unc wilmington creative writing

Graduate Coordinator: Dr. Melissa Crowe

The Department of Creative Writing offers an intensive studio-academic apprenticeship in the writing of fiction, poetry and creative nonfiction leading to the Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing. Courses include workshops in the three genres, special topics and forms courses, as well as a range of courses in literature. While students are accepted in, and expected to demonstrate mastery of one genre, they are encouraged to study, and must show proficiency in, a second genre. Students, in consultation with their advisors, tailor their course schedules to their own professional and educational interests, selecting a variety of courses in creative writing, literature, criticism, rhetoric and composition, film studies, and applicable cultural studies. Though the M.F.A. is a terminal degree designed for writers wishing to pursue various career paths in teaching, writing, publishing, and community arts organization, students are urged to pursue the degree primarily as a way of mastering their art by rigorous study and practice among a community of other dedicated writers. The M.F.A. degree without supporting publication credentials does not guarantee employment.

Admission Requirements

Applicants seeking admission to the Master of Fine Arts Program in Creative Writing are required to submit the following five items to the Graduate School before the application can be processed.

• A typed manuscript in the applicant’s primary genre, labeled “poetry,” “fiction,” or “creative nonfiction”: 10 pages of poetry, 30 pages of fiction, or 30 pages of creative nonfiction (double-space prose, single-space poetry). The manuscript should demonstrate mastery of basic craft and unmistakable literary promise. Applicants are advised not to apply with a mixed-genre manuscript.
• An application for graduate admission.
• Official transcripts of all college work (undergraduate and graduate).
• At least three recommendations from individuals in professionally relevant fields addressing the applicant’s achievement and promise as a writer, and ability to successfully complete graduate study.
• An essay (300-500 words) on the applicant’s goals in pursuing the M.F.A., including previous educational experience.

An applicant must have successfully completed an appropriate undergraduate degree (usually, but not necessarily, a B.A. in English or a B.F.A in creative writing), with at least a “B” average in the major field of study. Acceptable fulfillment of all the above constitutes the minimum requirements for, but does not guarantee, admission to the M.F.A. program.

In general, we are seeking candidates who show artistic commitment and literary promise in their writing, and whose academic background indicates they are likely to succeed not only in graduate study but as publishing professional writers. Therefore, in evaluating candidates, the admissions committee places great emphasis on the quality of the manuscript.

Applications must be received by the published deadline . All interested applicants will be considered for graduate assistantships, which will be awarded on a competitive basis as they become available.

Degree Requirements (48 total credit hours)

• An M.F.A. candidate must successfully complete a minimum of 48 credit hours of graduate study: 21 credit hours in writing ( CRW 530   ,  CRW 540   ,  CRW 542   , CRW 544   , CRW 546   , CRW 548   , CRW 550   ); six credit hours of thesis ( CRW 599   ); and 21 credit hours in other graduate literature courses, ( CRW 501   , CRW 503   , CRW 523   , CRW 524   , CRW 525   , CRW 543   , CRW 545   , CRW 547   , CRW 560   , CRW 580   , CRW 581   , CRW 591   , CRW 594   , CRW 598   ; ENG 502   , ENG 504   , ENG 505   , ENG 506   , ENG 507   , ENG 508   , ENG 509   , ENG 511   , ENG 513   , ENG 514   , ENG 560   , ENG 561   , ENG 564   , ENG 565   , ENG 566   , ENG 572   , ENG 580   ) with an option of substituting up to six of those credit hours of study in a related discipline, as determined by the student’s advisor, the M.F.A. coordinator, and the chair of the Department of Creative Writing.
• An M.F.A. candidate is required to complete at least 12 credit hours of writing workshop courses in a primary genre (poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction).
• An M.F.A. candidate is required to complete a minimum of six credit hours in a secondary genre, which must include at least one 3-hour writing workshop ( CRW 530   , CRW 542   , CRW 544   , CRW 546   , CRW 548   , CRW 550   ). Forms courses ( CRW 543   , CRW 545   , CRW 547   ) may be used to fulfill the remaining hours.
• A maximum of 9 credit hours in secondary genre(s) workshop courses will count toward fulfilling the 21 hour writing requirement.
• A minimum GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) must be maintained in all graduate course work; a “B” average is required for graduation.
• An M.F.A. candidate must complete a substantial book-length thesis manuscript of literary merit and publishable quality acceptable to the thesis committee: this ordinarily will be a novel; a novella; a collection of short stories, poems, or essays; a single long poem; a long nonfiction narrative; or some combination of the foregoing within the primary genre.
• An M.F.A. candidate must pass the Master of Fine Arts examination.
• A maximum of six credit hours of graduate course credit may be transferred from another regionally accredited institution in partial fulfillment of the M.F.A. UNCW regulations will be applied in determining the transferability of course credits, and requests for transfer credit must be approved by the M.F.A. coordinator, the chair of the Department of Creative Writing, and the Graduate School.
• The M.F.A. program is designed to be completed in three calendar years. All requirements must be completed within five calendar years.

