Ph.D. in Creative Writing and Literature
Get a Ph.D. in Creative Writing and Literature
Admission to the 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 Ph.D. 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
- M.A. in English or M.F.A. in Creative Writing
- 3.5 GPA in graduate studies
Application Deadline
The admissions deadline for our Ph.D. in Creative Writing and Literature is January 15.
For more admissions information, visit the How to Apply web page for our Ph.D. in Creative Writing and Literature.
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.
