Ohio State nav bar
The Ohio State University
- Buckeye Link
- Find People
- Search Ohio State
- Degrees and programs
- Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing
English Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing
The Master of Fine Arts Program in Creative Writing at The Ohio State University is designed to help graduate students develop to the fullest their talents and abilities as writers of poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction. Creative writing classes are conducted as workshops or tutorials, and there are numerous opportunities for related study both within and beyond the Department of English.
All students are fully funded for three years in a program that is well known for its sense of community and a faculty that is as committed to teaching as to their own writing. Approximately 36 graduate students are taught by tenure track, visiting, and affiliated (Film Studies) faculty, who also teach in the undergraduate program. Graduate student TAs teach introductory and intermediate special topics undergraduate creative writing courses, undergraduate literary publishing, as well as first-year and second-year writing (required courses for all OSU undergraduates). TAs teach two classes a year, one in autumn and one in spring. In addition, they have the opportunity to work as editors of OSU's prize-winning, nationally distributed literary magazine, The Journal, and to serve on the editorial staff of our two annual book prizes, one in poetry and one in prose.
Course offerings are varied and numerous. Special topics graduate workshops (in the long poem, in characterization, in literary translation, in humor writing, and so on) ensure that, in addition to "regular" workshops, opportunities abound for experimentation. Our graduate program includes coursework designed for "crossing over," such as, poetry workshops for MFA fiction writers or essayists with little experience writing poems; and "forms" classes in prosody, the novel, the memoir, novellas, for example.
Screenwriting for MFAs is offered regularly, and many students also elect to study playwriting or writing for performance as an elective. Some MFAs choose to pursue the Graduate Interdisciplinary Specialization in the Fine Arts (GISFA), which allows them to take graduate courses in other arts disciplines. Indeed, Ohio State's size and breadth offer our students the chance to explore many disciplines that enrich their study and practice of creative writing.
If you have a disability and experience difficulty accessing this content, please contact [email protected] .
Student Academic Services Building | 281 W. Lane Ave. | Columbus, Ohio 43210
Webmaster | Nondiscrimination notice | Annual Security Report | GP program resources
Privacy statement | Cookie settings
- Become A Member
- Remember Me Forgot Password?
- CANCEL Login
Association of Writers & Writing Programs
- Writing Programs & Pedagogy
- Community & Calendar
- Magazine & Media
- AWP Conference
- Writers' Conferences & Centers
- Guide to Writing Programs
- Advice Articles
- Campus Visit Video Series
Ohio State University
Ohio, united states.
OSU's MFA program is unparalleled in its commitment to the success of its students, and the enthusiastic mutual support of both current students and alumni is legion. Everyone in the OSU creative writing family celebrates each new success as if it were his or her own.
We are a flourishing community of writers committed to the art and craft of writing. The six in-residence faculty teach at all levels of the curriculum; MFA students teach introductory and intermediate undergraduate creative writing courses as well as other English courses.
We offer workshops in fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction for undergraduate and graduate students. The MFA program, launched in 1992, is a three-year, fully funded program of study. Our graduate students teach two classes a year--one in autumn and one in spring--and also have the opportunity to work as editors of OSU's prize-winning, nationally distributed literary magazine, The Journal. The undergraduate creative writing concentration in the major, which is by selective admission to students already enrolled at Ohio State, offers advanced workshops and special topics seminars taught by the MFA faculty.
Course offerings, at both the undergraduate and graduate level, are varied and numerous. Special topics graduate workshops have been offered in such areas as the long poem, free verse, characterization, translation, and humor writing, to name just a few. Undergraduate special topics and honors seminars have focused on literary journalism, place in fiction, the art of revision, the writing of fairy tales, screenwriting and story engineering, queer narratives, and song lyrics and writing for musical theater. Opportunities abound for experimentation. Our graduate program includes coursework specifically designed for "crossing over"--poetry workshops, for example, for MFA fiction writers or essayists with little experience writing poems--and "forms" classes in prosody, the novel, memoir, novellas (etc.). Many students also elect to study playwriting as an elective, with an auxiliary faculty member from Theatre, and screenwriting workshops are regularly offered from our full-time faculty screenwriter, who holds a joint appointment in English and Film Studies. Many MFA students choose to pursue the Graduate Interdisciplinary Specialization in the Fine Arts (GISFA), which allows them to take graduate courses in other arts disciplines. Indeed, Ohio State's size and breadth offers our students the chance to explore many disciplines that enrich their study and practice of creative writing.
Contact Information
164 Annie and John Glenn Avenue 421 Denney Hall, Creative Writing Program Columbus Ohio, United States 43210-1370 Phone: 614-247-9670 Email: [email protected] Fax: 614-292-7816 https://english.osu.edu/graduate/mfa
Bachelor of Arts in English with a Minor in Creative Writing +
Undergraduate program director.
The minor in Creative Writing requires the completion of four courses, at least half of them upper-division workshops. Coursework must be completed in two genres. A maximum of 10 transfer credit hours is allowed.
Bachelor of Arts in English, with a concentration in Creative Writing +
This degree is under construction. Currently, students with a serious interest in creative writing may pursue a minor (see above) and may of course take additional classes at the advanced level, including a course in literary publishing (which is open to MFA students as well as upper-division undergraduates, by permission of the instructor). All advanced workshops are by permission only, and are taught by the MFA faculty. (We expect the BA in English, Creative Writing track, to be in place by 2014-2015 or 2015-2016.)
Bachelor of Arts in English with a Minor in Business and Professional Writing +
Bachelor of arts in any field, with a minor in creative writing +, master of fine arts in creative writing (degrees in fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction) +, graduate program director.
The aim of Ohio State's MFA program is to help its students develop to the fullest their talents and abilities as writers of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, with the expectation of eventual publication. (Coursework is available in other genres as well.) The program is both rigorous (demanding, challenging) and highly supportive, with a small and tightly knit student body that maintains its own organization, the Writers' Guild, and sponsors readings as well as an annual gala, Epilog, to celebrate the newly minted MFAs. Recent visiting faculty have included Eula Biss, Rebecca Makkai, Brenda Hillman, and Terrance Hayes. MFA students teach in summer program for teenage writers, the Young Writers Workshop, and work as Editors on The Journal, OSU's prize-winning, nationally distributed literary magazine. All students are fully funded for three years fully funded for three years in a program that is well known for its sense of community and a faculty that is as committed to teaching as to their own writing.
The current stipend for MFAs with teaching appointments (one course each semester) is roughly $15,500 for the nine-month academic year (along with the stipend comes a fee authorization, which means you do not have to pay tuition, the current value of which is $11,704 for Ohio residents and $29,016 for non-residents). Fellows (who do not teach during their first year in the program) are granted a $20,000 stipend for the twelve-month academic year (fellows teach during their second and third years). All MFA students also receive access to student health insurance. (For more information, see the Frequently Asked Questions page for current students in our program: http://english.osu.edu/creative-writing/mfa-program/frequently-asked-questions.)
Kathy Fagan
Kathy Fagan is the author of five books of poems: Sycamore (Milkweed Editions, 2017); The Raft, a National Poetry Series Award Winner; MOVING & ST RAGE, winner of the 1998 Vassar Miller Prize for Poetry; The Charm (2002), and LIP (2009). Her poems have been widely anthologized and her work has appeared in such publications as Poetry, The Paris Review, FIELD, The Kenyon Review, Slate, Ploughshares, The New Republic, and Blackbird. She is the recipient of fellowships from the NEA, the Ingram Merrill Foundation, The Frost Place, and the Ohio Arts Council. Director of Creative Writing, she continues to serve as Advisor to The Journal, for which she and Michelle Herman were awarded the 2004 Ohioana Award for Editorial Excellence. Fagan is also Series Editor for The OSU Press/The Journal Wheeler Poetry Prize.
http://www.kathyfagan.net/
Marcus Jackson
Marcus Jackson has published poems in the American Poetry Review, The New Yorker, the Harvard Review, and the Writers’ Almanac with Garrison Keillor, among many other venues. He is the author of Neighborhood Register, from CavanKerry Press, and his second book, Pardon My Heart, is due out soon. He has been a poetry fellow at Cave Canem and a Ruth Lilly Fellowship finalist. As an African-American poet from Toledo, Ohio, he is committed to giving voice, he has said, to places and people who have not previously been given voice in American poetry. His poems are the American Rust Belt, poverty, the beauties and difficulties within multi-racial families, the value of vernacular, and the unexpected resonances of common objects. The poet Cornelius Eady describes Jackson’s work as “lyrically knit[ting] together time, memory, human desires and obligations and invit[ing] the kind reader to dance along to his bright measures, which sometimes resemble the life of a young poet, deeply enmeshed in the world, and sometimes reflect like a mirror.” Carl Phillips says of Jackson: “Like Langston Hughes, Jackson uses the clearest language to celebrate the complexity and durability of the human will.” Jackson received his MFA in poetry from NYU and has has taught there, as well as at Rutgers, John Jay College, the University of Iowa, Middle Tennessee State, Capital University, and The Frost Place in New Hampshire.
