About Master’s Program,
Indiana University’s graduate program in Creative Writing offers three years of fully-funded study leading to a Master of Fine Arts degree.
Our award-winning faculty works hands-on with candidates throughout a three-year program focused on the learning, application, and integration of craft concepts and the generation and workshopping of original student poetry and fiction. Your thesis is a book-length manuscript in the genre of your choice.
Our graduate program is relatively small, currently enrolling fewer than thirty students. We normally accept eight new students each year (four in fiction, four in poetry), and work to recruit a strong and diverse class.
Master’s Program Degree Eligibility with GPA,
The SAA normally involves teaching 2 to 3 courses per year, in a mix of composition, creative writing, and rhetoric courses, depending on undergraduate enrollments. Because continued funding after the first year is based on teaching and merit, this guarantee is contingent upon demonstration of satisfactory progress toward your degree (including passing required pedagogy courses), continuous enrollment, and maintenance of a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 throughout your graduate career.
Master’s Funding Coverage,
Each student in our program receives a Student Academic Appointment (SAA) in the form of a teaching assistantship that offers a tuition remission for up to 12 credit hours per semester and 6 in the summer in the College of Arts and Sciences, student health insurance, and a partial fee waiver. Each SAA also includes a stipend of at least $19,000 which we are able to enhance with $2,000 IU Creative Writing fellowships to help cover fees.
Application Requirement,
Applicants to the M.F.A. in Creative Writing are required to submit the following online (except transcripts). All materials must be received by January 2 or the first business day following the holiday.
- personal statement (500 word limit)
- statement about teaching creative writing (500 word limit)
- three letters of recommendation from those who know you and your potential for graduate school (uploaded online or submitted through Interfolio. If sent through Interfolio, send to bhankins@indiana.edu).
- one set of officialtranscripts sent directly from all attended institutions to the Creative Writing Program (address below). Place transcript requests well in advance of the deadline since many institutions are closed at the end of the year.
- a portfolio with 5,000 to 7,500 words (25 – 30 pages) in fiction; 12-15 pages of poetry.
- TOEFL Scores (for foreign applicants only)
All materials with the exception of the transcripts must be uploaded to the online applications. Transcripts must be either emailed by a secure service directly from the institution to Bev Hankins (bhankins@indiana.edu) OR mailed directly from the attended institution to:
Application Deadline,
Jan 02, 2026
Application Fee,
The application fee is $70 for domestic and international students.
