About Master’s Program,
The Program in Creative Writing at the University of Iowa, known informally as the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, offers a Master of Fine Arts degree in English, a terminal degree that qualifies graduates to teach creative writing at the college level.
While working toward their degree, graduate students will work with and learn from established poets and prose writers and make substantial progress in their creative projects.
The MFA program requires full-time residency in Iowa City, which offers students the chance to learn from one another and take advantage of the academic resources of our research university.
Twenty to twenty-five new students in each of the two genres come to Iowa City to join the program each year.
Master’s Program Degree Eligibility with GPA,
The current requirements for admission to the Graduate College are possession of an undergraduate degree at an accredited college or university, and achievement of an undergraduate grade-point average of 3.0, based on a 4.0 scale. Students who can present other substantial evidence of probable success in graduate work at the Writers’ Workshop are sometimes admitted provisionally in spite of a lower grade-point average. Applications from students who have graduated from foreign universities are considered individually by the Graduate College. International Applicants: Please closely review the admissions requirements on the Graduate Admissions website, and contact the Graduate Admissions office if you have any questions.
We do not require GRE scores. Admission to the Workshop is based, above all else, on the creative work you send us.
Master’s Funding Coverage,
Every Writers’ Workshop MFA student receives full funding for the duration of the 2-year program; this funding is equal for everyone. At the end of the two years, all students have the option to apply for postgraduate funding.
With the help of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and Writers’ Workshop donors, every Workshop student receives a full tuition scholarship as well as a stipend to cover living expenses while in the program; this includes funding for the summer between the first and second years. These stipends are composed of fellowships as well as research and teaching assistantships.
International students are eligible for all the funding and benefits offered to every student in the program, with certain fellowships only available to international students. There are some differences in the fee and taxation rates for international students (as a result of state, federal, and University policies over which we have no control), but we do our best to make sure everyone is able to attend. Every year we welcome many international students into our program.
Application Requirement,
Upload Your Mailed Manuscript
Statement of Purpose
Letters of Recommendation
Resume or CV
Unofficial copy of academic transcripts
General GRE scores
Application Deadline,
Dec 15, 2025
Application Fee,
The fee to complete the application is $60 ($100 for international students).