http://www.poetmarcusjackson.com
Lee Martin is the author of the novels The Bright Forever, a finalist for the 2006 Pulitzer Prize in Fiction; River of Heaven; Quakertown; Break the Skin; and Late One Night. He has also published three memoirs: From Our House, Turning Bones, and Such a Life. His first book was the short story collection The Least You Need To Know, and a new collection, The Mutual UFO Network, is forthcoming in spring 2018. His craft book, Telling Stories: The Craft of Narrative and the Writing Life, will be released in October 2017. He is the co-editor of Passing the Word: Writers on Their Mentors. His fiction and nonfiction have appeared in such places as Harper's, Ms., Creative Nonfiction, The Georgia Review, The Kenyon Review, Fourth Genre, River Teeth, The Southern Review, Prairie Schooner, Glimmer Train, The Best American Mystery Stories and The Best American Essays. He is the winner of the Mary McCarthy Prize in Short Fiction and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Ohio Arts Council. He was the winner of the 2006 Alumni Award for Distinguished Teaching from Ohio State.
http://leemartinauthor.com/
Elissa Washuta
Elissa Washuta is a member of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe and a writer of personal essays and memoir. She is the author of two books, Starvation Mode and My Body Is a Book of Rules, named a finalist for the Washington State Book Award. With Theresa Warburton, she is co-editor of the anthology Exquisite Vessel: Shapes of Native Nonfiction, forthcoming from University of Washington Press. Her work has appeared in Salon, The Chronicle of Higher Education, BuzzFeed, and elsewhere. She has received fellowships and awards from Artist Trust, 4Culture, Potlatch Fund, and Hugo House.
http://washuta.net/
A native of Mississippi, Nick White is the author of the novel How to Survive a Summer (Blue Rider, 2017). His short fiction has appeared in The Kenyon Review, Guernica, The Hopkins Review, Indiana Review, The Literary Review, and elsewhere.
http://www.thenickwhite.com/
Angus Fletcher (affiliated faculty)
Angus Fletcher is the Black List and Nicholl award-winning screenwriter of MIDDLE EARTH (produced by Bob Shaye and Michael Lynne, directed by Michel Apted), WEE FREE MEN (produced by Allison Thomas and Gary Ross, based on the novel by Terry Pratchett), and VARIABLE MAN (produced by Isa Dick and Electric Shepherd, based on the novella by Philip K. Dick). He earned his PhD from Yale and has published articles on dramatic ethics and practice in Critical Inquiry, New Literary History, The Journal of the History of Philosophy, and a dozen other academic journals. His book Evolving Hamlet appeared on Palgrave in 2011, and his research and writing has been supported by grants from the National Endowment for the Humanties, the National Science Foundation, and the Mellon Foundation. Prior to coming to Ohio State, he taught at USC, Stanford, and Teach for America.
Publications & Presses +
The Journal
The Ohio State University Press
Visiting Writers Program +
Recent visitors include Jamel Brinkley, Natalie Diaz, Tarfia Faizullah, Lina Maria Ferreira Cabeza-Vanegas, Garth Greenwell, Yona Harvey, Daisy Hernández, Ilya Kaminsky, Alice McDermott, LaTanya McQueen, Aimee Nezhukumatathil, Carl Phillips, Lia Purpura, Nicole Sealey, Danez Smith, Laura van den Berg, and Liza Wieland. We also regularly host our own alumni when their books are published. Recent alumni include Donald Pollock, Claire Vaye Watkins, Natalie Shapero, Doug Watson, Michael Kardos, Christopher Coake, Gabriel Urza, Kyle Minor, and Will Allison (for more information, see https://english.osu.edu/graduate/mfa).
Reading Series +
Visiting Writers Series ( https://english.osu.edu/graduate/mfa )
Native Craft ( https://english.osu.edu/graduate/mfa )
Student-Faculty Readings ( https://english.osu.edu/graduate/mfa )
Mother Tongue ( https://english.osu.edu/graduate/mfa )
Share this page:
- Terms of Use
- Privacy Policy
Copyright © 2024 by AWP. All rights reserved.
Creative Writing, MFA
Small, intensive and supportive, merging a playful approach to contemporary experimentation with an ambitious exploration of literary traditions, Miami University's MFA program draws students from across the country and beyond to classes in creative nonfiction, poetry, fiction, multimedia and performance writing.
Practice-Oriented
The program’s core consists of four practice-oriented workshops focused on student writing. MFA writers also take seminars in literature (usually in contemporary British and American literature) and a course devoted to questions of theory and practice. Every aspect of the program - especially the close mentorship of faculty writers - is designed to nurture the composition of a publishable full-length work of fiction, poetry, or creative nonfiction by the end of the second year of study.
Miami’s graduate creative writing alumni enjoy successful writing careers (recent graduates have sold first books to Alfred A. Knopf, Random House and Harcourt) as well as careers in university teaching, public service, editing and publishing.
Funding Opportunities
All students admitted to the MFA program in Creative Writing hold generous Graduate Assistantships, teaching first-year composition in Miami’s renowned rhetoric and composition program. Non-teaching assistantships may also be available. Students teach creative writing during the second year, and two MFA writers annually are awarded creative writing internships in China.
My time at Miami was integral to the process of writing and selling my memoir. The creative writing faculty helped foster my voice and style and find the language I needed to talk about my project and my writing, which gave me an edge when pitching agents and publishers. My cohort provided astute and serious criticism of my writing as well as a community of writers with different writing styles and interests whom I still look to for advice and feedback.
Matt Young, author, Eat the Apple (Bloomsbury, 2018)
Graduate Successes
Faculty and mentors.
Graduate students often work with faculty from across the department, taking advantage of our rich interdisciplinary expertise
MFA Faculty
Joseph bates.
PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2006
Co-Editor of the Miami University Press Associate Professor of English
Margaret Luongo
MFA, Creative Writing, University of Florida, 2001
Associate Professor of English
Eric Melbye
PhD, Creative Writing, University of Denver, 2001
Associate Professor of English (Middletown Campus)
Areas: Community-Based Learning, Creative Writing, Creative Writing Pedagogy, Exile Studies
PhD, English and American Literature, Cornell, 1995
Professor of English and Affiliate of American Studies, Director of the Miami University Humanities Center
Areas: U.S. Literary and Cultural History Since 1950, Cold War Studies, Postmodernism, Fiction Writing
TaraShea Nesbit
PhD, University of Denver, 2015 Associate Professor of English
Areas: 20th and 21st Century Fiction and Creative Nonfiction, Historical Fiction, Lyric Essays, Multi-Genre Texts, Creative Writing Pedagogy.
Brian Roley
JD, University of California, Los Angeles and MFA, Creative Writing, Cornell University, 1998
Professor of English and Affiliate of Global and Intercultural Studies, Director of Creative Writing
Areas: Creative Writing; Film, Theatre and Literature Adaptations; Disability / Medical Narratives; Contemporary and Twentieth Century Literature; Asian American Literature; Literature and the Law
Emily Spencer ,
M.F.A., University of Iowa, Iowa Writers' Workshop B.A., The Ohio State University
Areas: Poetry and Poetics, Creative Writing, Contemporary Poetry
PhD, University of Chicago, 1987
Assistant Professor of English and Co-Editor of the Miami University Press
Areas: Modern and Contemporary British, Irish, American, and Anglophone Literature, Creative and Performance Writing, Poetry and Poetics, Anecdotes and Ephemera, Travel Writing
Cathy Wagner
PhD, University of Utah, 2000 Professor of English
Areas: Creative Writing, Poetry Writing, Contemporary and Modern American Poetry and Poetics, Contemporary and Modern British Poetry and Poetics, Poetry and Politics
Current Creative Writing Grad Students
Creative nonfiction and fiction mfa students, ritika bali.
BA, English Literature, Lady Shri Ram College for Women MBA, Marketing, Institute of Management Technology
Creative interests: prose poem, flash, short stories, magical realism, photo essays, spiritualism, graphic novels, migration literature, journaling, folklore and legends, Indian mythology, historical fiction
Kayla Belser
BA International Business, University of Cincinnati BA Creative Writing, Northern Kentucky University
Chris Bowyer
MA Philosophy, Miami University BA Philosophy, Miami University
David W. Carstens
BA, English, Kenyon College
Creative interests: technology, religion, German, literature, philosophy, social alienation, individualism, game design, the internet, community (and the lack thereof), environmentalism, loneliness, climate change.
Priyadarshini Oshin Gogoi
BA, MA, University of Delhi
Creative interests: YA and children's fiction, poetry, micro and flash fiction, hybrid genres, memoir, non-fiction writing, and speculative fiction
Joshua Konecke
MA, Kansas State University BA, University of Wisconsin-Green Bay
Molly Moran
MA, Georgetown University BA, Catholic University of America
Tanushree Mukherjee
MA, Journalism and Media Studies, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Creative Interests: Reading fiction, hope to complete a long-form fiction project
Mary Newton
BA, English/Creative Writing, UCLA MA, English/Literature, San Francisco State University
Xavier Prince
BA, English, Salisbury University
Sammie Steiner
BS, English Language Arts Education, University of Central Florida
Creative Interests: Novels and novellas, Southern Gothic, queer identity, absurdism, environmentalism, humor, and ordinary perspectives
Kendra Stiers
BA, Creative Writing, Miami University
BS, Creative Writing, Ashland University
Poetry MFA Students
Jeremy daugherty.
