mfa creative writing georgia

• College of Arts & Sciences
• Department of English

Creative Writing M.F.A.

A Good MFA Program is Hard to Find

A good MFA program is hard to find, but we believe the MFA Program at Georgia College & State University in Milledgeville, Georgia offers unique opportunities for MFA students dedicated to the craft and purpose of creative writing. GCSU’s famous alumna, Flannery O’Connor, lived in Milledgeville on her farm, Andalusia, and of our beautiful, Southern town, she wrote "When in Rome, do as you done in Milledgeville." Our MFA students certainly get a lot done in their three years in Milledgeville.

What makes us unique? We take pride in the fact that the MFA Program at Georgia College is a fully-funded, full-residency 3-year MFA program. All students admitted to our MFA program receive a Graduate Assistantship for all 3 years that includes a stipend and tuition remission. Self-funded students are accepted in special circumstances. We offer everything you could find at flagship state universities, but because we are part of a small, public Liberal Arts university, our students are immediately welcomed into a close-knit, creative community. We sponsor a Visiting Writers series, bringing nationally-renowned writers to campus each semester, as well as a graduate student reading series. Our award-winning faculty work closely with students not only as workshop teachers, but as professional mentors.

The MFA Program offers workshops in fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry, and because we believe in expanding creative possibility and passions for our students, we require students to take cross-genre workshops. Students may write their thesis in fiction, poetry or creative nonfiction. In addition to workshops, students take creative writing seminars in Poetry & Poetics or Prose Forms, pedagogy classes on the teaching of writing, and courses on literature and special topics.

Additionally, we offer courses in journal design and editing, so students get hand-on publishing and graphic design experience. Students are able to put their practical skills to creative and purposeful good use while serving as members of the editorial staff of  Arts & Letters , our national literary journal, and one of the premier journals of the Southeast.

We are fully-funded: all students receive full tuition remission as well as a Graduate Assistantship. As part of this assistantship, students gain real-world teaching experience, and work at our Writing Center as tutors, teach undergraduate Composition, and teach in our Early College Program which is modeled on the Writers in the Schools Program. This real world teaching experience is essential for those students who hope to continue with teaching careers and/or community service careers.  We also participate in the Peace Corps Paul D. Coverdell Fellows Program which offers assistantships to Peace Corps volunteers.

Finally, the Arts & Letters Journal Editing Fellowship is open to applicants with at least one year of experience in journal publishing and/or editing, desktop publishing and design (preferably with InDesign), and/or marketing and promotion (including social media). The Fellowship offers recipients the opportunity to further develop both editorial and managerial skills over their three years in the MFA program, working closely with Arts & Letters’ Editor and Art Director (for more information about this specific fellowship, refer information under Assistantships ). 

Faculty and graduate students alike all practice what we preach and teach at GCSU!

Our 42-hour program is designed to be a three-year program (although other options may be possible for those students that already have an MA Degree) and most students follow a plan that emphasizes course work in the first year and thesis work in the second and third years.

We welcome you to learn more about our admission application process and opportunities for graduate assistantships and other financial aid.

Check out the new design of the  Arts & Letters   website !

We now have a dynamic platform that is more efficient and responsive, and we’ve packaged it in a prettier and more user-friendly design. We are also now connected across a number of social networks, including  Facebook ,  Twitter ,  Tumblr , and  Google+ , so that our readers can keep up on  Arts & Letters  news, reading periods, information on upcoming issues, and prizes.

Visiting Writer Series          

African writers festival.

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

Prospective students for our Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program usually apply late fall/early winter for the following fall semester. Applications must be complete by Feb.1 for students who wish to be considered for an MFA assistantship (learn more about assistantships and other financial aid available to graduate students). 

Application Process, Part One:

Domestic Applicants: Submit the completed  on-line graduate application  ($35 fee) and required materials to  Graduate Admissions . Application and required materials must be submitted by February 1 :

• The completed on-line graduate application plus $35 fee to Graduate Admissions. 
• Georgia College & State University The Graduate School Graduate Admissions Office Campus Box 107 Milledgeville, GA 31061       
• OFFICIAL undergraduate or graduate transcripts (even if still in progress). If you are in your final year of undergraduate studies, you can still be admitted to the program, though final admission will be contingent upon receiving final transcripts upon your graduation from your undergraduate institution.

Questions? Contact  Graduate Admissions .

International Applicants: If you are an International Student please submit the completed  International Graduate Application For Admission  and required materials to the International Education Center . To ensure timely delivery of materials and for application to receive full consideration, application and required materials should be submitted by January 1 :

• The completed   International Graduate Application For Admission .
• Georgia College & State University International Education Center Campus Box 49 Milledgeville, GA 31061     

Questions? Contact the International Education Center .

Application Process, Part Two:

Domestic and International applicants, attach the following materials to the application or email to the Graduate School, [email protected] .

• A writing sample in your thesis genre (please label as fiction, poetry, or creative nonfiction). Submission should indicate the genre to which you are applying: poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction. Submit up to 10 pages of poems (typed, single-spaced, no more than 1 poem per page); or submit up to 20 pages of prose, one or two short stories or creative nonfiction essays/memoir excerpt (typed and double- spaced). 
• A statement of purpose  (about 500 words, typed, double-spaced). Please address your goals as a writer. Tell us why you wish to pursue an MFA in Creative Writing with us, rather than follow another path. Surprise us.  Address as well how the program's offering of tutoring opportunities in the Writing Center and teaching duties in the classroom will help you reach your goals.
• Résumé or CV . 
• Last Name_Genre_Portfolio
• Last Name_Genre_SOP
• Last Name_Genre_Resume CV

 Questions? Contact the MFA program . NOTE:  You will also need to provide verification of lawful presence (PDF ) to Graduate Admissions . Graduate admissions needs this information before we can accept students into the program. Additionally, before you can register for classes, the required  immunization certificate (PDF)  must be submitted to the Registrar's office . We do NOT require GRE scores.

The MFA program web pages provide program-specific information; however, you will find other important information at  graduate admissions , the university registrar , financial aid  and other GC web sites/offices. International students should contact the  International Student Center  for admission guidance.

Evaluation of Your Application 

Your writing portfolio is the primary credential we review in evaluating your application for admission (writing samples are reviewed by a faculty committee who teach in the student’s thesis genre). Your letters of recommendation and statement of purpose are also important, since they will address your skill and accomplishment as a writer. Because our students also take required classes in Poetry & Poetics or Prose Forms, Teaching Creative Writing and non-creative writing courses in literature, criticism, linguistics or other subjects, your transcripts will also help us make our final, holistic evaluation of your application.  We begin to review applications after Feb.1. In order to maintain small classes and individual, intensive mentorship of thesis work, our admission process is competitive. Our first step is to inform students (usually early to mid-March) whether or not they’ve been admitted to our program. Our second step is to determine MFA assistantship offers and wait lists (see  The Graduate School  for details about graduate assistantships).

Any Questions?

Call us at 478-445-3509, or send an email . For Graduate Admissions questions, call 478-445-6289.

All application materials must be completed and received by Feb.1 if you wish to be considered for an MFA program-sponsored graduate assistantship (or “G.A.”). Please include a résumé with the application materials you send to the MFA program. Provide any information that best describes your skills and experience, including (but not limited to, and not necessarily in this order):

• Education (any specific or special studies, experiences, or projects?)
• Tutoring, teaching, or mentoring skills, experience
• Editing/publishing experience (print journal, newspaper, web, etc.)
• Communication skills (including social media/networking)
• Tech skills (InDesign, web editing programs, Photoshop, other Adobe software; experience with Microsoft office or Apple iBooks Author?
• Any other skills/experiences you’d like to emphasize
• List 3 references (those submitting your letters of recommendation)

Applications received by Feb.1, and selected for acceptance to the MFA program, will then be reviewed to determine applicants that will be offered MFA-sponsored assistantships. Faculty committees (in each genre) review these applications holistically, based on the quality of the writing sample, potential for graduate study in an academic setting, and depth of experience (as reflected by the applicant’s statement of purpose, letters of recommendation, transcripts and résumé). The committee then ranks the accepted applications. When rankings are complete, the MFA Coordinator contacts applicants to make assistantship offers or to discuss and clarify a candidate’s placement on an assistantship waiting list. Once offered an MFA G.A., the applicant is encouraged to make a decision as soon as possible, but a final decision will be due no later than April 15.

Assistantships

Kinds of assistantships available to our graduate students:

Most MFA-sponsored first year graduate assistants  (or “G.A.s”) are assigned hours as “writing consultants” in the university  Writing Center. Other MFA G.A.s divide their hours between the Writing Center and the MFA/ Arts & Letters  office, the Flannery O’Connor Review  office, or our teaching writing in the schools  Early College  project. MFA-sponsored graduate assistantships include a stipend (current stipend is $8,600 per year) and full-tuition remission (but does not include mandatory student fees and, unless eligible to be waived, mandatory student insurance). The  GCSU Budget Office  posts current tuition and fees; information about student insurance is available at  United Healthcare .

Teaching Fellowships  require a secondary application process, due to additional credentials required for teaching college-level classes. Students who have been awarded MFA-sponsored G.A.s are eligible to apply for a Teaching Fellowship if a) they already hold an M.A. in English, or b) they have completed 18 hours of graduate credit in English, in addition to meeting other criteria. MFA students who are eligible will apply to the Department of English and Rhetoric (submitting materials through Georgia College & State University careers or some other means, as determined by the Chair). Note: Students are expected to teach during their second and third years of the program; failure to earn enough course credit to teach classes or failure to meet other expected criteria for teaching may result in the forfeiture of the student’s assistantship.

The  Arts & Letters Journal Editing Fellowship at Georgia College encourages graduate studies for students with at least one year of experience in journal publishing and/or editing, desktop publishing and design (preferably with InDesign), and/or marketing and promotion (including social media). Students interested in applying for this Fellowship should also have excellent organizational and proofreading skills.  The Fellowship offers recipients the opportunity to further develop both editorial and managerial skills over their three years in the MFA program, working closely with Arts & Letters ’ Editor and Art Director. In the first year, the A&L Fellow works in the capacity of Assistant Managing Editor, helping the current Managing Editor in the completion of office duties—everything from social media postings to honing InDesign skills to updating the Web Site. In the second and third year, the Fellow takes over as Managing Editor. Managing Editor duties include distributing and monitoring reading (submission) loads, InDesgning the journal and readying it to send to the printer, managing Sendinblue campaigns, and running proofreading sessions. The Managing Editor also is encouraged to represent the journal at the annual AWP Conference, as funding allows. Qualified applicants who wish to pursue the Journal Editing Fellowship should initially contact Dr. Kerry Neville, who coordinates the MFA Program.

