Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing
Your home for creative writing in the Midwest
A premier program, designed for you
At Butler, writers find a home—a figurative one in our community of mentorship and support, and a literal one in the Efroymson Center for Creative Writing (ECCW). The ECCW is a hub of creative energy, with classrooms, offices, and cozy corners for writing and conversation. Here, students join a vibrant literary ecosystem that includes Booth magazine, an acclaimed visiting writers series, and rich connections to the literary life of Indianapolis.
Our students find mentors, collaborators, and lifelong friends; they learn how to sustain a creative practice, engage with the world as artists, and grow in their lives as well as in their art. Whether you’re starting fresh or returning to the page, Butler offers a place where your voice will be heard and your writing life enriched.
MFA in Creative Writing FAQs
Experienced faculty
All our faculty are actively publishing writers with strong regional and national reputations in their fields. We have six full-time tenured faculty in creative writing, who have published more than 20 books and countless shorter works in literary and popular journals.
A focus on service
All MFA candidates participate in community service projects. Some mentor high school storytellers through Writing in the Schools, or coach students in grades 3–12 during our summer camps and Bridge Program. Through our Creative Writing for Wellness Initiative, students can also teach in hospitals, senior citizen centers, alternative high schools, and prisons.
Student success
Our students and alumni are a widely diverse group—in age, genre interests, and professional backgrounds. But they all love writing and enjoy supporting one another, and we don’t mind bragging about them.
Visiting Writers Series
The Butler Department of English regularly hosts public readings and Q&A sessions with some of the most influential people in contemporary literature.
Our Home
Since opening its doors in December 2011, The Efroymson Center for Creative Writing has hosted MFA courses, poetry luncheons, public readings, and literary discussions. It also provides workspace for visiting writers, students, faculty, and alumni. Formerly an elegant private residence, the building was purchased and remodeled with a $1 million donation from the Efroymson Family Fund.