrover

Q. This is a BIG award! Are you having “all the feelings?” Why do you think the judges selected Everwhen ?

 A:  Thank you! I’m not exactly sure why the judges selected Everwhen. In the writing world, as in other creative pursuits, there’s so much subjectivity and rejection, the rejection far outweighing the acceptances, and oftentimes you never know why your work can get rejected by one literary journal, press, or award and accepted by another. I’ve had to learn a long time ago not to take any of it too personally and to develop a thick skin, to trust my creative instincts, and to keep marching on. That being said, I am so grateful to all those who have supported Everwhen and am very honored to have been chosen for the bronze medal.

Q: Do the poems in Everwhen follow a theme — are they connected? And if so, can you explain the theme?

 A:  I wrote and revised these poems from around 2017-2021, so the images, obsessions, and preoccupations of those years became part of this collection. Everwhen is an anxious book concerned with how our planet is being treated and how vulnerable people, especially women, are treated in tandem. Many of these poems speak as plants or as the Roman goddess Ceres, ruler of agriculture and of women and girls, as imagined in the 21 st century. Ceres’ insistence on truth-telling and resilience are familiar navigations for me. 

As a decade-long Florida resident, I experience this state as verdant, otherworldly, and misunderstood, rife with the manmade horrors of toxic algae, disappearing species and coastlines, dangerous weather patterns, and the highest reports of cyber-attacks in the country, and all of these local concerns are reflected in the poetry of this book. Overall, Everwhen deals with love, grief, and beauty in the apocalypse; the body and mind in peril; and the ecological concept of Deep Time.

Q: What inspires you to write, whether it be poetry or another form of writing?

  A: I am most inspired to write when I am reading other poems that strike me in their imagery, visual form, musicality, and use of the line, or when I am reading evocative prose. I love that poems are made up of both lines and sentences; I am most inspired by the possibility of sentences. 

My daily bike rides around my neighborhood also inspire me because I live in an area that contains a lot of lush and unusual nature. Likewise, I am inspired by the places I travel to, whether that is a nearby beach or a city in Europe. Physically moving outside helps me to meditate, think deeply, and observe the world around me. I bring all of my reading and my observations with me when I come to the page to write, and in doing so, I never face the blank page alone.

Q: What advice do you give to young writers?

 A : Read! My  students know that my mantra is, “Read five times more than you write.” Read within your genre and outside of your genre. Read work that is old and work that is new. Read work that is similar to what you want to write and work that is wildly different. 

Reading gives you permission to try new things in your writing, to experiment with form and perspective, and to re-imagine the possibilities of storytelling and expression. No one can work in a bubble; all successful writers borrow from the writers who came before them. If you do not read, you will stagnate as a writer. What’s more, reading can become one of the greatest loves of your life; I know it has been a great love in mine. 

Leading Micro-credential in Creative Writing This Summer

This summer, Barngrover will lead the 2024 master’s in creative writing summer residency as well as a micro-credential program in creative writing. The micro-credential program will provide feedback from creative writing faculty and peers on what participants are working on — new fiction, creative nonfiction, or poetry. It takes place 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., July 8-13 at Saint Leo’s campus, 33701 County Road 52, St. Leo, FL 33544. The deadline to sign up is June 15. For more information, email  [email protected]

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Nursing’s creative writing award announces winners

• Written by UNMC College of Nursing
• Published Apr 9, 2024

The 2023-2024 UNMC College of Nursing Creative Writing Awards announced winners for this year’s contest. The theme was “Nursing Does That,” encouraging students and alumni to write a story about an experience of how they were changed by caring for an individual who was different than themselves. 

This was the first year offering a contest for alumni, who could submit a story on the same theme.

“We received stories from all our five campuses and from all our academic programs,” said Mark Darby, assistant professor in the UNMC College of Nursing and contest chair. “Our alumni were very supportive, providing not only great stories but funds for our awards this year.”

Darby added, “The stories reflect the deep respect and care our students and alumni provide to the citizens of Nebraska. Nurses face difficult clinical situation and still provide high levels of care.”

This is the fourth year for the contest, which has provided more than $53,000 in awards and resulted in four student stories being published in the American Journal of Nursing.

The top award winners of the student contest will share their stories at a virtual banquet, available at this link , on April 25 from 5-6:30 p.m.

The names of the awardees and the title are below. For previous winners, see the Creative Writing Project website .

Student awards

• Emily Tanner, “Marge Dancing in the Rain”
• Julia Miller, “Your Secret is Safe with Me”
• Sierra Bryant, “I Know That Voice”
• Tayla Goettsche, “His Cat Named Oreo”

Honorable mention

• Greta Rosno, “To My Best Friend Grief”
• Kirsten Hepburn, “Just Hope”
• Kylee Solberg, “Fight Like a Princess”

Publication award

• Alyssa Ramsey, “Compassionate Care – The Heart of Nursing”
• Amanda Gould, “Nursing Can Make You Cry”
• Emma Wareham, “Nursing Does That”
• Ethan VanEnkevort, “Nursing Did That to Me”
• Gabriel Bodeman, “Heartbeat”
• Kaitlyn Gamble, “Pivot”
• Kia Scott-Sellers, “The Ventilator”
• Kylee Solberg, “A New Day”
• Lauren Longacre, “Strangers”
• Lisa Salisbury, “Nursing Does That”

Alumni awards

Alumni top award

• Jan Fuccillo, “A Change of Heart”
• Candy Lussetto, “Nursing Does That”      
• Sharon Redding, “SR- Nursing”

Alumni honorable mention

• Rebecca Stone, “Beautiful Changes”
• Cindy Miller, “Imposter No More”
• Dawn Steinman, “In August Of 1979”
• Mary Martin, “Nursing Does That Changes Lives Forever”
• Katie Weaver, “The Limit Does Not Exists”
• Kay Rockwell, “Nurse Kay”

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