The Journal Editing Fellowship is awarded to an incoming student every other year, and includes a stipend for summer work, much of which can be done remotely. The Fellowship is typically awarded in the spring semester prior to the student’s first (fall) semester. The fellowship will be awarded to a qualified recipient in 2023.

Arts & Letters , a nationally known literary journal in continuous biannual print publication since 1999, publishes innovative fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction by emerging and established writers, and offers annual prizes in four genres, as well a prize for ‘unclassifiable’ work. Recent representative authors include Wes Civilz, Marianne Boruch, Keith Wilson, Rodney Jones, James Allen Hall, Lina Ferreira Cabeza-Vanegas, and George Singleton.

In addition, other university assistantships outside the MFA program may be an option for students accepted to our program (typically, these G.A.s offer a lower stipend but still include a full in-state or out-of-state tuition waiver). The MFA coordinator will discuss this option with applicants accepted to the program but who do not receive an MFA-sponsored G.A.

Scholarships and other Financial Aid

Some MFA scholarships (subject to funding availability) are awarded, in addition to the stipend and tuition waiver, to students on MFA-sponsored assistantships. The program coordinator will discuss these awards (if available) with students offered MFA G.A.s. ALL enrolled and returning university students (in good academic standing) can apply for other scholarships (some related to the MFA in Creative Writing program, some not), such as the Flannery O’Connor Alumni Scholarship and the Dorrie Neligan Creative Writing Scholarships.

Student loans are also available to MFA students through the university Financial Aid Office. Whether or not you’re interested in applying for a student loan, accepted applicants may wish to complete the student loan  FAFSA application . Discuss your options with GCSU’s Financial Aid Office .

Quick Info For Assistantships:

• In 2019-2020, 22 of 28 MFA students had assistantships, and 6 had other university assistantships/appointments.
• MFA GAs include a stipend and full tuition waiver (in-state OR out-of-state tuition).
• Applicants offered MFA GAs are encouraged to make a decision early but final decisions are due by April 15.
• MFA GAs are assigned hours in the  Writing Center  (some GAs split hours with another assignment in our program).
• Students awarded MFA GAs apply to be Teaching Fellows their second year (if eligible) through a separate process via the Department of English.  
• MFA GAs usually earn 18 hours in ENGL graduate credit their first year (required for Teaching Fellow eligibility).
• Teaching Fellows are typically assigned CORE classes (ENGL 1101, 1102) and ENGL 2208: Intro to Creative Writing.
• Stipends for assistantships are paid in five equal installments each semester (fall/spring).
• Assistantships do not cover required student fees or student insurance (may be eligible to waive).

MFA students are eligible for a variety of scholarships, some related, some not related, to Creative Writing, as well as student loans.   

Graduate Assistantships in the Writing Cente r   

Graduate Consultant

Interdisciplinary Writing Coordinator

Resources Coordinator    

The Peace Corps Paul D. Coverdell Fellows Program at Georgia College encourages graduate studies for Returned Peace Corps volunteers (RCPV’s). Fellows who are accepted to participating graduate programs in their field are awarded assistantships that relate to their experience and training in the Peace Corps.

Upon successful completion of their Peace Corps Volunteer assignment, RCPV’s can apply to the Georgia College MFA Program (the application process is the same as for all applicants, but see the Peace Corps website for more information about RCPV eligibility requirements).

Peace Corps Volunteers who wish to pursue these Coverdell Fellowships should initially contact Kerry Neville , who coordinates the Coverdell Fellows Program on behalf of the university. 

Assistantships are typically awarded in the spring for positions beginning fall semester. For that reason, potential Coverdell Fellows should make formal application by Feb.1 prior to the fall semester they plan to matriculate. The formal application must include the Peace Corps Description of Service (DOS) Certification of Service document:  https://www.peacecorps.gov/returned-volunteers/support-services/certifi…  " 

Early College

Typically,  Peace Corps Coverdell Fellows in the MFA program at Georgia College help to organize and mentor our Early College writing-in-the-schools project. Early College is a public school housed at the Georgia College campus, serving students from Baldwin and Putnam counties. Georgia College undergraduate majors, under the supervision of MFA students and faculty, mentor seventh graders in the Early College program and help them to publish a literary journal called  The Peacock’s Feather .

Georgia College Early College was initially supported by funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, for which the program remains grateful.

Most students complete the MFA program in three years. To meet MFA requirements, students take a minimum of 18 credit hours in the first year and 12 credit hours in the second and third years. Note: for students on MFA assistantships who are eligible to teach, there are additional teaching/pedagogy courses and other requirements designed to support and prepare Teaching Fellows.

A Typical Sample Plan for MFA Coursework : 

All students take 34 hours of coursework: ENGL-MFA 4-semester credit hour courses (28 hours); ENGL 3-semester credit hour courses (6 hours):

12 hours: 5000-level and 6000-level courses in the student's major writing genre (3 courses): ENGL 5021, ENGL 6021 and ENGL 6025 (poetry genre); ENGL 5012, ENGL 6012 and ENGL 6026 (creative nonfiction genre); ENGL 5022, ENGL 6022 and ENGL 6026 (fiction genre).

4 hours: Course in non-thesis genre workshop (1 course); ENGL 5011, 5012, 5021, or 5022. Note that 5000-level workshops in a genre are the prerequisite for 6000-level seminars in a genre (see electives section below).

12 hours: Electives chosen from ENGL 5011, 5012, 5021, 5022, 6012, 6021, 6022, 6024, 6025, 6026 (these courses are repeatable; some have prerequisites; approved ENGL 5950 MFA Special Topics may also be chosen (no more than 8 hours of MFA Special Topics courses may count towards elective requirements).

6 hours: Non-MFA ENGL 5000-6000 level courses (at least one course at the 6000 level).

All students also complete the MFA Thesis (8 hours). All students must complete a thesis, with the accompanying critical essay, as well as complete a successful thesis defense in order to graduate. The thesis is intended to be a book-length project. A prose thesis must be a minimum of 100 pages, and a poetry thesis must be a minimum of 35 pages. Students have to complete a thesis in the genre of their specialization; we do permit hybrid thesis projects that are written to be a singular combination, but we do not permit hybrid thesis projects that are a compilation of stories, essays, and poems thrown together to create page length. The thesis defense is an oral defense of your thesis, attended by the thesis director, the thesis committee members, and the student, and is scheduled at least 2 weeks before the end of your final term.

English Course Descriptions from graduate Course cAtalog

Total Credits required: 42

If I write in multiple genres, do I have to choose just one to submit in my application?

Yes, choose one for your application. Still our program does encourage study in a second genre -- in fact, we require each student to take at least one workshop out-of-genre. 

How do you choose which genre to apply in? Submit your best work. We accept candidates primarily on the merits of the writing sample. You will be expected to write your thesis in the genre you submitted.

For my writing sample, can I submit a chapter of a novel-in-progress? What if I don’t have a full 15 pages I’m proud of for my sample?

A chapter is fine, or a completed short story/essay. However, the more complete, the better. Quality over quantity.

Do I need a BA in Writing or English to apply?

No. We've had students in the past with various undergraduate degrees. If you have a strong sample, apply. However, we do review transcripts to see if students have completed some humanities courses (in English or other fields); and although there is no minimum G.P.A., almost all of our applicants have been successful students, earning 3.0 or higher in their academic studies.

How many courses do Teaching Fellows teach each semester?

Here’s the standard procedure (per semester) for G.A. Teaching Fellows:

1st year: Graduate Assistants work in the Writing Center as Consultants OR Writing Center + Journal office or Early College; and serve as readers for Arts & Letters Journal. 2nd year: Graduate Assistant Teaching Fellows teach 2 classes; OR Journal or Early College  + Teach 1 class; and serve as readers for Arts & Letters Journal. 3rd year: Teach 2 classes; and serve as readers for Arts & Letters Journal.

The exception is for candidates who already have an MA. They are eligible to begin teaching two classes the first year and continue that for all three years. However, all students on MFA assistantship must undergo a further application/review process before they will be assigned teaching duties.

What is the stipend and tuition remission that your students receive if offered an MFA graduate assistantship?

The current stipend given to those with an MFA assistantship is $8,600 per year. In addition, many MFA assistantships include scholarship funds (amounts vary). MFA assistantships also include full tuition remission for in-state or out-of-state tuition (student fees, however, are not covered).

There are also other university assistantships available to which MFA students may apply. These assistantships offer smaller stipends, but usually include full tuition remission (again, student fees are not covered).

There is a student health insurance plan that meets the requirements of the new Affordable Health Care Act that students purchase or they may waived the student insurance if they have another qualified insurance plan.

What is the difference between an MFA assistantship and Peace Corp Coverdell Fellows?

How many applications do you typically receive and how many do you accept.

We typically review over 100 applications each year for the program.  We enroll about 7 new students each year, with a balanced number in each of the three thesis genres (fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction). Typically, seven MFA assistantships are assigned to new students accepted in the program; other students might be offered other university assistantships or seek out other funding support. The three-year program enrolls about 25 students total.

What constitutes a good recommender?

It's important to have professional recommenders (i.e., employer supervisors, established writers, college professors). Ideally, these people can speak to your ability to work and handle graduate classes and speak to the quality of your writing. You may choose different sorts of people to speak to your different qualities. These should not be friends or family members.

If I’m reapplying, what do I need to do?

You will not need to re-submit everything, and there is no fee for second-time applicants. You will need to contact Graduate Admissions and the MFA program to announce that you are re-applying. We suggest submitting to the MFA program an updated manuscript and your statement of purpose and resume. You do NOT need to re-submit transcripts, unless you've taken a class at another college since you last applied.