BA, MA, English, Northern Kentucky University
Creative interests: elegy and the works of confessional poets; creative writing pedagogy in the composition classroom.
Adefemi Fagite
BA, Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta
Creative interests: social injustice, grief, speculative fiction, and African poetry
Matt Farley
BA, English Literature/Creative Writing, Miami University
Hallie Fogarty
BA, Northern Kentucky University
Creative interests: women poets, Affrilachian Literature, formal poetry, LGBTQ writers, mental illness in poetry, sestinas, confessional poetry
Sophia Judge
BA, Creative Writing, University of Cincinnati
Creative interests: climate-based literature and poetry, feminist works
Ross Kohler
BA, Miami University
Maddie Portune
BSB, Marketing & International Studies, IUPUI MA, English Literature, Indiana University
Creative Interests: Poetry (confessional, new formalism, micro), modern adaptations of mythology & religion, historical fiction (esp. Exploring European history & language), bisexuality in popular media & literature, feminist theory, queer theory, pedagogical approaches to writing & literature, linguistic justice & literary studies in young adult literature
Danton Remoto
MPhil, Publishing Studies, University of Stirling UK; BA/MA Literature, Ateneo de Manila University, Philippines
Creative Interests : Postcolonial Poetry, Lyrical Poetry, Creative Writing Pedagogy
Hossein Sobhani
MA, University of Southern Denmark BA, Persian Gulf University
Creative Interests: Narrative and the way in which our lives and identities are intertwined with narrative
Cody Tieman
BA, English, Denison University
Kyle Williams
BA, University of West Indies
Reynie Zimmerman
Director of Graduate Creative Writing Program, Brian Roley
Interim Director of English Department Graduate Studies, Madelyn Detloff ( [email protected] )
Department of English
501 E. High Street Oxford, OH 45056
- Online: Miami Online
- Main Operator 513-529-1809
- Office of Admission 513-529-2531
- Vine Hotline 513-529-6400
- Emergency Info https://miamioh.edu/emergency
1601 University Blvd. Hamilton, OH 45011
- Online: E-Campus
- Main Operator 513-785-3000
- Office of Admission 513-785-3111
- Campus Status Line 513-785-3077
- Emergency Info https://miamioh.edu/regionals/emergency
4200 N. University Blvd. Middletown, OH 45042
- Main Operator 513-727-3200
- Office of Admission 513-727-3216
- Campus Status 513-727-3477
7847 VOA Park Dr. (Corner of VOA Park Dr. and Cox Rd.) West Chester, OH 45069
- Main Operator 513-895-8862
- From Middletown 513-217-8862
Chateau de Differdange 1, Impasse du Chateau, L-4524 Differdange Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
- Main Operator 011-352-582222-1
- Email [email protected]
- Website https://miamioh.edu/luxembourg
217-222 MacMillan Hall 501 E. Spring St. Oxford, OH 45056, USA
- Main Operator 513-529-8600
Initiatives
- Miami THRIVE Strategic Plan
- Miami Rise Strategic Plan
- Boldly Creative
- Annual Report
- Moon Shot for Equity
- Miami and Ohio
- Majors, Minors, and Programs
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
- Employment Opportunities
- University Safety and Security
- Parking, Directions, and Maps
- Equal Opportunity
- Consumer Information
- Land Acknowledgement
- Privacy Statement
- Title IX Statement
- Report an Accessibility Issue
- Annual Security and Fire Safety Report
- Report a Problem with this Website
- Policy Library
Ohio State nav bar
Ohio state navigation bar.
- BuckeyeLink
- Search Ohio State
Creative Writing
The creative writing minor provides students options for in-depth study of the craft of creative writing. The progression of courses enhances critical reading skills and gives students the tools they need to create original fiction, poetry and creative nonfiction. (CREATWR-MN)
We use cookies to provide you with the best experience and to help improve our website. View Privacy Statement
- About College of Arts & Sciences Message from the Dean Meet the Staff Awards & Recognition News & Events CAScade Magazine Job Opportunities Centers & Research Center for Family and Demographic Research Center for Neuroscience, Mind & Behavior Center for Photochemical Sciences Center for Popular Culture Studies Center of Science and Mathematics Education Institute for the Study of Culture and Society Lake Erie and Watershed Studies National Center for Family & Marriage Research Learning Communities Arts Village Finding Your Voice in Social Justice Global Village La Comunidad Outreach Language Learning Center Psychology Service Center Institute for Psychological Research and Application State Fire School BG Ideas Podcast
- Undergraduate Areas of Study Acting/Directing Actuarial Science Advertising Africana Studies American Culture Studies Applied Mathematics Art Education Art History Asian Studies Biochemistry Biology Chemistry Classical Civilization Communication Computational Data Science Computer Science Creative Writing Data Science Design/Technical Theatre Digital Arts Digital Forensics Ecology and Conservation Biology Economics English Environmental Science Environmental Policy & Analysis Ethnic Studies Film Production Film Studies Fire Administration Forensic Biology Forensic Chemistry Forensic Science: Forensic DNA Analysis Forensic Science: Forensic Drug Analysis Forensic Science: Forensic Examination French Geography Geology German Graphic Design History Individualized Planned Program International Studies Journalism Latin Latin American Culture Studies Liberal Studies Marine and Aquatic Biology Mathematics Media Production & Studies Microbiology Music Musical Theatre Neuroscience Paleobiology Philosophy Philosophy, Politics, Economics & Law Physics Popular Culture Political Science Pre-Health Biology Public Relations Psychology Russian Sociology Software Engineering Spanish Statistics Studio Art Theatre Women's, Gender, & Sexuality Studies Youth Theatre Pre-Professional Programs Dentistry Law Medicine Mortuary Science Occupational Therapy Optometry Osteopathy Pharmacy Physician Assistant Veterinary Medicine
- Graduate Doctoral Programs American Cultural Studies Biological Sciences English (Rhetoric and Writing) Mathematics and Statistics Media and Communication Philosophy - Applied Photochemical Sciences Psychology Sociology Theatre Masters Programs American Culture Studies Art Art History Biological Sciences Chemistry Computer Science Creative Writing English (online) English Teaching European Studies Forensic Science French Geology Geospatial Sciences - Applied German Masters Programs History Literature & Textual Studies (English) Mathematics and Statistics Media and Communication Philosophy Physics Popular Culture Sociology Professional Writing & Rhetoric Public Administration Spanish Strategic Communication (Online) Theatre Graduate Certificates Ethnic Studies Geospatial Technology International/Intercultural Communication International Scientific and Technical Communications Performance Studies Public History Social & Interactive Media Spanish TESOL Women's Studies
- Academic Units Departments Africana Studies American Culture Studies Asian Studies Biological Sciences Chemistry Computer Science English Ethnic Studies History International Studies Mathematics & Statistics Philosophy Physics & Astronomy Political Science Popular Culture Psychology Sociology Theatre & Film Women's, Gender, & Sexuality Studies World Languages and Cultures Schools School of Art School of Cultural & Critical Studies School of Earth, Environment & Society School of Media & Communication Learning Communities Arts Village Finding Your Voice in Social Justice Global Village La Comunidad
- Students Current Students Bachelor of Liberal Studies Degree Audit Reporting System Faculty Mentors Find Your Advisor GPA Calculator Helpful Links Honors College Internships/Co-ops Learning Communities Majors and Checksheets Pre-Professional Programs Scholarships Transfer Credit Evaluation Undergraduate Student Handbook Future Students Advanced Placement Apply Now Degree Audit Reporting System Helpful Links Honors College Learning Communities Majors and Checksheets Pre-Professional Programs Scholarships University Orientation Misc. Links Kuhlin Hub for Career Design and Connections Education Abroad MyBGSU Parent and Family Resources Residence Life Student Financial Aid " role="menuitem" tabindex="-1">Searchable Scholarship Guide and Application
- Faculty/Staff Chairs & Directors Handbook Job Openings in the College Schedule Development Packet College Forms Software Site License Agreements Staff Links Human Resources Administrative Staff Council Classified Staff Council Arts & Sciences Committees Arts & Sciences Council Arts and Sciences Staff Council Council of Chairs & Directors Curriculum Committees Distinguished Teaching Award Committee Diversity and Inclusion Committee Promotion and Tenure Review Committee University Committees Faculty Senate Representatives Graduate Council Undergraduate Council Representatives University-Level Review Committee
- Alumni Accomplished Graduates Alumni Connections Transformations Magazine
Master of Fine Arts
"BG's creative writing program sets itself apart because the faculty is committed to supporting the unique voice and talents of each individual writer. It's not a factory churning out copies. The program fosters personal and artistic growth, and each member of the faculty and staff works diligently to provide the tools needed for that maturation. In addition, the teaching experience gained goes a long way, both in the classroom, and for the graduated student in the 'real world.'"
