A graduate degree focused on developing your creative writing through workshops, mentorship, and dedicated time to produce a book-length manuscript.
An MFA in Creative Writing is a terminal graduate degree (meaning it's the highest degree in the field) that typically takes two to three years to complete. Programs center around workshop-based learning, where you regularly submit your writing for critique from peers and faculty, alongside literature seminars and one-on-one mentorship. Most programs require you to complete a thesis - usually a novel, story collection, or poetry manuscript. The degree is not required to become a published writer, but it offers structured time, community, and professional connections that many writers find invaluable.
Whether or not you pursue one, understanding what an MFA offers helps you make informed decisions about your writing education. The workshop model, peer feedback loops, and disciplined writing schedules that MFA programs provide can all be replicated outside a formal program if you're intentional about it. Knowing what an MFA does and doesn't give you helps you build your own version of that support system, with or without the tuition bill.
The oldest and most prestigious MFA program in the country, with alumni including Flannery O'Connor, Kurt Vonnegut, and Marilynne Robinson.
Egan's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel grew from work she developed during her time in an MFA program, showing how the degree can provide space for ambitious experimentation.
Powers has taught in MFA programs and his Pulitzer-winning novel demonstrates the kind of deeply researched literary fiction these programs celebrate.
Plenty of bestselling and award-winning authors never earned an MFA. The degree is one path among many. What matters is the writing itself, not the credentials behind it.
The best MFA for you depends on the faculty's style, the program's genre strengths, funding availability, and whether the workshop culture matches how you learn. Visit if you can and talk to current students.
Many programs offer full funding through teaching positions or fellowships. Apply broadly and prioritize funded programs. An MFA rarely leads to a salary that justifies six-figure student loans.
Research three MFA programs that interest you and for each one, write down the program length, whether it's funded, what genre strengths it has, and one faculty member whose work excites you. Then ask yourself honestly: could you get the same benefits - structured time, community, mentorship, deadlines - without the degree? Write a short paragraph about what you'd build as your 'DIY MFA' using free or low-cost resources.