* NOTE You will need to submit again a new application to the Graduate Admissions office.  You may use your old letters of recommendation, or submit new letters. . 

Our Current Students

Collin Bishoff, Caleb Bouchard, Timothy Connors, Marybeth Cooper, Keely Hopkins, Dalton Monk, Kelly Piggott, Courtney Schmidt, and William Warren.

 Mary Alsobrooks, Auden Eagerton, Avery James, Natalie Mau, and Lori Tennant. 

CREATIVE NONFICTON

Paul Bryant, Mary-Kate Burns, Megan Duffy, William Gerdes-McClain, Nicholas Green, Charlotte Lauer, Amelia Longo, and Denechia Powell

Writers Who Publish

Although we don’t expect incoming students to have published their work, since our program began in 2001, our students have been publishing their poems, stories, and essays in many national journals. GC students have published in such journals as  Backwards City Review, Big Muddy, Bloom, Cimarron Review, Colorado Review, Crazyhorse, Cream City Review, Descant, Dos Passos Review, Eclipse, International Poetry Review, McSweeney’s, Meridian, Nimrod, Pebble Lake, Poet Lore, Quick Fiction, Rattle, Redivider, River Teeth, Salt Hill, Santa Clara Review, Spinning Jenny, Thema, Touchstone  and many others.

Alumni Donors Thank You

• Danny Bauer
• Ashlee Crews
• Steve Lavender
• Shawn Parkinson
• Daniel Plunkett
• William Torgerson
• Gwendolyn Turnbull
• Christopher Varn

Our alumni have been up to many great things, and we are excited to share just a few with you here.  In addition to being published in many journals, our alumni have been winning awards and publishing collections, including: 

• Ashlee Adams Crews's  (fiction, 2006) story “Bird Feed” (in "McSweeney’s) won a Pushcart Prize in 2010. Her story “Church Time” won NC State’s 2011 James Hurst Prize. In 2012, her collection, Called Out , was a finalist for the Flannery O’Connor Award for Short Fiction, and in 2013 she received the "Rona Jaffe Foundation Writers’ Award." Read her story “Restoration”  online at "Shenandoah. "
• Kristie Robin Johnson’s (creative nonfiction, 2018) essay collection, High Cotton, will be published in summer of 2020 by. One of her essays will appear in the forthcoming anthology, We Got This: Solo Mom Stories of Grit, Heart, and Humor, from She Writes press. She is the recipient of an artist grant from the Greater Augusta Arts Council, and her writing has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and received honorable mention in the AWP Intro to Journals Project. She teaches English at Oconee Fall Line Technical College and Georgia Military College.
• Mike McClelland’s  (fiction, 2017) collection of short fiction, Gay Zoo Day : Tales of Seeking and Discovery" (2017) published by Beautiful Dreamer Press, won the Independent Book Publishers Association's Silver Benjamin Franklin Award for LGBT Literature. His creative work has appeared in publications such as the Boston Review, Entropy, Queen Mob's Tea House , and others, and has been widely anthologized, most recently in Gents: Steamy Stories from the Age of Steam , which was nominated for a Lambda Literary Award. His work has been recognized as a semifinalist for the Conium Prize and the Saints and Sinners Short Story Contest. In 2018, he was invited to read his work and present at the annual TEDMED conference in Palm Springs alongside speakers like NBA star Dikembe Mutombo, Surgeon General Jerome Adams, and writer Nayomi Munaweera.
• Miller Oberman’s  (poetry, 2006) poetry collection, The Unstill Ones , a collection of poems and Old English translations, was published in the fall, 2017 by the Princeton Series of Contemporary Poets. Oberman is a past recipient of the Poetry Foundation's Ruth Lilly Fellowship. His collection Useful was a finalist for the 2012 National Poetry Series. Read “Old English Rune Poem,” a new translation  published in "Poetry" (July/August 2013).
• T.J. Sandella  (poetry, 2013) has been chosen as one of the Best New Poets 2014. He has also won awards including the William Matthews Poetry Prize (2014, Asheville Poetry Review), the Academy of American Poets Prizes and the Elinor Benedict Poetry Prize. 
• Will Torrey  (fiction, 2010) won "Zone 3's" 2011 Editors' Prize for his story "Trajabar." Read his August 2013 "Working Writers Series"interview online at "The Missouri Review."
• Bill Torgerson ’s (fiction, 2007) most recent novel is  Horseshoe (Cherokee McGhee, 2012). He teaches at St. John’s University. Check out his blog “The Torg”.

Keep in touch with all our outstanding alumni as well as current MFA students and happenings at the program’s  Facebook page !

Milledgeville: A Literary Community

Georgia College offers a unique setting for students interested in pursuing their MFA in Creative Writing. Our university is small (about 6,500 students), located in historic downtown Milledgeville, former capital of Georgia from 1803-1868 and location of Andalusia, historic home of writer Flannery O’Connor.

Milledgeville  is in the heart of Georgia, only 90 miles from Atlanta and an easy drive to the beaches of Savannah and Tybee Island or to the foothills of North Georgia. Milledgeville was the state capital from 1803 to 1868 and is the site of the newly restored Old State Capitol and Old Governor’s Mansion.

The historic downtown features shops, restaurants and taverns just two blocks from campus. The climate is warm, with mild winters and "zero" annual average snowfall. Our community offers places where writers can have a cup of coffee, meet friends and relax. Downtown restaurants, coffee shops, and stores blend small town and college town living into an ideal setting for serious writers.

You might recognize a place or character from the short stories of Flannery O’Connor or Alice Walker (who grew up in nearby Eatonton). Andalusia is the farm where author Flannery O’Connor lived from 1951 to 1964. O’Connor was living at her farm when she completed all of her published books of fiction. Andalusia is open to the public (see their website for more information). 

Learn More About Milledgeville

Dr. Kerry James Evans

• PhD Florida State University; MFA Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
• At GCSU since 2020

Dr. Kerry James Evans is the author of the poetry collection, Bangalore , a Lannan Literary Selection. He is the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship and a Walter E. Dakin Fellowship from Sewanee Writers' Conference, and he has taught poetry workshops, poetic forms and theory, and other courses at Florida State University and at Tuskegee University where he was an Assistant Professor. His poems have appeared in Agni, Narrative, Ploughshares , and other journals.

Dr. Martin Lammon (Professor Emeritus) 

• Poetry, Creative Nonfiction
• Ph.D., M.A. Ohio University
• At GCSU 1997-2020

Martin Lammon has won awards for both his poetry and creative nonfiction. His collection of poems,  News from Where I Live , won the Arkansas Poetry Award, and his poems and essays have appeared in such journals as  The Gettysburg Review, Hotel America, The Iowa Review, Ploughshares, Poet Lore, Poets and Writers and The Southern Review . Poems published in  Nimrod  were awarded a Pablo Neruda Prize. His essays about living in Costa Rica have been published in  The Iowa Review , Zone 3 , and  The Chattahoochee Review  (winner of the Lamar York Prize for Creative Nonfiction).From 1997-2018, he was the Fuller E. Callaway endowed Flannery O'Connor Chair in Creative Writing. In 2007, he was selected for GC’s Distinguished Professor Award.

Dr. Kerry Neville

• Fiction, Creative Nonfiction
• Ph.D., University of Houston
• At GCSU since 2016
• Coordinator of the MFA and Undergraduate Creative Writing Program

Kerry Neville received her PhD in Creative Writing from the University of Houston, her BA from Colgate University, and was most recently an Assistant Professor of English at Allegheny College.  She is the author of the short fiction collection,  Remember To Forget Me , and of the award-winning short fiction collection,  Necessary Lies .  She is also a contributor to The Huffington Post, The Washington Post, and The Fix.  Her essays and stories have been named Notables in Best American Short Stories and Best American Essays. She has twice received the Dallas Museum of Art Prize for Fiction, and has also been awarded The John Guyon Prize in Literary Nonfiction,The Texas Institute of Letters/Kay Cattarulla Prize for the Short Story, and the Short Story Book of the Year Prize from Independent Publisher Magazine. She is faculty for the FrankMcCourt/University of Limerick Summer Writing School. She was a 2018 Fulbright Scholar and taught in the M.A. Creative Writing Program at University of Limerick in Ireland

Laura Newbern

• MFA Warren Wilson College; M.A. English-Creative Writing, New York University
•  At GCSU since 2005

Laura Newbern's collection of poems,  Love and the Eye , won the 2010 First Book Award from Kore Press. She’s also received the prestigious Writer's Award from the Rona Jaffe Foundation, which recognizes outstanding emerging women writers. She teaches poetry workshops, poetics, and other courses. Laura is currently the Editor of  Arts & Letters . Her poems have been published in such journals as  The Atlantic, Poetry, TriQuarterly  and other journals. Newbern also expresses her creative interests through black and white photography.

Peter Selgin

• Creative Nonfiction, Fiction
• MFA, The New School
• At GCSU since 2012

Peter Selgin’s latest essay collection, The Kuhreihen Melody (Serving House Books) was named a finalist for the 2019 BIG OTHER Book Award for Nonfiction and an excerpt from his novel Duplicity was a finalist for the 2019 Craft First Chapter Contest. His memoir,  The Inventors , (Hawthorn Press) was named a Best Memoir of 2016 by Library Journal. His essay, “My New York: A Romance in Eight Parts,” was chosen by Paul Theroux for inclusion in Best American Travel Writing, 2014. His memoir,  Confessions of a Left-Handed Man : An Artist’s Memoir (University of Iowa Press, 2011), was short-listed for the 2012 William Saroyan International Prize; the title essay was selected for Best American Essays 2006. He is the author of  Drowning Lessons  (University of Georgia Press, 2008), winner of the 2007 Flannery O’Connor Award for Fiction;  Life Goes to the Movies, a novel, two books on the craft of fiction writing, and several children’s books. He has had a dozen notable essay citations in BAE anthologies. His stories and essays have appeared in the  Missouri Review, Colorado Review, Boulevard, Glimmer Train, Fourth Genre, Creative Nonfiction, Salon.com, Alaska Quarterly Review, The Sun , and other publications. Other honors include the Missouri Review Editors’ Prize, a Dana Award for the Essay, and a Eugene O’Neill National Playwrights’ Conference Award for his play,  A God in the House , based on Dr. Kevorkian and his suicide machine. He teaches fiction, creative nonfiction, journal design, editing, and production, and other courses. He is also creative nonfiction editor of  Arts & Letters .

