MFA in Creative Writing
Writing for the 21st century.
The Alma College Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing offers the opportunity to enter an artistic community in which you’ll read deeply, study and hone your writing craft, and participate in energetic discussions that will help you see your poems, stories, essays, and memoirs in the context of current issues and events. Alma’s vigorous literature-based curriculum will serve you well, both as a writer and a teacher.
Your Voice Matters
You know you have contributions to make because the question always at the forefront of your work is, “How can I as an artist, as a writer, participate in and influence the important conversations of our times?” At Alma you’ll find the encouragement to lean into writing what you love and care about most. This program fosters a more expansive way of writing, and of being human. Our focus on relevance encourages you to persevere and to have your own answer whenever you find yourself asking, “Why am I writing?” You’ll know your voice matters, and that you have something to say.
At A Glance
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12:1Student-to-faculty ratio
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2Residencies, in Michigan and internationally
Possible Careers
Writing for the 21st century.
The Alma College Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing offers the opportunity to enter an artistic community in which you’ll read deeply, study and hone your writing craft, and participate in energetic discussions that will help you see your poems, stories, essays, and memoirs in the context of current issues and events. Alma’s vigorous literature-based curriculum will serve you well, both as a writer and a teacher.
Your Voice Matters
You know you have contributions to make because the question always at the forefront of your work is, “How can I as an artist, as a writer, participate in and influence the important conversations of our times?” At Alma you’ll find the encouragement to lean into writing what you love and care about most. This program fosters a more expansive way of writing, and of being human. Our focus on relevance encourages you to persevere and to have your own answer whenever you find yourself asking, “Why am I writing?” You’ll know your voice matters, and that you have something to say.
About the Program
The Alma College MFA features a strong literature-based curriculum designed to develop your ability to read and think critically and to write with a high level of artistic proficiency. The program has a low residency format and offers study in the genres of fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. Over the course of the two-year program students are required to complete five 10-day intensive residencies (or six residencies for a dual genre concentration) and four terms of one-on-one study with a faculty mentor (five terms for a dual genre concentration).
After the residency and over the course of the term the primary focus will be each student’s own creative writing. Students submit five monthly packets of work to their mentors. Each packet includes approximately 25 pages of creative work as well as craft papers, three to four pages each, on a technique or techniques gleaned from assigned reading.
Each term’s reading and writing activities require a minimum of 25 hours per week. It may also, at the faculty mentor’s discretion, include conferencing with other students.
Explore
Student & Alumni Spotlights
No one describes the Alma experience better than those living it. Explore their stories, in their own words, below.
I give a lot of credit to the director of the MFA program, Sophfronia Scott. She has built a program and a group of people who are so talented and welcoming — eager to offer you a seat at the table and make you feel like you belong.
I give a lot of credit to the director of the MFA program, Sophfronia Scott. She has built a program and a group of people who are so talented and welcoming — eager to offer you a seat at the table and make you feel like you belong.
Get to Know MFA in Creative Writing
Who is it for?
The Alma MFA is for students who want to make a serious commitment to the craft of writing. Our students come from all walks of life and varying levels of experience. There will be those who are published and those who are not. There will be students who have been in workshop before and those for whom this will be their first. But what everyone will have in common is a passion for writing and reading and a willingness to learn. They long to be around other creatives who care about writing as much as they do and want to talk about the work — a lot! They wish to pursue a degree and a literary life in a way that allows them to maintain their work and family lives. The best and most efficient way to do this is with the low residency MFA in Creative Writing. The program provides ongoing focus and the deep dive students need to understand their craft and to learn how they want to show up in the world as writers. For complete details of the program, view the MFA Student Handbook.
Admissions & Aid
Not sure where to begin? We’re here to help you every step of the way.
Our team is glad to answer your questions and walk you through the application and financial aid process. If you’re not sure if the program is right for you, contact the program director, check out our FAQ, or download Your MFA Decision Journal to help you better understand your motivations and goals.
Application Requirements
Application Requirements
Application Requirements
- College transcripts for each college or university attended
- Curriculum vitae (CV) or resume
- A creative writing sample.
- Length: A maximum of 25 pages for fiction or creative nonfiction, a maximum of 10 pages for poetry — no more than one poem per page.
- Personal essay; 3-4 pages.
In this essay please address the following:- Discuss your specific interest in the Alma College MFA and your preparation for pursuing a formal study of creative writing.
- Your strengths and weaknesses as a writer.
- Goals for your two years in the program.
- Additional experience including what you can bring to our artistic community.
- Literature essay; 3-4 pages.
In this essay please discuss the books and writers that have influenced you. - Two letters of recommendation.
There is no application fee.
Application Deadlines
Application Deadlines
Application Deadlines
- Summer Residency – May 1
- Winter Residency – November 30
You will receive an admission decision in two weeks.
