University of South Carolina-Columbia · Department of English Language and Literature
Creative Writing, M.F.A.
MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Creative WritingFully funded (conditions apply)Editorial selection: Best MFA Creative Writing Programs
Overview
A three-year, 45-hour MFA in fiction or poetry with 15 hours of workshops, 9 of literature, 3 of theory, 12 of electives, and a 6-hour book-length MFA project. All entering and returning students receive assistantship or fellowship funding with tuition abatement and a stipend.
- Official program name
- Creative Writing, M.F.A.
- Awarded degree
- Master of Fine Arts in Creative WritingSource: sc.edu · verified October 9, 2026
- School
- Source: sc.edu · verified October 9, 2026
- Location
- Columbia, SC
- Delivery / residency
- Campus-basedClasses and workshops meet in person on campus throughout the program.Source: sc.edu · verified October 9, 2026
- Study intensity
- Not verified
- Duration
- Three yearsSource: sc.edu · verified October 9, 2026
- Required credits
- 45 hoursSource: academicbulletins.sc.edu · verified October 9, 2026
- Teaching language
- English (not separately stated)
- Start
- FallSource: sc.edu · verified October 9, 2026
Why this degree is listed
The Graduate School lists the major as Creative Writing and the degree as Master of Fine Arts.
Source: sc.edu · verified October 9, 2026We list dedicated creative writing degrees only. Eligibility rules
Curriculum, genres and faculty
Genres
Source: sc.edu · verified October 9, 2026Concentrations and tracks
- FictionSource: sc.edu · verified October 9, 2026
- PoetrySource: sc.edu · verified October 9, 2026
Workshops
- 15 credit hours of workshop courses.Source: academicbulletins.sc.edu · verified October 9, 2026
Thesis / dissertation
- MFA project: a book-length novel, story collection, or poetry collection.Source: academicbulletins.sc.edu · verified October 9, 2026
Community and outreach
- Split P: an outreach program sending MFA students to local public schools to teach poetry and fiction.Source: sc.edu · verified October 9, 2026
Literary journal opportunities
- Students edit the annual print journal Cola Literary Review.Source: sc.edu · verified October 9, 2026
Readings and visiting writers
- Visiting writers give master classes exclusive to MFA students.Source: sc.edu · verified October 9, 2026
Teaching opportunities
- Graduate Teaching Assistants teach three courses per academic year, mostly in First-Year English; many also teach creative writing or literature.Source: sc.edu · verified October 9, 2026
Faculty listed by the program
- Samuel Amadon — poetry
- David Bajo — fiction
- James Barilla — MFA Director, creative_nonfiction
- Elise Blackwell — fiction
- Liz Countryman — poetry
- Fred Dings — poetry
- Nikky Finney — poetry
- Claire Jimenez — fiction
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: sc.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”.
- Prior degree
- RequiredAt least 24 semester hours of upper-division undergraduate courses in English or a related disciplineSource: academicbulletins.sc.edu · verified October 9, 2026
- Statement of purpose
- RequiredA statement of purposeSource: sc.edu · verified October 9, 2026
- Recommendation letters
- Required2 letters — At least two (no more than four) letters of recommendationSource: sc.edu · verified October 9, 2026
- Application fee
- Required$50 — Graduate application fee $50.00 (Columbia)Source: sc.edu · verified October 9, 2026
- Transcripts
- RequiredTranscripts from undergraduate and any graduate institutionsSource: sc.edu · verified October 9, 2026
- Critical / academic writing sample
- RequiredA sample of academic writing (department requirement for all English graduate degrees)Source: academicbulletins.sc.edu · verified October 9, 2026
Writing portfolio
| Genre | Length | Requirement as published |
|---|---|---|
| Fiction | 20–30 pages | 20-30 double-spaced pages of fictionFormatting: double-spacedSource: sc.edu · verified October 9, 2026 |
| Poetry | 10–20 pages | 10-20 single-spaced pages of poetryFormatting: single-spacedSource: sc.edu · verified October 9, 2026 |
Tests
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.
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
December 15 · for Fall
The school does not print a year with this date.
Source: sc.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, USC Columbia general, resident, full-timePublished for campus-based studyFrom the school's rate table for this level | $6,867 | per semester · 2026-2027Source: sc.edu · verified October 9, 2026 |
| Out-of-state — Graduate, USC Columbia general, non-resident, full-timePublished for campus-based studyFrom the school's rate table for this level | $14,880 | per semester · 2026-2027Source: sc.edu · verified October 9, 2026 |
Other published fees
- Technology fee, graduate student (12 or more credits), per semester
- $200 per semesterMandatorySource: sc.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
Tuition coverage and a stipend are offered to all admitted students, subject to conditions the program publishes (for example satisfactory progress). “Fully funded” never means every personal expense is covered. How we classify funding
Fully funded (conditions apply)Policy year: 2025
Published stipend: $10,500 – $21,000 (annual (2025 figures)) · 3 years
- Funding guarantee
- Funding is offered to all entering and returning MFA students through assistantships and fellowships.Source: sc.edu · verified October 9, 2026
- Stipend
- Graduate Teaching Assistantships provide full tuition abatement and an annual stipend ($21,000 in 2025).Source: sc.edu · verified October 9, 2026
- Stipend
- First-year students without 18 graduate English credit hours hold Graduate Instructional Assistantships with full tuition abatement and an annual stipend ($10,500 in 2025).Source: sc.edu · verified October 9, 2026
- Assistantship duties
- GTAs teach three courses per academic year; Graduate Instructional Assistants assist in large literature courses or tutor in the Writing Center.Source: sc.edu · verified October 9, 2026
- Renewal conditions
- After the first year, students who complete 18 credit hours and are in good standing receive fully funded Graduate Teaching Assistantships in years two and three (stated as currently $20,000).Source: sc.edu · verified October 9, 2026
- Separate application
- Applicants are automatically considered for all funding; no separate assistantship application.Source: sc.edu · verified October 9, 2026
- Other
- Several supplemental fellowships and scholarships are offered competitively.Source: sc.edu · verified October 9, 2026
We do not judge whether a stipend is sufficient: living costs differ by city, household and year.
Sources and verification
Every fact on this page comes from the official pages below. Last verified October 9, 2026.
- academicbulletins.sc.edu/graduate/arts-sciences/english-language-literature/creative-writing-mfa/ — Official catalog / bulletin, verified October 9, 2026
- sc.edu/about/offices_and_divisions/bursar/tuition_and_required_fees/ — Official tuition and fees page, verified October 9, 2026
- sc.edu/about/offices_and_divisions/bursar/tuition_and_required_fees/columbia_fees_academic/ — Official tuition and fees page, verified October 9, 2026
- sc.edu/study/colleges_schools/artsandsciences/english_language_and_literature/study/graduate/mfa_pro — Official program page, verified October 9, 2026
- sc.edu/study/colleges_schools/artsandsciences/english_language_and_literature/study/graduate/mfa_pro — Official program page, verified October 9, 2026
- sc.edu/study/colleges_schools/artsandsciences/english_language_and_literature/study/graduate/mfa_pro — Official program page, verified October 9, 2026
- sc.edu/study/colleges_schools/artsandsciences/english_language_and_literature/study/graduate/mfa_pro — Official program page, verified October 9, 2026
- sc.edu/study/colleges_schools/graduate_school/apply/degree_programs-application-requirements/creativ — Official program page, verified October 9, 2026
Something out of date? Request a correction · Represent this school? Claim the profile
Creative Writing Programs is independent and not affiliated with University of South Carolina-Columbia. Information is collected from official pages and can change; confirm requirements, costs and deadlines with the school.