-Megan Ayers, MFA 2009
The Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing at BGSU is widely recognized as one of the country’s most prestigious. For more than fifty years, graduates of BGSU’s Program in Creative Writing have contributed to contemporary literary culture and published hundreds of books.
The MFA in Creative Writing program gives a comprehensive and rigorous education in the professional writing, editing, and marketing of poetry and fiction. Artistic development, craft knowledge, and professional presentation are guiding principles. The program is a composite of a total of 36 hours, consisting primarily of writing workshops, including a minimum of one course in techniques, one in literary editing, one in pedagogy, and the remainder in recommended courses or electives. Writers complete a thesis and comprehensive examination. BGSU does NOT require an electronic thesis; ours is paper-based. Why? See the article in The Chronicle of Higher Education , here .
MFA APPLICANTS: MFA students will be expected to concentrate in either poetry or fiction and all application materials must be sent to the Graduate College.
The deadline for application submissions for fall 2024 admission is january 15, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. est ., current students: see the link below for your roadmap to the mfa degree.
Roadmap to the MFA Degree
CURRENT STUDENTS: Going for more graduate work? Want a job? Time to write? Want to publish something? See the link below for the Careers Page!
A typical student's program consists of:.
Required Courses:
- Eng 6320 Writers' Workshop - 12 semester hours
- Eng 6300 /6310 Techniques Course - 3 semester hours
- Eng 7820 Advanced Writer's Workshop - 3 semester hours
- Eng 6330 Editing the Mid-American Review - 3 semester hours
- Eng 6370 Pedagogy of Creative Writing - 3 semester hours
- Eng 6990 Thesis Research Hours - 6 semester hours
TOTAL: 30 semester hours
Required Electives : 6 semester hours
GRAND TOTAL: 36 semester hours
Total hour requirements may be reduced for outstanding students who are able to apply credit from previous graduate work. However, approval for the transference of hours must happen prior to matriculation. In all cases, a student is required to take a minimum of thirty hours in residence with a minimum of one workshop in their major area per semester after being accepted into the Program.
In recognition of the value that interdisciplinary studies has for artistic development and intellectual enrichment, graduates may choose electives from a wide range of fields, such as philosophy, cultural studies, science, history, and art. Students must choose electives early in the program, and show a clear relationship between their electives and their specific goals as writers.
For detailed Graduate College requirements for preparing the thesis, click here .
Learning Outcomes
Students who graduate with the MFA in Creative Writing will have:
- Developed individual, original approaches to writing fiction and poetry.
- Produced a book-length thesis comparable in quality to the published work of contemporary poets and fiction writers.
- Developed an understanding of their work’s place within the context of contemporary literature.
- Evaluated literary work for publication.
- Produced and distributed a literary journal through relevant technologies.
- Developed pedagogical skills sufficient to design and teach courses at the college level.
Mid-American Review is the literary publication of the Department of English and the Creative Writing Program at Bowling Green State University. Started by Robert Early in 1980, MAR has served the literary community by publishing the best contemporary fiction, non-fiction and poetry being written today. MAR is proud of its tradition of publishing both new and established writers. Poets and writers including Madison Smartt Bell, Fred Chappell, Bernard Cooper, Stephen Dunn, Stuart Dybek, Albert Goldbarth, William Goyen, T.R. Hummer, Susan Ludvigson, Naomi Shihab Nye, A. Poulin, Jr., Alberto Rios, Richard Russo, William Stafford, Jean Thompson, Chase Twichell, Lee Upton, David Foster Wallace, C.K. Williams, and Eleanor Wilner have published in MAR .
Work from MAR has been reprinted in Best American Short Stories, Best American Poetry, Pushcart: Best of the Small Presses, Prize Stories: The O'Henry Awards, New Stories from the South , and Harper's . MFA students serve as assistant editors for MAR , providing them with valuable editorial and production experience.
MFA Reading Series
Poets and writers from all over the world have visited, read from their work, and interacted with writers in our programs. Follow the link to find the schedule.
Click here for further information and to submit an on-line application.
Please contact [email protected] for more information.
Creative Writing Program Department of English Bowling Green State University Bowling Green, OH 43403 Phone: 419-372-6864 Fax: 419-372-0333 Email
STUDY ABROAD!
English Department
Stephannie Gearhart, Chair English Department Bowling Green State University Bowling Green, OH 43403 419-372-7540 [email protected]
Jeanne R. Berry (she/her/hers) Secretary to the Chair [email protected]
Updated: 12/18/2023 01:22PM
- Future Students
- Parents/Families
- Alumni/Friends
- Current Students
- Faculty/Staff
- MyOHIO Student Center
- Visit Athens Campus
- Regional Campuses
- OHIO Online
- Faculty/Staff Directory
College of Arts and Sciences
- Awards & Accomplishments
- Communications
- Mission and Vision
- News and Events
- Teaching, Learning, and Assessment
- A&S Support Team
- Faculty Affairs
- Human Resources
- Promotion & Tenure
- Centers & Institutes
- Faculty Labs
- Undergraduate Research
- Environmental Majors
- Pre-Law Majors
- Pre-Med, Pre-Health Majors
- Find an Internship. Get a Job.
- Honors Programs & Pathways
- Undergraduate Research Opportunities
- Undergraduate Advising & Student Affairs
- Online Degrees & Certificates
- Ph.D. Programs
- Master's Degrees
- Certificates
- Graduate Forms
- Thesis & Dissertation
- Departments
- Alumni Awards
- Giving Opportunities
- Dean's Office
- Department Chairs & Contacts
- Faculty Directory
- Staff Directory
- Undergraduate Advising & Student Affairs Directory
Helpful Links
Navigate OHIO
Connect With Us
Creative Writing Graduate Programs
About the Program and Placement Record
- Faculty Research Areas
- Teaching Assistantships
Creative Writing M.A.
- Admission Requirements
- Degree and Graduation Requirements
- Master's Essay
- Master's Thesis
Creative Writing Ph.D.
- Doctoral Dissertation
- Foreign Language Requirement
- Ph.D. Comprehensive Examination
One of the first universities in the country to offer a Ph.D. in Creative Writing, Ohio University continues as home to a thriving, widely respected graduate program with concentrations in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction.
Small by design, our graduate program offers a comprehensive curriculum, an award-winning faculty and the intimacy of small classes.
Placement Record
Over the past three years, seven of our nine graduating creative writing Ph.D. students have landed tenure-track jobs, post-doctorates, or prestigious visiting writer posts. Our MA graduates go on to study in the top MFA and Ph.D. programs.
- English M.A. Placements
- English Ph.D. Placements
Students in the Creative Writing M.A. and Ph.D. programs enjoy:
- Graduate stipends, up to $15,000 per year, with opportunities to teach a wide range of courses, including creative writing workshops
- Generous graduate student travel funding
- Editorial fellowships on New Ohio Review , Quarter after Eight , and Brevity
- Opportunities to interact with distinguished visiting writers
M.A. candidates complete two years of study and write a thesis of creative work in their genre. Doctoral candidates complete five years of study, comprehensive exams, a major critical essay, and a creative dissertation.
Literary Journals
The department and its students publish three literary journals:
- New Ohio Review , a national literary journal
- Quarter After Eight , a prose journal edited by graduate students
- Sphere , an undergraduate journal
Annual Events
The department hosts several annual events including an ambitious Spring Literary Festival that brings five nationally distinguished writers to campus for three-days of readings, craft talks, and student discussion. Recent visitors have included Tony Hoagland, Kathryn Harrison, Barry Lopez, Francine Prose, Peter Ho Davies, Kim Addonizio, David Shields, Robert Hass, Charles Simic, Yusef Komunyakaa, and Marilynne Robinson.
Visiting writers engage with our program year-round as well, appearing in both undergraduate and graduate classes, meeting one-on-one with select students, and offering evening readings in the intimate Galbreath Chapel.
In addition to a regular Dogwood Bloom reading series for our graduate students, the creative writing program hosts an annual Writers' Harvest benefit reading for the Southeastern Ohio Food Bank?s Second Harvest, a food distribution program serving Athens, Hocking, Perry, Vinton, Jackson, Gallia, Meigs, Morgan and Washington counties.
- Remember me Not recommended on shared computers
Forgot your password?
2024 Creative Writing MFA Applicants Forum
By LivingUnderABigRock December 4, 2023 in Literary
Recommended Posts
LivingUnderABigRock
The process begins , figured I would start a thread on here with a story.
I just submitted to one of my top choices with a letter that references another school! It's very brief and the rest of the letter references the correct school, but take this as a sign that mistakes happen and it's okay to give yourself some space! Always have someone else read over your letter and other materials. I must have gone over mine ten times and still missed this, despite checking everything else and keeping a mostly unique letter for each school. Who knows if this will be enough to deny me flat out, I'm sure my very poor writing will be enough lmao!
Either way, best of luck to everyone. December 15th is still a few weeks away, but would love to hear from how everyone's doing and share responses.
