Department of Writing, Literature & Publishing
Creative Writing (MFA)
Amber Lee finds fulfillment in the revision process
Creative Writing MFA candidate Amber Lee finds the revision process in her writing to be rewarding. (Filmed and edited by Emerson College students.)
U.S. News & World Report ranks Emerson’s Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program among the country’s top graduate programs of its kind. Well-respected, workshop-based MFA residency programs such as Emerson’s have proven to be incubators for rising literary talent.
With one of the nation’s largest programs in creative writing, we are able to give you the breadth and depth of experience and instruction that most small programs cannot—three smaller programs, all supported by a larger community of writers.
Our MFA program focuses on the actual practice of writing as well as its literary underpinnings. You are exposed to writing as an art form and as a professional pursuit. We know your goal is to publish, to bring your work to an audience and the marketplace.
Workshop Experiences in Multiple Genres
In the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) program in Creative Writing, you will explore aspects of writing and literature that interest you.
You will concentrate in one literary genre (fiction, nonfiction, or poetry), and may elect to take workshops covering topics such as form in poetry, short story, novel, novella, memoir, essay, travel writing, screenwriting, and playwriting. You will conclude your MFA program by producing a thesis of professional quality in a single genre.
Learn more about our program requirements and our curriculum »
A Faculty of Accomplished Writers & Scholars
With workshops capped at a dozen students, you benefit from personal attention from faculty members who are writers and publishing professionals working diligently to help you reach your goals. Some students seek out Emerson specifically to take courses with our faculty of accomplished writers and scholars. Among our distinguished writers-in-residence are novelists Margot Livesey and Maria Flook, and poet Gail Mazur.
Learn more about our Writing, Literature and Publishing faculty members »
A Writer’s Life in Boston & Beyond
Graduates of Emerson’s MFA program are award-winning writers and poets who publish novels, story and poetry collections, memoirs, and critical essays. They have their work featured in a variety of popular and literary magazines. Many balance their writing pursuits with complementary positions in the worlds of publishing and education. Some have gone on to establish their own literary journals and many teach in colleges and universities around the country.
Selected books by our MFA alumni »
Learn More
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CREATIVE WRITING (MFA) AT A GLANCE
52-credit program
Full-time or part-time enrollment. Full-time enrollment is typically 8 or 12 credits per semester.
Fall admission
Full-time students usually complete the degree in two and a half years; part-time students usually complete the degree in three and a half years.
Meet the Graduate Program Director
Professor and MFA Graduate Program Director Steve Yarbrough is the author of nine books. His recently completed novel The Realm of Last Chances will be published by Alfred A. Knopf in 2013. His previous novel, Safe from the Neighbors (Knopf), appeared in 2010. His 2006 novel The End of California (Knopf) was a finalist for the Mississippi Institute of Arts and Letters Award for fiction.
Graduate Studies
FOR CURRENT STUDENTS
To read the Graduate Handbook and learn about research and fellowship opportunities, visit the Graduate Studies website.
