Online MFA in Creative Writing Master of Fine Arts

Flexible

With no set class meeting times, you can learn on your schedule and access online course materials 24/7.

Affordable

Take advantage of some of the lowest online tuition rates in the nation, plus financial aid for those who qualify. We also make it easy to transfer to SNHU by accepting up to 12 credits from your previous institution.

Respected

Founded in 1932, Southern New Hampshire University is a private, nonprofit institution with over 160,000 graduates across the country. SNHU is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), a regional accreditor, which advocates for institutional improvement and public assurance of quality.

Recently, Southern New Hampshire University has been nationally recognized for leading the way toward more innovative, affordable and achievable education:

• “Most Innovative” regional university honors from U.S. News & World Report each year since 2015
• A $1 million grant from Google.org to explore soft skills assessments for high-need youth
• Recognition as a 2017 Digital Learning Innovator by the Online Learning Consortium

Community

Once enrolled, you'll have access to SNHUconnect, a community built exclusively for our online learners. With plenty of clubs and events at your disposal, you might find that the Creative Writing Review Club is right up your alley. Wrote a few poems and want a critique? Need an audience to run your plot ideas by? Here, you can share your nonfiction, fiction, poetry and screenplay works – and even seek peer revising if you desire.

Opportunities

If you're looking for the chance to get involved as an online student – SNHU's the place for you. Our opportunities to join the ranks of fellow writers include:

• Submitting to, and being published in, our online literary journal, the Penmen Review.
• Joining Word for Word, our bimonthly live-streamed event, to hear published authors read their work aloud and discuss both their creative process and their path to publishing success.
• Entering our annual short-story competition (known as the Fall Fiction Contest) for the chance to win SNHU scholarships, publication in the Penmen Review and other prizes.
• Viewing, or participating in, our Student Writers Spotlight, a live-streamed event where our talented creative writing students share their work.

93.6% of students would recommend SNHU.² Discover why SNHU may be right for you.

Acceptance decisions are made on a rolling basis throughout the year for our 5 graduate terms. You can apply at any time and get a decision within days of submitting all required materials. To apply, simply contact an admission counselor, who can help you explore financial options. Your admission counselor can also walk you through the application process, which involves completing a graduate application and providing undergraduate transcripts.

Additional requirements for the online MFA include a creative writing sample (8-12 pages) and a personal statement. Writing samples will be evaluated on narrative technique and structure, character and setting, and the command and execution of language. The personal statement asks students to explain how someone else’s story – such as a novel, movie, or a personal account – has impacted their life and influenced their drive to become a writer.

Simply contact an admission counselor, who can help you explore financial options, answer all your questions, and walk you through the application process, which includes:

• Completing a graduate application
• Providing undergraduate transcripts
• Acceptance decisions are made on a rolling basis throughout the year for our 5 graduate terms. You can apply at any time and get a decision within days of submitting all required materials.

Notes: 

• Laptop or desktop?  Whichever you choose depends on your personal preference and work style, though laptops tend to offer more flexibility. 

• Note:  Chromebooks (Chrome OS) and iPads (iOS) do not meet the minimum requirements for coursework at SNHU. These offer limited functionality and do not work with some course technologies. They are not acceptable as the only device you use for coursework. While these devices are convenient and may be used for some course functions, they cannot be your primary device. SNHU does, however, have an affordable laptop option that it recommends: Dell Latitude 3301 with Windows 10. 

• Office 365 Pro Plus is available free of charge to all SNHU students and faculty. The Office suite will remain free while you are a student at SNHU. Upon graduation you may convert to a paid subscription if you wish. Terms subject to change at Microsoft's discretion. Review system requirements for Microsoft 365 plans for business, education and government. 

• Antivirus software: Check with your ISP as they may offer antivirus software free of charge to subscribers. 

A well-designed MFA in Creative Writing will build solid writing skills and a foundation in the business of many writing-related careers. You’ll learn how to make a living as a professional writer in a variety of fields, from marketing, public relations and content writing to grant writing, publishing and teaching.

Southern New Hampshire University’s online MFA in Creative Writing is one such practical, business-focused example. The program teaches students to revise and reflect on their art while learning the print and digital business models, even digital tools, they need to support their creative endeavors.

Graduates of SNHU’s program come away knowing how to use business tools like project management software and online freelance editing resources.

Publishing industry expert and “Publishers Weekly” columnist Jane Friedman – and a subject-matter expert who helped develop the program at SNHU –points to another important aspect of business-oriented programs – writing in the digital age. Most MFA creative writing programs, she said, “are concerned only with artistic excellence. That's fine up until the point you start thinking about how to build a paying career.

“I have a special interest in how the digital age is transforming writing careers, publishing and storytelling,” Friedman said. “Rather than taking a dark view of how the Internet era has affected writers’ livelihoods, I'm more interested in how revolutionary change can inspire new business models and how authorship will ultimately evolve.”

Yes. SNHU’s MFA in Creative Writing requires no specific undergraduate background. You could have a degree in accounting, as long as you have a passion for writing and your writing sample shows potential.

Because we understand that people start or change careers at any point across their lifetime, we want to ensure access to all of our programs to any student who wishes to learn more about that area of study and earn a credential in that field.

According to Poets & Writers, in 2018 there were more than 200 MFA in Creative Writing programs throughout the United States. Of those, 158 were full-residency and 64 were low-residency programs.³

Determining which is the best creative writing program comes down to how you answer this question: Which one is best for you?

Once you’ve narrowed your options by reviewing rankings, school reputations and course offerings, consider the demands on your life: Can you take time off from work to pursue a traditional MFA with a residency requirement? Do you have responsibilities at home that will limit how much time you can devote to your studies? How quickly do you want to earn your degree? And last but not least, what’s your budget?

