» MFA in Creative Writing

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.

• December 2022
• November 2022
• October 2022
• September 2022
• July 2022
• June 2022
• May 2022
• April 2022
• February/March 2022
• January 2022

2021

• December 2021
• November 2021
• October 2021
• September 2021

• Genre options include Fiction, Poetry, and Creative Nonfiction, with occasional coursework in Screenwriting, Graphic Literature, and other areas.

• Each MFA student's degree program culminates in a book–length thesis project of distinction.

• Our MFA alums find employment in related fields of writing, marketing, and teaching and are publishing their work in journals, magazines, and books.

Fellowships and Financial Aid

• 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 — so you can put your writing first. Limited full-tuition scholarships are also available.
• Graduate Teaching Assistantships and other jobs-oriented Graduate Assistantships for select students in the second year of study.
• Financial aid often contains mainly student loans. You will receive your “financial aid package” from the Graduate Financial Aid Office after you have been admitted. Please contact their office directly with any questions at gradfinaid@chapman.edu.

Community

• 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.

Life in our Creative Writing Program

The innovative dual degree combines the MFA in Creative Writing and the MA in English by merging the practice and study of creative writing with in-depth literary and rhetorical scholarship in a three-year program. It is designed especially for students who intend to pursue a career in teaching English and creative writing at the university, community college, or secondary-school level.

Dual-degree students must be admitted to both the MA and MFA programs, be enrolled concurrently in both programs, and complete all requirements for each degree program, including both thesis requirements. For further information on degree prerequisites, admission requirements, and a list of courses, view the Graduate Course Catalog.

In addition to application materials required for the MFA, dual-degree applicants must submit a non-returnable critical essay of 12-15 pages that demonstrates critical skills and ability to discuss literary and theoretical texts.

Students already enrolled in either the MA or the MFA program who wish to switch to the dual-degree program must apply and be admitted to the other degree program before completing 27 credits.

Requirements

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. An official transcript submitted in a sealed envelope which you have received from your college or university is acceptable.
• An essay expressing your reasons for wanting to join the particular academic program to which you are applying.  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.
• Two letters of recommendation that speak to your academic preparation, intellectual ability, and aptitude for graduate study.
• 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. If you submit a portfolio with work from more than one genre, please do not exceed 30 pages total. Please adhere to these length limits.

Deadlines

Submit your application and all supporting documents online by the deadlines listed below. Applications received after these deadlines will be considered on a rolling basis as space is available.

• For Fall Semester, including fellowship and scholarship consideration: February 1
• For Spring Semester: November 1

• 2022-2023 MA English/MFA Creative Writing/Dual Degree Program Handbook
• 2022-2023 Graduate Catalog
• MFA Thesis Assessment Criteria
• MFA Creative Writing Program Logo for Thesis

1. The student demonstrates understanding of assignment guidelines while working toward originality. 
2. The student cultivates subject matter in relation to an awareness of audience.  
3. The student employs proficient sentence-level skills, including grammar, syntax, and vocabulary (without necessarily curbing experimentation). 
4. The student has something important to write that contribute to the larger class and literary conversation. 
5. The student's writing makes internal sense through techniques appropriate for the genre and project. 
6. The reach of the student's work exceeds the grasp in exciting ways in draft or revised work that is evidence of ambition and challenging oneself.