Application Procedures

MFA Application deadline is January 1, 2022 (This program admits for fall semester only.)

Contact:

Justin Petropoulos
Program Manager of Creative Writing

Ross Blakley 152
Phone: 480-727-9130
E-mail: justin.petropoulos@asu.edu

Applicants should have an undergraduate major in English or Creative Writing, with a GPA of 3.00 or above; however, exceptional students who do not have either of these undergraduate majors may be admitted on the basis of writing excellence.

Applicants should submit all the following materials online via the Online Graduate Admissions Application along with the required application fee.

  • The application fee online via the Graduate Admissions Application ($70 domestic and $115 international)

  • Graduate Admissions Application

  • Personal Statement including your writing background, intended area of specialization, and a brief self-evaluation of recent work, (double-spaced, up to 3 pages or 750 words)

  • Three letters of recommendation

  • A personal Résumé or Curriculum Vitae (CV)

  • A Creative Manuscript Sample: up to 20 pages of poetry or 30 pages of prose (prose should be double spaced)

  • Please submit all materials for the Teaching Assistant Application packet (complete information available here: Teaching Assistant application packet), including an academic writing sample (10-15 pages, double spaced) along with their statement of teaching philosophy

  • Note: the Creative Writing Program offers tracks in fiction and poetry; we do not have a creative nonfiction track

  • Official academic transcripts must be sent in hard copy to Admission Services Applicant Processing (see below)

If sending by P.O. Box:

Admission Services Applicant Processing

Arizona State University

PO Box 871004

Tempe, AZ 85287-1004

If sending by FedEx, DHL or UPS:

Arizona State University

Admission Services Applicant Processing

1150 East University Drive Building C, Room 226

Tempe, AZ 85281

Applications that do not include complete transcripts and the application fee will not be considered.

Selection

All application materials must be received by January 1. Selection is based on talent and promise, as demonstrated in the manuscript sample; the academic record; evidence of dedication and potential for growth, from the recommendations and personal statement; and compatibility of the applicant’s goals with the purpose and design of the ASU degree program. In recent years, we have been able to accept the top 3% of applicants.

Transfer of Credits

Subject to the recommendation of the MFA steering committee and the program director, a maximum of nine credit hours taken before admission, not as part of a completed degree at ASU and/or another institution, may be used to fulfill MFA degree requirements. All course work for the ASU Master of Fine Arts in creative writing must be completed within a six-year time limit. Financial aid is not extended beyond the third year.