Many elite literary programs require 2-year residency commitments. Some welcome only traditional literary fiction, not a wide range of genres. SNHU’s online MFA in Creative Writing can be completed entirely online with no residency requirement. It’s also one of the only programs that welcomes genre writers, which means you can hone your craft in an area tailored to your strengths and interests, including, but not limited to, fantasy, science fiction, romance and young adult.

And at SNHU, you'll have someone to reach out to no matter where you turn.

"The instructors were helpful and the resources were endless," said student Jamilla Geter. "The writing center offered a lot of assistance, and I even made some friends that I will have long after I leave."

Finally, our program gives you the option to pursue one of 2 graduate writing certificates – online teaching of writing and professional writing – making it a pragmatic choice for a wide variety of career directions.

To MA or to MFA? Once you've decided to earn an advanced degree in creative writing, you need to drill down into the specifics to know which option best fits your needs: What do you want to learn? What skills do you want to acquire? What are your career aspirations?

Practically speaking, a Master of Fine Arts differs from a Master of Arts in a few fundamental ways:

• MFAs generally have higher credit requirements and take longer to complete
• MFAs tend to be more “studio-based” or writing-intensive than MAs, culminating in a manuscript-length thesis
• MAs typically have more of an English literature focus, often containing more literary analysis and theory in addition to reading and writing

Kathleen Harris completed both her MA and MFA at SNHU.

"Both programs were wonderful not only because of the capable professors and instructors, but mainly because I felt I was working toward a goal of both writing and teaching in the field," said the graduate, who just finished her MFA in 2021.

Read more about MA vs MFA.

Yes. The MFA is considered a terminal degree, which is similar to professional degrees granted in other fields, such as the PhD or the EdD, according to guidelines established by the College Art Association of America.⁴ For that reason, most universities view it as a qualification to teach creative writing at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

In fact, the curriculum for the online MFA degree at Southern New Hampshire University may set you up for success in this area. Students in the program are required to choose one of two embedded certificate offerings – one of them being a Graduate Certificate in Online Teaching of Writing.

The certificate requires 4 courses:

• Storytelling
• Editing and Coaching
• Engaging Online Writing Students
• Your choice of Seminar in Writing Instruction or Online Teaching Experience

Throughout your courses, you'll learn how to develop your own approach to teaching the craft. You'll explore tools for web-based courses and writing workshops, and you'll practice effective approaches to editing and coaching.

Once completed, you should be able to create a positive and influential virtual instructor presence and methods for supporting and engaging students within online communities.

Online teaching is a dream realized for Kathleen Harris '21.

"Helping others to put pen to paper is a passion of mine," she said. "Most exciting of all, I am now working as an assistant professor of English/Literature at two universities and loving every minute of my work."

Yes, you can earn your MFA online, but many schools require a face-to-face residency component – meaning time away from your current job and busy schedule. Many, but not all.

In fact, SNHU’s program is one of the few 100% online MFAs available. The university assembled a who's-who from the world of professional writing to build the program, bringing together authors from a diverse range of genres in the process.

The result is an online MFA program that embraces the perspectives of many different writers and students. No matter the type of fiction they want to write, MFA students will find teachers and fellow students who share their interests.

For many students, earning an MFA online is the only way they'd be able to make it happen.

"I was attracted to the program because it was fully online," said Felicia Warden '20. "I work full time and have two small children – I did not have time to attend in-person classes. This program gave me the flexibility that I needed to attend school and live my life."

And learning online certainly doesn't mean you'll be isolated – especially at SNHU.

"I’ve been asked if I felt I missed anything by going to school online or if I felt the program was easier online – and my answer to both is no," said Tara Lynn Conrad '21. "I feel as if I was given the whole experience because of the structure of the program. ... Outside of class, I had a small group of people I met in various classes that became reading partners for each other and are now some of my closest friends. As for the program’s worthiness educationally speaking, my professors held me to the same high standards as the professors did when I attended a brick-and-mortar college many years ago."

It depends on how you define “worth it.” Whether it's an undergraduate creative writing degree or a master's, a degree in the subject is worth pursuing if your goals include becoming a better writer and increasing your chances of successfully publishing your work.

SNHU’s online creative writing MFA is designed to teach students how to adapt to an evolving literary and publishing landscape. In their courses, students embrace the digital tools that will help them forge successful writing careers.

Our curriculum creators and faculty also know the road to becoming a successful author is not always easy. That's why our creative writing program has a dual focus:

1. To help you develop your writing skills while finishing your studies with a novel that's ready to be published.
2. To give you the tools you need for professional success – no matter where your writing career takes you.

"The MFA program exceeded my expectations," said Tara Lynn Conrad '21. "I came out of the MFA program with a whole toolbox of writing skills, a solid idea of how the business side of writing works, a finished manuscript and the confidence to go forward with publishing."

¹Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, on the internet, at:

• https://www.bls.gov/ooh/media-and-communication/writers-and-authors.htm (viewed Oct. 28, 2022)
• https://www.bls.gov/ooh/media-and-communication/editors.htm (viewed Oct. 28, 2022)
• https://www.bls.gov/ooh/education-training-and-library/postsecondary-teachers.htm (viewed Oct. 28, 2022)

Cited projections may not reflect local and/or short-term economic or job conditions and do not guarantee actual job growth.

²According to a 2022 survey with 17,000+ respondents.

³Poets & Writers, on the internet, at https://www.pw.org/content/2019_mfa_index_your_guide_to_more_than_220_programs (viewed Sept. 29, 2021).

⁴College Art Association of America, Guidelines for the MFA Degree in Art and Design, on the internet, at https://www.collegeart.org/standards-and-guidelines/guidelines/mfa (viewed Sept. 29, 2021).