Creative Writing, M.F.A.
Join an outstanding cohort of students working with diverse, award-winning faculty in the literary center of the South.
About the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing
The Department of English in the College of Liberal Arts offers the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. Advanced poets and fiction writers have 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 intimate and intensive workshops, literature, form, and craft courses, and a thesis year that culminates with a finished, polished manuscript.
Every student accepted into our program is fully-funded, with tuition remission, a stipend, and health insurance for all three years. Plus, there are a variety of additional funding and scholarship opportunities available. Our MFA program has been recognized as one of The Atlantic Monthly's "Top Five Up and Coming Programs" and ranked #6 in College Magazine's "Top 10 Universities for Aspiring Writers."
Graduates from our program have been published widely in journals and magazines, and their books have received critical acclaim and even been optioned for television.
On this Page…
Program Information
Degree
M.F.A. in Creative Writing
Emphases
N/A
Required Credit Hours
42
Program Type
Master's Program
Program Location
School
Duration
3 years
We’re Here to Help!
If you have any questions about the M.F.A. in Creative Writing, don’t hesitate to get in touch!
Melissa Allee Ginsburg
Director of Graduate Creative Writing Programs and Associate Professor of English and Creative Writing
M.F.A. in Creative Writing Program Details
Learn about the application process, what classes you'll take, and funding opportunities.
Stage One, October 1-December 15:
There is no fee for the first stage of the MFA application. At this stage, we are evaluating applicants based solely on the merits of the writing. If your application progresses to Stage 2 in February, we will ask you to officially apply to the UM Graduate School, at which point a $60 fee will be collected.
Before December 15, please email the following items in one named PDF document to mfaadm@olemiss.edu. Your email subject line should read "Poetry Application" or "Fiction Application."
A cover sheet with your name, mailing address, email, and phone number, the genre in which you are applying (specify Poetry or Fiction), and the titles of all the pieces in your writing sample.
A statement of purpose (no more than two single-spaced pages; include your name and contact information) that indicates your background and experience, your academic or career goals, and what you hope to achieve in the program. You should also tell us here if you wish to be considered for a teaching assistantship or fellowship; there is no separate application for assistantships or fellowships.
A writing sample.
Poetry Writing Sample: 10 pages of poems (single-spaced) with your name and contact information on each page.
Fiction Writing Sample: no more than 20 pages of prose (double-spaced) with your name and contact information on each page.
*If applying for both genres, please send two separate Phase I applications in separate emails.
Stage Two, February 15-April 15:
When we have completed Stage I on February 15, we will post a notification on our website. If you are on our list of finalists, you will be contacted by email and a telephone call and asked to complete the UM Graduate School online application and pay the application fee. If you do not hear from us, you have not moved onto Stage II of the application process and will not be admitted into the MFA program.
Before March 1, Stage II applicants should complete the UM Graduate School online application:
Pay the $60 application fee to the Graduate School.
- International applicants whose first language is not English may be required to submit scores from an acceptable English language proficiency test.
Send three letters of recommendation to the Graduate School. When you put in your recommenders’ email addresses in the online application, it will take 24-48 hours for them to get an email from the Grad School. That email should include a link where they can upload their recommendation. Recommenders can also email mfaadm@olemiss.edu and gschool@olemiss.edu.
Send official transcripts to the Graduate School at:
The University of MississippiGraduate School100 Graduate HouseUniversity, MS 38677
If you don't have your official transcripts yet, you can email unofficial ones to mfaadm@olemiss.edu and gschool@olemiss.edu as you wait for the official ones to clear.
*Writing Samples: You should not need to reupload your writing sample or statement of purpose. However, if the online application will not let you submit it without that step, upload the same documents you applied with in the fall.
- Eng 600: Intro to Graduate Study
- 12 credit hours in creative writing workshops
- One of the following
- Eng 679: Form, Craft and Influence - Poetry
- Eng 683: Form, Craft and Influence - Fiction
- 9 credit hours in 700-level literature courses (3 credit hours of literature before 1800 and 3 after)
Students may take up to 6 credit hours in related disciplines and/or directed readings. Writing instructors are required to take Eng 617: Teaching College English.
Students pass a written exam and create an M.F.A. thesis, which is a book-length manuscript of either poetry or prose. An oral defense before the committee is the final stage before the student is recommended for the degree.
GRISHAM FELLOWSHIPS IN CREATIVE WRITING
Each year we award two incoming students with John and Renée Grisham Fellowships (one in fiction and one in poetry), a $62,000 package that includes full tuition, health care, and an annual stipend of $16,000, renewable for three years. During this time, Grisham fellows have no teaching responsibilities. The time is a gift for them to hone their craft, and we do everything we can to see that they have the resources and encouragement to use their time to its fullest potential.
DEPARTMENT SUPPORT
The Department of English offers incoming students Teaching Assistantships. Students with a graduate assistantship funded by the Department of English receive a scholarship that covers some or all of the tuition and non-residency fee, if applicable, for regular semesters and subsidized health insurance.
Graduate teaching fellows usually begin by serving as section leaders and graders in the department’s 200-level literature survey or 300-level Shakespeare classes. In their second year, they often teach in the 100-level composition sequence or the Intro to Creative Writing course. More experienced instructors may be assigned to 300-level literature or writing workshops, which helps those who wish to pursue jobs in academia once they graduate.
Department of English contests and awards for current students with prize money include:- The Bondurant Prize
- The Ann Fisher-Wirth Bright Spirit Award
- Sommerville Prize
- Evans-Harrington Prize
- D.C. Berry Award
GRADUATE SCHOOL
The Graduate School's financial aid webpage lists a variety of funding possibilities, including summer support and a recruiting fellowship program that promotes academic excellence and access to graduate education.
What’s It Like to Study an M.F.A in Creative Writing?
Learn more about the Department of English from our faculty and students.
Next Steps
Explore Affordability
We have a variety of scholarships and financial aid options to help make college more affordable for you and your family.
Apply to the University of Mississippi
Are you ready to take the next step toward building your legacy?