Master of Arts in Writing
MA in Writing Program Overview
Spalding’s Master of Arts in Writing program provides outstanding, high-value creative writing instruction in a noncompetitive, supportive community. MAW students are taught by the exceptional faculty of our low residency Master of Fine Arts in Writing, nationally recognized as a Top 10 program.
- 35 credit hours
- Week-long residency on campus at the beginning of each semester, with optional virtual residency in June
- Three residency courses
- Two independent study courses
- Produce a chapbook as your capstone project
- Study with MFA faculty mentors and workshop alongside MFA students
- Complete in as little as one year
- Flexible scheduling options allow you to take an extended semester and reduce your weekly workload
- Concentrations in Fiction, Poetry, Creative Nonfiction, Writing for Children & Young Adults, and Writing for TV, Screen, & Stage
- Gain experience by working on our award-winning literary journal
- Become a part of our prestigious alumni network
Courses
The Low-Residency Semester
Each semester, you complete a week-long residency course taught on campus or virtually alongside MFA students. Virtual residencies, which offer the same immersive curriculum as students receive on campus, are taught live in real time by our outstanding MFA faculty.
Residency is followed by an independent study course in which you write extensively, read critically, and receive detailed feedback from a faculty mentor. During your independent study you’ll work on our award-winning literary journal, Good River Review, gaining valuable experience in editing and publishing. You can choose a shorter, more intensive schedule or a longer, less intensive schedule for your independent study course.
Students completing the Masters of Arts in Writing produce a capstone project in their chosen genre suitable for publication.
Concentration Options
The MAW degree offers concentrations in fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, writing for children & young adults, and writing for TV, screen, & stage — culminating in a completed creative project. Students cultivate lifelong writing habits within a supportive and collaborative learning community.
Admission Requirements
Discover how to get started as a student in the Master of Arts in Writing program at Spalding.
Early Placement Application Deadlines
March 1: begin with an on-campus residency in May or virtual residency in June
August 1: begin with an on-campus residency in November
Tuition
Learn about tuition and fees for our Master of Arts in Writing program, as well as scholarships, assistantships, and financial aid options.
Accreditation
Spalding University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate, baccalaureate, masters, and doctorate degrees.
The Naslund-Mann School is a member of the Association of Writers and Writing Programs, SCBWI, and the Playwrights’ Center.
Find Possibility in the Heart of the City
DISCOVER YOUR GROWTH POTENTIAL
Creative writing students develop some of the most in-demand marketplace skills that employers are seeking, including strategic thinking, communication, and problem-solving.
Career Paths to Explore
The MA in Writing prepares graduates for careers in fields such as:
- Communication
- Education
- Marketing
- Public Relations
- Publishing
- Television
- Theatre
Spalding writers are outrageously talented, beautiful people who truly want to see you succeed. I’m leaving the program surrounded by a community that inspires me to keep putting pen to paper.
Kelsey Thomas Blair, MAW graduate
