»Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

The Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing at Chapman University’s Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences encourages students to write boldly, read thoughtfully, and live vibrantly. Whether you’re interested in fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, or a combination of genres, including course options in graphic novels, young adult (YA), and screenwriting, the MFA at Chapman invites you to write better than you ever thought you could.

At Chapman University, Your Writing Comes First

Workshops with genre options that appeal to your tastes and style of writing including Fiction, Poetry, and Creative Nonfiction, with electives offered in areas such as Screenwriting and Graphic Literature.
Each MFA student's degree program culminates in a book-length thesis project of distinction so that you graduate with a complete (or near to complete) manuscript, as well as a diverse portfolio from workshop writing.
Six competitive fellowships (three awarded each year) with full tuition waiver and a fellowship payment of $18,000, each renewable for a second year and requiring no work obligation — so you can focus on writing. Limited full-tuition scholarships are also available.
Literary events like the Tabula Poetica Reading Series every fall, the John Fowles Center Reading Series every spring, and Pub(lishing) Crawl in April make this MFA program an especially energetic milieu for emerging writers.

Audrey Fong, MFA '24

"The MFA program provided me with attention and one-on-one help, factors key in making me feel like I belong at Chapman... The care and attention both helped me improve my writing and introduced me to what the world of writing and academics looks like beyond the classroom."

Emily Velasquez, MFA '24

"As someone who came into this program without experience in a workshop, being among such a brilliant and exceptional group of educators and students felt intimidating. However, I am amazed at how assignments are always geared to help you gain new practice and skills that work towards thoughtfully and professionally shaping your ideas."

Deborah Paquin, MFA '23

"[After] a traumatic brain injury, I couldn’t sit in class without getting debilitating migraines. Disabilities services worked with me to provide an environment where I could succeed. As a result, I had a safe and creative place to explore new aspects of writing and literature, along with a supportive community of teachers and students."

Tryphena Yeboah, MFA '21

"As an international student from Ghana, my experience at Chapman University and the relationships I’ve built have been an invaluable part of my life. Not only has this inclusive community become a home to me but it also continues to empower and challenge me in honing my craft as a writer."

Professor Mildred Lewis

Courses taught: Techniques in Screenwriting, Film Theory, Caribbean Literature

Dr. Jean Ho

Courses taught: Advanced Fiction Workshop, Techniques in Fiction Writing

Dr. Anna Leahy

Courses taught: Advanced Poetry Workshop, Techniques in Poetry Writing

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Apply now using the Online Application. All applicants must provide the following materials:

Official transcripts from all degree-granting (bachelor’s or master’s degrees) colleges and universities attended.
A statement of intent; an essay expressing your reasons for wanting to join the MFA in Creative Writing program. What are your personal and career goals, and how will this particular degree from Chapman University help you reach those goals? Your essay should be double spaced, size 12 font, and 1-2 pages in length.
A portfolio of creative work. You should submit work that best represents your style and demonstrates your potential. The portfolio should include 20-30 pages of fiction or nonfiction OR 10-15 pages of poetry. While we offer courses in additional genres, please stick to fiction, nonfiction or poetry in the application writing sample. You will be prompted to identify the genre of your portfolio. This genre identification is for the submitted portfolio only, not an indication of any track in the program. While students can take courses in multiple genres, we ask that the application writing sample be in a single genre: fiction, nonfiction or poetry. Please also include your first and last name and selected genre in the document header.
Two letters of recommendation that speak to academic and/or professional preparation, intellectual ability, and aptitude for graduate study.
Your resume or curriculum vitae.

Students complete 36 credits of academic coursework culminating in a book-length thesis project consisting of a novel, short story collection or poetry collection. For further information on degree prerequisites, admission requirements and a list of courses view the Graduate Course Catalog.

Prospective students are encouraged to explore past students' MFA theses for insight into the depth and diversity of creative work conducted in our program. Though our creative writing students’ thesis work is embargoed for professional copyright reasons, these projects showcase the creativity, rigor, and intellectual curiosity that define our graduate community.

Six competitive fellowships (three each year) with full tuition waiver and a fellowship payment of $18,000, each renewable for a second year and requiring no work obligation. Limited full-tuition scholarships are also available.
Paid Graduate Teaching Assistantships: For select second-year students in the competitive Graduate Student Instructor (GSI) program, teaching in our undergraduate English Composition courses. This assistantship allows first-year students who take the spring class in Teaching Composition to apply for one of the GSI positions for the following fall. The selected GSIs each teach a section of composition in the fall, while also enrolled together in a second pedagogy class. This position does not come with an award that covers tuition, but it does come with a teaching stipend — worth approximately $6,852 per course taught.
Paid Graduate Assistantships: $38.81 an hour for 9 to 19 hours per week, for select students starting as early as their first year of study with either department faculty members or in offices across the university.
We also have some students teaching with community organizations that are not directly related to our program. This speaks to the opportunities our students seek and create and the value of the expertise they are developing.
Financial aid often contains mainly student loans. In addition to any program funding, you will also receive your “financial aid package” from the Graduate Financial Aid Office after you have been admitted. Regarding loans, please contact their office directly with any questions at gradfinaid@chapman.edu.

Isabel Allende
Victoria Chang
Carolyn Forché
Karen Joy Fowler
Pico Iyer
Maxine Hong Kingston
Kim Stanley Robinson
Rebecca Skloot

Whether you are an alum or a current student, we want to help you sustain your writing life. If you have good news about a publication or a job you’ve landed or if you find an opportunity for writers that you’d like to share, please write to us at mfacwnews@chapman.edu so that we can include the info in a future newsletter. We also have a private Facebook group for sharing and conversation.

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Contact Us

Joanna Levin, Ph.D.

Program Director

jlevin@chapman.edu

Danielle Espiritu
Graduate Programs Coordinator
(714) 516-7116
despiritu@chapman.edu

Shannon Morris Alvarez
Graduate Admission Counselor
(714) 628-2884
shannona@chapman.edu

For additional admission information, please contact:

Office of Graduate Admission
888-CU-APPLY or (714) 997-6711
gradadmit@chapman.edu

Application Deadlines

Apply now using the Online Application. Submit your application and all supporting documents by the deadline listed below.

Applications received after these deadlines will be considered on a rolling basis as space is available.

Fall Semester & Priority Fellowship Consideration: February 1
Spring Semester: November 1

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