MFA Program in Creative Writing

Established in 1980, American University's Master of Fine Arts Program in Creative Writing is dedicated to supporting the intensely personal act of creating literature that will illuminate and endure. Incoming students encounter an open, respectful community of writers and a curriculum that embraces the full range of writing experiences in a vibrant cultural and international capital, Washington, DC.

The decision to undertake graduate work in creative writing requires vision, commitment, and more than a touch of bravado. We know this. We also know that the best writing cannot take place in isolation, yet sharing new work with others is a daunting and delicate task. Through intensive workshops, seminars, and literature classes; teaching and internship experiences; and close contact with visiting writers, the MFA Program in Creative Writing simultaneously challenges students to extend the possibilities of their craft and offers them a safe place to take risks as they develop a body of finished work. Many of our students redefine their reasons for becoming writers while studying in the program, and numerous students have become confident practitioners in more than one genre.

About the Program Curriculum Faculty Visiting Writers Series Frequently Asked Questions Admission Requirements/Application Fellowships & Financial Aid Writing Center Folio Alumni Other Useful Links (including thesis guidelines)

I loved, loved, loved it. I found smart peers to push and support my writing, mentors to assist me towards my goals, and time--time in which writing was prized as a vital, valid, life-altering pursuit. I've missed it, and I'm glad to be done. I feel like AU took an undeveloped writer, showed him his strengths and weaknesses, and sent him on his way. The Zookeeper wouldn't have become what it is without it.          Alex MacLennan, MFA 2005, author of The Zookeeper