Writing Programs

Whether you’re looking for a creative writing program that leads to an associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree at a US or international school, and whether you want a residency or low-residency program, here you’ll find easily searchable listings of our selection of the most worthwhile programs. The listings include links to author bios and works by each program’s graduates and by current and former faculty members who are published in Narrative.


Location:
Degree:
Season (Northern):
Duration:
Lycoming College

Lycoming College

BA
WILLIAMSPORT, PA
The Creative Writing major is designed for students who wish to continue their study beyond Lycoming in a Master of Fine Arts (MFA or MA) program, and/or for students who aspire to careers as professional writers, editors, publishers, teachers, and other related professions.
Narrative Author Faculty: Sascha Feinstein
Manhattanville College

Manhattanville College

MFA, MA, BA
PURCHASE, NY
Manhattanville’s thirty-six-credit Master of Fine Arts in creative writing program is open to graduates of accredited colleges and universities who demonstrate a strong potential in writing and critical thinking. The program can be completed in two years, though students may work at their own pace, beginning in either the fall or spring semester.
Narrative Author Faculty: Camille Rankine
Narrative Author Graduates: Kristina Bicher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

BA
CAMBRIDGE, MA
The curriculum in creative writing is designed to develop expertise in writing and reading a genre of the student’s choice (e.g., fiction, poetry, or nonfiction prose forms), familiarity with related genres, and a three-subject focused exposure to an allied discipline, usually in the humanities, arts, or social sciences.
Narrative Author Faculty: Junot Díaz, Adam Stumacher
McNeese State University

McNeese State University

MFA
LAKE CHARLES, LA
The MFA program in creative writing at McNeese State University is a three-year, sixty-hour curriculum culminating in the creative thesis, a book-length manuscript with significant artistic merit.
Narrative Author Faculty: Josh Rathkamp
Narrative Author Graduates: Michael Shewmaker
Mesa Community College

Mesa Community College

CERTIFICATE
MESA, AZ
The Academic Certificate (AC) in Creative Writing program is designed to provide students and professional writers with access to a community of writers and creative writing activities, instruction and guidance from established authors, and ongoing support in improving their writing skills and marketing their work.
Narrative Author Faculty: Josh Rathkamp
New England College

New England College

MFA
HENNIKER, NH
The MFA’s academic model is studio/research: integrating substantial work in the academic study and creative production of literary art. Students are individually mentored by accomplished, award‐winning faculty members who are among the most compelling writers in their genres, and who also are known for their excellence in teaching.
Narrative Author Faculty: Peggy Orenstein
New Mexico Highlands University

New Mexico Highlands University

MA, BA
LAS VEGAS, NM
The mission of the department of English and Philosophy is to provide quality education leading to intellectual growth and professional success. Majors and minors are offered in English and professional writing. The program is committed to preserving, interpreting, and promoting the unique multicultural heritage of the region.
Narrative Author Faculty: Tyler Mills
New York University

New York University

MFA
NEW YORK, NY
The MFA in Creative Writing is designed to offer students an opportunity to concentrate more intensively on their writing and to choose, from a wider selection, those courses that will best help them develop as writers.
Northeastern University

Northeastern University

MA
BOSTON, MA
The Graduate Program in English includes three degrees: the PhD, the master’s, and the PlusOne (BA/MA), open to current undergraduate English majors. All three degree options are grounded in the study of British and American literature through the most current modes of humanistic inquiry, and in the disciplines of writing and rhetoric. 
Narrative Author Faculty: Scott Challener
Northern Illinois University

Northern Illinois University

MA
DEKALB, IL
At the MA level, we offer seven concentrations: British and American literature; film and literature; literature and rhetoric/composition; rhetoric and professional writing; English education; linguistics; and TESOL.
Narrative Author Faculty: Amy Newman
Northern Michigan University

Northern Michigan University

MFA, MA, BA
MARQUETTE, MI
The program offers three areas of specialization or tracks: fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. The master of fine arts is a terminal degree that will serve students seeking careers in writing, higher education teaching, publishing, and related fields.
Narrative Author Graduates: Emily Walter Seitz
Ohio State University

Ohio State University

MFA, BA
COLUMBUS, OH
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.
Narrative Author Faculty: Kathy Fagan
Narrative Author Graduates: Erin Belieu, Alexandra Salerno
Ohio University

Ohio University

MA
ATHENS, OH
The department of English offers a master’s degree that can serve either as preparation for a PhD and a career in English studies, or as an extension of education in the liberal arts beyond the bachelor’s degree.
Narrative Author Faculty: Eric LeMay
Old Dominion University

Old Dominion University

MFA, BA
NORFOLK, VA
In addition to taking workshops and craft courses with the MFA faculty, our students take courses with dynamic faculty who have expertise in American, British, and world literature, as well as literary theory, film studies, and rhetoric.
Narrative Author Faculty: Luisa A. Igloria
Narrative Author Graduates: Natalie Diaz
Oregon State University

Oregon State University

MFA
CORVALLIS, OR
MFA students take a four-credit literature or craft course, along with the four-credit workshop in their genre (poetry, fiction, or nonfiction), and four credit hours of thesis advising, for a total of twelve credits each quarter.
Narrative Author Faculty: Wayne Harrison
Narrative Author Graduates: Michael Wasson
Pacific Lutheran University

Pacific Lutheran University

MFA
TACOMA, WA
Our MFA is an innovative three-year, four-residency program in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. Mentorships with our faculty last for a full year, ensuring a high-quality experience at a more leisurely pace—ideal for busy professionals and those who wish to take time to develop their work’s fullest potential.
Narrative Author Faculty: Kent Meyers, Ann Pancake
Pacific University Oregon

Pacific University Oregon

MFA
SEASIDE, OREGON
In a rigorous course of study and with an emphasis on the creative process, award-winning writers work closely with students to support and inspire emerging craft and voice. Students create a quality portfolio of fiction, nonfiction, or poetry, reflecting their unique styles and forms of expression.
Narrative Author Faculty: Rick Bass, Marvin Bell, Pete Fromm
Penn State

Penn State

MFA, BA
STATE COLLEGE, PA
At Penn State, we offer an integrated undergraduate/graduate degree in English with a creative writing concentration in poetry and in prose (fiction and creative nonfiction). This is a full-residency program that can be completed in two years—the student’s senior year and the additional MA year.
Narrative Author Graduates: Alita Putnam