Admissions Requirements
The applicant
should submit a manuscript of his or her best work. For poetry, ten
to twelve poems; for fiction, two or three short stories or a section
of a novel. These samples of writing may be a typed manuscript, copies,
or pages from periodicals. It is not sufficient for the applicant to
furnish only a bibliographical citation of published work. Nonfiction
prose or critical writings, though of some interest, are not acceptable
as the basis for admissions decisions. Click
here for full details on submitting applications.
The application deadline date will be January 3. Decisions on admissions and
financial aid awards are made in March or April for the following academic
year.
The graduate applicant must be accepted by this program and by the Graduate
College of the University. The current requirements for admission to the Graduate
College are possession of a recognized undergraduate degree at an accredited
college or university, and achievement of an undergraduate grade-point average
of 3.0, based on a 4.0 scale. (Students who can present other substantial evidence
of probable success in graduate work are sometimes admitted provisionally in
spite of a lower grade-point average.) Applications
from students who have graduated from foreign universities are considered individually
by the Graduate College.
Those people
interested in playwriting should not apply to our program, but directly
to the Playwrights
Workshop, Department of Theatre Arts.
Other Notes on Admission and Residency Requirements
1. If an applicant is admitted for a given semester and is unable to register
for that semester, he or she is usually required to reapply to the Program
in Creative Writing. There is no need to redo the Graduate College application
if the applicant notifies the Graduate Admissions Office of his or her intent
to reapply within one year of the original application. Although the Workshop
also maintains application files for one year, a new manuscript and cover sheet
are required for reapplication. Contact the Workshop office about specific
details of the reapplication process.
2. If a student has registered in the program but has dropped out for one or
more regular semesters (not summer sessions) before completing the M.F.A.,
he or she is usually required to reapply to the program. Contact the Workshop
office about specific arrangements.
3. The Workshop allows eighteen graduate credits to be transferred toward the
M.F.A. degree. These may not date back more than ten years from the session
in which the degree is to be conferred.
4. The University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop does not require GRE scores for admission. However, student applications that include GRE scores may be more competitive for a greater range of financial assistance.