Creative Writing Program

The Creative Writing Program at the University of Oregon is a two-year, fully-funded residency in which Master of Fine Arts (MFA) students concentrate in either poetry or fiction. The program emphasizes the workshop, integrating concentrated time for writing with craft seminars and individualized reading tutorials.  Each year we invite six writers for our Reading Series: recently we’ve hosted Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, Elizabeth McCracken, and Justin Torres on the fiction side; in poetry, Ocean Vuong, Solmaz Sharif, and Robin Coste Lewis.    

We offer two tracks for undergraduate study: a minor in Creative Writing, with workshops, seminars, and literature courses, as well as the Walter and Nancy Kidd Creative Writing Workshops, a unique yearlong studio experience in which students pursue their passion for creative writing in small classes with the support of peers and a graduate mentor. Follow us on Instagram to learn more about our program.

Diversity Statement


Creative Writing News and Events

CREATIVE WRITING - The faculty in the Creative Writing Program are filling the shelves in local bookstores with tantalizing reads for every interest, from poetry to memoirs and graphic novels to speculative fiction. As creatives and teachers, they practice what they preach.  
CREATIVE WRITING – Creative writing professor Mat Johnson's new graphic novel, "Backflash," deals with loss and grief in a wild, time-traveling thriller where nostalgia is a superpower. Portland-based artist Steve Lieber provided the illustrations that mix humor and heart.
CREATIVE WRITING - Bestselling author and CAS faculty member Karen Thompson Walker has found success as a writer—and as a creative writing associate professor—by asking "what if?." She also incorporates it into her classroom, where her primary teaching focus is on fiction with a catastrophic or fantastical element.

All news »


Designing Your Future for PhDs: A Primer
Mar27
Designing Your Future for PhDs: A Primer Mar 27
Department of History Coffee Hour
Apr1
Department of History Coffee Hour Apr 1 McKenzie Hall
What is Research? (2025)
Apr3
What is Research? (2025) Apr 3 University of Oregon Portland
What is Research? (2025)
Apr4
What is Research? (2025) Apr 4 University of Oregon Portland
What is Research? (2025)
Apr5
What is Research? (2025) Apr 5 University of Oregon Portland
Mastering the Art of a Humanities & Social Science Poster
Apr7
Mastering the Art of a Humanities & Social Science Poster Apr 7
Department of History Coffee Hour
Apr8
Department of History Coffee Hour Apr 8 McKenzie Hall
Dept. of History Pierson Lecture: "Trans Berlin: The World's First Trans Politics, Berlin's Queer Golden Age, and the Rise of Fascism, 1918-1933"
Apr8
Dept. of History Pierson Lecture: "Trans Berlin: The World's First Trans Politics, Berlin's Queer Golden Age, and the Rise of Fascism, 1918-1933" Apr 8 Gerlinger Hall
Creative Writing Program Presents: Screening of RULE BREAKERS and Q&A
Apr8
Creative Writing Program Presents: Screening of RULE BREAKERS and Q&A Apr 8 Erb Memorial Union (EMU)
Resume Extravaganza! (Drop-In Resume Reviews with Career Coaches & Peer Coaches)
Apr9
Resume Extravaganza! (Drop-In Resume Reviews with Career Coaches & Peer Coaches) Apr 9 Willie and Donald Tykeson Hall

All events »

What You Can Do with a Creative Writing Degree

Our alumni have a long history of success with publishing, translation, fellowships, and prizes. Recent graduates have received Wallace Stegner Fellowships, the Dylan Thomas Award (University of Wales), the Amy Lowell Scholarship, the Philip Levine Prize in Poetry, the Rona Jaffe Foundation Writers’ Award, and other honors. Many of our graduates have launched successful careers working for:

  • Newspapers, magazines, and book publishers
  • Media companies
  • Colleges and universities
  • Marketing and advertising agencies
  • Research institutes
Loїc-Aime-Mulatris

How a Creative Writing MFA Enhances Your Life

“My time in the MFA was incredibly enriching for both my work and my life. The program's dual commitments to the tradition and our own individual sensibilities proved invaluable for me. The lessons learned therein continue to inform and instruct my poetry as well as my living.”

—Loїc-Aime-Mulatris, MFA in poetry, '21

Our Degree Programs

Students in the Creative Writing Program can pursue a minor or an MFA. We also offer Kidd Workshops, a unique studio experience in which students workshop their creative work in small classes with the support of peers and a graduate mentor.

Undergraduate Degrees
 
Graduate Degrees
 
Author reading to students

Develop as a Literary Artist

Deepen your intellectual life and expand your writing skills within a community of like-minded peers in our Kidd Workshops, and hear from award-winning writers in our annual Reading Series.

Person sitting at desk

Learn from Experts in the Field

Our faculty comprises award-winning authors and poets, including Pushcart Prize winners, National Endowment for the Arts recipients, and honorees of the Walt Whitman and O. Henry awards. In addition to a broad range of novels, nonfiction books, and poetry collections, their work has appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, Harper’s, Best American Short Stories, and many other venues.

Scholarships and Funding

The Creative Writing Program offers awards for both undergraduate and graduate students. Our MFA program fully funds students during their two-year residency program.

Undergraduate Scholarships  
Graduate Funding

Academic Support

Our academic advisors can help students understand their major or minor requirements, plan their course of study, explore study abroad opportunities, and more.

Undergraduate Advising  
Support for Graduate Students