Hollins University Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

Located in Roanoke, VA, Hollins University was included on Forbes list of the of the top universities in the United States. It is also ranked in the top seven women’s colleges in the country. Approximately 785 female undergraduate students and 260 coed graduate students attend Hollins.

The student/teacher ratio at Hollins is 10:1. Small class sizes mean students can work closely with faculty while pursuing their studies. Over 95 percent of classes have fewer than 30 students enrolled, and 84 percent have fewer than 20 students in attendance.

The Master of Fine Arts degree program in Creative Writing is a two-year program.

The school admits approximately 12 students each year, and they can work on developing their craft in an environment where they will be encouraged and supported.

At this level, students are not being taught how to write, but build on their abilities to develop their own voices.

The Creative Writing program is two years in length.

To graduate, students are required to complete a total of 48 credits. Students are also required to write a thesis. This book-length manuscript must be completed by the end of the second year of study.

Curriculum

Students enrolled in the program will take the following courses:

  • Advanced Creative Writing
  • Advanced Studies in Poetry
  • Advanced Studies in Creative Nonfiction
  • Advanced Studies in Short Fiction
  • Advanced Studies in the Novel
  • Cinematic Adaptation
  • Graduate Creative Writing Tutorial
  • Poetry in Performance
  • Screenwriting
  • Special Topic: Reading and Writing the Fantastic
  • Special Topic: Writer-in-Residence: "I Am Not Made Like Any That I Have Seen" – Reading and Writing
  • Memoir
  • How Writing is Written

In Focus: Hollins University Overview

How to Apply to Hollins University

All candidates for the Master’s degree program in Creative Writing are required to have obtained a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. GRE scores are not required, but applicants can submit them for consideration if they wish.

The following materials must be submitted as part of the package of materials:

  • Completed application form
  • Processing fee (non-refundable)
  • Stipend or scholarship application form
  • Statement of purpose
  • Writing sample
  • Letters of recommendation (3)
  • Transcripts from all colleges or universities the applicant has attended

The writing sample can be one of the following:

  • Creative non-fiction (approximately 25 pages)
  • Fiction (approximately 25 pages)
  • Poetry (approximately 10 pages)

The University will also accept a mixture of different writing styles as the applicant’s writing sample. Up to 30 pages may be submitted.

Once all the materials have been assembled, they are forwarded to the University:

Graduate Program in Creative Writing

Hollins University Graduate Center

P. O. Box 9603

Roanoke, VA 24020-1603

Phone: (540) 362-6575

Fax: (540) 362-6288

hugrad@hollins.edu

The deadline for applications is in early January.

 

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