MFA Creative Writing at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Programme overview

An MFA in Creative Writing focused on fiction or poetry, in which teaching undergraduate writing classes is a core part of the program.

Faculty: College of Liberal Arts & Sciences | Department: English | Duration: At least 48 graduate hours and four semesters in residence; full-time students typically finish in three academic years | Intake: Fall | Study mode: full-time | Location: Champaign, IL, United States

What you will study

Workshops (16 hours), genre craft course (4), proseminar (4), approved 400/500-level literature courses (8), electives (8) and Final Project CW 595 (8), plus teaching experience and a public reading from the completed project.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Minimum Graduate College GPA 3.0, though admitted students have recently had GPAs well above this. Strong recommendations and a compelling writing sample are weighed. Non-native English speakers submit TOEFL (minimum 550 paper or 213 computer-based); those seeking teaching assistantships involving classroom instruction also need Test of Spoken English 50 or higher. Deadline December 1 for fall admission.

Domestic applicants: USD 14,908 a year (2026-27). Illinois resident rate. Tuition only for new and continuing graduate students, Fall 2026-Spring 2027 at full-time (12 credit hours per term). Non-Illinois U.S. resident tuition for this programme: $32,204. Excludes campus and mandatory fees, health insura Source

International applicants: USD 32,204 a year (2026-27). International rate. Tuition only for new and continuing graduate students, Fall 2026-Spring 2027 at full-time (12 credit hours per term). Excludes campus and mandatory fees, health insurance, housing and other expenses as the source states them separately Source

Not all graduate programmes offer admission in all terms; term availability is set by each programme of study.

Graduate applicants apply online through the Graduate College application; deadlines and term availability are set by each programme. Medicine, law and veterinary medicine applicants apply directly to their colleges.

Apply through the official page: https://grad.illinois.edu/admissions/apply

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