Guides
Creative Writing Degree Guides
Plain explanations of creative writing degrees, formats, funding and applications. Factual claims cite official sources with an access date; guides never promise admission, publication or employment.
Degrees & pathways
BFA vs. BA in Creative Writing: How the Degrees Differ
How a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing differs from a Bachelor of Arts: workshop load, liberal arts requirements, admission to the major and the senior thesis.
Campus-Based vs. Low-Residency MFA: Structure, Workload and Cost
How a campus-based MFA differs from a low-residency MFA: residencies and packet exchanges, weekly workload, teaching assistantships, tuition and the travel costs residencies add.
Fully Online vs. Low-Residency MFA: What Changes Without a Residency
How a fully online MFA differs from a low-residency MFA: required residencies, live versus self-paced classes, mentorship, pacing, cost bases and state authorization.
MFA vs. PhD in Creative Writing: Length, Coursework and Funding
How the MFA and the PhD in creative writing differ in length, literature coursework, exams, dissertation, admission requirements and the way funding is structured.
Choosing a school
Admissions
How to Prepare a Creative Nonfiction Portfolio for a Writing Program
What creative nonfiction programs ask for in a writing sample, how page and word limits differ, which forms they accept, and how to choose and format the pieces you send.
How to Prepare a Fiction Portfolio for an MFA Application
How to choose, trim and format the fiction writing sample for a creative writing MFA: published page and word limits, stories versus novel excerpts, and formatting rules.
How to Prepare a Poetry Portfolio for an MFA Application
How to assemble the poetry writing sample for a creative writing MFA: page and poem-count limits, spacing and one-poem-per-page rules, ordering, and what to leave out.
Applying to U.S. Creative Writing Programs as an International Student
English test requirements and the new TOEFL scale, transcripts and fees, funding eligibility, and the Form I-20 and visa steps for international applicants to U.S. writing programs.
Writing a Statement of Purpose for a Creative Writing Program
What creative writing programs ask for in a statement of purpose, how length and format vary from 300 words to five pages, and how to answer the prompt each program actually sets.
Tuition & funding
MFA Assistantships and Teaching Duties: What the Work Involves
How teaching assistantships in creative writing MFA programs work: typical loads, what you teach, training requirements, hours, and how duties change across the program.
Tuition and Residency Costs in Creative Writing Programs
How to read creative writing tuition figures — per credit, per term or per program — what in-state status changes, and which residency, travel and fee costs sit outside the tuition line.
Understanding Fully Funded MFA Programs: What the Package Includes
What 'fully funded' means in a creative writing MFA offer: tuition remission, stipend, health coverage, fees, renewal conditions and the costs that often remain.