Applying to Study Creative Writing at UNT

For full details about applying to the graduate program in English, please see the department's overview of the application process. If you're applying to study creative writing, here are a few further things for you to keep in mind:

When reviewing applications, we consider the whole file--personal statement, transcripts, GRE scores and writing sample--in order to evaluate an applicant's readiness for studying creative writing in an academically rigorous degree program. Of course, we weigh the writing sample with the most seriousness, and so we're interested in seeing a selection of your strongest literary work. From prose writers, we expect 15-25 pages of fiction or creative nonfiction; from poets, 10 pages of poetry. When we review your writing, we not only pay attention to the strength of the sample, but also to how it demonstrates your potential for growth and learning.

We also carefully consider your personal statement. This two-page letter is a place for you to describe what feeds your work, how you see your commitment to writing, and what you hope to learn as a writer by studying in our program.

While the department accepts applications for the Ph.D. from students who have not completed any graduate work, strong preference will be given to creative writing applicants who already hold an M.A. or M.F.A. in a relevant field.

Finally, you must apply in the genre in which you expect to write a thesis or dissertation.