University of Minnesota-Twin Cities · Creative Writing Program, Department of English
MFA in Creative Writing
Overview
A three-year, campus-based MFA with workshops in poetry, fiction and literary nonfiction, culminating in a book-length thesis, a 20-book booklist, an MFA essay and a defense. All admitted MFAs receive full funding through teaching assistantships or fellowships; assistantships carry a tuition waiver, health benefits and a nine-month stipend of about $22,573 (2025-26).
- Official program name
- MFA in Creative Writing
- Awarded degree
- Master of Fine Arts in Creative WritingSource: cla.umn.edu · verified October 9, 2026
- School
- Source: cla.umn.edu · verified October 9, 2026
- Location
- Minneapolis, MN
- Delivery / residency
- Campus-basedClasses and workshops meet in person on campus throughout the program.Source: cla.umn.edu · verified October 9, 2026
- Study intensity
- Not verified
- Duration
- Three yearsSource: cla.umn.edu · verified October 9, 2026
- Required credits
- Not verified
- Teaching language
- English (not separately stated)
- Start
- FallSource: cla.umn.edu · verified October 9, 2026
Why this degree is listed
Awarded degree is the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing.
Source: cla.umn.edu · verified October 9, 2026We list dedicated creative writing degrees only. Eligibility rules
Curriculum, genres and faculty
Genres
PoetryFictionCreative Nonfiction
Source: cla.umn.edu · verified October 9, 2026Thesis / dissertation
- Book-length thesis completed in the spring of the third year; minimum 120 pages of prose or 50 pages of poetry.Source: cla.umn.edu · verified October 9, 2026
Other
- Booklist of 20 influential books (at least one per genre) and a 2,500-3,500-word MFA essay, discussed at the thesis defense.Source: cla.umn.edu · verified October 9, 2026
Craft courses
- Reading as Writers and Topics in Advanced Writing course series.Source: cla.umn.edu · verified October 9, 2026
Teaching opportunities
- Teaching assistants teach one class per semester and receive pedagogy training for all three years.Source: cla.umn.edu · verified October 9, 2026
Faculty listed by the program
- Douglas Kearney — Director, Professor, poetry
- Aamina Ahmad — Assistant Professor
- Peter Campion — Professor, poetry
- V.V. Ganeshananthan — Professor, fiction
- Megan Giddings — Assistant Professor
- Kathryn Nuernberger — Professor, poetry
- Julie Schumacher — Regents Professor, fiction
- Kim Todd — Professor, creative_nonfiction
As 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: cla.umn.edu · verified October 9, 2026Admissions
- Statement of purpose
- RequiredStatement of purpose (500-1,000 words)Source: cla.umn.edu · verified October 9, 2026
- Recommendation letters
- Required3 letters — Three letters of recommendation (due by December 7)Source: cla.umn.edu · verified October 9, 2026
- CV / résumé
- RequiredRésumé or CVSource: cla.umn.edu · verified October 9, 2026
- Application fee
- RequiredApplication fee; the English department cannot waive itSource: cla.umn.edu · verified October 9, 2026
- Transcripts
- RequiredUnofficial transcript from each degree-granting institution, uploaded as PDFSource: cla.umn.edu · verified October 9, 2026
- Other requirement
- RequiredDiversity statement (500-1,000 words)Source: cla.umn.edu · verified October 9, 2026
Writing portfolio
| Genre | Length | Requirement as published |
|---|---|---|
| Poetry | up to 15 pages | Up to 15 pages of poetry, single spacedFormatting: single spacedSource: cla.umn.edu · verified October 9, 2026 |
| Fiction | up to 30 pages | Up to 30 pages of prose, double spaced (fiction)Formatting: double spacedSource: cla.umn.edu · verified October 9, 2026 |
| Creative Nonfiction | up to 30 pages | Up to 30 pages of prose, double spaced (nonfiction)Formatting: double spacedSource: cla.umn.edu · verified October 9, 2026 |
Tests
- GRE General Test
- Not requiredGRE scores are not considered; do not submitSource: cla.umn.edu · verified October 9, 2026
- TOEFL iBT
- Required — minimum 105For non-native English speakers; 105 internet-based or 620 paper-basedSource: cla.umn.edu · verified October 9, 2026
- IELTS Academic
- Required — minimum 7.5For non-native English speakersSource: cla.umn.edu · verified October 9, 2026
We do not publish acceptance rates or estimate competitiveness: programs rarely publish comparable figures.
