Please read the information on this page very carefully.
Program Eligibility
Candidates who hold a Bachelor's degree, or who will complete a Bachelor's degree by the start of the admission term, are eligible to apply.
In general, applicants should have a 3.0 (B) grade point average, or the equivalent, in their undergraduate work.
Application Requirements
To maintain the integrity of the application review, please refrain from using artificial intelligence tools to generate, analyze, or draft your responses including your letters of recommendation. All materials provided are confidential and should not be shared with or processed by any external platforms, including AI systems.
The following materials must be submitted by the application deadline to be considered for admission:
- Plan of Study: Briefly describe your intended area of study, including a particular subdivision of the major field in which you wish to specialize and specific faculty members with whom you hope to work. Please limit your response to 300 words or less.
- Statement of Purpose: Please upload a statement describing your writing practice, creative and critical influences – including how notions of place influence your work – and your professional interests and goals. How will this program, and Houston’s vibrant civic and cultural ecosystem, help you attain these goals? Why writing? Why now? (no more than 2 pages, single-spaced)
- Additional Question: Please describe in 300 words or less your commitment to a community-centered writing practice.
- Additional Question: How have you demonstrated an ability to engage in social justice practice? What are your areas of growth? (no more than 300 words)
- Research & Publications: list any articles, publications, or creative work.
- Curriculum Vitae (CV): A CV should include a comprehensive chronological listing of your professional achievements including academic credentials and employment. Please include the title of any publications or research projects. (no more than 4 pages)
- Writing Sample: A creative writing sample of fiction or nonfiction (15-25 pages) or poetry (10-12 pages). Prose manuscripts should be double-spaced. Poetry may be in any format.
- Transcripts from each college where a degree was received. Applicants will upload unofficial transcripts and supporting documents to the online application system. Hard copies of official transcripts are not required to apply. If admitted, applicants will be required to send official transcripts to complete the admissions process.
- Three (3) letters of recommendation: you will be asked to list their name, organization, title, relationship, and email address. Rice uses an online recommendation service (Interfolio). Recommenders named in the application form will be sent an automated email requesting that they complete an online evaluation and upload the letter of recommendation. We advise applicants to make sure recommenders know to expect this email and to give them sufficient time to complete this task ahead of the application deadline. Letters of recommendation should be from individuals best qualified to testify to the applicant’s capacity for graduate work in Creative Writing. Academic references representing the applicant’s major field are preferred. If this is not possible, individuals who can comment on qualities relevant to the applicant’s academic goals and research will be accepted.
Once a completed application is submitted, the applicant will be able to pay the application fee of $85 and monitor the status of their application on the Application Status page.
Fee waivers: As the MFA in Creative Writing is a brand-new program, we are unable to offer application fee waivers at this time.
Application information and supporting documents cannot be edited after final submission. However, applicants are able to upload updated versions of their CV and unofficial transcripts via the Application Status page.
Incomplete applications will not be considered for admission.
Please note that the GRE is not required.
For more information about Rice University's graduate program qualifications, visit Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies
Frequently Asked Questions:
1) How can I receive an application fee waiver?
As the MFA in Creative Writing is a brand-new program, we are unable to offer application fee waivers at this time.
2) Is the GRE required?
The GRE is not required to apply to the MFA in Creative Writing.
3) What if I do not have all of my materials ready by the applications deadline?
In order to be considered for admission, you must submit all application materials through the online application by the deadline. Late applications will not be considered.
4) I'm an international applicant, do I have to submit proof of English proficiency?
Applicants who are foreign nationals and those whose native language is not English must provide evidence of English proficiency. This can be shown by any of the following:
- Proof of degree from an accredited U.S. high school, college, or university.
- At least a 90 on the iBT TOEFL or iBT Home Edition.
- At least 7 on the IELTS.
- At least 115 on the Duolingo test of English proficiency.
- Proof of completion (or expected completion) of a post-secondary degree from an institution where the official language of instruction is in English (for a list of countries, please visit Graduate Admissions Language Proficiency Requirements.
Rice will not accept the ITP Plus test to evaluate English language proficiency, but scores/interviews are able to be reported to Rice as a supplemental material via Vericant.
For more information on eligibility, please visit Graduate Admissions.
Other frequent inquiries:
- Applications are accepted annually for fall matriculation only; there is no spring matriculation.
- The MFA program in Creative Writing is a full-time, funded program and does not offer online or distance courses. Students on stipend must have any part-time work approved. Full-time work while on stipend is prohibited.
Academic questions about the program can be sent to Professor Lacy M. Johnson, Director of the MFA in Creative Writing, at Lacy.Johnson@rice.edu.
Questions about the application process should be sent to Lead Graduate Program Administrator, Lydia Westbrook, at lydiaw@rice.edu.