An independent directory of dedicated creative writing degrees in the United States
Spalding University · Sena Jeter Naslund-Karen Mann Graduate School of Writing
A 65-credit low-residency MFA in four semesters plus a graduation residency. Each semester opens with a weeklong residency in Louisville (spring and fall) or a virtual residency (summer), followed by mentored independent study with five packets; students choose a six-month (about 25 hours a week) or extended (about 12 hours a week) semester schedule.
The MFA in Writing emphasizes the practice of creative writing, with concentrations in fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, writing for children and young adults, and writing for TV, screen and stage, and requires a creative thesis.
Source: catalog.spalding.edu · verified October 9, 2026We list dedicated creative writing degrees only. Eligibility rules
FictionPoetryCreative NonfictionScreenwritingPlaywriting
Source: catalog.spalding.edu · verified October 9, 2026As listed on the program's official page on October 9, 2026. Listing does not mean a faculty member is teaching or supervising new students in a given year.
Source: spalding.edu · verified October 9, 2026| Genre | Length | Requirement as published |
|---|---|---|
| Any / all genres | — | Writing sample in one area (fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, writing for children and young adults, or writing for TV, screen and stage), read blind by a faculty committee; page limits not stated on the pages fetchedSource: catalog.spalding.edu · verified October 9, 2026 |
We do not publish acceptance rates or estimate competitiveness: programs rarely publish comparable figures.
Application deadline
Rolling admission · for All terms
The school does not print a year with this date.
Source: catalog.spalding.edu · verified October 9, 2026Funding / priority deadline
Scholarship requests: April 1 (spring or summer semester), October 1 (fall semester) · for Spring/summer and fall semesters
The school does not print a year with this date.
Source: spalding.edu · verified October 9, 2026| Category | Amount | Basis and year |
|---|---|---|
| All students — Graduate, Writing (MFA)From the school's rate table for this level | $650 | per credit · 2026-2027Source: spalding.edu · verified October 9, 2026 |
Partial funding
Alumni Select scholarship
$2,000
Eligibility: Incoming students referred by alumni
How to apply: Email request to the Chair
Source: spalding.edu · verified October 9, 2026Faculty Select scholarship
$2,000
Eligibility: Incoming students referred by faculty
How to apply: Email request to the Chair
Source: spalding.edu · verified October 9, 2026Appalachian Writer scholarship
$2,000
Eligibility: Incoming students from Appalachia
How to apply: Email request to the Chair
Source: spalding.edu · verified October 9, 2026Kentucky Teachers Scholarship scholarship
$1,000-$1,500
Eligibility: Kentucky teachers of any subject and level, K through university
How to apply: Email request to the Chair
Source: spalding.edu · verified October 9, 2026Sena Jeter Naslund – Karen Mann Endowed Scholarship scholarship
Eligibility: Incoming MFA students, based on need
How to apply: Email request to the Chair
Source: spalding.edu · verified October 9, 2026Mann-Driskell Scholarship scholarship
$500 (up to two per year) · Awards: 2
Eligibility: Current female students working in long-form fiction
Source: spalding.edu · verified October 9, 2026Something out of date? Request a correction · Represent this school? Claim the profile
Same degree level, nearby or in the same format. Listed for discovery, not ranked.
Creative Writing Programs is independent and not affiliated with Spalding University. Information is collected from official pages and can change; confirm requirements, costs and deadlines with the school.