Dr. Chika Unigwe

• PhD University of Leiden, Holland; degrees from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and the KU Leuven Belgium

Dr. Chika Unigwe is the author of Better Never than Late, De Zwarte Messias, Night Dancer, On Black Sisters Street, De Feniks, Meulenhoff-Manteau, and two children's Readers, Ije at School and A Rainbow for Dinner . Her short stories have appeared in different anthologies including in Watchlist, New Daughters of Africa, and Lagos Noir . Her fellowships include but are not limited to a  Rockefeller Foundation Fellow at the Bellagio Centre, Italy , a UNESCO-Aschberg Fellow at the Civitella Ranieri Centre in Umbertide, Italy, a SYLT Fellow in Germany and a writing fellow at Cove Park, Scotland. She was a special guest  lecturer at Tubingen University, Germany, and a Bonderman Assistant Professor of Practice at Brown University.  She has won a BBC short story competition, a commonwealth short story prize, has been shortlisted for the Caine Prize for African Writing and awarded a 2016 Pushcart Prize Special Mention. In 2012, she won the $100,000 Nigeria Prize for Literature, Africa's most important literary prize. She has judged literary prizes including the 2017 Man Booker International Prize.

Graduate Assistantships in the Writing Center

Resources Coordinator

The Creative Writing Program

The PhD in English Literature with Creative Dissertation at the University of Georgia is for writers who wish to advance their expertise and sophistication as scholars. Our students are accomplished poets, fiction writers, essayists, translators, and interdisciplinary artists who are ready to move beyond the studio focus of the MFA to a more intensive program of literary study. Over the course of the five-year program our students develop research specialties that complement their writing practice and prepare them professionally for a teaching career at the university or college level.

Our creative writing faculty are nationally and internationally recognized writers and translators with academic specializations in a variety of literary and theoretical fields, including Genre Theory, Poetics, Global Literature, Native American Literature, African American Literature, Postcolonial Literature, and Translation Studies. Our program fosters serious conversations among our students about aesthetics and criticism, experience and culture, and politics and history—not only in the classroom but through public readings and lectures. Our faculty and students play an active role in the cultural life of Athens, both as artists and organizers.

Program Overview

During the first two years of study our Ph.D. candidates select from course offerings in the English Department, seminars that signal both our faculty’s recognition of intellectual and disciplinary change and our abiding commitment to traditional literary history. Each student takes at least one Creative Writing course a year in addition to courses in various literary specialties. A list of our department’s recent graduate course offerings can be found here .  Prior to beginning their third year, students prepare reading lists for comprehensive exams in three academic research fields of their choosing. Every CWP student chooses “Forms and Craft” as one of their exam areas. This reading list serves as a research field unique to each writer’s approach to their particular genre. Some of the “Forms and Craft” lists designed recently by CWP students include, “The Midwestern Novel”; “Occult and Visionary Poetics”; “History of Surrealism”; “Monstrosity in Epic Poetry”; and “Literary Translation: Theory and Practice.” The two other exam fields should complement and expand the student’s areas of expertise beyond craft in order to broaden their historical and theoretical understanding of literature. In recent years, CWP students have elected to take exams in fields such as, “A Global History of the Novel,” ”Modernism and the Historical Avant-Garde,” “Aesthetic Theory,” ”African American Literature,” “Latinx Literature,” “Ecopoetics,” “The Southern Novel,” “Lyric Theory,” and “Science Fiction.”

Typically the exam committee is headed by a member of the creative writing faculty and two other professors from the department at large, experts in the respective exam areas. During the third year students read in preparation for written and oral exams. Each written exam takes the form of a twenty-page written exhibit in which the student answers a directive question formulated in conjunction with the exam area’s director. This exhibit should demonstrate the student’s grasp of the field as a whole and serves as a demonstration of their ability to teach in this area at the undergraduate level. Once the student has passed written exams, they are admitted to an oral exam overseen by the exam committee as a whole. Once the student passes both oral and written exams, they are admitted officially to candidacy for the PhD and begin working on their dissertation.

During their fourth and fifth years CWP students complete a creative dissertation with a critical introduction. The dissertation typically is a full-length work in a single genre—a work of fiction, creative non-fiction, or poetry. The introduction is the author’s scholarly address to their audience. In the past students have used the introduction as a scholarly analysis of the state of the genre, a critical meditation on process informed by literary history, or a theoretical tracing of literary influence.

CWP Faculty

[email protected] | 706-542-1261

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Upcoming Events

April 25 a flaw in the design: writing the literary thriller with nathan oates, april 30 sentimental touring club: graduate reading series, latest news.

Wednesday, April 17, 2024

Creative Writing Program's Nneoma Ike-Njoku described as 'incredibly exciting new talent'signs novel with Scribner

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Professor LeAnne Howe Delivers Plenary Talk at The 50th Annual Meeting of the Southeastern American Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies 

Monday, March 11, 2024

Creative Writing Student Sayantika Mandal's poem published in Glassworks Magazine

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Graduate Catalog 2022-2023

Graduate Catalog 2022-2023 > College of Arts and Sciences > Creative Writing M.F.A.

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Department E-mail: [email protected]

The MFA degree prepares artists—in this case, short story writers, novelists, poets, and other writers—to study their craft seriously and create publishable works in their respective genres. Although students in the program will typically focus on one genre, they are required and encouraged to explore at least one other genre. To this end, the program will prepare resourceful and open-minded writers rather than specialists. Because great writers are also great readers, the program will also expect students to study literature and other graduate courses in linguistics, criticism, and pedagogy in the Department of English. In this way, the program prepares talented writers by taking advantage of complementary, current departmental talents and strengths. Creative Writing courses will emphasize studio work (peer workshops and mentoring from distinguished, publishing writers) that will be complemented by studies in literature, poetics, prose forms, the pedagogy and practice of teaching writing, and other special topics related to the aesthetics of creative writing. The program enhances a student’s curricular experience with superior extracurricular experiences not only in creative writing but also in editing, publishing, arts programming, education, and community service. Finally, the MFA Program in Creative Writing is designed to fulfill the University’s institutional mission—to be the state’s designated public liberal arts university—a mission ideally suited to creative writing. The writer more than any other artist is a student of all the liberal arts, ranging among the humanities, the social sciences, the fine arts, and the sciences, a student whose work is both in the classroom and in the world at large.  Although MFA graduates will pursue positions in teaching, editing, publishing, marketing, arts-programming, and related fields, the program's primary goal is focused on helping talented writers improve, refine, and develop their careers as writers .

Regular Admission Requirements

Admission to the MFA in Creative Writing Program is competitive and based primarily (but not exclusively) on the candidate’s Writing Portfolio. Students regularly admitted to the program will successfully meet the following criteria.

• Writing Portfolio.  A writing sample in your thesis genre (please label as fiction, poetry, or creative nonfiction). Submission should indicate the genre to which you are applying: poetry, fiction, or creative nonfiction. Submit up to 10 pages of poems (typed, single-spaced, no more than 1 poem per page); or submit up to 20 pages of prose, one or two short stories or creative nonfiction essays/memoir excerpt (typed and double- spaced).
• Statement of Purpose. Submit a 500-word essay (typed, double-spaced) in which you discuss expectations and goals for your writing, as well as any other relevant points you may wish to make regarding your studies in the MFA program.
• Submit three letters of recommendation from teachers or other references able to comment on your creative writing and your potential for successful graduate study. 
• Resume or CV.
• Submit one copy of official transcripts for all undergraduate and graduate studies (including institutions where you only took courses but did not complete a degree). An appropriate four-year degree is required for admission. Transcripts should reflect prior coursework in both intuitive and discursive writing as well as critical reading. Student transcripts should demonstrate a 3.0 GPA (based on a 4.0 scale) in the final 60 hours of undergraduate work and in all prior graduate-level work; however, the 3.0 GPA is not a requirement, but only a measure of what most of our students have achieved in their academic work (most have had even higher GPA's in prior academic work).

Please submit your writing portfolio, resume, and statement of purpose directly to the MFA Program Coordinator via [email protected] . Submit three letters of recommendation directly to the Graduate Admissions Office via the online Graduate Application portal or [email protected] .

Provisional Admission

Students who do not meet regular admission criteria may be admitted provisionally. After completing nine hours of coursework (at least one course should be in literature) with at least a “B” in each course, the student may be granted regular admission status. Students enrolled with provisional status are not eligible for graduate assistantships.

Academic Dismissal

Only grades of "B" or higher in graduate courses will count towards the MFA degree. Students who receive more than one grade of "C" or lower in a graduate course, or whose GPA at any time falls below a 3.0, will be dropped from the program.

Degree Requirements

Basic Requirements:

• All students complete 42 hours (34 hours coursework and 8 thesis hours). See below for specific requirements relating to coursework and thesis work.
• Only grades of “B” or higher in graduate courses will count towards the MFA degree. Students who receive more than one grade of “C” or lower in a graduate course, or whose GPA at any time falls below a 3.0, will be dropped from the program.
• No more than six hours of coursework may be transferred from another M.A. in English or MFA program (if approved by the program director), and no hours may be transferred in a student’s major writing genre. Only courses in which the student earned a “B” or higher will be considered for transfer credit.
• The MFA program of study is designed to be completed in three years and must be completed in no more than four years. All degree work (with the exception of accepted transfer credits), including the thesis, must be completed in residence.

Program of Study

All students take 34 hours of coursework: ENGL-MFA 4-semester credit hour courses (28 hours); ENGL 3-semester credit hour courses (6 hours):

12 hours: 5000-level and 6000-level courses in the student's major writing genre (3 courses): ENGL 5021 , ENGL 6021 and ENGL 6025 (poetry genre); ENGL 5012 , ENGL 6012 and ENGL 6026  (creative nonfiction genre); ENGL 5022 , ENGL 6022 and ENGL 6026 (fiction genre).

