The University of Montana · Creative Writing Program, Department of English
MFA in Creative Writing
MFAMaster of Fine Arts - Creative WritingCompetitive full funding
Overview
A two-year, 45-credit MFA with concentrations in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, combining 12 credits of workshop, a techniques course, literature seminars, electives, and a 12-credit thesis with a public reading. Some students attend part-time over three years. Teaching assistantships with a stipend and tuition waiver are offered to about half of enrolled students.
- Official program name
- MFA in Creative Writing
- Awarded degree
- Master of Fine Arts - Creative WritingSource: catalog.umt.edu · verified October 9, 2026
- School
- Source: umt.edu · verified October 9, 2026
- Location
- Missoula, MT
- Delivery / residency
- Campus-basedClasses and workshops meet in person on campus throughout the program.Source: umt.edu · verified October 9, 2026
- Study intensity
- Full-time, Part-timeSource: catalog.umt.edu · verified October 9, 2026
- Duration
- Two years (three years part-time)Source: catalog.umt.edu · verified October 9, 2026
- Required credits
- 45 credit hoursSource: catalog.umt.edu · verified October 9, 2026
- Teaching language
- English (not separately stated)
- Start
- FallSource: umt.edu · verified October 9, 2026
Why this degree is listed
The catalog lists the awarded degree as Master of Fine Arts - Creative Writing, with fiction, nonfiction, and poetry concentrations.
Source: catalog.umt.edu · verified October 9, 2026We list dedicated creative writing degrees only. Eligibility rules
Curriculum, genres and faculty
Genres
FictionCreative NonfictionPoetry
Source: umt.edu · verified October 9, 2026Concentrations and tracks
- FictionSource: catalog.umt.edu · verified October 9, 2026
- NonfictionSource: catalog.umt.edu · verified October 9, 2026
- PoetrySource: catalog.umt.edu · verified October 9, 2026
Workshops
- 12 credits of genre workshop (e.g., CRWR 510 Fiction Workshop).Source: catalog.umt.edu · verified October 9, 2026
- Workshops are capped at fifteen and generally have seven to twelve students.Source: umt.edu · verified October 9, 2026
Craft courses
- 3 credits of a techniques course in the genre (e.g., Techniques of Modern Fiction, Traditional Prosody).Source: catalog.umt.edu · verified October 9, 2026
Thesis / dissertation
- Thesis: prose minimum 80 pages; poetry minimum 40 pages; 12 thesis credits.Source: catalog.umt.edu · verified October 9, 2026
Readings and visiting writers
- Candidates give a public thesis reading after committee approval.Source: catalog.umt.edu · verified October 9, 2026
Teaching opportunities
- Training for collegiate-level teaching of creative writing; TAs teach composition, and some second-year TAs teach creative writing.Source: umt.edu · verified October 9, 2026
Literary journal opportunities
- MFA students manage the literary journal CutBank.Source: umt.edu · verified October 9, 2026
Faculty listed by the program
- Chris Dombrowski — Director of Creative Writing
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: umt.edu · verified October 9, 2026Admissions
Required, optional, waived and not-required items are shown exactly as the school states them. Anything not listed is not verified — not “not required”.
- Statement of purpose
- RequiredGoal statement of 100-300 wordsSource: umt.edu · verified October 9, 2026
- Recommendation letters
- Required3 letters — Three confidential recommendationsSource: umt.edu · verified October 9, 2026
- CV / résumé
- RequiredCV or resume with awards, honors, or publicationsSource: umt.edu · verified October 9, 2026
- Application fee
- Required$70 — Graduate School application fee of $70 (the FAQ page lists $60)Source: umt.edu · verified October 9, 2026
- Transcripts
- RequiredUnofficial transcripts; official transcripts if selectedSource: umt.edu · verified October 9, 2026
- Critical / academic writing sample
- OptionalExpository essay of 7-15 pages required only to be considered for a teaching assistantshipSource: umt.edu · verified October 9, 2026
- Other requirement
- OptionalApplicants may apply in up to two genres with one Graduate School applicationSource: umt.edu · verified October 9, 2026
Writing portfolio
| Genre | Length | Requirement as published |
|---|---|---|
| Fiction | 15–30 pages | 15-30 pages: two or more short stories or excerpts from a novel in progressFormatting: double-spaced, standard margins and fontsSource: umt.edu · verified October 9, 2026 |
| Creative Nonfiction | 15–30 pages | 15-30 pages: one or more nonfiction essays or excerpts from a longer workFormatting: double-spaced, standard margins and fontsSource: umt.edu · verified October 9, 2026 |
| Poetry | up to 15 pages | 15 pages of poetrySource: umt.edu · verified October 9, 2026 |
Tests
- GRE General Test
- Not requiredSource: umt.edu · verified October 9, 2026
We do not publish acceptance rates or estimate competitiveness: programs rarely publish comparable figures.
