About Master’s Program,
The Litowitz MFA+MA Program in Creative Writing offers intimate classes, the opportunity to pursue both creative and critical writing, close mentorship by renowned faculty in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction, and three fully supported years in which to grow as writers and complete a book-length creative project. The Litowitz MFA+MA curriculum gives students time to deepen both their creative writing and their study of literature. Students will receive full financial support for three academic years and two summers, a total of 33 months. Both degrees—the MFA in Creative Writing and the MA in English—are awarded simultaneously at graduation.
Drawing on innovative scholarship, deep immersion in process, and cross-pollination between critical and creative texts, Litowitz students will complete a Capstone essay—a 20-25 page expanded version of a paper written for an English department graduate or MFA+MA seminar—by the end of their second year, and will spend their third year working on a book-length creative thesis of their own design, either within one genre or across genres. The MFA+MA program’s small size and attentive faculty will develop students’ sense of literary context, the possibilities of genre, and their creative practice, while encouraging them to pursue the individual distinctiveness of their projects.
The Litowitz MFA+MA program provides significant exposure to a second genre in addition to the genre in which a student has been admitted. Students must take at least one out-of-genre workshop and have the option of taking more.
Master’s Program Degree Eligibility with GPA,
The Graduate School at Northwestern University sets minimum application requirements for applicants to our PhD and master’s programs. Each program may also set additional application requirements beyond what is listed on this webpage. As a result, when preparing your application materials, we highly recommend reviewing the website of the program to which you are applying to find information regarding their requirements and application deadline.
Individuals admitted to programs at The Graduate School must hold a U.S. bachelor’s degree — or an equivalent non-U.S. degree — from a regionally accredited institution. You may be considered for admission before you finish your undergraduate degree, but you must complete that degree before you enroll at Northwestern.
Master’s Funding Coverage,
Use this portion of the website to learn more about our funding model and explore the sources of financial support available to you.
TGS and its graduate programs offer a wide array of financial support for doctoral students, who are typically fully-funded for four quarters per year for minimum of five years. Master’s students may receive scholarships or a student loan. MFA students can also apply for fellowships and assistantships.
TGS does not provide funding for MA, MS, or MPH students. Some programs may provide a small amount of scholarship resources. Master’s students may also apply for student loans. MFA students do qualify for support from TGS, but they are the only exception.
To discover what programs provide scholarship resources, contact your program directly. To learn more about the student loans that are available, please visit the Graduate Financial Aid website or visit the Federal Student Aid website.
Application Requirement,
In general, to apply to The Graduate School (TGS), you will be required to:
Pay an online application fee by credit card.
Upload your transcript(s) or academic record(s).
Submit your test scores (international applicants are required to submit English language test scores; programs may also require scores from additional tests such as the GRE or GMAT)
Upload two Letters of Recommendation.
Application Deadline,
Dec 15, 2025
Application Fee
The application fee is $95 and is non-refundable.