4 hours: Course in non-thesis genre workshop (1 course); ENGL 5011 , ENGL 5012 , ENGL 5021 , or ENGL 5022 . Note that 5000-level workshops in a genre are the prerequisite for 6000-level seminars in a genre (see electives section below).

12 hours: Electives chosen from ENGL 5011 , ENGL 5012 , ENGL 5021 , ENGL 5022 , ENGL 6012 , ENGL 6021 , ENGL 6022 , ENGL 6024 , ENGL 6025 , ENGL 6026 (these courses are repeatable; some have prerequisites; approved ENGL 5950 MFA Special Topics may also be chosen. 

6 hours: Non-MFA ENGL 5000 -6000 level courses (at least one course at the 6000 level).

All students also complete the MFA Thesis (8 hours). See below for more details about the thesis and thesis defense.

For a list of all ENGL graduate courses, visit the  ENGL courses page in the graduate catalog.

Total Credits required: 42

Other Requirements

Thesis and Thesis Defense. Students typically devote two years (four semesters) to their thesis work. With the thesis director (selected near the end of the student’s first year), the student will establish a timetable and proposal for completing the thesis in a timely manner. In the second (or early in the third) year the student and thesis director will establish a committee of two other departmental graduate faculty members and one outside reader (optional) proficient in that student’s major genre who will also read the final draft of the thesis. The student’s thesis will be a full-length creative work of superior literary quality (for example a novel, a collection of short stories, a collection of poems, a collection of essays or book-length work of creative nonfiction). Students must enroll for at least one thesis hour and defend their thesis in the semester in which they graduate. If a student does not complete the thesis in the Spring semester of the third year, the student must register for at least one thesis hour in the semester in which the student defends the thesis and graduates. The thesis defense will include a presentation to the thesis committee of aesthetic and other issues related to the student’s work, as well as questions and comments from the thesis committee. Students also participate in a short reading from the thesis and any other curricular or extra-curricular questions related to the student’s progress.  Students are required to submit to the library electronic copies of the thesis at a cost determined by the Ina Dillard Russell Library.

The general advisor of all students working towards the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing degree is the Coordinator of the MFA Program. However, students should work closely with their thesis advisors in preparation for a specific thesis project.

Graduate Assistants: Teaching Fellows

Students selected for MFA graduate assistantships may apply to teach (typically in their second and third years); teaching Fellows must meet certain eligibility requirements (including the completion of 18 hours of graduate ENGL credit) in order to teach.  Teaching Fellows will also be required to take additional pedagogy course work (beyond their degree course work) and participate in training, orientation, and other supervisory requirements as determined by the Department of English. 

Please contact the Department of English for more details about the application process.

Further Information

Please visit the Creative Writing Web site for more details about the program, courses offered, and the creative writing community at GC. Inquiries about the program, graduate assistantships, and other forms of financial assistance should be directed to the MFA Program, Department of English, CBX 44, Georgia College, Milledgeville, GA 31061. Telephone: 478-445-3509. Fax: 478-445-5961. E-mail: [email protected] .

Concentration Requirements

• Fifteen to 21 hours of ENGL 8030 - Fiction Writing    (must be completed while enrolled in degree program) *
• Fifteen to 21 hours of English and American and World literature, and/or Rhetoric and Composition, and/or folklore. Three hours of these 15 to 21 hours may be a Creative Writing workshop in a secondary genre. *
• ENGL 8160 - Form and Theory of Literary Craft    in Fiction (3)
• ENGL 8202 - Contemporary Fiction Craft    (3)
• At least six hours of ENGL 8999 - Thesis Research    
• Graduate assistants are required to enroll for a minimum of 12 credit hours each for the fall/spring semesters and 9 credit hours for the summer semester. These credit hours will consist of courses required for the prescribed program of study, as well as additional hours of thesis research and non-thesis individual research.

* 36 hours are required for Areas 1 and 2 combined.

Students with an M.A. in English or Creative Writing

Students who enter the M.F.A. program with an M.A. in English or creative writing must satisfy a different set of course requirements totaling 36 hours:

• Fifteen to 18 hours of ENGL 8030 - Fiction Writing    (must be completed while enrolled in degree program) *
• Six to 9 hours of English and American and World literature, and/or Rhetoric and Composition, and/or folklore. Three hours of these 6 to 9 hours may be a Creative Writing workshop in a secondary genre. *
• ENGL 8160 - Form and Theory of Literary Craft    in fiction (3)
• At least 6 hours of ENGL 8999 - Thesis Research    
• Graduate assistants are required to enroll for a minimum of 18 credit hours each semester. These credit hours will consist of courses required for the prescribed program of study, as well as additional hours of thesis research and non-thesis individual research.

* 24 hours are required for Areas 1 and 2 combined.

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Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

Master of fine arts in creative writing programs at reinhardt university, story and place in the south.

• 2-year/60-hour Program
• Study One-on-One with Award-Winning Writers
• Online Courses
• 3 Writing Residencies
• Beautiful Rural Campus Nestled in the Etowah Valley

Who Will You Study With?

Core writing faculty, 2024 visiting writers.

Fiction:  Jessica Handler, Soniah Kamal, Gray Stewart, John Williams

Creative Nonfiction/Memoir:  Anjali Enjeti, Megan Volpert

Poetry:  Donna Coffey Little, Laura Newbern, William Walsh, Will Wright

Scriptwriting/Playwriting:  Michael Lucker, Scott Wilkerson

The Etowah Valley is a bridge between Atlanta and the Appalachian South , where nature meets culture. At Reinhardt University’s Etowah Valley Master of Fine Arts (MFA) Program writers create a literature that is story-driven and grounded in the places where we live, whether rural or urban. Reinhardt is the only higher education institution in Georgia offering a low-residency MFA in Creative Writing. Our 60-hour low-residency MFA in Writing offers classes in poetry, fiction, creative-nonfiction/memoir, and scriptwriting (film, TV, and stage).

Over the course of two years, each student works one-on-one with published writers in their genre. They also take cross-genre classes that teach the craft elements and several online courses with other students during the residency. Each summer, students visit our beautiful campus in North Georgia for a 10-day intensive residency to be immerses in writing daily writing workshops, craft classes, experiential excursions into natural and urban environments, and nightly readings on campus from our visiting writers. A very important component is the one-on-one meetings with writing mentors to discuss in-depth each student’s creative work. Our tree-lined campus is nestled in the shadow of Pine Log Mountain for the perfect writing experience.

English and Language Arts teachers in Georgia middle and high schools can use Reinhardt University’s MFA to upgrade to a Level 6 Specialist Degree for the purposes of promotion and salary increases. Teachers need to have been previously certified in either English or middle grades language arts or have passed the GACE in English or Language Arts before completion of the degree. The program is listed in the  Georgia Professional Standards Commission Certificate Upgrade Advisor  under Specialist Level 6 for English and middle grades Language Arts.

Our students travel from all over the United States to attend the summer residency to learn from some of the finest writers. In doing so, they embody a unique mixture of cultural traditions and lifestyles. Amid the thriving Atlanta film scene and Southern environmentalism, we believe in the art of storytelling that develops voice and meaning to the individual artist.

What You’ll Learn at RU

With one-on-one instruction from award-winning professors, the creative writing student can begin at any level and work toward publishing a manuscript. From the beginning draft and planning, through revision and editing, students are guided through the professional process of writing and publishing.

By the time you graduate with an MFA, you will:

• Demonstrate mastery of structure and form in their chosen genre
• Demonstrate mastery of style, including diction, syntax and tone
• Demonstrate mastery of image in concrete description and figurative language
• Demonstrate mastery of character, point of view and voice
• Demonstrate the ability to analyze craft elements in literary works within their chosen genre
• Demonstrate the ability to constructively critique the work of their peers
• Demonstrate the ability to prepare and submit their work for publication and performance
• Demonstrate the ability to conduct and document scholarly research

The Low-Residency Model

The Low-Residency model allows students to pursue their writing aspirations while maintaining their commitments to career and family.  In late June, on three occasions over the course of their study, students come to the Reinhardt campus for the 10-day Residency. In the intervening semesters, they are enrolled in an independent study with a writing mentor and in four online courses with instructors and their fellow students.

There are three residencies during the student’s MFA   Program: at the beginning, middle, and end. Prior to the first residency, new students arrive on campus for a one-day orientation program and practice workshop.  At their final residency, students conduct a craft lecture and give a public reading before graduating.

At the residencies, students stay in the dorms and eat in the cafeteria. They attend numerous writing workshops in their genre each morning, craft lectures, readings, seminars, and one-on-one consultations. Throughout the residency, there are readings each evening from the visiting writers, who also teach various craft lectures. Students  meet and interact with the visiting writers, as well as participate in late night informal Question & Answer sessions. There will also be several off-campus excursions during the residency to generate writing  prompts.

During the Fall and Spring semesters, students work one-on-one with a writing mentor in the independent-study classes entitled Creative Writing I, Creative Writing II, Creative Writing III, Thesis Part I (Critical Essay), and Thesis Part II (Creative Writing Project).  This apprenticeship with a well-known and award-winning writer is the heart of the Low-Residency MFA experience. Students receive detailed feedback and critiques that enable them to perfect their craft as a writer.  They also receive instruction and advice on how to submit work for publication and appropriate publishing venues. The culmination of the irs independent study is a book-length Creative Thesis, which can provide students with their first full-length manuscript for publication.

During the Fall and Spring semesters, students also take a set of online courses called Reading Image, Reading Voice, Reading Story and Reading Dialogue. The classes are offered in an 8-week format with students of all genres participating together, where they read and analyze texts to study craft elements. A weekly online session will  allow students to interact with one another and with their instructor.

MFA Classes You’ll Take

Here are just a few of the classes you will take while pursuing your degree:

• Writer’s Workshop: Poetry, Prose, or Script
• Reading Place
• Creative Writing I, II, and III
• Reading Story
• Reading Image
• Reading Voice
• Reading Dialogue
• Reading Criticism

Open Course Catalog

Possible Careers

• Creative Writer
• Web Designer
• Video Game Designer
• Video Game Content Editor
• Concept Artist
• UX Designer
• Freelance Writer
• Advertising Designer
• Script Doctor

Related Programs

• Creative Writing
• English Language Arts Education

Creative Writing Program Details

Tuition and Fees

Reinhardt’s affordable tuition helps you get the personal attention and real-world experiences that will give you a competitive edge in the creative writing job market.

