Program Overview

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Introduction to the Creative Writing MFA Program

The Creative Writing MFA Program at Boise State University is a fully-funded, three-year program dedicated to poetry and fiction. The program is staffed by award-winning faculty and hosts renowned visiting writers each year.

Program Details

• The program is fully funded, with each MFA student receiving a full tuition waiver, health insurance, and a Graduate Assistantship to teach one undergraduate fiction or poetry writing course per semester.
• The program has a small student body, with 6-10 students in each genre at a given time, allowing for individualized attention and a close-knit community.
• Students take at least four workshops in their chosen genre and can also take workshops in creative nonfiction, screenwriting, and translation.
• The program offers varied and often unique form and theory classes, which may include novel writing, poetry, or classes examining the works of specific authors or literary movements.

MFA Degree Requirements

Workshops

• Students are admitted into the program in one genre of concentration and must take four contiguous workshops in this declared genre.
• Available workshops include:
  • CW522 Poetry Writing Workshop (3 credits)
  • CW523 Fiction Writing Workshop (3 credits)

Form and Theory

• Students must take at least two Form and Theory courses in their concentration.
• Available courses include:
  • CW532 Form and Theory of Poetry (3 credits)
  • CW533 Form and Theory of Fiction (3 credits)

Teaching Seminar

• Students take the CW505 Teaching Seminar (3 credits) once during their first Fall semester.

Electives

• Students may choose graduate-level courses from any department with approval of the Director of the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program.
• Available electives include:
  • CW508 Literary Journal Editing and Publishing (3 credits)
  • CW507 Small Press Production (3 credits)
  • CW524 Creative Nonfiction Writing Workshop (3 credits)
  • CW525 Graduate Translation Workshop (3 credits)

Culminating Activity

• Students take between 6 and 9 credits from CW593 Thesis (1 12 credits) to complete a book-length creative work.

Opportunities for MFA Students

• The College of Arts and Sciences (COAS) awards travel funding each year to graduate students, with four application deadlines throughout the year.
• The program partners with the Sun Valley Writers' Conference, selecting two MFA students to attend the conference each year.
• The Glenn Balch MFA Prize for Fiction recognizes outstanding work in the short story or novel-excerpt form, with three finalists receiving prizes ranging from $2000 $250.
• The Alexa Rose Foundation provides grants to Idaho artists each year, with many students and alumni receiving funding.
• The program hosts various readings and events, including the Tooth and Bristle reading series and the Treefort Music Fest.

Admission Criteria

• The GRE is not required for admission.
• Students can apply in both fiction and poetry, but must complete a separate application for each genre.
• The deadline for submitting application materials is January 15th.
• The program admits 2-3 students in each genre per year, with an admission rate of usually between 3-5%.

Program Structure

• The program is a three-year, 48-hour course of study.
• Students receive a teaching assistantship or graduate assistantship, including a full tuition waiver, student health insurance, and a living stipend of $11,450 per year.
• The program features visiting writers each semester, with opportunities for students to interact and converse with them.

Current MFA Students

The program has a diverse group of students, including:

• First-year students: Bethan Owen, Chris Whalen, Jake Kirby, Joplin Morgan, Lucas Fernandes, Mario Galvan, Talia Brown
• Second-year students: Brodan Cunningham, Chloe Bliss Snyder, Joshua Lenz, Shannon Castor
• Third-year students: Lewis Millholland, Michelle DeLong, Megan Slusarewicz

Free Poetry

Free Poetry publishes essays and poetry by today's leading poets, available free of charge and without copyright. The editor, Martin Corless-Smith, encourages the reproduction and free distribution of the chapbooks.