The MFA in Creative Writing will focus on four interconnected areas, spanning creative practice and professional training:
- Creation of literary works
- Community-engaged writing practice
- Translation and global literary citizenship
- Development of professional literary skills and expertise
These focus areas reflect the strengths of Rice’s existing creative writing faculty, the cultural and ecological contexts of Houston and the Gulf Coast, and the evolving demands of the literary landscape. Our faculty includes acclaimed novelists, poets, memoirists, and translators whose work is internationally recognized and deeply engaged with questions of place, environment, and community. Through these emphases, we aim to prepare students to become writers who not only master the craft of literary production, but also understand its role in advancing public conversation, fostering cross-cultural exchange, and contributing to social and environmental well-being.
The curriculum will build on the traditional studio model of the MFA while offering distinctive opportunities for interdisciplinary inquiry and public-facing practice. Students will take courses across genres — fiction, nonfiction, poetry — as well as seminars in translation, environmental storytelling, narrative medicine, and emerging media such as podcasting and screenwriting. These courses, combined with our three-year professional development program, will prepare students to engage with the literary world as editors, publishers, event organizers and advocates for the role of literature in public life.
A hallmark of the program will be its community engagement and professional development model, which embeds students in Houston’s vibrant civic and cultural ecosystem. In their first year, students will serve as writers in residence at community organizations, applying their creative skills to real-world projects — whether documenting climate adaptation efforts, working with local nonprofits or supporting arts organizations in developing literary programming. In their second year, students will design and implement community writing projects, collaborating with local partners to develop workshops, oral history projects, podcasts or other public-facing initiatives. Finally, in their third year, students will take on teaching roles in Rice’s undergraduate creative writing curriculum, expanding opportunities for Rice students while gaining valuable pedagogical experience.
Through this integrated approach, the MFA program emphasizes both individual artistic development and the public responsibilities of the writer. We are committed to an apprenticeship model of education, in which students engage closely with faculty mentors, participate in workshops and craft seminars, and receive sustained feedback on their creative work. Students will be expected to produce a substantial and cohesive body of creative work for their thesis, and to demonstrate their readiness for careers in the creative arts and allied fields. Our graduates will leave the program equipped to publish, teach, translate, edit, and contribute meaningfully to the cultural and civic life of their communities.