Based on the 2023-24 RU Catalog, the fee per credit hours is $560. The Catalog includes:

• Convocation of Artists and Scholars
• Creative Writing Club
• English Honor Society – Sigma Tau Delta
• Tutoring in the Center for Student Success
• Editor of the student literary journal, Sanctuary
• Participant in off-campus literary events, such as viewing plays at the Alliance Theatre
• Meeting local, national, and international authors

View Cost of Attendance

Scholarships and Financial Aid

Nearly all students at Reinhardt University receive some sort of financial aid or scholarship. Find out what options you may be eligible for.

Check Scholarship and Aid Eligibility

Clubs and Organizations

Student organizations and activities round out the total educational program at Reinhardt University. And there is something for everyone, from sports and outdoor recreation, to student government and leadership opportunities, to multicultural and faith-based groups.

Get Involved on Campus

Campus Living

Living on campus is an essential part of the college experience and will help you adjust to college life. You’ll have more opportunities to interact with faculty and friends, get involved in activities, and have easy access to classes, the library, performing arts, recreational, and athletic facilities.

Explore Dorm Life

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Creative Writing Department

Reinhardt University Lawson Building, 124-B 7300 Reinhardt Circle Waleska, GA 30183-2981

[email protected] 770.720.5526

7300 Reinhardt Circle | Waleska, GA 30183

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How to Become a Writer in Georgia with a BFA, MFA or Similar Creative Writing Degree

Created by CreativeWritingEDU.org Contributor

There’s something unique about Georgia; how it disproportionately contributes to the literary and creative scenes of American cultural life.

Georgia is a place that inspires creative expression, even if not always for the right reasons. from the Civil War as the setting of Atlanta-native Margaret Mitchell’s all-time classic Gone with the Wind , the Civil Rights era and birthplace of Martin Luther King Jr. who published some of the most impactful pieces on racial equality, to the present day as the home state of award-winning crime writer Karin Slaughter whose work has been adapted to the Netflix series Pieces of Her .

Maybe there’s something special about the combination of the Atlantic breeze, the anonymity offered by a sprawling city like Atlanta, the smell of fertile earth, and the rolling hills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. As yet, the mystery behind Georgia’s secret sauce for inspiring creative writers remains elusive.

MLK Jr. – A Person of Many Talents, Including Creative Writing

But MLK Jr. also deserves credit for his exemplary skill in creative writing. Indeed, one of the reasons he was a successful Civil Rights leader was because of his writing prowess, combined with a unique talent for oratory.

In his most famous “I Have a Dream” speech given from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in 1963 at the height of the Civil Rights movement, MLK Jr. changed the course of history in less than 1,700 words. In that short bit of inspired prose he encapsulated huge concepts, capturing the zeitgeist of the Declaration of Independence, Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address and Emancipation Proclamation, Constitutional and Biblical principles, and archetypal human values, combining them all in a rhetorical masterpiece.

King’s skill as a writer didn’t just emerge overnight. After skipping a grade and entering high school in Atlanta’s Washington Park neighborhood, King chose English as a main focus and went on to enroll in college by the time he was 15 years old. He earned a doctoral degree at 26.

Other inspired pieces by Dr. King include, “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” “A Time to Break Silence,” and, “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop.”

Whether it’s themes of equal rights and freedom, de-industrialization, bucolic romanticism, Southern Gothic, or even true crime, Georgian writers have a larger-than-life footprint that shapes the cultural direction of our country.

Georgia’s local bookstores, coffee shops, libraries, and college campuses have long been fertile incubators for the state’s literary minds. Atlanta, Savannah, Columbus, Augusta, and Macon are all hubs of opportunity where you can connect with your fellow aspiring writers and rub elbows with the pros.

Eventually you’ll want to break out of doing more than just writing on the side and move up to the big leagues, which is when it’s time to start considering a BFA or MFA in creative writing.

Georgia’s Creative Writing Classes, Courses, and Workshops Can Prepare You for a Creative Writing Degree

Every published author will tell you there’s no prescriptive path towards becoming a writer and unlocking your inner creativity.

Savannah-native Flannery O’Conner, widely known for her short stories in the Southern Gothic style which won her the US National Book Award for Fiction, bemused that most people think they know what a story is, “until they sit down to write one.”

The art of creative writing has a unique meaning for each person. For some it’s a process of self-discovery. For others it’s the opposite: escapism. Or it could be something entirely different: observational, or cathartic.

In whatever way you choose to develop your writing talents, you’ll find it helpful to cross pollinate your thoughts with like-minded creatives.

The Atlanta Writers Club (AWC) has roots stretching back over 100 years and is a prime example of a well-established organization that strives to support local writers, foster quality craftsmanship, and promote reading in general. The AWC is the group behind the twice-a-year Atlanta Writers Conference where members can gain feedback on their work from established literary artists and publishers.

Naturally the AWC also hosts an annual writing contest, serves as a hub for writers looking to establish groups online and in the Atlanta metro area, and publishes a monthly newsletter.

Workshops, events, and building a general community of camaraderie among writers are all on the menu at the Georgia Writers Association (GWA), a non-profit organization open to all aspiring writers and based in Kennesaw. GWA was founded in 1994 by a poet, a prize-winning author, and a literary agent. It provides resources for writers at all stages of development with the goal of promoting diverse works and authors.

These are just some of the writing groups meeting in any of a dozen cities at any given time throughout Georgia. You can also stay connected to your local literary scene through circulars like the Sand Hills literary magazine.

Printed every spring and published by Augusta University, submissions are accepted for creative non-fiction, creative fiction, and poetry. Sand Hills is proud to be a place where submissions from new writers are published alongside those from established award-winning authors.

Local literary journals are also recruiting grounds for professionals looking for new talent. Peachtree  Publishers, University of Georgia Press, and Top Shelf Productions are all publishing houses based in Atlanta.

Writing Colleges in Georgia Offering Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Creative Writing Provide a Path to Becoming a Writer

Creative writers are stereotypically disorganized, pictured near a writing desk in the middle of the night, flanked by cats, next to a coffee cup and binders overflowing with scrap-paper notes. And even though the popular image of a writer at work doesn’t hold true for everyone, there’s no denying that a formal education in creative writing does help to bring order to chaos.

Years of writing groups, active reading, open mic nights, and offering up favorite lines with your buddies over a glass can all be tied together with professional residencies and academic discipline. There’s ultimately a difference between lifelong hobby writers and those who cross the Rubicon to the world of professional storytellers.

There’s no time like the present to up the professional ante and find the creative writing BFA or MFA program that’s right for you!

Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) and Other Bachelor’s Degrees in Creative Writing in Georgia

Agnes scott college.

Accreditation: SACSCOC

Degree: Bachelor – BA

Private School

• English Literature-Creative Writing

Berry College

EVANS SCHOOL OF HUMANITIES, ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

• Creative Writing

Emory University

COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

• English and Creative Writing

Georgia College and State University

Public School

• English-Creative Writing concentration

Georgia State University

• English-Creative Writing

Mercer University

COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS AND SCIENCES

Piedmont University

SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

Reinhardt University

SCHOOL OF ARTS AND HUMANITIES

Degree: Bachelor – BFA

Young Harris College

DIVISION OF HUMANITIES

Master of Fine Arts (MFA) and Other Master’s Degrees in Creative Writing in Georgia

Degree:  Master – MFA

Degree:  Master – MFA

Low-Residency MFA—Narrative Media Writing

Low-Residency Master of Fine Arts in Narrative Media Writing

In just two years, write a marketable screenplay or a publishable nonfiction manuscript and earn your MFA from the  Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication , home of the Peabody Awards and one of the top journalism schools in the country. This two-year low-residency program is designed to train writers who will be published and produced. The program offers students an unparalleled opportunity to develop narrative journalism and screenwriting skills that will equip them for long and varied careers. The program features a committed and diverse roster of accomplished authors, screenwriters, literary agents and other industry professionals who work closely with students to inspire and support each writer’s emerging craft and voice. 

Students may choose to concentrate in one of two focused genres.

Learn more about the  MFA concentration in Narrative Nonfiction .

Learn more about the  MFA concentration in Screenwriting .

Creative Writing @ Georgia State

February 15, 2024 is the deadline for graduate applications for those wishing to enter the PhD or MFA in fall 2024. We do not admit new PhD or MFA students in spring.

Georgia State University Creative Writing Program students enjoy the benefits of working with our award-winning faculty while living and writing in Atlanta, an international city with vibrant literary, art, music, and food cultures.

We award the PhD in English, Concentration in Creative Writing (one of the top 15 in the US, as ranked by Poets & Writers ), the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, and the BA in English, Concentration in Creative Writing. You can explore the details of these degree programs in the Graduate Catalog and the Undergraduate Catalog . (The catalog system is annoying to navigate, sorry. Please feel free to ask for clarification.)

We offer a number of financial aid opportunities for graduate students, including the Paul Bowles Fellowship in Fiction, the Virginia Spencer Carr Fellowship in Prose, teaching assistantships, and editorial assistantships at the literary magazine Five Points .

Our students come from all over—Idaho, Ohio, Nigeria, California, Texas, New York, Illinois, and even Georgia. Those students publish with Catapult, Atria Books, Amistad/HarperCollins, University of Georgia Press, Random House, Texas Review Press, Seagull Press,  Algonquin Books, Jacar Press, Kelsay Books, St. Martin’s, University of North Texas Press, Alice James Books, Bloomsbury, Big Lucks, Anhinga Press, Scribner, Louisiana State University Press, 7.13 Books, Unbridled Books, Press 53, C&R Press, Woodhall Press, and elsewhere, and in Poetry , One Story , Conjunctions , Missouri Review , DIAGRAM , AGNI , American Short Fiction , Hobart , Gettysburg Review , Georgia Review , McSweeney’s , Gulf Coast , Carolina Quarterly , and many others. They win important prizes, fellowships, and contests, including the National Endowment for the Arts Creative Writing Fellowship, the AWP Award Series for Creative Nonfiction, the Colorado Book Award, the Vassar Miller Prize, the Philip Levine Prize for Poetry, the Clay Reynolds Novella Prize, the Poets & Writers Writers Exchange Contest, the Hurston/Wright Award, the Walter E. Dakin Fellowship from The Sewanee Writers’ Conference, the Ruth Lilly Poetry Fellowship, the Georgia Author of the Year Award, and The World’s Best Short Short Story Contest. Recently a story collection by an alum was a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner.