Deadlines
Dates are shown with the admissions cycle the school printed. A past date is marked passed and is never carried into a new cycle.
- Year not printed
Application deadline
Applications open October 1 and close January 6 · for Fall
The school does not print a year with this date.
Source: umt.edu · verified October 9, 2026 - Year not printed
Supporting documents
Letters of recommendation accepted until January 21 · for Fall
The school does not print a year with this date.
Source: umt.edu · verified October 9, 2026
Tuition and fees
Each amount keeps its applicant category, academic year and basis. Per-credit, per-year and whole-program figures are not comparable with each other.
| Category | Amount | Basis and year |
|---|---|---|
| In-state — Graduate School, in-state, tuition and mandatory fees, 12 or more creditsFrom the school's rate table for this level | $5,607 | per semester · 2026-2027Includes feesSource: umt.edu · verified October 9, 2026 |
| Out-of-state — Graduate School, non-resident total tuition and mandatory fees, 12 or more creditsFrom the school's rate table for this level | $19,403 | per semester · 2026-2027Includes feesSource: umt.edu · verified October 9, 2026 |
Funding
Full funding (tuition and stipend) is available to selected students only. Admission does not guarantee it. “Fully funded” never means every personal expense is covered. How we classify funding
Competitive full funding
- Funding guarantee
- Enough teaching assistantships for about half of enrolled students; incoming students are ranked.Source: umt.edu · verified October 9, 2026
- Tuition coverage
- Each TA provides a stipend, a tuition waiver (in-state or out-of-state), and a registration fee waiver.Source: umt.edu · verified October 9, 2026
- Mandatory fees
- Other university fees are not included in the waiver; TAs pay registration fees and health insurance costs per the FAQ.Source: umt.edu · verified October 9, 2026
- Assistantship duties
- TAs teach three credits per semester, almost always composition, with required training.Source: umt.edu · verified October 9, 2026
- Renewal conditions
- Assistantships are never awarded for more than two years; second-year renewal is the norm in the MFA.Source: umt.edu · verified October 9, 2026
- Separate application
- TA applicants must be fully admitted and submit an expository essay.Source: umt.edu · verified October 9, 2026
Named scholarships, fellowships and assistantships
Truman Capote Fellowship fellowship
Two-year fellowship with tuition waiver and stipend; no teaching required · Awards: 1
Eligibility: One prose writer per year
Source: umt.edu · verified October 9, 2026Scholarships and fellowships for unfunded students scholarship
$800 - $5000
Eligibility: Unfunded MFA students
Source: umt.edu · verified October 9, 2026CutBank Editor assistantship
Fully funded position in the second year
Eligibility: Second-year MFA students
Source: umt.edu · verified October 9, 2026
Sources and verification
Every fact on this page comes from the official pages below. Last verified October 9, 2026.
- catalog.umt.edu/graduate/humanities-sciences/english/creative-writing-mfa-fiction/ — Official catalog / bulletin, verified October 9, 2026
- catalog.umt.edu/graduate/humanities-sciences/english/creative-writing-mfa-nonfiction/ — Official catalog / bulletin, verified October 9, 2026
- catalog.umt.edu/graduate/humanities-sciences/english/creative-writing-mfa-poetry/ — Official catalog / bulletin, verified October 9, 2026
- umt.edu/creative-writing/ — Official program page, verified October 9, 2026
- umt.edu/creative-writing/cutbank-oval/default.php — Official program page, verified October 9, 2026
- umt.edu/creative-writing/graduate/apply.php — Official program page, verified October 9, 2026
- umt.edu/creative-writing/graduate/questions.php — Official program page, verified October 9, 2026
- umt.edu/english/graduate/mfa-creative-writing.php — Official program page, verified October 9, 2026
- umt.edu/english/graduate/teaching-assistantships.php — Official funding / aid page, verified October 9, 2026
- umt.edu/student-financial-services/cost-of-attendance/graduate-school-coa/graduate-school-in-state-c — Official tuition and fees page, verified October 9, 2026
- umt.edu/student-financial-services/cost-of-attendance/graduate-school-coa/graduate-school-out-of-sta — Official tuition and fees page, verified October 9, 2026
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Creative Writing Programs is independent and not affiliated with The University of Montana. Information is collected from official pages and can change; confirm requirements, costs and deadlines with the school.