About Master’s Program,
Consistently ranked among the top writing programs in the country, Florida State University’s Creative Writing Program has an internationally recognized reputation of excellence. Among our faculty are winners of the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, the Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship, and the National Poetry Series. Our faculty is not only dedicated to the craft of their own writing, but is also widely known for strong mentorship and committed teaching.
Our students are respected as some of the strongest emerging and established voices in writing today, frequently going on to meaningful careers in academia, and publishing their work with some of the most respected presses in the country. Located in the heart of Tallahassee, a capital city with Southern charm, our program offers a thriving community to all writers who are looking to strengthen their craft while building life-long relationships in writing.
For questions about the Creative Writing Program, and/or graduate admissions, please e-mail english-creativewriting@fsu.edu.
Master’s Program Degree Eligibility with GPA,
Degree Requirements
- 45 credit hours as described below
- Complete and defend a thesis in your genre
Program Requirements
- 21-24 hours of work in writing, including…
- 12-15 hours of workshops
- 9-12 thesis hours
- 21-24 hours in literature and related courses
This requirement can be fulfilled in a variety of ways, including 12 hours at the undergraduate level. Should this cause any concern, we’d be happy to discuss more fully. Also, this requirement does NOT have to be completed prior to applying and does NOT apply to MFA students.
Master’s Funding Coverage,
The majority of students in the Graduate English Program receive support in the form of a teaching assistantship. Teaching assistants are provided with a stipend, a tuition waiver, and a health-insurance subsidy. TAs are often invited to teach during the summer term for an additional stipend. Typically, MA students receive a two-year assistantship, MFA students receive a three-year assistantship. PhD students receive a four-year assistantship but are eligible to apply for a fifth year contingent on satisfactory progress through the degree program and availability of funds.
All MA students and all MFA and PhD students who have not previously taught college-level writing classes must do six weeks of in-person TA training in our Summer B session (which, in 2025, begins June 23). Students receive a full tuition waiver for those classes.
All PhD students who have taught before must be in Tallahassee for training and onboarding in August (2025 start date is TBA but will not be sooner than Aug. 11). The Fall 2025 semester begins Aug. 25.
The English Department gives out several awards and scholarships, the most significant of which is the Kingsbury Writing Award. The FSU Graduate School also offers fellowships and awards including Legacy Fellowships, McKnight Doctoral Fellowships, and University Dissertation Fellowships.
Application Requirement,
- Statement of Purpose
- Résumé/Curriculum Vitae
- Writing Sample (see specifics below)
- Three recommendation letters
- Unofficial Transcripts (from every university attended)
- Official transcripts must be supplied if admitted,
Application Deadline,
Jan 15, 2025
Application Fee,
The application fee is 30.00USD.