Our graduate faculty includes Danielle Cadena Deulen (poetry & creative nonfiction), Beth Gylys (poetry), John Holman (fiction), Sheri Joseph (fiction), and Josh Russell (fiction & creative nonfiction). Our undergraduate faculty includes Andrea Jurjevic (poetry & translation) and Megan Sexton (poetry & literary publishing). Every member of the Creative Writing Program faculty has published with top commercial, independent, or university presses a book or books that have received significant critical attention, and each faculty member has received major awards, honors, or fellowships, including the Whiting Writer’s Award, The Grub Street National Book Prize, and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference.

The Creative Writing Program’s Events Series brings to campus nationally and internationally known writers who give public readings and lectures and meet with students for workshops and Q&A sessions. Recent visitors have included Ander Monson, Amaud Jamaul Johnson, Lauren Groff, David Shields, Natasha Trethewey, Lydia Davis, Dana Spiota, Sindiwe Magona, and Edward Hirsch.

Information about how to apply to the PhD and the MFA can be found here . (Go ahead and click “Apply Now” over on the left, even if you’re not ready to apply when you click the button. That click leads to the College of Arts & Science’s Graduate Admissions page, which has links to several other useful pages.) For more details, consult also the Graduate Catalog, which can be found here .

Information about the BA in English, Concentration in Creative Writing, can be found here . For more details, consult also the Undergraduate Catalog, which can be found  here .

If you’re interested in the PhD, note that applicants to the PhD program are generally expected to have completed a MFA in creative writing, or a master’s degree in English, creative writing, or a closely related discipline in the arts or humanities (history, philosophy, art, theater, art history, modern or classical languages, folklore, etc.) from an accredited college or university.

If you’re interested in the MFA, note that applicants to the MFA program are generally expected to have completed a bachelor’s degree with a major in English or its equivalent from an accredited college or university with at least a B average (3.0) in the undergraduate major. 

If you have any other questions about the Georgia State University Creative Writing Program’s degree programs (PhD, MFA, BA), courses, or events, please contact Professor Josh Russell , Director of Creative Writing.

More information about the GSU Creative Writing Program and Department of English can be found at the Department of English website .

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2024 Best Colleges with Creative Writing Degrees in Georgia

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1-7 of 7 results

Emory University

Atlanta, GA •

• • Rating 3.83 out of 5   1,607 reviews

Alum: The faculty and students at Emory University are incredible. Faculty make themselves available outside of class, offer mentorship opportunities to interested students, and are truly invested in your success. Almost every conversation I've had with current students/alumni has been intellectually engaging, and I've certainly made friends for life here. ... Read 1,607 reviews

• grade  A+ Overall Niche Grade

Acceptance rate 13%

Net price $28,367

SAT range 1420-1540

#2 Best Colleges in Georgia .

Blue checkmark.

ATLANTA, GA ,

1607 Niche users give it an average review of 3.8 stars.

Featured Review: Alum says The faculty and students at Emory University are incredible. Faculty make themselves available outside of class, offer mentorship opportunities to interested students, and are truly invested in your... .

Read 1607 reviews.

Overall Niche Grade : A+ ,

Acceptance Rate : 13% ,

Net Price : $28,367 ,

SAT Range : 1420-1540 ,

Mercer University

Macon, GA •

• • Rating 3.67 out of 5   1,606 reviews

Freshman: Mercer University is overall a really good school, the academic and student life at Mercer are very strong and students are given the chance to take advantage of all opportunities. The party scene at Mercer is there but many students are not distracted by this scene, so many of the students are still focussed on their education. ... Read 1,606 reviews

• grade  B+ Overall Niche Grade

Acceptance rate 75%

Net price $21,164

SAT range 1180-1400

#4 Best Colleges in Georgia .

MACON, GA ,

1606 Niche users give it an average review of 3.7 stars.

Featured Review: Freshman says Mercer University is overall a really good school, the academic and student life at Mercer are very strong and students are given the chance to take advantage of all opportunities. The party scene at... .

Read 1606 reviews.

Overall Niche Grade : B+ ,

Acceptance Rate : 75% ,

Net Price : $21,164 ,

SAT Range : 1180-1400 ,

Agnes Scott College

Decatur, GA •

• • Rating 3.72 out of 5   709 reviews

Freshman: My first year at Agnes Scott has been better than I could have imagined! As a queer woman, I felt very safe and supported, especially coming from a conservative family. The student life is wonderful, with clubs for any interest, and the opportunity to create your own. Professors are also very personable, and love to support students. ... Read 709 reviews

• grade  B Overall Niche Grade

Acceptance rate 70%

Net price $13,420

SAT range —

#7 Best Colleges in Georgia .

DECATUR, GA ,

709 Niche users give it an average review of 3.7 stars.

Featured Review: Freshman says My first year at Agnes Scott has been better than I could have imagined! As a queer woman, I felt very safe and supported, especially coming from a conservative family. The student life is wonderful,... .

Read 709 reviews.

Overall Niche Grade : B ,

Acceptance Rate : 70% ,

Net Price : $13,420 ,

Los Angeles College of Music

PASADENA, CA

• • Rating 3.94 out of 5   31

Capital University

COLUMBUS, OH

• • Rating 3.66 out of 5   960

Stanbridge University

Piedmont University

Demorest, GA •

• • Rating 3.77 out of 5   366 reviews

Junior: Coming here has been great! It is a small local university with professors who care. I came here to be more than a number and at Piedmont I feel as though as I matter. Since arriving I have made connections with fellow students and professors that will not only be lifelong, but have given me more opportunities than a large competitive university elsewhere. Piedmont has been a great school and I am proud to be a lion! ... Read 366 reviews

Acceptance rate 67%

Net price $19,803

SAT range 1010-1220

#10 Best Colleges in Georgia .

DEMOREST, GA ,

366 Niche users give it an average review of 3.8 stars.

Featured Review: Junior says Coming here has been great! It is a small local university with professors who care. I came here to be more than a number and at Piedmont I feel as though as I matter. Since arriving I have made... .

Read 366 reviews.

Acceptance Rate : 67% ,

Net Price : $19,803 ,

SAT Range : 1010-1220 ,

Berry College

Mount Berry, GA •

• • Rating 3.71 out of 5   789 reviews

Senior: Berry College is known for prioritizing community. There is a small student to professor ratio, which amplifies the academic experience. Berry college offers unique student activities, such as bringing food trucks, zip-lines, carnivals, and water slides, etc. on campus, and it is covered within the student's tuition activity fee. Traditions are the heart of Berry College and each year, marthapalooza and mountain day keep Martha Berry's Legacy alive, whom is Berry College's founder. As a senior at Berry College, I would like to see the residence halls updated. Traditional housing is offered to students, but apartment-style living needs to be more accessible to students. ... Read 789 reviews

Net price $24,741

SAT range 1120-1320

#11 Best Colleges in Georgia .

MOUNT BERRY, GA ,

789 Niche users give it an average review of 3.7 stars.

Featured Review: Senior says Berry College is known for prioritizing community. There is a small student to professor ratio, which amplifies the academic experience. Berry college offers unique student activities, such as... .

Read 789 reviews.

Net Price : $24,741 ,

SAT Range : 1120-1320 ,

Young Harris College

Young Harris, GA •

• • Rating 4.07 out of 5   416 reviews

Sophomore: My experience at Young Harris has been amazing so far! I'm a member of the YHC Women's golf team, a part of the local sorority Phi Delta, and a sweetheart for the local fraternity Upsilon Delta Sigma. The connections on campus are like no other. Since our school is so small, you know or know of virtually everyone! It's such a great community, even with your professors! The class sizes are so small that all of your professors know you by name! I also really like the surrounding environment around our campus. I know that I can always go out during the weekend and find somewhere new to explore, whether that's a town near here or a hiking trail! Young Harris really is a place where you can find your people! I have met many of my lifelong friends here, and know that I will continue to make amazing memories and connections with the new classes! ... Read 416 reviews

• grade  C+ Overall Niche Grade

Net price $19,035

SAT range 930-1160

YOUNG HARRIS, GA ,

416 Niche users give it an average review of 4.1 stars.

Featured Review: Sophomore says My experience at Young Harris has been amazing so far! I'm a member of the YHC Women's golf team, a part of the local sorority Phi Delta, and a sweetheart for the local fraternity Upsilon Delta... .

Read 416 reviews.

Overall Niche Grade : C+ ,

Net Price : $19,035 ,

SAT Range : 930-1160 ,

• Will you get in? Understand your chances of getting accepted into any college in the country, and it's completely free

Reinhardt University

Waleska, GA •

• • Rating 3.83 out of 5   496 reviews

Freshman: I like all the different amounts of academic support on campus. It's easy to find your around campus. There are small class sizes. There are no exams in some classes, depending on the professor. FYS class is a chill class, depending on the professor. Some professors may bump up your grade depending on which class you are taking. Most night classes afforded on campus are only eight weeks long. I wish the university would offer more dinner options to the students in the main dining hall. I also wish that the art appreciation class could be afforded online and in person. Not meeting with the professor at all does not work for some students. ... Read 496 reviews

• grade  C Overall Niche Grade

Net price $23,917

SAT range 940-1160

WALESKA, GA ,

496 Niche users give it an average review of 3.8 stars.

Featured Review: Freshman says I like all the different amounts of academic support on campus. It's easy to find your around campus. There are small class sizes. There are no exams in some classes, depending on the professor. FYS... .

Read 496 reviews.

Overall Niche Grade : C ,

Net Price : $23,917 ,

SAT Range : 940-1160 ,

Morehouse College

ATLANTA, GA

• • Rating 3.58 out of 5   846

Eckerd College

SAINT PETERSBURG, FL

• • Rating 3.61 out of 5   1,028

Queens University of Charlotte

CHARLOTTE, NC

• • Rating 3.75 out of 5   615

Showing results 1 through 7 of 7

• Georgia College and State University

• MFA in Creative Writing

Contact Information:

Mailing address:.

