An independent directory of dedicated creative writing degrees in the United States
University of California-Riverside · Department of Creative Writing
A low-residency MFA based at UCR's Palm Desert Center: seven quarters of asynchronous online study over two years plus five mandatory 10-day in-person residencies at a resort in Indian Wells, California. Tracks are fiction, nonfiction, poetry, playwriting and screenwriting. Tuition is $9,360 per quarter and includes residency lodging, breakfast and lunch.
Low-residency version of UCR's MFA in Creative Writing and Writing for the Performing Arts, with fiction, nonfiction, poetry, playwriting and screenwriting tracks.
Source: palmdesertmfa.ucr.edu · verified October 9, 2026We list dedicated creative writing degrees only. Eligibility rules
UCR cannot accept students with an address in certain states; either the permanent or mailing address on the application must be in an authorized state. International students are not accepted at this time.
Source: palmdesertmfa.ucr.edu · verified October 9, 2026FictionCreative NonfictionPlaywritingPoetryScreenwriting
Source: palmdesertmfa.ucr.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: palmdesertmfa.ucr.edu · verified October 9, 2026| Genre | Length | Requirement as published |
|---|---|---|
| Any / all genres | up to 25 pages | A 25-page writing sample in the intended major (fiction, playwriting, poetry, nonfiction, or screenwriting)Source: palmdesertmfa.ucr.edu · verified October 9, 2026 |
GRE and English-language test policy: not verified. We publish this only when the school states it on an official page.
We do not publish acceptance rates or estimate competitiveness: programs rarely publish comparable figures.
Application deadline
February 1, 2027 · for Spring 2027
Source: palmdesertmfa.ucr.edu · verified October 9, 2026Application deadline
Aug. 1 · for Fall
The school does not print a year with this date.
Source: palmdesertmfa.ucr.edu · verified October 9, 2026| Category | Amount | Basis and year |
|---|---|---|
| All students — Per quarter; no additional fees for out-of-state studentsPublished for low-residency study | $9,360 | per termSource: palmdesertmfa.ucr.edu · verified October 9, 2026 |
Partial funding
The Founder's Award scholarship
$1500
Eligibility: New students of particular promise
How to apply: Automatic consideration
Source: palmdesertmfa.ucr.edu · verified October 9, 2026The Miramonte Award scholarship
$2000 (full cost of a ten-day residency) · Awards: 2
Eligibility: Two new students of particular merit
How to apply: Automatic consideration
Source: palmdesertmfa.ucr.edu · verified October 9, 2026The Visible Voices Scholarship scholarship
$9,360
Eligibility: Storytellers from historically underrepresented communities meeting the UC Definition of Diversity
How to apply: Supplemental scholarship application after acceptance
Source: palmdesertmfa.ucr.edu · verified October 9, 2026The Lizi Gilad Silver Memorial Scholarship scholarship
$10,000
Eligibility: Incoming and continuing students
How to apply: Applications available each fall
Source: palmdesertmfa.ucr.edu · verified October 9, 2026The Out of the Woods Scholarship scholarship
$5,000 · Awards: 1
Eligibility: Writers from historically underrepresented and marginalized communities meeting the UC definition of diversity
Source: palmdesertmfa.ucr.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 University of California-Riverside. Information is collected from official pages and can change; confirm requirements, costs and deadlines with the school.