Program Overview

Department of English

The Department of English at Vanderbilt University offers a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, a graduate degree program that combines the workshop/studio study of creative writing with the study of literature, with a particular emphasis on contemporary examples. Students specialize in either prose fiction or poetry.

The M.F.A. in Creative Writing

The Creative Writing program has been a vital part of the Vanderbilt Department of English for nearly a century. Each year, a small, select class of talented writers of fiction and poetry enroll in Vanderbilts three-year, fully-funded M.F.A. in Creative Writing program.

M.F.A. Program Features

• A full, three-year 12-month funding package for every M.F.A. student.
• Opportunity for second year students to teach an introductory creative writing workshop
• Opportunity to serve on the editorial board of Nashville Review
• The Gertrude and Harold S. Vanderbilt Visiting Writers Series, which invites distinguished writers for readings and discussions with students.
• A supportive atmosphere in which to write, with Nashville being a place that respects creative activity.
• Students in the M.F.A. program work harmoniously and productively with students and faculty in the English Departments doctoral program.

Applying to the Program

The application deadline for fall admission is December 1, 2025. Applicants should complete their application by that day.

M.F.A. Application Components

• Statement of purpose (no more than 3-5 pages)
• Length Requirement for Creative Writing Sample:
  • If your primary interest is fiction, please provide a fiction writing sample, double spaced, of no more than 25 pagesshort story or novel excerpt acceptable.
  • If your primary interest is poetry, please provide a poetry sample of up to 15 pages.
• Three letters of recommendation
• Unofficial college transcript(s); admitted applicants will be required to submit official and final transcripts, with prior degrees posted, as a condition of enrollment at Vanderbilt
• Graduate School Application Fee of $95
• Applicants whose native language is not English either must have received a degree at an English-speaking university or must submit TOEFL scores, with a minimum score of 570 on the paper-based test, 230 on the computer-based test, or 88 on the Internet-based test.
• The M.F.A program does not require GRE scores.

Financial Aid and Degree Requirements

The M.F.A. program provides a full, three-year 12-month funding package for every M.F.A. student. The program has been ranked among the top 15 M.F.A Programs in the country by Poets and Writers magazine, ahead of many better-known graduate programs, earning high marks for the quality of its prize-winning faculty, Nashvilles affordable cost of living, and the financial support given to students.