Reach your full writing potential with your master’s in creative writing
Join a community of writers from all walks of life on an immersive and personalized educational journey. Our faculty and mentors have uniquely designed a low-residency, personalized program geared toward helping you discover and reach your full writing potential in fiction, creative nonfiction or poetry.
An integral part of the program are four, 11-day residencies, in Pittsburgh and Dublin, Ireland, that create an opportunity for you to engage and interface with fellow students, staff, mentors, and visiting renowned writers.
You will work one-on-one with American and Irish Mentors. With their expert guidance and your skill, you will become the writer you were meant to be.
Quick facts
Sharpen your writing and storytelling skills in fiction, creative nonfiction, or poetry
Learn an immersive and supportive community
Travel to Pittsburgh and Ireland for engaging 11-day residencies with internationally-known writers
In Grace Library, spanning the third and fourth floor of the University Commons, there are numerous quiet spaces and study rooms for individuals and groups to use.
You will work one-on-one with mentors both virtually and in person as you explore writing genres and engage in four, 11-day residencies in Pittsburgh and Dublin, Ireland. The residencies include workshops, masterclasses, and mentor conferences as well as opportunities to engage with visiting writers and alumni.
In a required practicum, you will work on a writing and reading plan and submit work for critique, review, and collaborative feedback. By the end of the program, you will produce a publishable body of work.
Choose the creative writing specialization that is best for you
Choose the creative writing area that best fits your career goals and personal aspirations. Each specialization provides you with the opportunity to hone the writing and storytelling skills for that area.
Fiction
Develop your author’s voice and explore your creativity as you learn to write with a fiction focus. Choose from historical fiction, flash fiction, and young adult fiction.
Creative Nonfiction
Explore memoirs, personal essays, short narrative work, and lyric essays as you find the voice and structure that best suits your story.
Poetry
Understand the theories and treatment skills needed to work with a Explore your creativity, refine your voice, collaborate with other students and work with acclaimed and published poets to develop a publishable body of work.
Testimonials #1
Meet our Alumni
GEORGIA HERTZ '23
“Writing - like any artform - can be a lonely path to tread, but it doesn't have to be done in isolation. Never have I felt such warmth and compassion from a group of writers as I have from my peers and mentors at Carlow University, both in Pittsburgh and in Dublin. We all delight in our growth as writers and we celebrate each other's successes with love, as if they were our own.”
PHILIP BORDER '22
“Every member of the poetry, fiction and CNF programs all feel like extended family members to me. They are always checking up on me to see what's new with my writing and to keep up on all of my forthcoming publications."
20: Carlow University MFA in Creative Writing Program’s 20th Anniversary Anthology
Award-winning American and Irish writers mentor students in Carlow’s low-residency MFA in Creative Writing Program with residencies in Pittsburgh and Dublin. Our MFA mentors are dedicated teachers and writers whose work has been recognized in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. Within an inclusive, supportive community, our mentors are committed to helping each student achieve their full writing potential.
Scholarship funds are available to current MFA students. Scholarships are awarded in spring and fall. Applications are evaluated by the program director and the scholarship committee. If you are interested in being considered for available scholarship funds, please send a letter of interest to Tess Barry, MFA Program Director, at tbbarry@carlow.edu. The letter should include a brief personal statement (250-500 words).
Graduate Assistantships
There are two graduate assistantships available each semester. Applications for graduate assistantships are evaluated by the program director and MFA staff.
The Graduate Assistant for Residency Planning helps the MFA administrative team coordinate the logistics for the two-week writing residency each semester. (Spring GA will work on the June Dublin residency; Fall GA will work on the January Pittsburgh residency.) Approximate time commitment is 10 hours/week. The GA will receive a stipend and tuition remission.
The Graduate Assistant for Communications and Recruitment will work with the MFA administration team on social media, marketing and advertising, special events, and recruitment efforts. Approximate time commitment is 10 hours/week. The GA will receive a stipend and tuition remission.
Teaching Assistantships
The Teaching Assistant for the MFA program will teach an undergraduate research and writing course, Foundations of Writing (either I or II). The course is 3 credit hours; The GA will receive a stipend and be paid at the adjunct rate.
If you are interested in being considered for a GA or TA position, email calls for those positions will be posted to all enrolled students in the spring of each year.
Admission requirements and application process
Official transcripts from all degree-granting institutions you have attended
Two essays: Self-assessment of your writing ability and a critical response to a substantive piece of literature
Authored work (should match chosen specialization): 25 pages of fiction you authored, 25 pages of nonfiction you authored, or 10 poems you authored
Current resume or curriculum vitae
Two letters of recommendation that address your leadership potential and ability to succeed in graduate-level work
Expand your writing opportunities with an MFA in creative nonfiction
Experienced, published faculty will guide you on your writing journey in this program. You can explore memoirs, personal essays, short narrative work and lyric essays. A mentor will guide you to find the voice and structure that best suits your story.
