One of the oldest creative writing programs in the country, UNC Greensboro’s MFA Writing Program offers fully funded graduate assistantships with stipends, tuition remission, and subsidized health insurance. The Master of Fine Arts is a two-year residency program with an emphasis on studio time for the writing of poetry or fiction. More at mfagreensboro.org. We look forward to reading your work! 

Application Deadline

For priority consideration, please apply by December 15. Final application deadline for Fall admission is January 15.

How to Apply

Our application process consists of two parts: the first part is an online application to UNCG’s Graduate School; the second is a writing sample that you upload below.

Part I: Online Application to the Graduate School

You can complete the online portion of your application by following the instructions on the Graduate School’s website: https://grs.uncg.edu/apply-now/.

This online application will include basic biographical information, your academic history, three letters of recommendation, college transcripts, any GRE scores (see below), a curriculum vitae or resume, a copy of your writing sample, and an application fee. The MFA Writing Program does not require a statement of purpose at this time.

Graduate Record Exam (GRE) general test scores are no longer required for admission to the MFA Writing Program, though we do recommend applicants send scores if they have taken the GRE. Some competitive scholarships and fellowships we may nominate students for through UNC Greensboro's Graduate School require scores as part of the admissions information. 

The online system allows you to check the status of your application and receipt of materials.

Part II: Writing Sample

You should upload your writing sample below.

Fiction samples may include one short story, several short stories, or a section of a novel, and must not exceed 30 pages in length using 12-point type, standard font like Times New Roman, one-inch margins, and double-spacing. 

Poets should send no more than 10 pages of poetry. Formatting is the same as fiction, except that poems may be single-spaced. 

Please do not exceed our page maximums: we remove pages in excess of the maximum before our readers see the material. Manuscripts should be uploaded no later than the application deadline.

General Guidelines:

You may apply to our program in both fiction and poetry, but in the event of acceptance, you would be admitted to just one and will not have the option of enrolling in the other genre. Should you choose to apply to both genres, you would need to submit only one online application with its associated fee. You can upload both genre writing samples below as separate submissions.

Due to the large volume of application materials received, we ask that applicants do not phone or email us to confirm receipt of a complete application. If there are missing materials, we will contact you.

Our address is: MFA Writing Program, 3302 MHRA Building, UNCG, Greensboro, NC 27402.