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Writing Certificates

Graduate Program in Creative Writing

Admission Requirements & Application

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Admission Requirements & Application

Western’s Graduate Program in Creative Writing considers applications on a rolling basis from August 1 through May 22, and all admitted students begin their coursework in early June, with online courses. Once a cohort has filled for the coming year, applications will be waitlisted or pushed to the following year’s cycle.

We make admissions decisions on all completed applications within 4 weeks of receipt. Students may be accepted, accepted with provisions (e.g. a requirement to finish their undergraduate degree before matriculating in the graduate program at Western), waitlisted (with a notification of a final decision by May 1) or rejected.

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Requirements for Full Admission to the M.A. or MFA in Creative Writing

Candidate must submit:

  • An official transcript of the bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university showing recommended 3.0 cumulative GPA or higher.
  • An 800- to 1,000-word personal statement describing writing experience, goals, and reasons for applying to the chosen degree and concentration.
  • A writing sample in the appropriate genre, double spaced and numbered or properly formatted for the appropriate genre:
    • The Genre Fiction concentration sample should include 20 to 25 pages, ideally from a single work.
    • The Screenwriting concentration sample should include 15-30 pages of a screenplay.
    • The Nature Writing concentration sample should include 20-25 pages of creative work indicative of the kind of work you propose to do in the program.
    • The Poetry concentration sample should include 10 to 15 pages of poetry.
    • The Publishing concentration sample should consist of a 3- to 5-page critical assessment of a story’s suitability for publication (story to be provided to applicant during application process).
  • Two letters of professional recommendation from those capable of assessing the applicant’s preparation to succeed in graduate-level work. All letters must be originals submitted on letterhead, must be signed by the person giving the recommendation and must be less than a year old.
  • Payment of university application fee

Departmental representatives determine if graduate classes completed at other accredited institutions can be transferred to the respective Western graduate studies programs. Transfer credits must be listed and approved by the major advisor on the degree plan. Transferred graduate credits must be:

  • Earned at a regionally-accredited institution.
  • Numbered at the graduate level and accepted as part of a graduate degree program at the sending institution.
  • Passed by the student with a grade of B or above (courses with grades such as pass/fail or satisfactory/unsatisfactory are not acceptable).
  • Earned within the past five years unless a department specifies otherwise.
  • Account for no more than nine credits towards a Western degree.

Students must provide official transcripts, and request and receive permission in writing from Western to transfer coursework.

International students have some additional university-wide application requirements. Please visit the International Graduate Students Application page to learn more.

Contact

Please inquire directly if you have any questions about dates and enrollment schedules: graduatestudies@western.edu.

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