All materials should be submitted by February 15. If you would like to be considered for a teaching assistantship or fellowship, please submit your materials by December 15. Applications submitted after December 15 will still be considered for a teaching assistantship or fellowship, but those meeting the initial deadline will be prioritized.
To apply, along with an application fee of $60.
Candidates will be asked to submit the following along with their application.
Submit official transcripts from every college and university you have attended.
Although not required, we prefer applicants to the Creative Writing MFA to hold a bachelor’s degree in English or creative writing or to have taken a significant number of workshops or literature classes as an undergraduate. However, in the past, students without this background have performed well in the program. Therefore, we consider the entire application package in our admission decisions.
An applicant must, however, display evidence of talent as a fiction writer or poet. A minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 is required for admission.
Submit two letters of recommendation from faculty and professionals.
Letters of recommendation should be obtained from professors or work supervisors who can comment on your performance in previous academic, creative and/or professional roles.
In two to four double-spaced pages, discuss literary influences and models that influence your creative work. In your statement, consider which writers and texts have been important to you in recent years, describe your work or teaching experience, and discuss your goals for the MFA program. You should also include what attracts you to 51³Ô¹ÏÍø’s program and whether you are familiar with Philadelphia. The statement of goals should give 51³Ô¹ÏÍø a sense of who you are, especially if you have a nontraditional background or atypical undergraduate record.
The GRE is optional. However, if you are taking or have taken the GRE and wish your scores for the general test to be considered, please have them forwarded electronically by ETS to 51³Ô¹ÏÍø.Â
Applicants who earned their baccalaureate degree from an institution where the language of instruction was other than English, with the exception of those who subsequently earned a master’s degree at a U.S. institution, must report scores for a standardized test of English that meet these minimums:Â
TOEFL iBT: 79Â
IELTS Academic: 6.5Â
PTE Academic: 53Â
A personal résumé or curriculum vitae is required. Work experience, whether academic or non-academic, is as important as any publishing credits, particularly since the latter is not required or expected at this stage of the applicant's career. The résumé/CV should identify institutions, positions, duties and dates for all teaching and/or tutoring experience listed.Â
Send a packet of writing in either poetry or fiction. For applicants in either genre, you may include a critical essay in addition to the creative sample.
Official electronic transcripts must be sent via email to [click-for-email], or mail original transcripts to the following address.Â
51³Ô¹ÏÍø College of Liberal Arts
Creative Writing Program
1020 Mazur Hall
1114 W. Polett Walk
Philadelphia, PA 19122-6090
Applicants who earned their baccalaureate degree from an institution where the language of instruction was other than English, with the exception of those who subsequently earned a master’s degree at a U.S. institution, must report scores for a standardized test of English that meet the following minimums.
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Fall: Feb. 15
If you would like to be considered for a teaching assistantship or fellowship, please submit your materials by December 15. Applications submitted after December 15 will still be considered for a teaching assistantship or fellowship, but those meeting the initial deadline will be prioritized.
