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Creative Writing

Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.)

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Earn Your MFA at UW

The MFA in Creative Writing at UW provides an intensive course of study in prose—from fiction to nonfiction to hybrid forms. Our interdisciplinary program further develops students’ skills to prepare them for successful careers in writing where their interests are.  

With award-winning faculty and experiential learning opportunities, we know our program offers the skills necessary for a fulfilling writing career.

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Program Details

Tuition and Fees

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Program Requirements

Curriculum & Courses

Department

College of Arts & Science
Creative Writing Program

What is Creative Writing?

UW is one of the few universities that devote its fully funded MFA program entirely to prose. We offer a wide range of courses and experiential learning opportunities to help our students shine. Ongoing collaborations with literary agents and Wyoming Public Radio provide chances to network and make practical applications from the classroom to the writing desk.

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Our faculty practice the writing crafts taught at UW. They write novels, public dialogues and philosophical meditations showing students how life could look post-graduation.

Among our exceptional faculty, Dr. Jeff Lockwood’s mystery series is available at Barnes & Noble, and you can view his TED-Ed, Are locust plagues unstoppable? online. Dr. Harvey Hix received the Fulbright Distinguished Lectureship and most recently published Counterclaims: Poets and Poetries. Students have the opportunity to learn from faculty who have pursued careers in writing and now hold the connections to help aspiring writers succeed.

 

Program Requirements

Creative Writing graduate students take a range of courses over two years, including Practicum in College Teaching, Rhetoric and Composition: History, Theory, Practice and thesis hours.

View all course requirements for Creative Writing.

Admission Requirements

Students will submit an application and are subject to additional requirements from the Creative Writing Program, including a writing submission.

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What Can You Do with a Creative Writing Degree?

Writers are experts at creatively wielding their written words to communicate—an important skill employers prioritize in the hiring process. Words can take writers far because long-lasting careers require strong communication. Knowledge of prose can guide graduates through their professional endeavors regardless of the setting.

Creative Writing Careers

  • Editor
  • Technical Writer
  • Author
  • Proofreader
  • Postsecondary Professor or Instructor

 

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Where UW Alumni are Making a Difference

  • Basecamp Strategy
  • The Boundary Waters Journal
  • Second Harvest Heartland
  • Snow College
  • University of Wyoming
  • TedX
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Creative Writing Program Highlights

Students choose to pursue Creative Writing at UW for several reasons. Joining the program provides access to a variety of resources and benefits aspiring writers are excited to have. 

Smaller Class Sizes

UW has all the Creative Writing resources a large state school may offer. However, our small class sizes allow students the chance to encounter more collaborative interactions between peers and professors. Typically we admit 8 new students each year to the MFA program.   

Teaching Opportunities

Our students share their knowledge in a variety of positions at UW. These career-enhancing opportunities help develop a firm grasp of Creative Writing by educating others on the subject matter. Teaching is meant to supplement students’ learning but never fill their schedules. 

Experiential Learning

Connections with a variety of media outlets at UW grant students the ability to be hands-on. They get to work alongside professionals at organizations like The Owen Wister Review, Western Confluence and Wyoming Public Radio. 

Financial Support

Full-time students admitted to the MFA program are funded by a two-year graduate assistantship. Currently, an annual stipend of $12,825, a tuition and fees waiver and student health insurance is included.

In the writing program, we don't put students in competition for funding or for approval. Our workshops stress positive, constructive, open-minded engagement with every student’s work.

Related Programs

Interested in a Creative Writing M.F.A.? You might also want to learn more about these other programs at UW:

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Creative Writing Program

1000 E. University Avenue

Laramie, WY 82071

Phone: (307) 766-3269

Email: cw@uwyo.edu