Our MFA in Creative Writing
Founded in 2002, the Graduate Program in Creative Writing offers a two-year Master of Fine Arts Degree in the areas of fiction and poetry. Though small—we typically admit six new students each year—the MFA is just one part of a vibrant writing community including seven post-graduate fellows, former fellows and alums, PhD candidates in contemporary literature, and a host of other artists and writers living and working in Madison. Ranked third in the nation overall by Poets & Writers magazine for the past two years, our MFA is truly unique in that we have an "alternating genre" admissions policy: we accept fiction applications in the fall/early winter of odd-numbered years, and poetry applications in the fall/early winter of even-numbered years. This allows us to provide an almost unrivaled 2-to-1 student/teacher ratio that gives each class of students the full attention of the faculty in their genre for two solid years.
All of our MFA candidates receive generous financial aid, the ability to develop editorial skills by working for the MFA-run literary journal Devil's Lake, the opportunity to teach courses both in Creative Writing and English Composition, and a year of teacher-training and support. Our MFAs also have the opportunity to take workshops in other genres, including fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, playwriting, and screenwriting. While cross-genre writing certainly isn't mandatory, many of our students report that taking workshops outside their primary area not only improves their writing in multiple genres, but also leads to even greater camaraderie among all the writers in the program.
Our MFAs have access to a truly multi-generational community of writers at every stage of their careers. MFAs interact socially and collegially with our Wisconsin Institute for Creative Writing fellows, who are some of the best recent MFA recipients in the country, and both the fellows and faculty are always on-hand to provide advice about publishing, teaching, and pursuing a career in writing. Because we believe writers learn immensely from conversation and interaction with those who share their passion for the written word, the Program provides both literary and social events for our students and community. Whether it's dinner at the home of a faculty member in honor of a visiting writer, dessert at a local restaurant following an evening reading, or pizza in the Creative Writing Suite while we chat about a topic of interest such as the academic job market or the ins and outs of publishing, these get-togethers foster bonds among all participants.
To get some sense of the scope of the Madison writing community, and the diversity of nationally acclaimed poets and fiction writers who cycle regularly through town, we encourage you to take a look at our events and friends pages. In the past four years alone, our MFAs have sat down for meals and long talks with visiting writers the likes of Jonis Agee, Ann Beattie, Michael Cunningham, Carl Djerassi, Junot Diaz, Mark Doty, Jonathan Franzen, Lauren Groff, Terrance Hayes, Adam Haslett, and Maurice Manning, not to mention visiting editors and agents on the lookout for the next generation of American literature.
MFA Course of Study
The two-year MFA course of study is designed to provide as much time as possible for independent writing and reading. The degree requires 36 credits as follows:
- 9 credits of writing workshops in the student's primary genre (fiction or poetry). These workshops are held in the first, second, and third semesters.
- 3 credits of pedagogy, during the first semester.
- 15 thesis credits. Students take 3 credits in each of the first, second and third semesters, then 6 thesis credits in the fourth semester. These are not courses—rather, they're the means by which the University gives MFAs credit for their independent writing.
- 9 credits of electives drawn from appropriate courses across the curriculum. While students are expected to focus on and produce book-length theses by the end of their two years here, they are also encouraged to pursue other intellectual interests via these electives. In the past, MFA students have fulfilled their elective requirements by enrolling in literature courses, studying foreign languages, pursuing other artistic interests such as dance, book-making, and classical guitar, augmenting research for historical novels by taking appropriate history classes, and honing their writing skills in other genres. MFA students may take intermediate and advanced undergraduate workshops and graduate level workshops, all outside the genre in which they were admitted, as electives with the permission of the instructor.
If after reading through our admissions details you still have further questions about the MFA, please contact Graduate Creative Writing Program Coordinator Sean Bishop.