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Creative Writing at University of North Carolina at Wilmington

Jump to any of the following sections:

• Available Degrees
• Student Demographics

Creative Writing Degrees Available at UNCW

• Bachelor’s Degree in Creative Writing
• Master’s Degree in Creative Writing

UNCW Creative Writing Rankings

The bachelor's program at UNCW was ranked #102 on College Factual's Best Schools for creative writing list . It is also ranked #2 in North Carolina .

Popularity of Creative Writing at UNCW

During the 2020-2021 academic year, University of North Carolina at Wilmington handed out 37 bachelor's degrees in creative writing. This is a decrease of 14% over the previous year when 43 degrees were handed out.

In 2021, 21 students received their master’s degree in creative writing from UNCW. This makes it the #32 most popular school for creative writing master’s degree candidates in the country.

Creative Writing Student Diversity at UNCW

Take a look at the following statistics related to the make-up of the creative writing majors at University of North Carolina at Wilmington.

UNCW Creative Writing Bachelor’s Program

Of the 37 students who earned a bachelor's degree in Creative Writing from UNCW in 2020-2021, 38% were men and 62% were women.

The majority of bachelor's degree recipients in this major at UNCW are white. In the most recent graduating class for which data is available, 78% of students fell into this category.

The following table and chart show the ethnic background for students who recently graduated from University of North Carolina at Wilmington with a bachelor's in creative writing.

UNCW Creative Writing Master’s Program

During the 2020-2021 academic year, 21 students graduated with a bachelor's degree in creative writing from UNCW. About 24% were men and 76% were women.

The majority of master's degree recipients in this major at UNCW are white. In the most recent graduating class for which data is available, 76% of students fell into this category.

The following table and chart show the ethnic background for students who recently graduated from University of North Carolina at Wilmington with a master's in creative writing.

• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online

More about our data sources and methodologies .

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The Seahawk

UNCW Department of Creative Writing celebrates eighteenth Writer’s Week

The “Ethics of Voice” panel with Michael Ramos, Melody Moezzi, and Robert Anthony Siegel. Courtesy of Carey Shook.

Carey Shook, Contributing Writer November 16, 2017

Each year during the last week of October, the UNC Wilmington Department of Creative Writing hosts Writers’ Week – a series of events that brings in authors, publishers, alumni and professors to speak to the current MFA and BFA students studying creative writing, as well as to the public. These events include readings, panels, workshops and presentations from those currently working in the writing and publishing fields. Attendance peaked at over 150 people at multiple events throughout the week.

Writers’ Week is an event that all creative writing students look forward to – especially the graduate and undergraduate students who are responsible for planning the week. There is a class that creative writing students have the opportunity to take in the fall if they are interested in planning the schedule. This year, the course was overseen by Mark Cox and Melissa Crowe, both professors in the Department of Creative Writing.

“I have taught the course three times now,” Cox said. “This was our eighteenth Writers’ Week. We’ve brought hundreds of writers to campus over the years, including at least eight Pulitzer Prize winners and five National Book Award Winners. Students and community members have been introduced to a deep and diverse field of literary talent.”

Ross Gay, author of “Against Which”; Kristen Radtke, author of “Imagine Wanting Only This”; and publisher Julie Barer, among other notable writers and publishers, came from all over the country to attend this year’s Writers’ Week.

The students that take the course not only have the tasks of selecting authors and publishers who come, but also of selecting students that read for the MFA and BFA poetry, creative nonfiction and fiction readings. These readings tend to be the most highly-attended events during the day since they allow students to read their work as professionals and show off the talent the creative writing department has.

Jess Cohn, who will graduate in December with a BFA in fiction and a publishing certificate, has overseen the selection process for the BFA reading for the past two Writers’ Weeks.

“The hardest part of organizing the BFA reading is choosing the submissions,” Cohn said. “You want to have a good range of genres for the one-hour limit of the event. There are so many amazing writers — especially this year — so it makes it more difficult.”

The keynote event with Ross Gay, National Book Award finalist and professor at Indiana University, had a lecture hall in Dobo Hall completely full.

“The chairs were filled, people sat on the floor, around the edges of the stairs, and stood in the hallway,” said BFA student Tyler Whichard. “He broke down the slow, low-energy stereotype poetry readings are often given. He was alive, a born performer, with a voice you can’t fall asleep on.”

