Creative Writing MFA Curriculum Requirements

Write the stories you’re passionate about in Emerson’s on-campus Creative Writing graduate program. Focus on your genre—poetry, nonfiction, or fiction—during your required workshops and thesis, and explore different genres along the way through your elective courses. Housed in the School of Arts and Interdisciplinary Studies, the program requires completion of 44 credits.

Advanced Standing Curriculum

Students with a BFA in Creative Writing or a BA in English with a Creative Writing capstone or thesis may qualify for Advanced Standing. Qualified students waive 4 credits (1 course) from the Workshop Course requirements. Advanced Standing students complete the degree in 40 credits instead of the full 44-credit degree, saving time and money. Please note that Advanced Standing credit advances a student’s position within the program but credits are not granted or transferable to another institution.

Sample Curriculum Map

Our Creative Writing MFA can be completed full-time in three years, or part-time over four to six years. This sample curriculum map is designed to give you an idea of your course load as a full-time student over three years. For full course information, review our course catalog.

Full-time Sample Curriculum Map (September–May)

Fall Semester 1 (4 credits)

  • Literature Course

Spring Semester 1 (8 credits)

  • Writing Workshop in Chosen Genre
  • Literature Course

Fall Semester 2 (8 credits)

  • Writing Workshop in Chosen Genre
  • Literature Course

Spring Semester 2 (8 credits)

  • Writing Workshop in Chosen Genre
  • Elective Course

Fall Semester 3 (8 credits)

  • Writing Workshop – Any Genre
  • Elective Course

Spring Semester 3 (8 credits)

  • Master’s Thesis
  • Elective Course

Admission Requirements

The following items are required for your application to the Creative Writing MFA program:

  • Online Application
    • After submitting your application, you will receive an email with your Admission ID. Please use your username and password to log in and check the status of your application.
  • Official Transcripts
  • 2 Letters of Recommendation
  • Admission Essay
    • How does the focus and curriculum of the program to which you are applying align with your experience and goals? What particular aspects of your current and/or future work do you hope to develop while in graduate school? 500 words.
    • Drawing on your personal, professional, creative, and/or academic experience, please share an example of a time that you overcame an individual or collective challenge and the approach you took to address that challenge. 250–500 words.
    • The mission of Emerson College is the betterment of society through communication and the arts. With this in mind, what impact do you want your work to have? 500 words.
  • Writing Sample
    • Submit a maximum of 15 pages, double-spaced, of fiction or nonfiction or a maximum of 15 pages of poetry.
  • Resume
  • English Proficiency: Applicants whose native language is not English must provide evidence of English proficiency by submitting official TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo, or Pearson test results.