Program Overview

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Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

The Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing is a 33-credit program offered by the College of Liberal Arts at Temple University. This program is designed to help students hone their craft as fiction writers or poets, develop their individual voice, and gain the skills needed to realize their creative vision.

Program Curriculum

The curriculum for the Creative Writing MFA provides students with essential resources, including:

• Small writing workshops
• Courses ranging from special topics to craft
• One-on-one manuscript tutorials
• Electives in literature, the humanities, arts, theater, film, and other graduate programs throughout the university

Program Format

The 33-credit Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing may be completed full-time or part-time. The program comprises:

• Four writing workshops
• One-on-one tutorials
• Craft and special topics courses
• Two graduate courses in the arts, humanities, or literature
• One elective

Courses

Courses include:

• Craft in Fiction
• Craft in Poetry
• Fiction Workshop
• Manuscript Tutorial
• Poetry Workshop
• Special Topics in Creative Writing

Master's Project

Students are required to complete a master's project of fiction (at least 100 pages) or poetry (at least 50 pages) during their fourth term.

Career Opportunities

Graduates of the MFA Program in Creative Writing have gone on to become professors, web content editors, journalists, copywriters, book and magazine editors, arts administrators, librarians, grant writers, primary and secondary school teachers, and more. They have also obtained jobs in advertising, public relations, and communications.

Visiting Writers Program

The Visiting Writers Program invites a novelist (fall semester) and poet (spring semester) to work with MFA students during extended department visits. These guests attend workshops, give readings of their work, read student manuscripts, and meet with students for individual consultations.

Our Community

The College of Liberal Arts at Temple comprises many academic disciplines and research areas. This graduate program offers the opportunity to work closely with diverse faculty members who are highly esteemed in their field and with a curious, passionate community of peers.

Tuition and Fees

Tuition rates are set annually by the university and are affected by multiple factors, including program degree level, course load, in-state or out-of-state residency, and more. For the 2025-2026 academic year, tuition costs are:

• Pennsylvania resident: $1,148.00 per credit
• Out-of-state: $1,577.00 per credit

Accreditation

Temple University's departments and programs are accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

Related Graduate Degrees

• English PhD

Student Clubs and Organizations

The Creative Writing MFA program encourages its students to get outside the classroom and find their inspiration everywhere they can. Students can work as editors and manuscript readers for the online literary journal, TINGE Magazine, join the Graduate English Association, and attend a number of Philadelphia reading series, including:

• The Kelly Writers House
• The Central Branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia
• The Bryn Mawr College Reading Series
• The Villanova Literary Festival
• Blue Stoop