P.S: Seems like UTK is the first school most will hear any news about since they have a first and second round system. I have seen some hear on being moved to the second round as early as December 16th. Obviously not an acceptance but a good sign that there is some quality to your writing that a school might be interested in.
Link to comment
Share on other sites.
- 1 month later...
- Replies 1.8k
- Created Dec 4
- Last Reply 3 hr
Top Posters In This Topic
Popular Days
Scribe 153 posts
jadedoptimist 150 posts
Chex 85 posts
triciadawn 81 posts
Feb 20 2024
Feb 21 2024
Feb 16 2024
Feb 15 2024
Popular Posts
Mr. specific.
Tuesday at 06:45 PM
Got into Michigan! Crazy. Just an email notification. Not complaining, but I thought they'd call. l
jadedoptimist
Wednesday at 05:28 PM
Oh my god guys. Oh my god. I'm on the Syracuse waitlist!!!!!!!!!
February 15
Last night I told my boyfriend I didn’t think the MFA was in the cards this year and I meant it. I started my application for an English teaching program abroad and bookmarked a bunch of job postings.
Hi everyone! I guess I'm just going to post my stats and schools... Talking about this process seems to make it a little less scary, and I've found some solace in reading through last year's thread, so it's only proper that I pay it forward.
I'm 22 years old and one year out of undergrad, where I got a BS in biology and minored in CW. I have one short story published in a lit magazine. I've only applied for fully-funded programs, all of them in fiction. Ten total! They're ASU, UMn, UW-M, UW-S, NAU, UNLV, UNLV-R, SFU, BSU, and OSU.
I'm trying to temper my expectations--I realize it's extremely unlikely that I'll get into any of these programs--but I hope I get at least one 'a!'
Wishing all of you the best of luck!
just heard back from poetry faculty at UIUC that i’m on the waitlist!
i didn’t think i had a chance so this is great news!! still waiting to hear back from 7 other schools… wishing everyone so much luck :’)
EDIT: if anyone has any tips on waitlist formalities (i.e following up w/ the school) or any stories about being on MFA waitlists please let me know!
- triciadawn , seeleimraum and darr1
Applied to 11 programs + a Hail Mary to Stegner and am now just anxiously awaiting results starting next month. I did: Indiana-Bloomington, UW-M, Michener, Zell, Iowa, NYU, Brown, JHU, UVA, Syracuse, Vanderbilt. This is my first year applying. I’m 36 and on my second career and have kids, I have low expectations for this year but also just want to know any information at all so I can know what my next year will look like.
- BowserNintendo
Hey folks! Excited and scared out of my mind for this process and honored to be in your company. I’m 26, graduated in 2020 with a BA in Education and minor in Asian Studies. Applied to Brown, Cornell, Michigan, Michener, New Writer’s Project, Sarah Lawrence, Iowa, UMass Amherst, and UW-M for fiction and Northwestern for CNF. I have done minor literary stuff (published an essay and short story) but have never held a fellowship, internship, residency, etc or anything of the sort
0a /0w/0r/10p
Good luck everyone!
decayingballads21
Hi, all! I thought I'd help keep this thread going too after reading last year's thread! This will be my first year applying after contemplating for years (I've been a Draft lurker since 2016). Applied to Arkansas, Ole Miss, Minnesota State, BU, New School, Columbia, Hunter, and UNCG for fiction. And the usual suspects: Iowa, Michigan, UW-M, NYU. Very excited for results to come out! Best of luck to everyone!
0a/0w/0r/12p
seeleimraum
~Hi folks, this is my second time applying to poetry MFA programs (first attempt was during undergrad 5 years ago): Iowa, UMichigan, Cornell, Vandy, UOregon, Indiana Univ, UC Irvine, Virginia Tech, UIdaho, UNCG, UMontana, USouth Carolina, UC Boulder. 0a/0w/0r/13p - biting my nails and ordering a weighted blanket in the meantime. Good luck y'all!~
Hey everyone, this is my first time applying as I'm finishing my undergrad this year! I applied in poetry to Cornell, Brown, Michigan, Iowa, Vanderbilt, Michener, Northwestern and Virginia. Good luck all!!!!
Wishing everybody the best this cycle!!
First time applicant, lurked for a couple years now. Have seen enough amazing writers apply multiple years that I’m keeping my expectations healthy 😅 Applying in poetry to Iowa, Michigan, Syracuse, Indiana, Minnesota, Virginia, Vanderbilt, Michener, Arizona, and UC-Irvine.
0a/0w/0r/10p
I see a lot of people applying to UofM I know it's a great program, but does anyone have any insight as to if their admissions team favors in-state residents? I have seen sources say that for undergraduate UofM is twice as likely to admit someone from Michigan rather than an out-of-state student, and I wonder if this carries over in some ways?
Would be good to know if this is true with other schools as well. Or maybe it would make people more anxious to know that this has an effect! haha
Either way, Best of luck to everyone!
- decayingballads21 and Jim VK
3 hours ago, BasilicaHands said: I see a lot of people applying to UofM I know it's a great program, but does anyone have any insight as to if their admissions team favors in-state residents? I have seen sources say that for undergraduate UofM is twice as likely to admit someone from Michigan rather than an out-of-state student, and I wonder if this carries over in some ways? Would be good to know if this is true with other schools as well. Or maybe it would make people more anxious to know that this has an effect! haha Either way, Best of luck to everyone!
I don’t think location is a factor in MFA admissions. The most important thing is your writing sample.
bluebikeyikes
Hi everyone! I'm applying to 7 programs for CNF in the U.S.: OSU, SAIC, Wash U., Northwestern (MFA + MA), Oregon State, U. of Pittsburgh, and U. of Washington. I've also applied to all three programs in Canada. Best of luck everyone!
0A/0W/0R/11P
18 hours ago, bluebikeyikes said: Hi everyone! I'm applying to 7 programs for CNF in the U.S.: OSU, SAIC, Wash U., Northwestern (MFA + MA), Oregon State, U. of Pittsburgh, and U. of Washington. I've also applied to all three programs in Canada. Best of luck everyone! 0A/0W/0R/11P
Hey everyone! bluebikeyikes, glad to see another CNF applicant. I’m applying to all those US schools as well (just not u Washington)
Best of luck to everybody!
justasmidge
Also wishing the best for everyone this cycle!
First time applicant, but if I got in, this would be my second master's. I got my first one ten years ago and am happy to have a career that I love in transportation policy and planning. But I've always loved to write and after attending a few writing workshops last year, I feel it's time to make good on that. What has been fascinating about this admissions process is that there is a lot of camaraderie and a really good spirit of people wanting to help others out. I can certainly say that for public administration back when I was applying in 2012, I didn't know any of my fellow applicants. It is certainly a very welcome difference : D
I'm specifically applying to NYC-based programs as I'm in a position in my career where I can't leave, both for professional and financial reasons. Thankfully, I'm used to a schedule where chaos reigns as I also was a full-time student with a full-time job during my first master's degree and used to be a campaign organizer where I was working 80+ hour weeks. I know it's going to be a lot but if I get in, I'll figure it out.
I'm applying to fiction tracks of NYU, Columbia, Stony Brook, Brooklyn, The New School, Sarah Lawrence, Hunter, and City College of New York.
Does anyone else wish that they could put down musicians as writing influences? I honestly would love to put Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker, and Lucy Dacus down because they've really inspired me but I don't want to veer too off course.
- triciadawn and SarahRuth
2 hours ago, decayingballads21 said: Hey everyone! bluebikeyikes, glad to see another CNF applicant. I’m applying to all those US schools as well (just not u Washington) Best of luck to everybody!
Wow, that's great! I'm glad to see another CNF applicant applying to these programs as well!
1 minute ago, bluebikeyikes said: Wow, that's great! I'm glad to see another CNF applicant applying to these programs as well!
Me too!! I haven’t seen many. How are you feeling about your apps and the whole process?? Idk why I’m more nervous bc I feel like there’s less CNF applicants but also feel like everyone’s amazing so idk. I’m scared!! But excited. But scared!
9 minutes ago, decayingballads21 said: Me too!! I haven’t seen many. How are you feeling about your apps and the whole process?? Idk why I’m more nervous bc I feel like there’s less CNF applicants but also feel like everyone’s amazing so idk. I’m scared!! But excited. But scared!
I'm definitely feeling anxious as well! I only have one app left (U of Washington Bothell) and it's wild to think that OSU might get back to us in as soon as ten days! I'm scared haha. But also excited to meet more amazing writers no matter my next step looks like!
Just now, bluebikeyikes said: I'm definitely feeling anxious as well! I only have one app left (U of Washington Bothell) and it's wild to think that OSU might get back to us in as soon as ten days! I'm scared haha. But also excited to meet more amazing writers no matter my next step looks like!
It’s nice to meet you!! And I wish you the best of luck.
I know I’m literally so nervous about OSU. That’s my top program 😭 fingers crossed for us!! what are your top programs?
34 minutes ago, decayingballads21 said: It’s nice to meet you!! And I wish you the best of luck. I know I’m literally so nervous about OSU. That’s my top program 😭 fingers crossed for us!! what are your top programs?