Tuition and Fees
Tuition and Fees
Tuition and Fees
Current tuition and fee rates can be found below. The annual fee covers housing and meal at the two residency sites: the Alma campus and the Ralph A. MacMullan Conference Center. Additional expenses include books and travel to and from Michigan twice a year for residencies or, optionally, to Oxford, England once.
Per Term Costs (There are two terms per year)
Tuition: $9,734
Housing & Meals: $1,352
Annual Cost – attending two terms
Tuition: $19,468
Housing & Meals: $2,704
Other Fees
Graduating Residency Fee: $1,352 (per term)
Single Room Fee (Winter Only): $200
Enrollment Deposit: $300
Tuition Policy
Tuition Policy
Tuition Policy
All applicable fees and charges are payable in advance of enrollment. Tuition is due on a term basis. Each term begins with residency so tuition is due before the first day of each new residency. Tuition and fees are subject to change without notice. All MFA students will be billed for the term (tuition; room and board for students staying on campus; the single-room fee for students who request a single room, if available), with the exception of graduating students who are charged room and board (if staying on campus) and the graduation residency fee.
Financial Aid
Financial Aid
Financial Aid
Our students take advantage of the program’s low residency format to continue with their current employment and finance their education from their own resources. Students are encouraged to complete the free application for federal student aid (FAFSA).
If you need additional assistance or have other questions, contact the Financial Aid Office at (989) 463-7347.
Enrollment Deposit Fee
Enrollment Deposit Fee
Enrollment Deposit Fee
Accepted applicants are required to pay an enrollment deposit of $300. $100 of this fee is applied as a credit to the student’s account for the first term. Another $100 serves as a security deposit from which the college may recover expenses incurred by the student for damages to college property. The final $100 is a processing fee. Any unexpended portion of the security deposit can be gifted back to the college upon graduation or is refunded to the student after graduation.
Academic Calendar
Academic Calendar
Academic Calendar
Summer Residency
June 15-25, 2023 (Graduating Residency for first cohort)
Mentored Studies Term
July-November
End of Term, Final Grades Due: December 19, 2023
Winter Residency – Veneto Region of Italy
January 4-13, 2024
Mentored Studies Term
January-May
End of Term. Final Grades Due: May 15, 2024
Residencies
It’s the heart of the MFA experience. Students, faculty, visiting writers, and guest speakers from the publishing industry come together to form a diverse and dynamic artistic community teeming with the energy of a shared commitment to writing.
The community lives both inside and outside the classroom as you and your fellow students share experiences, support each other, and form new bonds. During each 10-day residency, you’ll attend lectures and readings by faculty and visiting writers, participate in workshops, and hear from guest speakers to learn the ins and outs of the publishing industry. You’ll also meet with your faculty mentor to design a reading list and study plan for the forthcoming term.
At Home in Michigan
Residency is also about engaging with our surroundings. A sense of place, in terms of writing about place and respecting place is a hallmark of the program. We are proud to be the first and only low residency MFA in Michigan, and we take full advantage of the natural beauties the state affords. The summer residencies are held on our lovely campus located in Alma and based in the historic Wright Leppien Opera House. The Opera House features apartment-style accommodations for students and an airy light-filled ballroom for lectures and readings. Local retailer Ballyhoo Books serves as another location for readings as well as the place to purchase books for your term’s reading list and the work of our faculty and visiting writers.
We’ll convene for our winter residencies at the Ralph A. MacMullan Conference Center on the shore of Higgins Lake in Michigan’s gorgeous northern woods. The center, known for its modern facilities with rustic décor, has a legacy of conservation education. We’ll be able to appreciate Michigan’s abundant natural resources and sparkling winters with activities such as ice fishing, sledding, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and downhill skiing. Guests have access to miles and miles of groomed cross-country ski trails located across the main road of the facility.
International Residencies
Alma is excited to offer our MFA cohorts the opportunity to spend residency in international locations.
Venice, Italy
In the spirit of powerful authors such as Lord Byron, Henry James, and Daphne du Maurier, the Alma College MFA in Creative Writing is going to Italy for a residency in the Veneto region of Italy, including the historic city of Venice and its surrounding countryside. We will explore art, food, historical villas, and visit with local writers and artists. The site will pique all the senses, from the scent of perfect risotto to the colors of the buildings of Burano. Students will write from this well of experience for years to come. Excursions may include the historic center of Venice including St. Mark’s Square; touring the Lagoon of Venice by private boat with visits to Torcello, Burano, and San Giorgio; and travel to the foothills of the Alps to the towns of Padova, Asolo, and Trieste.
Oxford, England
Beginning in July 2025 students spend a summer residency at the University of Oxford in England, the school that has for hundreds of years produced luminaries such as Oscar Wilde, J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Indira Gandhi, and Stephen Hawking. The program includes tours of the iconic institution and town and lectures from university guest speakers.
Your MFA Decision Journal
Use this helpful tool, “Your MFA Decision Journal,” to guide your MFA exploration.