Graduate Program
The Program in Creative Writing offers a two-year Master of Fine Arts Degree in Creative Writing in the areas of fiction and poetry. The MFA program is a small program within a large and vibrant writing community both on campus and all. We typically admit six new students each year.
The MFA program is the only program of its kind to have an "alternating genre" admissions policy. We admit fiction writers in even-numbered years and poets in odd-numbered years. This alternating admissions schedule allows us to provide a 2 to 1 student/teacher ratio and lets fiction instructors focus entirely on one group of fiction writers, poetry instructors on one group of poets for the two-year instructional period.
The Program in Creative Writing also offers PhD students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison the chance to incorporate creative writing as part of their course of studies in the form of a minor in creative writing.
For questions about graduate studies in creative writing (including the minor for PhDs) that are not answered on this website, please contact the MFA Program Director Professor Amy Quan Barry at mfamail@english.wisc.edu. Please read this website carefully first to make sure your questions aren't answered here.
A Note to Applicants: We understand that for many of you the process of applying to MFA programs, and that waiting to hear a response can generate a good deal of anxiety. Still, we ask you to do your best to refrain from calling our staff regarding the status of your files. If you want to get in touch with us, please do so by emailing the director at the address above.
If you absolutely must call--if for example, you've unexpectedly changed your contact information--please call Robyn Shanahan, the English Department's Graduate Coordinator, at 608 263-3751. Do not call the general number for the English Department, as you are unlikely to get helpful or accurate assistance from those not affiliated with the MFA program specifically.
Graduate Program Links