It's nice to meet you too! And yes, best of luck, OSU is a great program! I hope we get in : )
Honestly, I would be grateful to get any fully funded offer as I only applied to schools that I'm excited for. Right now, I'm slightly leaning towards Northwestern and U of Washington as they have MFA + MA and I'm interested in integrating critical/theoretical aspects into my writing
On 1/12/2024 at 3:32 PM, justasmidge said: Also wishing the best for everyone this cycle! First time applicant, but if I got in, this would be my second master's. I got my first one ten years ago and am happy to have a career that I love in transportation policy and planning. But I've always loved to write and after attending a few writing workshops last year, I feel it's time to make good on that. What has been fascinating about this admissions process is that there is a lot of camaraderie and a really good spirit of people wanting to help others out. I can certainly say that for public administration back when I was applying in 2012, I didn't know any of my fellow applicants. It is certainly a very welcome difference : D I'm specifically applying to NYC-based programs as I'm in a position in my career where I can't leave, both for professional and financial reasons. Thankfully, I'm used to a schedule where chaos reigns as I also was a full-time student with a full-time job during my first master's degree and used to be a campaign organizer where I was working 80+ hour weeks. I know it's going to be a lot but if I get in, I'll figure it out. I'm applying to fiction tracks of NYU, Columbia, Stony Brook, Brooklyn, The New School, Sarah Lawrence, Hunter, and City College of New York. Does anyone else wish that they could put down musicians as writing influences? I honestly would love to put Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker, and Lucy Dacus down because they've really inspired me but I don't want to veer too off course.
Hey, fellow NYC schools applicant here! I used to live in the city and I’ve been dying to move back!
Hi everyone!
Longtime(ish) lurker finally compelled to make an account. It's awfully quiet in here and the wait is grating. I am a first-time applicant to fiction programs. I hope everyone is holding up well. Sending you all good luck!
sunnysequoia
Hello everyone! Lovely to see fellow nonfiction candidates here. I'm nearly 27, five years out of undergrad where I completed my B.A. in English with a Creative Writing Emphasis, and a first-time applicant.
I'm applying to what may be an excessive number of 16 programs LOL. I was torn between pragmatically wanting full funding and the fantasy of pursuing my writing dreams in New York. Even after acknowledging that it wouldn't be smart to pursue an MFA in a program where I'd be worrying about outrageously high living costs and massive debt, I couldn't bring myself to not apply to my New York schools. In the end, I figured I might as well apply, and if I get in, I can decide then whether I can make it work.
My fully funded schools are: UMass Amherst, Rutgers U Camden (full funding available but not guaranteed), U of Pittsburgh, Ohio State, Miami U, U of Minnesota, U of Iowa, Wash U St. Louis, U of Arizona, and Oregon State. The rest are Sarah Lawrence, Hunter College, NYU, The New School, U of San Francisco, and SF State. (I did rule out Columbia due to the enormous class size, lack of funding, and ludicrous $110 application fee. The last was also the case for NYU, and I applied there only after I received a fee waiver for another school. I decided that I wasn't going to apply to two schools with such an exorbitantly high fee that they feel entitled to charge just because they are a private, for-profit university, and I preferred NYU over Columbia.)
I'm three-quarters of the way done with my applications. Only ones left are Rutgers, Hunter, USF, and SFSU with deadlines through mid-February. I'm so mentally checked out at this point that I'm just not stressing over my remaining ones LOL, especially since 3 of them are for non-fully funded programs. I likely won't apply to them on the off chance that I am accepted into any fully funded program before their respective deadlines.
Good luck to everyone in this process!
0a/0w/0r/12p/4 still applying 🙃
- triciadawn and Chex
There was a fiction acceptance in draft just posted, for Ohio state. Does anyone know if fiction, poetry and CNF acceptances come out separately or at the same time? I’m so nervous
46 minutes ago, decayingballads21 said: There was a fiction acceptance in draft just posted, for Ohio state. Does anyone know if fiction, poetry and CNF acceptances come out separately or at the same time? I’m so nervous
According to the notification spreadsheet from last year, it looks like results for CNF & poetry came out around the 19th over a few days, with acceptances coming out first, then waitlists, then rejections for all genres on the 25th. No results for fiction acceptances in the spreadsheet, as far as I can see.
3 hours ago, Chex said: Hi everyone! Longtime(ish) lurker finally compelled to make an account. It's awfully quiet in here and the wait is grating. I am a first-time applicant to fiction programs. I hope everyone is holding up well. Sending you all good luck!
I know it’s been so quiet this year compared to previous cycles! Best of luck to you too! Where did you apply?
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Already have an account? Sign in here.
- Existing user? Sign In
- Online Users
- All Activity
- My Activity Streams
- Unread Content
- Content I Started
- Results Search
- Post Results
- Leaderboard
- Create New...
Important Information
By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy .
Ohio State nav bar
The Ohio State University
- Buckeye Link
- Find People
- Search Ohio State
- Degrees and programs
- Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing
English Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing
The Master of Fine Arts Program in Creative Writing at The Ohio State University is designed to help graduate students develop to the fullest their talents and abilities as writers of poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction. Creative writing classes are conducted as workshops or tutorials, and there are numerous opportunities for related study both within and beyond the Department of English.
All students are fully funded for three years in a program that is well known for its sense of community and a faculty that is as committed to teaching as to their own writing. Approximately 36 graduate students are taught by tenure track, visiting, and affiliated (Film Studies) faculty, who also teach in the undergraduate program. Graduate student TAs teach introductory and intermediate special topics undergraduate creative writing courses, undergraduate literary publishing, as well as first-year and second-year writing (required courses for all OSU undergraduates). TAs teach two classes a year, one in autumn and one in spring. In addition, they have the opportunity to work as editors of OSU's prize-winning, nationally distributed literary magazine, The Journal, and to serve on the editorial staff of our two annual book prizes, one in poetry and one in prose.
Course offerings are varied and numerous. Special topics graduate workshops (in the long poem, in characterization, in literary translation, in humor writing, and so on) ensure that, in addition to "regular" workshops, opportunities abound for experimentation. Our graduate program includes coursework designed for "crossing over," such as, poetry workshops for MFA fiction writers or essayists with little experience writing poems; and "forms" classes in prosody, the novel, the memoir, novellas, for example.
Screenwriting for MFAs is offered regularly, and many students also elect to study playwriting or writing for performance as an elective. Some MFAs choose to pursue the Graduate Interdisciplinary Specialization in the Fine Arts (GISFA), which allows them to take graduate courses in other arts disciplines. Indeed, Ohio State's size and breadth offer our students the chance to explore many disciplines that enrich their study and practice of creative writing.
If you have a disability and experience difficulty accessing this content, please contact [email protected] .
Student Academic Services Building | 281 W. Lane Ave. | Columbus, Ohio 43210
Webmaster | Nondiscrimination notice | Annual Security Report | GP program resources
Privacy statement | Cookie settings
This is an attempt at creating an objective ranking of graduate creative writing programs.
For further and more detailed information on how the scores are generated see the methodology page.
Lists of authors without graduate creative writing degrees or whose degree status is unknown are available. 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 .
Jump to navigation
- Undergraduate Admissions
- Transfer Admissions
- Graduate Admissions
- Honors and Scholars Admissions
- International Admissions
- Law Admissions
- Office of Financial Aid
- Orientation
- Pre-College Programs
- Scholarships
- Tuition & Fees
- Academic Calendar
- Academic Colleges
- Degree Programs
- Online Learning
- Class Schedule
- Workforce Development
- Sponsored Programs and Research Services
- Technology Transfer
- Faculty Expertise Database
- Research Centers
- College of Graduate Studies
- Institutional Research and Analysis
- At a Glance
- Concerned Vikes
- Free Speech on Campus
- Messages & Updates
- In the News
- Social Media
- Board of Trustees
- Senior Leadership Team
- Services Near CSU
Cleveland State University
Engaged learning.
Search this site
Program overview, master of fine arts in creative writing.
NEOMFA, Northeast Ohio Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, click here to view detailed information from all universities .
For more information on the NEOMFA Program at Cleveland State University, click here .
The Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing is offered as part of the Northeast Ohio Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, a four-university consortium incorporating the faculty and resources of Cleveland State University, Kent State University, Youngstown State University, and the University of Akron. The degree program offers four concentrations: fiction, creative nonfiction, playwriting, and poetry. The curriculum focuses on the techniques of creative writing and the analysis of literary works from the point of view of the practitioner, while electives enable the study of whatever subject area will further the student’s writing interests. A required internship offers practical workplace experience from a wide range of fields, including teaching, editing, grant writing, arts marketing, and arts administration.
The program is designed to meet the needs of both part-time and full-time students. Workshops and craft and theory courses are routinely offered in the evenings. Students can register freely across institutional boundaries for graduate courses offered at any of the participating universities and taught either by regular faculty or by visiting resident writers.
Please note that applicants must submit materials both to CSU and to the NEOMFA Program. For more information on submitting materials to CSU, click here . For information on submitting materials to the NEOMFA, click here .
