Program Overview

Introduction to the MFA in Creative Writing Program

The Alma College MFA in Creative Writing features a strong literature-based curriculum and offers inspirational and exploratory residency experiences designed to develop students' ability to read and think critically and to write with a high level of artistic proficiency. This program offers study in three concentrations: Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, and Poetry.

Program Structure

The program is a two-year, low-residency program that includes:

• Five 10-day residencies (six for dual-genre)
• Four terms of remote one-on-one faculty study (five for dual-genre)
• Coursework with an emphasis on developing original creative writing
• Four to five monthly packets per term, including approximately 25 pages of writing and short craft papers
• Approximately 25 hours per week of reading, writing, and optional student conferencing

Program Options

Students can choose from three degree options:

• Single genre degree: A study in one genre for four terms (two years)
• Mixed genre degree: A study in one genre for three terms and a second genre for one term (two years)
• Dual genre concentration degree: A study in two genres, with three terms in a major genre and two terms in