Graduate Programs in Creative Writing
Learn about our top-ranked M.F.A. in Creative Writing program.
Exploring the Power and Craft of Creative Writing
The Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing offers advanced poets and fiction writers three years of fully-funded support and community in Oxford, Mississippi, the South’s greatest literary town.
We accept four poets and four fiction writers each year, boasting a 3:1 professor-student ratio. Admitted students work closely with our distinguished faculty in collaborative and intensive workshops; literature, form, and craft courses; and a thesis year that culminates with a finished, polished manuscript in poetry or prose.
In our program, we strive to provide the groundwork and the seeds to help our students grow in their writing long after their time in Oxford. We’re so proud of the sheer number of Mississippi MFA alumni who have gone on to publish and win awards for their writing, including the Pushcart Prize, the Stegner Fellowship, and the Cave Canem Poetry Prize. Our graduates’ books have been featured in the New York Times Book Review, Publishers Weekly, and more. Many of our alumni are now teaching writing all over the country, and several have gone on to editorial and publishing jobs as well.
We take great pride in our program, our writing community, and of course, our students.
Meet our Graduate Creative Writing Faculty
Our creative writing teachers includes poets, novelists, and storytellers, and also screenwriters, memoirists, worldbuilders, food essayists, eco-writers, and more. In addition to our acclaimed and bestselling core faculty, our department annually includes a new Grisham Writer-in-Residence, an emerging writer who teaches one course per semester and is involved in our closeknit creative-writing community.
Jerriod Avant
- Writer-in-Residence
Matthew Bondurant
- Professor of English
Beth Ann Fennelly
- Distinguished Professor of English
Tommy Franklin
- Associate Professor of Fiction Writing
Melissa Ginsburg
- Director of Graduate Creative Writing Programs and Associate Professor of English and Creative Writing
Aimee Nezhukumatathil
- Professor of English and Creative Writing
Sheila Sundar
- Assistant Professor of English and Creative Writing
Michael Wang
- Assistant Professor of English and Creative Writing
A Community of Creatives
Grisham Writers-in-Residence
John and Renée Grisham Writers-in-Residence are emerging writers selected by internal nomination on the strength of their writing. They teach one class each semester and are involved in our close-knit creative writing community.
Dynamic Readings with Celebrated Authors
Each year we bring to campus a diverse array of internationally renowned writers. In recent years, Ada Limon, Ha Jin, Claudia Rankine, Rita Dove, Kiki Petrosino, Shane McCrae, Jennifer Egan, Craig Santos Perez, Tyehimba Jess, and many others have visited. Each year, we also host literary agents for student consultations and pitch sessions.
Share Your Story
Our long-running series MissReads gives our graduate student creative writers the opportunity to read to a robust audience from the department, university, and community.
Yalobusha Review: Journal of New Writing
Yalobusha Review is a literary journal of new writing, founded in 1995 and edited by our graduate students. YR is proud to showcase emerging writers from around the world and from Mississippi.
The South's Greatest Literary Town
For decades, William Faulkner called Oxford home, and today it is home to the celebrated independent bookstore Square Books. The community regularly hosts literary events, such as the Oxford Conference for the Book and Thacker Mountain Radio Hour. These are just some of the reasons why UM English is an ideal place to study literature and creative writing.
Meet the Director of the M.F.A. Program
Melissa Allee Ginsburg
Director of Graduate Creative Writing Programs and Associate Professor of English and Creative Writing
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About the MFA in Creative Writing
In our program, we strive to provide the groundwork and the seeds to help our students grow in their writing long after their time in Oxford. We’re so proud of the sheer number of Mississippi MFA alumni who have gone on to publish and win awards for their writing, including the Pushcart Prize, the Stegner Fellowship, and the Cave Canem Poetry Prize. Our graduates’ books have been featured in the New York Times Book Review, Publishers Weekly, and more. Many of our alumni are now teaching writing all over the country, and several have gone on to editorial and publishing jobs as well. We take great pride in our talented students, our program, and our vibrant writing community.
Learn More About How to Apply
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Students who teach summer courses make additional income. Our students are able to apply for the Dissertation Fellowship, which awards $8000 and freedom from teaching responsibilities for one semester during the third year.
The MFA Program and English Department also conduct several contests that award prize money, such as the DC Berry Prize, which gives three cash awards to MFA students.
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Hone Your Craft
The Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing offers advanced poets and fiction writers three years of fully-funded support and community in Oxford, Mississippi, the South’s greatest literary town.
Learn More About How to Apply
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