Deadlines
- Upcoming
Application deadline
December 1, 2026 · for Fall 2027 · America/Chicago
Source: cla.umn.edu · verified October 9, 2026 - Upcoming
Supporting documents
December 7, 2026 · for Fall 2027 · America/Chicago
Source: cla.umn.edu · verified October 9, 2026
Tuition and fees
| Category | Amount | Basis and year |
|---|---|---|
| In-state — General graduate tuition, resident, full-time (6-14 credits) per semesterFrom the school's rate table for this level | $10,962 | per semester · 2026-2027Source: onestop.umn.edu · verified October 9, 2026 |
| Out-of-state — General graduate tuition, nonresident, full-time (6-14 credits) per semesterFrom the school's rate table for this level | $17,364 | per semester · 2026-2027Source: onestop.umn.edu · verified October 9, 2026 |
These are the published rates. The program also states tuition coverage for funded students — see Funding below for what is covered.
Funding
Fully funded (conditions apply)Policy year: 2025-2026
Published stipend: $22,573 (nine-month academic year (about $22,573 for 2025-26)) · 3 years
- Funding guarantee
- All admitted MFAs receive full funding through teaching assistantships or fellowshipsSource: cla.umn.edu · verified October 9, 2026
- Tuition coverage
- Full tuition waiver up to 14 credits per semester with health benefitsSource: cla.umn.edu · verified October 9, 2026
- Stipend
- Nine-month stipend about $22,573 for 2025-26, expected to be similar for 2026-27Source: cla.umn.edu · verified October 9, 2026
- Years guaranteed
- Three years of support, contingent upon available fundingSource: cla.umn.edu · verified October 9, 2026
- Health insurance
- Health coverage active September 1 through August 31Source: cla.umn.edu · verified October 9, 2026
- Expected workload
- Teaching load of one class per semesterSource: cla.umn.edu · verified October 9, 2026
We do not judge whether a stipend is sufficient: living costs differ by city, household and year.
Named scholarships, fellowships and assistantships
The Gesell Fellowship fellowship
$4,000 per academic year for three years, above the teaching stipend
Eligibility: Promising new MFA candidate
Source: cla.umn.edu · verified October 9, 2026Walter Nathan Literary Fellowship fellowship
$4,000 per academic year for three years, above the teaching stipend
Eligibility: Promising new MFA candidate
Source: cla.umn.edu · verified October 9, 2026Gesell Writing Residency Fellowships fellowship
Summer residencies at the Anderson Center for Interdisciplinary Studies, Red Wing, Minnesota · Awards: 2
Eligibility: Two MFA students
Source: cla.umn.edu · verified October 9, 2026Michael Dennis Browne Fellowship in Poetry fellowship
Awards: 1
Eligibility: One MFA poet each year
Source: cla.umn.edu · verified October 9, 2026
Sources and verification
- cla.umn.edu/creative-writing/graduate/funding-policies — Official funding / aid page, verified October 9, 2026
- cla.umn.edu/creative-writing/graduate/how-apply — Official program page, verified October 9, 2026
- cla.umn.edu/creative-writing/graduate/mfa — Official program page, verified October 9, 2026
- cla.umn.edu/creative-writing/people/faculty — Official program page, verified October 9, 2026
- onestop.umn.edu/finances/costs/tuition — Official tuition and fees page, verified October 9, 2026
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Creative Writing Programs is independent and not affiliated with University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. Information is collected from official pages and can change; confirm requirements, costs and deadlines with the school.