About Master’s Program,
The Master of Fine Arts program at Wichita State University is the twelfth oldest in the nation and one that has earned widespread respect by producing graduates who are not only well-trained writers but also well-prepared teachers of writing and literature possessing skills in editing and other related fields.
The program, now in its 50th year, is a 48-hour, studio-academic program with students in full-time residence for three years developing their skills in fiction or poetry writing. Over those three years, students take a core of workshops and tutorials as well as additional coursework in English, which leads to a final writing project — a collection of fiction or poetry, a novel or some appropriate work. Flexibility is provided in academic coursework to allow for a variety of possible interests.
Master’s Program Degree Eligibility with GPA,
To receive the Masters of Fine Arts degree in creative writing, a student must complete a three-year program in residence at Wichita State University that includes:
12 hours of writing courses (workshop based)
6 hours of Final Writing Project (completing a fiction or poetry final project)
24 hours of literature courses
3 hours in literary research course
3 hours of “enrichment,” a graduate level course outside of English
Students also take a comprehensive examination in their last semester. This is a three-part essay exam over books chosen from a master list in consultation with the student’s final project director.
Master’s Funding Coverage,
Most of our MFA students are GTAs who teach two composition classes each semester to WSU undergraduates. They pay no tuition, receive $6,000 each semester and may buy discounted health insurance. The MFA program also awards two fellowships each year, one in fiction writing and one in poetry, and it awards the Stephen F. Barr Fellowship.
Almost all of the program’s Master of Fine Arts students are funded for three years either through graduate teaching assistant positions (GTAs) or through a fellowship. In fall 2024, four fiction students and three poetry students entered the program. Of those seven new MFA students, all were offered Graduate Teaching Assistantships receiving tuition remission and a stipend.
Application Requirement,
You will find the GTA Application here. Download and fill it out and then upload it to your university application.
Also, upload a sample of your original expository prose. You may send either:
an academic paper of five or more double-spaced pages (preferably one that has been graded), OR
an essay of three to five double-spaced pages, which might include the following: why you would be an effective teacher; why it is important for a person today, in the era of cell phones and email, to write effectively, and how teaching expository writing might benefit you as a creative or scholarly writer.
Make sure that your letters of recommendation address your suitability and preparedness to be a Graduate Teaching Assistant. This might even be the primary focus of their letters. You do not need to send a separate set of recommendation letters for the GTA position as long as your recommenders address it in their letters in support of your application to the university.
Application Deadline,
Feb 01, 2026
Application Fee,
Domestic application — $60
