MFA Programs/The MFA in Creative Writing Program at Old Dominion University

The MFA in Creative Writing Program at Old Dominion University

As part of the English Department at ODU, the MFA Program began in 1994 with twelve students and three creative writing instructors. It continues to grow with vigor: today, a range of 25-35 students work with the program's talented 5-member creative writing faculty in fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. In addition to taking workshops and craft courses with the MFA faculty, our students have the opportunity for direct mentorship with our Edith & Forrest P. White Writers in Residence, past resident Hanif Abdurraqib, Lauren Oyler, and Anna Qu, and our Creative Nonfiction Writer in Residence, the inaugural holder of which will be Joe Jackson.

In our 54-hour program, students graduate not only as writers but also as individuals prepared to work as literary professionals, whether in academia, literary editing and publishing, arts administration, or other areas. To that end, our program’s varied selection of graduate assistantships, which come with a full tuition waiver and $15,000 stipend, allow students to explore different literary professions, including but not limited to:

Teaching (Graduate Teaching Assistantship)

Academic Administration, (Graduate Administrative Assistantship)

Arts Administration, (Virginia Poets Database Assistantship)

Literary Editing and Publishing (Barely South Review Managing Editor)

Event Organizing & Arts Administration (Writers in Community Coordinator Assistantship)

Our program also awards two Perry Morgan Fellowships annually to admitted students, which provide a full tuition waiver and $15,000 stipend with no work requirement. Similarly, the program offers the Darden Fellowships for Virginia Writers, providing a full tuition waiver and $15,000, with no work requirement to applicants who are residents of Virginia.

Additional funding opportunities include ODU Literary Festival Scholarships and Fellowships, which compensate students for work on ODU’s annual Literary Festival, the David Sutelan Memorial Scholarship, and the Friends of the ODU MFA Scholarship. With these awards and other assistantship opportunities available through our program’s campus partners, our goal is to fund every admitted student and to support their growth as professionals through fulfilling, career-based work experience.

Ultimately, the MFA Program at ODU strives to give its students the resources, access, mentorship, and community that will help them grow as writers and members of the professional literary world.

Our students accomplish a great deal, even while they are in the program: publishing fiction and nonfiction books with major publishers, stories and poems in national literary magazines and journals, articles and reviews in major newspapers, prestigious citations, awards, and grants.

Our Students Have Been Published In

MFA Program details

University

Old Dominion University

Highlights

Norton Girault Professionalization Speakers SeriesOld Dominion University Literary Festival

Associated Publications

Barely South Review

How to apply

Cohort size

9-12

Fee

$50

Deadline

Regular: February 6

Teaching opportunities

Yes

Requirements

Writing SampleStatement of PurposeOfficial TranscriptsTwo Letters of Recommendation

Funding opportunities

Our program has 12 fully-funded graduate assistantships, four fellowships, and a variety of scholarships. While we can't guarantee funding for every admitted applicant, we strive to connect students with funding opportunities both from within the program and through our campus partnerships.