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Creative WritingPrograms
University of North Carolina Wilmington campus — Iconic arches on the campus of University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) in Wilmington, North Carolina
Iconic arches on the campus of University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) in Wilmington, North Carolina · Photo: Edward Orde · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
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University of North Carolina Wilmington

Wilmington, NCPublicDepartment of Creative Writing

UNC Wilmington has a stand-alone Department of Creative Writing that offers a 48-hour, three-year MFA in Creative Writing and a BFA in Creative Writing, both covering fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction. The department runs the Publishing Laboratory, the imprint Lookout Books, and the literary magazines Ecotone and Chautauqua.

Eligible creative writing degrees

Each program has its own page with admissions, tuition, funding and sources.

University of North Carolina Wilmington logo

University of North Carolina Wilmington

Creative Writing, MFA

MFAMaster of Fine Arts in Creative Writing
Location: Wilmington, NC
Format: Campus-basedClasses and workshops meet in person on campus throughout the program. · Full-time
Genres: Poetry · Fiction · Creative Nonfiction
Duration: Generally three years (6 semesters); must be completed within five years
Funding: Partial funding$19,000 stipend (annual ($1,900 per month, pre-tax, August-May))
Tuition: $2,881.50 per term · In-state — Graduate, main campus, residents of NC, 9+ credit hours (Fall/Spring term, tuition only) · 2026-2027
Deadline: January 15, 2027 · Fall 2027
View program

Degrees we reviewed but do not list

This directory lists only dedicated creative writing degrees. These related offerings were checked against official pages and fall outside that scope.
  • English M.A. (Master of Arts in English)MA degrees are out of scope.Source: uncw.edu · verified October 9, 2026
  • Creative Writing MinorMinor, not a degree program.Source: uncw.edu · verified October 9, 2026
  • Publishing, Post-Baccalaureate CertificateCertificate, not a degree program.Source: uncw.edu · verified October 9, 2026
  • Filmmaking, MFA (Master of Fine Arts in Filmmaking)Film production degree, not a creative writing degree.Source: uncw.edu · verified October 9, 2026

Literary journals, readings and facilities

Literary journals

Presses

Festivals

Facilities

  • Publishing LaboratoryDepartment unit offering coursework in editing, publishing, and book production, and a Certificate in Publishing.Source: uncw.edu · verified October 9, 2026

Institution

Official name
University of North Carolina Wilmington
Control
Public
Source: nces.ed.gov · verified October 9, 2026
Address
601 South College Road, Wilmington, NC 28403-5963
Source: nces.ed.gov · verified October 9, 2026
Website

Sources

Last verified October 9, 2026. Program facts and their sources are on each program page.
  1. IPEDS 2024–25 Institutional Characteristics (HD2024), via College Navigator — U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS), verified October 9, 2026
  2. uncw.edu/academics/colleges/chssa/departments/writing/undergraduate-programs.html — Official program page, verified October 9, 2026
  3. uncw.edu/academics/majors-programs/chssa/creative-writing-mfa/ — Official program page, verified October 9, 2026
  4. uncw.edu/academics/majors-programs/chssa/creative-writing-mfa/details — Official program page, verified October 9, 2026

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