You can take your writing skills to the next level and explore your creativity within a supportive literary community.
Carlow’s MFA in creative nonfiction program includes four 11-day residencies in Pittsburgh and Dublin, Ireland, that feature workshops, master classes and mentor conferences. Practicum work will be on a writing and reading plan designed with your mentor; you will submit work for critique, review and collaborative feedback.
By the end of the program, you will create a book-length work of publishable creative nonfiction. Seminars, lectures and readings in all genres are also available.
Quick Facts
Elevate your learning with small class sizes and a strong literary community
Cultivate connections with peers and faculty
Adapt your learning experience to your schedule
Learn to critique creative nonfiction
Career opportunities for Nonfiction writers
With the writing and creating thinking skills gained from this program, you will be well equipped to become a writing lecturer or published author or write for magazines and other publications.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment rate for editors is slated to decrease 7% over the next 10 years, though many supplement their income with freelance work.
MFA Mentors
Our American and Irish Mentors
Award-winning American and Irish writers mentor students in Carlow’s low-residency MFA in Creative Writing Program with residencies in Pittsburgh and Dublin. Our MFA mentors are dedicated teachers and writers whose work has been recognized in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. Within an inclusive, supportive community, our mentors are committed to helping each student achieve their full writing potential.
You can apply for free online, and must submit the following materials:
Official transcripts from all degree-granting institutions you have attended
Two essays: Self-assessment of your writing ability and a critical response to a substantive piece of literature
25 pages of nonfiction you authored
Current resume or curriculum vitae
Two letters of recommendation that address your leadership potential and ability to succeed in graduate-level work
Apply
anytime
Start terms:
Spring & Summer
An undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher is preferred; however, provisional admission is also possible if you do not meet all of the admission criteria but exhibit a strong possibility of academic success.
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Writer found a home among her Carlow peers and mentors
Creative writing graduate student Georgia Hertz ’23 loved the community she found at Carlow. “Writing – like any artform – can be a lonely path to tread, but it doesn’t have to be done in isolation. Never have I felt such warmth and compassion from a group of writers as I have from my peers and mentors at Carlow University, both in Pittsburgh and in Dublin. We all delight in our growth as writers and we celebrate each other’s successes with love, as if they were our own.”
Earn your Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing: Poetry at Carlow
You can begin the journey toward becoming a published poet with a MFA in Poetry from Carlow University. You will explore your creativity, refine your voice, collaborate with other students and work with acclaimed and published poets.
Carlow’s MFA in Poetry program includes four 11-day residencies in Pittsburgh and Dublin, Ireland, that feature workshops, master classes, seminars, lectures and readings. Practicum work will be on a writing and reading plan designed with your mentor; you will submit work for critique, review and collaborative feedback. By the end of the program, you will create a book-length manuscript of publishable poetry.
Quick facts
Develop your critical engagement with poetry
Prepare a publishable body of work
Cultivate connections with peers and faculty
Adapt your learning experience to your schedule
MFA in Creative Writing grad says Carlow helped her confidence
“The experience has sharpened my perspective, not just in the written expression but also in my perspective on life and the realization of the power of my voice to function as a transformative force for change.”
— Sheila Carter-Jones, MFA ’22
Career opportunities for Poetry
With your master’s in Poetry, you will be well equipped to work as a creative writing professor or become a published poet.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment rate for poets is slated to decline 2% over the next 10 years, but many poets go on to publish their work in literary magazines and other outlets.
MFA Mentors
Our American and Irish Mentors
Award-winning American and Irish writers mentor students in Carlow’s low-residency MFA in Creative Writing Program with residencies in Pittsburgh and Dublin. Our MFA mentors are dedicated teachers and writers whose work has been recognized in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. Within an inclusive, supportive community, our mentors are committed to helping each student achieve their full writing potential.
Official transcripts from all degree-granting institutions you have attended
Two essays: Self-assessment of your writing ability and a critical response to a substantive piece of literature
10 poems you authored
Current resume or curriculum vitae
Two letters of recommendation that address your leadership potential and ability to succeed in graduate-level work
Apply
anytime
Start terms:
Spring & Summer
An undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher is preferred; however, provisional admission is also possible if you do not meet all of the admission criteria but exhibit a strong possibility of academic success.
Olivia Miller, ’21, biology major and runner on the track & field/cross country team.
Be a part of the Carlow Community
Creative writing graduate student Phillip Border ’22 said he’s amazed by the program’s ability to maintain such a strong sense of community despite many challenges. “Every member of the poetry, fiction and CNF programs all feel like extended family members to me. They are always checking up on me to see what’s new with my writing and to keep up on all of my forthcoming publications.
Carlow University prohibits sex discrimination in any education program or activity that it operates. Individuals may report concerns or questions to the Title IX Coordinator, Jackie smith at jmsmith@carlow.edu or 412-578-6050.
