About

For over fifty years, the University of Arkansas Program in Creative Writing and Translation has served as a preeminent training ground for some of the nation’s best writers.

Established in 1966, ours is one of the oldest MFA programs in the nation and one of the most innovative, offering degree tracks in poetry, fiction, and literary translation.

Our 60-hour curriculum enhances the typical workshop experience with coursework in craft and literary studies so that students develop their own creative voices alongside a deep understanding of the great writers and works that have come before them. Our small class sizes and dedicated faculty—award-winning writers themselves—guarantee that students receive hands-on attention through their four years of study.

Our MFA is designed to be a true terminal degree. Graduates leave our program prepared for all aspects of the writing life.

Admission to our program is highly selective. From the hundreds of applications we receive each year, we admit up to five students in each genre. While students pursue a single degree track in poetry, fiction, or translation, our four-year curriculum enables them to explore outside of their own concentration, with workshops and craft courses in other genres.

Each semester, our Walton Reading Series brings in established authors who offer a public reading and hold one-on-one conferences with students. Past visitors have included Colum McCann, A. E. Stallings, Khaled Mattawa, Franz Wright, Marian Schwartz, and William Gay. In addition, our Distinguished Readers Series lures true literary luminaries to campus for a public reading and private MFA events: W. S. Merwin, Shahrnush Parsipur, Robert Hass, Joyce Carol Oates, Zadie Smith, and Claudia Rankine to name a few.

Thank you for visiting our website. We invite you to explore the information herein—from our distinguished alumni to our current events—and become part of the rich tradition of creative writing at the U of A.