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
In the late 1970s, poets Cynthia MacDonald and Stanley Plumly were named co-chairs of the Southwest’s first graduate writing program, one that received an even greater boost when New Yorker writer (and UH alum) Donald Barthelme joined the faculty in 1983.
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.
