Program Overview

M.F.A. in Creative Writing Program

The M.F.A. in Creative Writing program is a competitive program that admits roughly six poets and six fiction writers each year. Applications are considered year-round, with a deadline of March 1 for applicants wishing to be considered for funding.

Admission Procedures

Applications will be reviewed in the order they are received, and applicants will be notified within six weeks of submission of a completed application.

Application Materials

To apply, the following materials are required:

• Three letters of recommendation, submitted in accordance with the Graduate School instructions
  • At least one letter should be from a person familiar with the applicant as a writer and as a student
  • Physical letters of recommendation should be sealed and signed by the recommender across the flap of the envelope
• All official university transcripts (note: students who completed undergraduate or non-matriculated graduate coursework at SCSU do not need to submit SCSU transcripts)
• A 1,000-word statement of purpose, explaining why the applicant is interested in pursuing graduate studies in creative writing and discussing themselves as a writer
• A sample of creative work in the genre to which the applicant is applying (minimum 15 pages, maximum 25 pages, of fiction; or 10 pages of poetry)

Additional Information for English M.F.A. Applicants

• Transfer students from another M.F.A. program may transfer up to 12 credits toward Southern's M.F.A. program, provided those credits were completed within the prior six years with a minimum G.P.A. of 3.0
  • A maximum of two workshop courses may be transferred as elective credits
  • Final decisions about credit transfer are determined by the M.F.A. Admissions Committee
• Students currently enrolled as graduate students in Southern's M.A. or M.S. program and accepted to transfer into the M.F.A. program should discuss credit transfer with the M.F.A. Program Administrator
• Students who have already graduated from Southern's M.A. or M.S. program and wish to apply to the M.F.A. program will design a 30-credit course of M.F.A. study with an M.F.A. faculty member instead of the traditional 48-credit course of study
  • A maximum of two workshop courses may be transferred
  • Final decisions about credit transfer are determined by the M.F.A. Admissions Committee