University of Montana

University of Montana

Missoula, MT

http://www.cas.umt.edu/creativewriting

Founded by Richard Hugo, our MFA program has been going strong for over 50 years. We offer long winters, brilliant peers, a diverse and engaged faculty, excellent funding, and community that lasts long after the program ends.

We provide students with a variety of awards, fellowships, scholarships and TA positions. TA’s teach one class per semester in exchange for a tuition waiver + stipend. We provide excellent training for teaching both composition and creative writing. We also offer Truman Capote Scholarships – tuition waivers and stipends without the obligation of teaching.

Students take 4 workshops in fiction, nonfiction or poetry; 1 techniques course; 4 literature or special topics courses; and a year-long, one-on-one mentorship with a faculty member that results in a thesis manuscript. We offer elective courses in critical theory, film, storytelling and teaching with a focus on preparing writers to teach a variety of courses at the college level. More than 50 of our graduates hold tenure-line positions in creative writing at universities across the country; 13 of them are directing these creative writing programs.

Former students have published widely (over 27% of our graduates have books with reputable publishing houses). Our alumni include Sandra Alcosser, Kim Barnes, Judy Blunt, Kevin Canty, Emily Danforth, Rick DeMarinis, Michael Fitzgerald, David Gilbert, Andrew Sean Greer – winner of the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, Shannon Hale, Frances Hwang, Megan Kruse, Melissa Kwasny, Aryn Kyle, Stephanie K. Land, J. Robert Lennon, Abi Maxwell, Neil McMahon, Deirdre McNamer, Colin Meloy, Janisse Ray, Steven Rinella, Kim Todd, Amanda Eyre Ward, James Welch, Robert Wrigley and William Finnegan – winner of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Autobiography.

We offer direct access to agents, editors and publishers with a biennial conference, “Writing at Work.” Our program actively assists students in creating successful careers with writing. University of Montana alumni generously donate their time and expertise, providing a network of mentorship for current students.

Each year the program welcomes in semester-long visiting writers in both poetry and prose. We also sponsor frequent readings and workshops by short-term visiting writers. Recent visitors include Sherwin Bitsui, Marilyn Chin, Charles D'Ambrosio, Timothy Donnelly, Alexandra Fuller, Walter Kirn, William Kittredge, Catherine Lacey, Chang-rae Lee, Sandra Lim, Barry Lopez, Eileen Myles, Alice Notley, Peter Orner, Gregory Pardlo, D.A. Powell, Claudia Rankine, Mary Szybist, Jess Walter, and Dara Weir, among others.

Students direct their own reading series, Second Wind, pairing second year MFA students with community writers. They also edit and publish CutBank, a noted literary journal featuring poetry, prose, art and critical work by both emerging and established artists. The Editor-in-Chief receives full funding.

Degrees Offered

MFA

Genres

Fiction, Poetry, CNF

Residency type

Full

Program length

45 semester hours (2-3 years)

Part-time study

Yes

Financial Aid

Scholarships and awards available

Teaching opportunities

Yes

Editorial opportunities

yes, with Cutbank and The Oval.

Cross-genre study

Yes

Graduates

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Disclaimer: No endorsement of these ratings should be implied by the writers and writing programs listed on this site, or by the editors and publishers of Best American Short Stories, Best American Essays, Best American Poetry, The O. Henry Prize Stories and The Pushcart Prize Anthology.