Department of English; Rhodes Tower, Room 1815; Phone (216) 687-3951
- Adam Sonstegard, Chair
- Julie Townsend, Director of Graduate Studies
- Mike Geither, CSU Campus Coordinator for the NEOMFA
- Imad Rahman, (CSU) NEOMFA Director
Admission Requirements
To apply to the NorthEast Ohio Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing Program:
- Complete the Application for Graduate Admission at Cleveland State, checking "English - Creative Writing NEOMFA" as the intended program of study and checking Master's Degree. To facilitate the process, we strongly recommend that applicants use the online application system at engagecsu.com/apply The submission process requires that an applicant have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university with an overall grade point average of 2.75 or higher and a 3.0 average in courses in English. Applicants must provide transcripts of all previous college work and, for NEOMFA applicants, three letters of recommendation. Students interested in teaching assistantships should submit a sample of academic writing, normally a research paper from an undergraduate course.
- Submit required application materials to the NEOMFA Program: a creative writing portfolio, a one-page statement of purpose, and three letters of recommendation. Your portfolio and statement may be submitted here: neomfa.org/apply . Letters of recommendation should be sent to [email protected] . For more information on applying to the NEOMFA, see neomfa.org/prospective-students .
Please note that applicants must submit materials both to CSU and to the NEOMFA Program.
NEOMFA Courses
The menu of Consortium courses is comprised of the collective graduate offerings of participating departments at all four NEOMFA universities. For an overview, consult the course-offering page on the NEOMFA Web site at neomfa.org , where specific MFA courses are designated and available literature courses, as well as many electives, are listed for upcoming semesters.
©2024 Cleveland State University | 2121 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115-2214 | (216) 687-2000. Cleveland State University is an equal opportunity educator and employer. Affirmative Action | Diversity | Employment | Tobacco Free | Non-Discrimination Statement | Web Privacy Statement | Accreditations
How to Become a Writer in Ohio with a BFA, MFA or Similar Creative Writing Degree
Created by CreativeWritingEDU.org Contributor
Ohio has been the home of great writers for centuries, with Toni Morrison being among the most prominent. Her Song of Solomon won the National Book Critics Circle Award in 1977, Beloved earned a Pulitzer in 1988, and she rounded those off with a Nobel Prize in Literature in 1993 and a Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012. In 2021 the National Book Critics Circle established a new award in her honor, the Toni Morrison Achievement Award.
Morrison was a great writer, but she was also a great teacher. She’s emblematic of what it means for a writer to give back to their community. Having earned a master’s degree in literature herself, she would later go on to teach that subject before becoming a professor of English. She also worked as a Random House editor.
Imagine having Toni Morrison as your college prof. For a select few who earned an English degree where she taught, that fantasy is a reality. A BA or Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) is just a starting point on your road to professional writing. At the master’s-level you have the option of an MA or Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in creative writing, led by professors with decades of experience on both the writing and publishing sides of the business.
Ohio is great at producing writers who excel at their craft. And when it comes to earning a degree in creative writing, one of those exceptional writers could also end up being be one of your professors.
What do seven US presidents, 24 American astronauts, and literary legend Toni Morrison all have in common?
Cleveland resident Philip Metres earned his MFA in creative writing and PhD in English before he distinguished himself as a world-renowned writer in the fields of poetry and literary criticism. The Lebanese-American has studied poetry in Russia, is widely published, and has received numerous awards and fellowships. He’s perhaps best known for his poetry book Shrapnel Maps .
Cuyahoga County native Phoebe Robinson isn’t even 40 yet and she’s an accomplished actress, comedian, podcaster, and author. You Can’t Touch My Hair: And Other Things I Still Have to Explain is just one of her New York Times best sellers. She started off studying screenwriting.
Born and raised in Sandusky, Jeannie Vanasco’s first memoir, Things We Didn’t Talk About When I Was a Girl , received extensive accolades, as have her additional works. Her material has appeared in the New York Times , the Times Literary Supplement , and more. Vanasco earned her BA in creative writing with an emphasis in poetry and fiction, and two MFAs: one with a focus in memoir and one with a focus in poetry.
The list of gifted writers from Ohio –both accomplished and up-and-coming– is too long to name them all.
Ohio’s Creative Writing Classes, Courses, and Workshops Can Prepare You for a Creative Writing Degree
Any honest artist will also tell you that practice and experience count for at least just as much as natural talent. As an aspiring creative writer that means getting involved in your local writing scene. Fortunately, Ohio is full of opportunities.
Every month a mix of new and experienced writers gather at the Columbus Cultural Arts Center to convene a meeting of the Ohio Writers Guild. This organization is dedicated to providing a rich and supportive environment to foster the development of skilled writers. The guild sponsors promotional events, educational programs, and peer reviews.
The Ohio Writers Association puts on peer critique workshops and helps organize writing groups for professional and emerging writers throughout the state. It regularly publishes anthologies with a range of provocative themes and accepts member submissions.
If you’re in Cincinnati, check out the city’s annual poetry slam. This contest offers an opportunity to enjoy the spoken word, meet fellow poets and publishers, and the best poets walk away with cash prizes.
The Cincinnati Writers Project is another local group for writers in all genres. It offers peer reviewed writing groups, workshops, and events with sponsored local speakers. You also have a chance of getting something published in one of their anthologies.
The Columbus Writers’ Group meets twice a month and offers a venue for local writers of all skill levels to meet and talk about their craft.
There’s also Poetry in the Park each year in Columbus, an event that has also spawned the Poetry Forum out of a realization that area poets needed more camaraderie than just a yearly outdoors performance.
In a place like Ohio the opportunities for writers to connect with each other really abound. It’s impossible to list them all. There are also dozens of local publishing houses throughout the state, including:
- Biblio Publishing in Grandview Heights, an employee-owned business looking for fresh and interesting books to print
- Monday Creek Publishing in Buchtel, publishing in categories that include fiction, memoirs, poetry, children’s literature, horse books, and more
- Pavement Saw Press is based in Montpelier, focusing on poetry anthologies, literary journal anthologies, and chap books
There are a ton things that have to happen right for you to get something like a novel published. Your piece of creative writing represents countless hours of introspection, learning the craft, listening to writing feedback, re-writing, editing, networking with publishers, rinse and repeat.
An academic program can help to bring order to this process. This is when a bachelor’s or master’s degree in English or creative writing can be most useful.
Writing Colleges in Ohio Offering Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Creative Writing Provide a Path to Becoming a Writer
Philip Metres is currently an English professor and an integral part of his school’s MFA program. Jeannie Vanasco is an English professor and teaches creative writing.
These accomplished writers with Ohio ties are following in Toni Morrison’s tradition: accomplished and experienced professionals who also give back through teaching.
When Morrison won the Nobel Prize in Literature, the awards committee described her novels as being:
“…characterized by visionary force and poetic import, [giving] life to an essential aspect of American reality" ~ Nobel Prize for Literature Committee on Toni Morrison’s work
There’s a stark difference between aspiring writers who spend their days and nights in local writing groups, and driven writers who enroll in creative writing degree programs taught by professors with decades of experience in both the art and business of writing. That difference is defined by things like commitment, dedication to craft, and professionalism; the kind of differences that distinguish the hobbyists from accomplished writers.
Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) and Other Bachelor’s Degrees in Creative Writing in Ohio
Art academy of cincinnati.
Accreditation: HLC
Degree: Bachelor – BFA
Private School
- Creative Writing
Ashland University
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
Degree: Bachelor – BA
Baldwin Wallace University
Bowling Green State University-Main Campus
Public School
Capital University
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
Cleveland State University
- English-Creative Writing
Hiram College
SCHOOL OF ARTS, HUMANITIES AND POLITICS
Malone University
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH
Miami University-Oxford
Oberlin College
Ohio Northern University
GETTY COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
Ohio University-Main Campus
Ohio Wesleyan University
Otterbein University
Degree: Bachelor – BFA, BA
- BFA - Creative Writing
- BA - English-Creative Writing
The University of Findlay
COLLEGE OF ARTS, HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES
- English-Creative Writing emphasis
University of Cincinnati-Main Campus
Master of Fine Arts (MFA) and Other Master’s Degrees in Creative Writing in Ohio
Degree: Master – MFA
- Creative Writing (Poetry, Creative Nonfiction, Fiction)
- Creative Writing (Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, Playwriting, Poetry)
Kent State University at Kent
Degree: Master – MA
University of Akron Main Campus
BUCHTEL COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
- English-Creative Writing track (also offers PhD in Creative Writing)
Youngstown State University
BEEGHLY COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS SOCIAL SCIENCES AND EDUCATION
Ohio State nav bar
Ohio state navigation bar.
- BuckeyeLink
- Search Ohio State
Cultivating the writers of tomorrow
For an entire week in the summer 30 students from high schools in Columbus City Schools, charter schools in the city of Columbus, and students in public schools across Ohio got a taste of what writing and working in a real-life setting is like through The Ohio State University’s Young Writers Workshop (YWW). Participants live on campus and attend sessions featuring visiting writers, readings, daily workshops, open mic readings and so much more. Throughout the workshop, students study and practice the writing of poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction. A full scholarship backs participation in this program for all interested students who submitted a writing sample and statement of intent to apply for the program. Students in this program are taught by the department’s creative writing faculty, alumni and current students of the department’s MFA program.
