Creative Writing MFA | Temple University

Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

Hone your craft as a fiction writer or poet with the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing in the College of Liberal Arts at Temple University. Develop your individual voice, define your aesthetics, and gain the skills needed to realize your creative vision.

The curriculum for the 33-credit Creative Writing MFA provides you with essential resources, including

small writing workshops;
courses ranging from special topics to craft;
one-on-one manuscript tutorials; and
electives in literature, the humanities, arts, theater, film and other graduate programs throughout the university.

Students in the MFA Program in Creative Writing graduate with a master’s project of publishable quality, written under the guidance of the department’s accomplished faculty members. Through this master's degree program, you’ll also learn how to prepare your work for submission to literary journals, publishers and agents. Graduates have been published by numerous trade and small presses, and their works have earned prestigious grants, prizes and residencies.

In addition, our graduates have gone on to become professors, web content editors, journalists, copywriters, book and magazine editors, arts administrators, librarians, grant writers, primary and secondary school teachers and more, and have obtained jobs in advertising, public relations, and communications.

Download a packet of details about the MFA in Creative Writing.

Visiting Writers Program

Benefit from the insights and guidance of distinguished, internationally renowned authors. Each year, the Visiting Writers Program invites a novelist (fall semester) and poet (spring semester) to work with MFA students during extended department visits. Over the course of several days, these guests

attend workshops;
give readings of their work;
read student manuscripts; and
meet with students for individual consultations;

In recent years, the Visiting Writers Program has hosted the following authors.

Jesse Ball
Susan Briante
Alexander Chee
Brian Evenson
C. S. Giscombe
Jaimy Gordon
Jennifer Haigh
Brenda Hillman
Bhanu Kapil
Katie Kitamura
Dawn Lundy Martin
Roberto Tejada

Creative writing students occupy a poetry table during an outdoors event on campus.

Our Community

The College of Liberal Arts at Temple comprises many academic disciplines and research areas. Now more than ever, an interdisciplinary liberal arts education is invaluable for your future pursuits. It offers the opportunity to further push your drive to create real change in the world, here at Temple and beyond. In this graduate program, you’ll work closely with diverse faculty members who are highly esteemed in their field and with a curious, passionate community of peers.

Program Format & Curriculum

The 33-credit Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing may be completed full time or part time. The program comprises four writing workshops, one-on-one tutorials, craft and special topics courses, two graduate courses in the arts, humanities or literature, and one elective.

Courses include the following.

Craft in Fiction
Craft in Poetry
Fiction Workshop
Manuscript Tutorial
Poetry Workshop
Special Topics in Creative Writing

Students are also required to complete a master’s project of fiction (at least 100 pages) or poetry (at least 50 pages) during their fourth term.

Learn more about courses and requirements in the creative writing MFA.

Related Graduate Degrees

English PhD

Tuition & Fees

In keeping with Temple’s commitment to access and affordability, this Master of Fine Arts offers a competitive level of tuition with multiple opportunities for financial support.

Tuition rates are set annually by the university and are affected by multiple factors, including program degree level (undergraduate or graduate), course load (full- or part-time), in-state or out-of-state residency, and more. These tuition costs apply to the 2023–2024 academic year.

Pennsylvania resident: $1,053.00 per credit
Out-of-state: $1,449.00 per credit

You can view the full Cost of Attendance breakdown on the Student Financial Services website.

Program Contact

With questions regarding the Creative Writing MFA, contact the following staff members.

Tara Lemma is the MFA program coordinator.
Phone: 215-204-1796
Email: mfaapplications@temple.edu

Don Lee is the MFA program director.
Phone: 215-204-1796
Email: donlee@temple.edu

LaTasha Goodman is the manager of administration within the College of Liberal Arts.
Email: lgoodman@temple.edu
Phone: 215-204-8516

The following staff members lead the English Department.

Roland Williams is chair of the English Department.
Phone: 215-204-7516
Email: rolandw@temple.edu

Miles Orvell is the director of graduate studies in the English Department.
Phone: 215-204-1796
Email: orvell@temple.edu

Student Clubs & Organizations

The Creative Writing MFA program encourages its students to get outside the classroom and find their inspiration everywhere they can. Students can work as editors and manuscript readers for our online literary journal, TINGE Magazine, join the Graduate English Association, and attend a number of Philadelphia reading series.

TINGE Magazine

TINGE Magazine, Temple University’s online literary journal, is usually published twice a year, in the spring (May) and in the fall (December). The journal is edited by the graduate students of Temple’s MFA Program in Creative Writing and has an open submission policy.

Graduate English Association

The Graduate English Association is an organization for all graduate students in the English department, regardless of program (Literature or Creative Writing) or funding status (fellowship, GA, TA or otherwise). The organization conducts regular monthly meetings, and its purpose is to make recommendations to the faculty on departmental issues (instructor training, program changes, etc.) and to enrich the graduate experience with developmental workshops and social events.

Local Philadelphia Reading Series

The Kelly Writers House located at the University of Pennsylvania (3805 Locust Walk), the Kelly Writers House hosts readings and literary events almost every night of the academic year.
The Central Branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia (1901 Vine St.) brings some of the biggest literary names around to read from their works. Some of the events are ticketed, but many are free to the public.
The Bryn Mawr College Reading Series can be easily reached via public transportation by taking the Paoli/Thorndale line to the Bryn Mawr station.
The Villanova Literary Festival is held every spring semester. Villanova can be easily reached via public transportation by taking the Paoli/Thorndale line to the Villanova station.
Blue Stoop is a community-driven literary arts center, Blue Stoop sponsors readings at the Penn Book Center and other venues.

Accreditation

LA-CRWR-MFA

Additional Program Information

Visit College Site

View Program Details