Admission Requirements for Creative Writing, MFA
Important Dates for Applicants
Residencies for the Class of 2026:
- Residency One: August 2024 at Arcadia University
- Residency Two: July 2025 abroad in Scotland
- Residency Three: Early January 2026 at Arcadia University
In order to encourage community and continuity among the cohorts, each student must start in August with the first residency.
Admission Requirements
- A graduate application, including personal statements, to be completed online.
- A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution with a recommended GPA of 3.0 or better. Applicants who studied in all fields as undergraduates are welcome so long as they can show, in their writing sample, strong skills as a creative writer.
- One official transcript from each college, university or professional school attended. Transfer credits included on a transcript must include grades earned; if not, an official transcript from the original school must be submitted. Transcripts must be sent from the issuing school in a sealed envelope and contain the appropriate signatures and seals to be considered official.
- Two letters of recommendation. The letters must be of a professional not personal nature. If the student has been out of school five years or less, at least one letter must come from a professor.
- An interview with the program Coordinator, either in-person or over the phone, if deemed necessary.
- A writing sample. For poetry students, this should be 10 to 15 pages of verse. For fiction students, it should be 15 to 20 pages of prose. Please do not exceed the page limit.
All application materials must be sent to the Office of Enrollment Management.
Application Deadline
Our priority application deadline is March 1, 2025. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis after the priority application deadline has passed and as space allows.
International Applicants
International applicants should visit The International Admissions page for detailed information on admission requirements and application procedures. Official results from the TOEFL or IELTS are required for all students for whom English is a second language or who have not earned degrees or diplomas from post-secondary institutions in English-speaking countries (e.g. the United States, Canada, England, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand). A course-by-course evaluation of all transcripts by an independent evaluation service based in the United States also is required.
Please note, as an International Student in the MFA program:
- You are only eligible to be on campus during the required residencies.
- You will be given an I-20 for the two on-campus required residences, not the full 2 years.
- You will be responsible for obtaining a UK standard visitor Visa (if necessary) for the Scotland residency.
Expenses
View the Graduate Tuition and Fees page.
Financial Aid
Funding packages of between $1,000 and $4,000 are available. Every student accepted to the program will be considered for these funding packages. Also, at least four TA positions will be offered per cohort—only students who apply before the March 1 priority deadline will be eligible for these TAships. This is separate from the financial aid opportunities outlined below.
Graduate students who have been accepted into a degree program and are enrolled for at least 6 credits per semester are eligible to apply for financial aid. Please visit the Financial Aid for Graduate Students page for information regarding available aid options.
Graduate Assistantships
Graduate assistantships are available to all students registered for at least 9 credits per semester. Students may apply for assistantships upon acceptance and registration. Questions regarding graduate assistantships should be directed to the Office of Graduate and Undergraduate Studies at 215-572-2925.
Federal Loans
Graduate students are eligible to borrow through the Federal Direct Stafford Loan and Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan programs provided they are taking at least 6 credits per semester. (In the summer, 6 credits over all summer sessions combined satisfies this requirement.) For more information, contact the Financial Aid Office.