During the question and answer section of the reading, Gay was asked why he chooses to bring happiness and humor into his poetry.

“I want to explore the fullness of life, not just one aspect,” Gay said. “I want to capture joy, not happy or sad.”

Writers like Ross Gay, and all the writers and publishers who spoke at this past Writers’ Week, inspired students.

“It’s cool to listen to people who’ve had their writing published before,” said Brian Capps, a BFA student. “Yeah, our professors have done it, but listening to people who are doing it right now is very inspiring.”

Ricki Nelson, another BFA student, said, “It’s very insightful. It makes me feel like getting published is possible.”

Writers’ Week will be back next fall to continue to inspire and educate students.

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MFA in Creative Writing

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The Master of Fine Arts in creative writing is a two-year full residency program with an emphasis on providing studio time for the writing of poetry or fiction. Our students develop their particular talents through small classes in writing, literature, and publishing. As part of a community of writers, students read and comment on each other’s work under the guidance of distinguished faculty, who also meet with students in one-on-one tutorials.

Join Our Community of Writers

• Full funding
• 2-year residency program
• Cohorts of 10-12 writers
• Assistantships & internships in teaching and editing
• One-on-one faculty tutorials
• Workshops & seminars in fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, literary editing, and publishing

Recent MFA News

Jennine capó crucet fiction reading, michael parker: the last lecture, the history the uncg mfa program.

The MFA Writing Program at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro is one of the oldest such programs in the country. During the early years, the University had among its faculty noted writers such as Allen Tate, Caroline Gordon, John Crowe Ransom, Hiram Haydn, Peter Taylor, and Randall Jarrell. They invited other distinguished authors to campus to meet with students and read from their work; these writers included Saul Bellow, Robert Frost, Robert Lowell, Flannery O’Connor, Robert Penn Warren, and Eudora Welty.

In 1965, under the leadership of Robert Watson, creative writing offerings were formalized. Since that time, the faculty has intentionally kept the program small, enabling students to work one-on-one with faculty in a community of writers.

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Save 30% during our American History Sale 🇺🇸

A Veteran's Notes on Coming Home

By michael ramos.

156 pp., 5.5 x 8.5, 3 tables

• Paperback ISBN: 978-1-4696-7807-8 Published: March 2024
• E-book EPUB ISBN: 978-1-4696-7808-5 Published: March 2024

Buy this Book

• Paperback   $20.00
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For Professors: Free E-Exam Copies

About the Author

Michael Ramos is a writer and Iraq war veteran. He teaches creative writing and publishing at UNC Wilmington. For more information about Michael Ramos, visit the Author Page .

"Powerfully written, unflinching accounts of life on active duty—essential reading for anyone who cares about our veterans."— Kirkus Reviews (STARRED review)

"An intricate narrative of service, its meaning, and the life that comes after. Deeply felt. Beautifully written."—Elliot Ackerman, author of Places and Names: On War, Revolution, and Returning

"Michael Ramos's raw, honest experiences chip away at the tired narrative of the broken veteran. His voice speaks for many and offers an opportunity for those removed from the toll of war to understand its impacts."—Heather Kelly, coauthor of The Knock at the Door: Three Gold Star Families Bonded by Grief and Purpose

"Ramos's restlessly circling, lyric voice makes coming home not a singular event but a cycle of returns. This is more than a military memoir: it's remarkable witness for anyone struggling to define their sense of self." —Graham Barnhart, author of The War Makes Everyone Lonely

" The After feels like a desert mirage, a masterful, dreamlike collection that allows both veteran and civilian to experience the heat, stench, and after of that desert war that no one ever really comes home from."—Kacy Tellessen, Eugene Sledge Award–winning author of Freaks of a Feather: A Marine Grunt's Memoir

"A veteran writer once asked if I knew of recent nonfiction war writing that went formally beyond narrative memoir or journalism to describe war with more lyrical experimentation. I told him as far I knew such a book didn't exist, though it should. Now, The After is that book."—Steven Moore, author of The Longer We Were There: A Memoir of a Part-Time Soldier

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Scottish Association of Writers

Supporting writers and writing groups in scotland since 1969, glasgow writing group, address information, contact details.

Thursday Weekly 3 pm – 4:30 pm

Glasgow Writing Group (creative writing group), meets Goma Library, Royal Exchange Square, Glasgow, G1 3AH. We welcome new members and visitors.

We do not have an annual fee but ask all attendees to give £1.00 per visit to the group. The group sets a schedule of topics, themes and visits and encourages visiting members to participate.

The group also take part in and sometimes organise spoken word events

Everyone has a book in them. Unleash your creative spirit by joining a writing group

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