All students who attend this workshop are fully backed by scholarships provided by the program’s donor. As YWW was first starting Professor Lee Martin helped secure funding for the program with the help of donor Linda Kass and afterward handed over the program to Michelle Herman , YWW’s artistic and executive director. She says, “I got involved because it was a program that mattered to me, and I wanted to make it the best possible version of itself that it could be...I designed the curriculum and created a template that we would continue to use: the format has not changed much since 2010, the first year I put it in place.” Herman has given her all to this program and shares some fond memories: “Every summer these kids burn themselves into my heart. I would be doing them a disservice if I plucked out any one or two—or twelve, or thirty—memories. I’ll be general about what I remember, though: teaching kids how to use chopsticks so they could eat the takeout Chinese food (from Moy’s) that we bring in every year; watching/listening to them wildly cheer each other at the gala reading every year; seeing them all dressed up, ditto; seeing shy, uneasy kids bloom by the week’s end; observing them hugging and sobbing as they say goodbye to each other after the gala; reading what they’ve written each year as I put the anthology together.”
Andrew Romriell instructed the creative nonfiction portion of the workshop and said, “I got to jump in and, for just a week, live in a world of writing and learning and creativity.” Over the course of the week, instructors taught classes where students studied published works and experimented with their own writing. Gage Freshour, a student at Whetstone High School, says he enjoyed “learning so much of what I'm passionate about in the span of five days through actual hands-on learning and writing with engaging prompts and examples.” Students work to understand the craft of writing and learn skills to use in their own writing. Romriell explains, “They learn all the skills of an adult writer... they learn how to sit down at the desk and do the work you have to do.” These skills allow the students to enhance their writing, Kyria Emigh, a student at the Arts & College Preparatory Academy, shares, “Before, it was hard for me to produce much of anything, but I learned a lot of useful techniques and skills in just those 5 days.”
These newly learned skills can be applied to students’ personal writing and allow them to pursue writing as more than a hobby. “We’ve also had students go on to become teachers themselves, to go on to be published in places like Teen Vogue, or to be invited to read their poetry during presidential events,” says MaryKatherine Ramsey , program director. The workshop not only teaches students how to write but also sharpens their personal and professional skills.
This summer, students improved their writing skills while also getting to know one another inside and outside of the classroom. Elise Gorzela, another workshop instructor, saw the impact of these connections: “It's amazing to watch students find a space and community with each other at YWW.” The ability to share work with one another while getting a glimpse of college life allowed students to form friendships organically. As Romriell saw it, “They built relationships and made memories that might last their entire lives. There’s something so important in those kinds of friendships, and here is a place they can find it.” Lani Casto, a student at Granville High Schools echoes this and says, “I think, no matter how cheesy it sounds, the best part of the workshop was the connections I made...being in the workshop helped me to realize that I’m not the only person my age that puts so much of themself into writing and storytelling.” On the topic of community, Anna Blasinski from Dublin Coffman High School adds, “The people there are all just as interested in writing as you are, which means you’ll make a lot of friends and learn a ton, too.” These connections were just as important to the instructors as they were for the students. Romriell describes how he felt after the workshop: “I remember driving home after the workshop and just crying, and for some time, I couldn’t find the words to explain why. Mostly, I was crying because I felt outrageously happy.”
The program ends with a capstone event where students share their work with one another and their family members. Gorzela remembers this event: “You overhear students telling each other to promise to stay in touch, make plans to hang out, and to send each other their writing.”
Applications for the 2024 workshop, July 14–19, are now open; for more information, and to apply, visit the Young Writers Workshop homepage .
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
The Master of Fine Arts Program in Creative Writing at The Ohio State University is designed to help graduate students develop to the fullest their talents and abilities as writers of poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction.
The Master of Fine Arts Program in Creative Writing at The Ohio State University is designed to help graduate students develop to the fullest their talents and abilities as writers of poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction.
MFA in Creative Writing Program Admissions × Sorry...This form is closed to new submissions.
Our six core creative writing faculty — along with dozens of MFA GTAs and one affiliated faculty member specializing in screenwriting and story engineering — teach upper-level undergraduates and competitively-admitted MFA students in the primary genres of poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction.
164 Annie and John Glenn Avenue 421 Denney Hall, Creative Writing Program Columbus Ohio, United States 43210-1370 Phone: 614-247-9670 Email: [email protected] Fax: 614-292-7816 https://english.osu.edu/graduate/mfa DEGREE PROGRAMS Bachelor of Arts in English with a Minor in Creative Writing +
The Creative Writing program at The Ohio State University is designed to help graduate students develop to the fullest their talents and abilities as writers of
The Ohio State University based in Columbus, OH offers a three-year fully funded MFA in creative writing. This MFA program is designed to help graduate students develop to the fullest their talents and abilities as writers of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. Creative writing classes are conducted as workshops or tutorials, and there ...
Creative Writing, MFA Small, intensive and supportive, merging a playful approach to contemporary experimentation with an ambitious exploration of literary traditions, Miami University's MFA program draws students from across the country and beyond to classes in creative nonfiction, poetry, fiction, multimedia and performance writing.
In late 2019 I applied to around 15 of the best Creative Writing MFA's in the United States. All of these programs have less than a 3% acceptance rate--the most competitive among them less than 1% (yes, they received over 1000 applicants and accepted less than 10).
Home Academics Programs: Minors Creative Writing Creative Writing Minors The creative writing minor provides students options for in-depth study of the craft of creative writing. The progression of courses enhances critical reading skills and gives students the tools they need to create original fiction, poetry and creative nonfiction. (CREATWR-MN)
Students who have been admitted into the Department of English's Master of Fine Arts Program in Creative Writing are given the opportunity to learn from distinguished faculty, teach undergraduates, and sharpen their skills as they make the best use of their talents as writers of prose and poetry.
The MFA in Creative Writing program gives a comprehensive and rigorous education in the professional writing, editing, and marketing of poetry and fiction. Artistic development, craft knowledge, and professional presentation are guiding principles.
One of the first universities in the country to offer a Ph.D. in Creative Writing, Ohio University continues as home to a thriving, widely respected graduate program with concentrations in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction.
2024 Creative Writing MFA Applicants Forum 2024 Creative Writing MFA Applicants Forum. By LivingUnderABigRock December ... (full funding available but not guaranteed), U of Pittsburgh, Ohio State, Miami U, U of Minnesota, U of Iowa, Wash U St. Louis, U of Arizona, and Oregon State. The rest are Sarah Lawrence, Hunter College, NYU, The New ...
The Master of Fine Arts Program in Creative Writing at The Ohio State University is designed to help graduate students develop to the fullest their talents and abilities as writers of poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction.
Graduates. Mike Alber MFA (Fiction) 2010. Isaac Anderson MFA (CNF) 2011. Graham Barnhart MFA (Poetry) 2017. Daniel Barnum MFA (Poetry/CNF) 2022. Brett Beach MFA (Fiction) 2014. Erin Belieu MFA (Poetry) 2000. Kathleen Blackburn MFA (CNF) 2013.
Here at Ohio State, the CW faculty specialize in mentoring literary writers of poetry, fiction and nonfiction, some of whom may later pursue a graduate degree in Creative Writing (an MFA).
Creative Writing, MFA. The NEOMFA (Northeast Ohio Master of Fine Arts) program in creative writing is a consortium between the University of Akron, Cleveland State University, Kent State University, and Youngstown State University. This unique MFA program provides students with opportunities to develop their skills in writing fiction, poetry ...
This is an attempt at creating an objective ranking of graduate creative writing programs. For further and more detailed information on how the scores are generated see the methodology page ... MFA: IN: Ohio State University: 8484: 7900: 7100: 12100: Fiction, Poetry, CNF: MFA: OH: University of Virginia: 8400: 9100: 7700: 0: Fiction, Poetry ...
The Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing is offered as part of the Northeast Ohio Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, a four-university consortium incorporating the faculty and resources of Cleveland State University, Kent State University, Youngstown State University, and the University of Akron.
Featured Program: BA in Creative Writing and MA in English and Creative Writing with various concentrations. Grand Canyon University. Featured Program: B.A. in Professional Writing for New Media. Penn Foster. Featured Program: Comprehensive English: Reading and Writing Skills Certificate. Ohio has been the home of great writers for centuries ...
The English major at Ohio State invites students to create their own intellectual journeys. ... The Creative Writing concentration is for students who want an intensive curriculum focused on developing their creative writing. ... Our six core creative writing faculty — along with dozens of MFA GTAs and one affiliated faculty member ...
For an entire week in the summer 30 students from high schools in Columbus City Schools, charter schools in the city of Columbus, and students in public schools across Ohio got a taste of what writing and working in a real-life setting is like through The Ohio State University's Young Writers Workshop (YWW). Participants live on campus and attend sessions featuring visiting writers, readings ...