• Campus Box 44
• Milledgevile
• Program Director: Dr. Kerry Neville
• Program Contact: Nancy Fullilove
• Phone Number: (478) 445-3509
• Website: www.gcsu.edu/artsandsciences/english/mfa
• Email: [email protected]
• Facebook: Facebook
• Twitter: Twitter

Program Information:

• Degree: MFA
• Type: residency
• Length of Program: 3 years
• Genre: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry
• Enrollment: 25
• Total Credits Required: 42
• Application Deadlines: February 1
• Scholarships: yes (see website)
• Assistantships: yes (see website)
• Core Faculty: Dr. Kerry James Evans, Laura Newburn, Dr. Kerry Neville, Peter Selgin, Dr. Chika Unigwe
• Publishing/Editing Courses: yes (see website)
• Reading Series: Visiting Writers Series
• Literary Magazine: Arts and Letters
• Recent Visiting Writers: Pam Houston, Antonya Nelson, Peter Ho Davies, ZZ Packer, Paul Lisicky, Cecilia Woloch

Program description : A Good MFA Program is Hard to Find

The Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program offers workshops with award-winning faculty in fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry; students may write their thesis in fiction, poetry, or creative nonfiction. Unlike some MFA programs, we not only encourage students to work in other genres, we require our students to take at least one workshop in a genre other than their thesis genre. In addition to workshops, students take creative writing seminars in Poetry & Poetics or Prose Forms, pedagogy classes on the teaching of writing, journal design, and courses on literature and special topics.

We are a fully-funded program. MFA-sponsored graduate assistants are assigned hours as “writing consultants” in the university Writing Center. Teaching Fellowships in Composition and in Creative Writing require a secondary application process, and students are eligible once they have completed the necessary credits and courses, which is usually after their first year. MFA G.A.s also divide their hours between the MFA/Arts and Letters office, the Flannery O’Connor Review office, or our teaching writing in the schools Early College project. MFA-sponsored graduate assistantships include a stipend and full-tuition remission (but does not include mandatory student fees and, unless eligible to be waived, mandatory student insurance).

Our 42-hour program is designed to be a three-year program. Most students follow a plan that emphasizes course work in the first year and thesis work in the second and third years.

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Georgia State University

Georgia, united states.

The Georgia State University Department of English’s Creative Writing Program offers diverse and challenging educational experiences in the literary arts. Our award-winning faculty of poets and fiction writers mentor undergraduate and graduate students who come to GSU to study the craft and art of writing, and to prepare for careers in writing, publishing, and academia.

We award the PhD in English, Concentration in Creative Writing and the BA in English, Concentration in Creative Writing.

Creative Writing Program students enjoy the benefits of living and writing in Atlanta, an international city with a vibrant literary culture, and great art, music, and food. Our students come from all over—Massachusetts, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas, Nigeria, California, Nebraska, and even Georgia. Those students publish novels and collections of poems and stories, place work in top literary magazines, and win important prizes, fellowships, and contests.

Our faculty includes Danielle Cadena Deulen (poetry & creative nonfiction), Beth Gylys (poetry), John Holman (fiction), Sheri Joseph (fiction), and Josh Russell (fiction & creative nonfiction). Every member of the Creative Writing Program faculty has published with top commercial, independent, or university presses a book or books that have received significant critical attention, and each faculty member has received major awards, honors, or fellowships, including the Whiting Writer’s Award, The Grub Street National Book Prize, and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference.

The Georgia State University Department of English and Creative Writing Program is home to the award-winning Five Points: A Journal of Literature and Art.

The Creative Writing Program’s Events Series brings to campus nationally and internationally known writers who give public readings and lectures and meet with students for workshops and Q&A sessions. Recent visitors have included Lydia Davis, Jim Crace, ZZ Packer, Aleksandar Hemon, Tom Franklin, Colson Whitehead, Hannah Tinti, Stuart Dybek, Lauren Groff, Edward Hirsch, Heidi Julavits, and Percival Everett.

Please view our Facebook page (facebook.com/gsucreativewriting) for news, notes, and events.

Contact Information

25 Park Place, 23rd Floor Dept of English Atlanta Georgia, United States 30303 Phone: (404) 413-5848 Email: [email protected] english.gsu.edu

Bachelor of Arts in English/Literature with Concentration in Creative Writing +

Undergraduate program director.

Please visit english.gsu.edu for up-to-date information.

PhD in Creative Writing +

Graduate program director, danielle cadena deulen cadena deulen.

Danielle Cadena Deulen is the author of the poetry collections Desire Museum, Lovely Asunder, and Our Emotions Get Carried Away Beyond Us, and the memoir The Riots.

http://english.gsu.edu

Beth Gylys' books are Bodies that Hum, winner of the Gerald Cable First Book Award, Spot in the Dark, winner of Ohio State University Press / The Journal Award in Poetry, Sky Blue Enough to Drink, Body Braille, and The Conversation Turns to Wide-Mouth Jars.

Sheri Joseph

Sheri Joseph is the author of the novels Where You Can Find Me and Stray, and the cycle of stories Bear Me Safely Over, and has been awarded the Grub Street National Book Prize and a National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowship.

John Holman

John Holman is the author of Squabble and Other Stories, Luminous Mysteries, and Triangle Ray and winner of a Whiting Writers' Award.

Josh Russell

Josh Russell is the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowship and the author of the novels Yellow Jack, My Bright Midnight, and A True History of the Captivation, Transport to Strange Lands, & Deliverance of Hannah Guttentag, and the story collection King of the Animals.

Publications & Presses +

Five Points

Visiting Writers Program +

Recent visitors have included Lydia Davis, Jim Crace, ZZ Packer, Aleksandar Hemon, Tom Franklin, Colson Whitehead, Hannah Tinti, Stuart Dybek, Lauren Groff, Edward Hirsch, Heidi Julavits, and Percival Everett.

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• School of Arts & Letters

• Graduate Certificate in Creative Writing

Starting Fall 2023

Middle Georgia State University is pleased to offer a new Graduate Certificate in Creative Writing.

The Graduate Certificate in Creative Writing offers a fully online, 15-hour credential to prepare writers to use their talents in the professional world. 

This certificate supports writers already working in a creative field, students honing their craft before navigating the publishing world or film industry, and those pursuing a personally enriching goal in parallel to their current career. Whether writing is your career or your passion, this certificate will prepare you for success.

• Graduate Certificate in Creative Writing Curriculum

The Graduate Certificate in Creative Writing is:

• Fully online
• Taught in 8-week sessions. Students can complete this program in a calendar year.
• Designed to develop skills in multiple genres -- fiction, poetry, screenwriting, and narrative journalism -- as well as introduce writer to practical aspects of publishing
• Taught by published authors and master teachers

The Graduate Certificate in Creative Writing is a stand-alone degree. But students in MGA’s Master of Arts in Technical and Professional Writing (or who wish to pursue that degree) can count as up to two of your electives for the MATPW.

• A bachelor’s degree from an institutionally accredited college or university
• 2.50 undergraduate GPA
• Letter of application that states the applicant's interest in and goals for the program
• Evidence of aptitude for graduate study
• For residents of Georgia, documentation of lawful residence

To apply, go to the application page for the Graduate Certificate in Creative Writing .

What classes would I take?

The Graduate Certificate in Creative Writing is a 15-credit hour program made up of these courses:

• CRWR 5040: Fiction Writing
• CRWR 5050: Poetry Writing
• CRWR 5440: Screenwriting
• CRWR 5700: Narrative Journalism
• CRWR 5900: Publishing and the Creative Writer

How long would it take to complete this program?

The Graduate Certificate in Creative Writing can be completed in a calendar year. Two courses will be taught in the Fall Semester (one in each 8-week session), two in the Spring Semester (one in each 8-week session), and one in the Summer Semester.

Does the program start only in the Fall Semester?

Not so. Admitted students may begin this graduate certificate program in fall, spring, or summer semester.

Can I combine this program with other MGA Graduate Programs, especially the MA in Technical and Professional Writing?

MGA’s School of Arts and Letters offers “stackable” graduate programs. In this case, any two of these courses can count as electives in MGA’s Master of Arts in Technical and Professional Writing. See Graduate Technical Writing Programs for more.

Completion of this graduate certificate qualifies applicants for expedited admission to the Master of Arts in Technical and Professional Writing.

If you are an MATPW student or graduate and have taken graduate CRWR classes as electives, those classes will count toward your Graduate Certificate in Creative Writing. You may take additional classes either during or after completion of your MATPW to add this graduate certificate as an additional credential. Please contact the graduate coordinator for further details.

Any testing requirements for admission?

We do not require admissions exams for acceptance into the Graduate Certificate in Creative Writing

Financial aid available?

Federal financial aid is not currently available for this graduate certificate. However, we do offer Graduate Certificate students other financing options such as Nelnet payment plans , alternative loans , tuition assistance programs (TAP), and third-party scholarships.

Are letters of recommendation required?

Letters of recommendation are not required for the Graduate Certificate in Creative Writing.

What is “evidence of aptitude for success in graduate-level studies”?

A graduate admissions committee determines aptitude for success by reviewing applicants’ official transcript(s) and statement of interest. No additional materials beyond those indicated in the application instructions are required.

Do I need to live in Georgia or near Macon?

Not at all. Both programs are fully online. MGA’s graduate writing programs have students from across Georgia, but also students from as far away as Pennsylvania, Texas, and Oregon.

Are there application deadlines?

Our admissions committee will make all efforts to review all complete applications before the start date of each semester, even those that come in after any deadline. Also, students whose applications are not complete before the 1 st session of a semester can be admitted for the 2 nd session. For admission deadline information for other graduate programs, select the program here:  https://www.mga.edu/graduate-admissions/programs/index.php  

How do I apply?

Fill out the application and prepare required documents as listed on the application page here .

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Dr. Monica Miller

Coordinator of Graduate Technical Writing Programs

Department of English 100 University Parkway Macon, GA 31206

Phone: 478.471.5799