Creative Writing

• Full time, matriculated students of ANY major and school may apply to the MFA in Creative Writing Program

• GPA of 3.2 or higher

• Completion of at least 96-credits prior to the start of fall senior year

• Current undergraduates should speak to their academic advisor during their junior year to express interest in the accelerated program

• Qualified undergraduate students can register for up to two graduate courses during their senior year.

• These classes will be covered through full time undergraduate tuition (with the exception of the MFA Winter Residency which is an additional charge).

• Graduate classes cannot count towards fulfillment of the undergraduate degree.

• During their senior year, students should submit an official graduate application to gain admission to the full graduate program.

• Online application available at fairfield.edu/applynow

• $60 admission fee (waived for current students)

• Fairfield University transcript (obtained by the Office of Graduate Admission)

• A letter of recommendation

• Personal statement

• Copy of resume

• Writing sample

• Learn about our new Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) option, where highly qualified students can receive up to one full semester credit for the work they have already written or published. Students receiving the PLA can finish the MFA in three semesters instead of four.

Students within the program can choose a pedagogy track for their experience within the MFA. This involves serving as a Teaching Assistant to a graduate level workshop during their final residency with one of the faculty mentors. In addition, students can invest time in other options within this track. Students who live within the Fairfield area may also apply to serve as a teaching assistant for an undergraduate creative writing course taught at Fairfield; during this experience they meet with the professor on a regular basis to discuss pedagogy and observations, and reflect upon their own teaching goals and philosophies. Many of the students who select the TA experience also complete a pedagogy project, which is an in-depth research experience on the teaching of writing that culminates in a 35-page academic paper, often weaving in evidence from the TA experience or a community-based educational project. These third-semester projects, which earn 9 credits toward the degree, are developed as part of the MFA curriculum and are discussed in depth with a program mentor. The completion of the pedagogy track will also be noted on the applicant's CV.

The MFA program in collaboration with First-Year Writing and the Fairfield Writing Center augment our MFA students' pedagogical backgrounds. Fairfield MFA students living in the Fairfield area have the opportunity to apply to serve as paid teaching assistants in the University Writing Center, an opportunity to develop expertise in the fields of teaching and editing.

You will need to submit a portfolio of work, including a writing sample (20 pages for prose, 6-8 poems for poetry), two letters of recommendation, and a two-page personal statement. In addition, you will need to submit a transcript of your undergraduate work. However, the heaviest emphasis is placed on the creative writing sample.

No. Most of our students have families and careers. However, it is expected that you will commit 25 hours a week working on your writing.

You must apply to be admitted in one of three main genres - fiction, poetry, or nonfiction. For fiction, while the writer may work in any form, style, or sub-genre - including experimental, historical, scifi, or mystery - the work must have certain basic literary qualities (i.e., interesting and original language, well-developed characters, plots that avoid cliches). After admittance, if you would like to switch genres, you must submit a writing sample in a second genre to the director. However, for the creative thesis, most students will need to select one of the three genres. In special cases, you may do a combination thesis, but only if two faculty members agree to take on such a project.

Yes. In fact, we encourage it. Many seminars and panels actually have cross-genre themes.

Harriet Doerr published her first novel at the age of 73 and it went on to win the National Book Award. The great thing about writing is that you're never too old to write or to become trained as a writer. Fairfield's low-residency MFA is perfect for the "mature" student. Our student body will range in age from 23 to 75 and will include people from professions and experiences from all walks of life.

No. The only thing we ask is that you've made a serious commitment to writing and that you've been writing for some time. We look much more for commitment than formal training.

No. While some of our students will have published their work, most will not yet be published.

During each residency, you must attend a minimum of five seminars in your chosen genre. However, you may attend as many as you wish, including in other genres. There will be opportunities to attend workshops, plenary sessions, readings, and lectures dealing with each type of genre.