Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

Hone your craft as a fiction writer or poet with the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing in the College of Liberal Arts at Temple University. Develop your individual voice, define your aesthetics, and gain the skills needed to realize your creative vision.

The curriculum for the 33-credit Creative Writing MFA provides you with essential resources, including

  • small writing workshops;
  • courses ranging from special topics to craft;
  • one-on-one manuscript tutorials; and
  • electives in literature, the humanities, arts, theater, film and other graduate programs throughout the university. 

Students in the MFA Program in Creative Writing graduate with a master’s project of publishable quality, written under the guidance of the department’s accomplished faculty members. Through this master's degree program, you’ll also learn how to prepare your work for submission to literary journals, publishers and agents. Graduates have been published by numerous trade and small presses, and their works have earned prestigious grants, prizes and residencies. 

In addition, our graduates have gone on to become professors, web content editors, journalists, copywriters, book and magazine editors, arts administrators, librarians, grant writers, primary and secondary school teachers and more, and have obtained jobs in advertising, public relations, and communications.  

Download a packet of details about the MFA in Creative Writing.

Visiting Writers Program

Benefit from the insights and guidance of distinguished, internationally renowned authors. Each year, the Visiting Writers Program invites a novelist (fall semester) and poet (spring semester) to work with MFA students during extended department visits. Over the course of several days, these guests  

  • attend workshops;
  • give readings of their work;
  • read student manuscripts; and
  • meet with students for individual consultations;

In recent years, the Visiting Writers Program has hosted the following authors.

  • Jesse Ball
  • Susan Briante 
  • Alexander Chee 
  • Brian Evenson 
  • C. S. Giscombe 
  • Jaimy Gordon 
  • Jennifer Haigh 
  • Brenda Hillman 
  • Bhanu Kapil 
  • Katie Kitamura 
  • Dawn Lundy Martin 
  • Roberto Tejada 
Creative writing students occupy a poetry table during an outdoors event on campus.

Our Community

The College of Liberal Arts at Temple comprises many academic disciplines and research areas. Now more than ever, an interdisciplinary liberal arts education is invaluable for your future pursuits. It offers the opportunity to further push your drive to create real change in the world, here at Temple and beyond. In this graduate program, you’ll work closely with diverse faculty members who are highly esteemed in their field and with a curious, passionate community of peers. Learn more about the College of Liberal Arts

Program Format & Curriculum

The 33-credit Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing may be completed full time or part time. The program comprises four writing workshops, one-on-one tutorials, craft and special topics courses, two graduate courses in the arts, humanities or literature, and one elective. 

Courses include the following. 

  • Craft in Fiction 
  • Craft in Poetry
  • Fiction Workshop 
  • Manuscript Tutorial 
  • Poetry Workshop 
  • Special Topics in Creative Writing 

Students are also required to complete a master’s project of fiction (at least 100 pages) or poetry (at least 50 pages) during their fourth term.

Learn more about courses and requirements in the creative writing MFA.

Related Graduate Degrees

Tuition & Fees

In keeping with Temple’s commitment to access and affordability, this Master of Fine Arts offers a competitive level of tuition with multiple opportunities for financial support.

Tuition rates are set annually by the university and are affected by multiple factors, including program degree level (undergraduate or graduate), course load (full- or part-time), in-state or out-of-state residency, and more. These tuition costs apply to the 2024–2025 academic year.

Pennsylvania resident: $1,105.00 per credit
Out-of-state: $1,518.00 per credit

You can view the full Cost of Attendance breakdown on the Student Financial Services website.

LA-CRWR-MFA

Additional Program Information