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MFA Program in Creative Writing

The Writers Studio at Butler...Room to Create

Thank you for your interest in Butler University's new MFA in Creative Writing. This is a thirty-hour studio MFA that includes eight three-credit courses and six hours of formal thesis work with an advisor. Most courses will be offered in the evening. If you take a full-time course load, you will finish the program in two years.

Why Butler for my MFA?

Butler University is a top-tier liberal arts university located in one of the largest cities in the country. There's a lot going on in the city, including many opportunities for writers, and our MFA candidates are encouraged to become involved in the Indianapolis literary community. In addition to workshops with our resident and rotating faculty, students learn from the writers who visit campus each year as part of the Vivian Delbrook Visiting Writers Series . The program will be host to an online literary magazine ( www.booth@butler.edu ), a community blog ( www.bookchoy.com ) and there are opportunities in writing, publishing, teaching, and literary programming both on and off campus. If you think of it, we will try to help you make it happen.

How do I apply?

You may request a graduate school application through the Admissions Office at Butler University, (317) 940-8100, or you may apply online with our online form ( https://www.butler.edu/boa/ ).

In addition to the application, you will need to send:

1. A writing sample in your preferred genre (twelve pages of poetry or thirty pages of prose)
2. A statement of interest
3. Two letters of recommendation
4. Transcripts from your undergraduate institution

Send all application materials to:
Graduate Admissions Office
Butler University
4600 Sunset Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46208

What about cost?

Graduate credits at Butler are an incredible bargain at $600 per credit hour. A typical workshop runs three credit hours. While we are unable to offer teaching assistantships, if you have an advanced degree in English, you may apply separately for an adjunct teaching position.

What writers will I work with?

The staff consists of both Butler resident faculty and visiting writers. Full-time faculty currently teaching in the program are Andy Levy, Director and non-fiction writer; Dan Barden, fiction writer; Hilene Flanzbaum, poet and non-fiction writer; Chris Forhan, poet; and Susan Neville, fiction and non-fiction writer.

We are looking forward to welcoming Katie Ford (an accomplished poet and editor whose last book, Colosseum, was named by Publisher's Weekly as one of the best books of 2008), CJ Hribal (winner of the AWP award for short fiction, and author of American Beauty), and Michelle Huneven (a critically acclaimed Los Angeles-based novelist whose third book, Blame, promises to get alot of attention this autumn) as writers-in-residence for the 2009/2010 MFA program.  Graduate students will have opportunities to work one-on-one with each of these writers.

Beyond these writers, the Visiting Writers Series hosts from five to eight other writers per semester. In addition to workshops, a course devoted entirely to craft and the writers series is offered each semester.

When is the deadline for applying?

We are currently accepting applications for the 2010/2011 school year.  Application deadline is March 15.

For further information, contact Andy Levy, alevy@butler.edu