Make your literary mark with PSU's master's in Creative Writing. Our two-year, flexible program offers both full-time and part-time options for earning your MFA. You will graduate with a manuscript, your thesis, in your genre (fiction, poetry, or nonfiction).
We will also guide you into your literary life by teaching you the critical reading and analytical skills you will need as a teacher, editor, publisher, literary agent, journalist, or arts administrator, and the list goes on.
The MFA is a terminal degree in the field of creative writing, which qualifies our graduates to apply for tenure-track teaching jobs at the university level. The program's strengths include distinguished faculty who bring their real-life experience and expertise as published authors into the classroom, faculty mentorship, a thesis project experience, and small class sizes with a supportive community of peers that extends beyond the classroom.
Our creative writing program also hosts an annual reading series that brings writers of national and international reputation to campus and gives students the opportunity to edit, design, and market the literary journal Portland Review.
Master of Creative Writing at Portland State University
Study Creative Writing at Portland State University, a Master degree offered at its main campus in Aberdeen, United States of America. This Full Time program is delivered on campus in English and takes approximately 2 years to complete. Students benefit from a structured learning experience designed to build both theoretical knowledge and practical experience. The next intake is scheduled for September 26, 2027.
About Master of Creative Writing
Disciplines
Requirements and Admission Criteria for Master of Creative Writing at Portland State University
Entry Requirements
- Copies of official degree certificate/diploma
- Certified translation of transcripts
- Financial documentation demonstrating adequate financial support for at least the first year of study
English Requirements
- PTEMin 60
- IELTSMin 6.5
- TOEFLMin 80
Career Opportunities after Completing Master of Creative Writing
The program regularly offers professional-development info sessions, career advising, alumni networking, advertisement of job, and internship opportunities. Internship opportunities have included Literary Arts, Tin House, Hawthorne Books, Fishtrap, Civil Coping Mechanisms, Oregon Humanities, Entropy, Earthzine, and the Portland Tribune.
Graduates of the program go on to pursue the following careers, among others:
- Teacher, all levels (university, secondary, elementary, community)
- Book Editor
- Magazine Editor
- Publisher
- Journalist/Reporter
- Screenwriter
- Literary Agent
- Copywriter
- Copyeditor
- Grant writer
- Proofreader
- Arts Administrator
- Tutor
- Advertising
Tuition and Fee Information for Master of Creative Writing at Portland State University
How to Apply for Master of Creative Writing at Portland State University
- Complete the graduate application
- Send the Graduate School’s Admissions office your official academic transcripts
- Submit evidence of English language proficiency
- Provide financial documentation demonstrating adequate financial support for at least the first year of study
- Depending on the individual graduate program that you are applying for, additional department requirements may include:
- Personal essay or statement of purpose
- Letters of recommendation
- Standardized test scores, e.g., GRE (not required by all programs)
- Resume
- Writing samples
- Portfolio
United States of America, Aberdeen