McNeese MFA Program in Creative Writing
Louisiana's oldest MFA program in Creative Writing provides a multifaceted path toward creative and academic growth: small class sizes, teaching and editorial experience, one-on-one conferences with visiting writers, and the opportunity to earn a concurrent MA degree in English. All MFA students are offered teaching assistantships, which include full tuition and an $8,000 stipend. The cornerstone of our three-year program is the workshop, where students submit their creative work for review, critique the writing of their peers, and build necessary skills as writers and readers of fiction and poetry. While working closely with individual faculty, students enroll in craft-based Form and Theory courses that provide a foundational knowledge vital to the development of writing skills. Our master's degree program features a variety of literature and criticism classes, which give students a sense of how their work fits into literary traditions. Beyond the department's curriculum, our visiting writing series brings prominent authors to campus each semester to offer readings, craft talks, and one-on-one conferences in both fiction and poetry. The MFA experience culminates with the creative thesis: a book length manuscript with significant artistic merit. Assistantships are structured to prepare graduate students for classroom instruction while emphasizing a focus on their creative pursuits. First-year graduate students are mentored as embedded tutors and work individually with undergraduates in the university's Write to Excellence Center before teaching their own sections of composition during their second and third years. Students take two pedagogical courses that support their teaching at McNeese and provide a strong foundation for teaching after graduation. Additionally, the MFA program at McNeese State University is one of the only programs in the nation that offers the possibility for obtaining a concurrent MA in English (without additional hours or cost), which further builds a broader base for students' writing and their professional lives.
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Core Faculty
Notable Alumni
Adam Johnson
Eric Nguyen
Jenn Alandy TrahanTestimonials
“At McNeese, I taught ten courses over six semesters and got the chance to connect with approximately 200 undergraduates; this is precisely where I realized I wanted to teach for the rest of my life. Artistically, I love that the MFA program at McNeese is a three-year program, because I felt like it took two whole blotchy years to get closer to circling more confidently around my voice, what it really wants to say, and how it needs to say it.”
Jenn Alandy Trahan
Stegner Fellow and author of "They Told Us Not to Say This," Best American Short Stories (2019)
“The McNeese MFA program has helped me understand how to write from a multitude of perspectives and through the lens of a very different locale. The professors here have been very supportive of my work and have encouraged me to step outside my comfort zone, and I think that their influence shows in what I've written. Workshop with my fellow students has taught me the value of gaining multiple perspectives toward writing and I'm richer for that experience. This is an exciting place to be and I learn new things every day.”
Tyler Robert Sheldon
author of Driving Together (2018), When to Ask for Rain (2021), and Words for Coffee (2025).
“The spirit of storytelling is alive and well in Louisiana—in fact, amazing tales and powerful personal histories were shared as freely as Mardi Gras king cake. The landscapes of Louisiana are the richest I recall, and the narrative of that place has become intertwined with my own. It's hard to imagine a more inspiring place to be a writer.”
Adam Johnson
Winner Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Award.
“I miss McNeese every day. It was such nurturing chrysalis, just a great place to grow.”
Dorsey Craft Olbrich
author of Plunder (2020) and A Brief History of Accidental Inventions, forthcoming 2026.
“Through a wide-range of literature classes, intensive workshops, and an encouraging faculty, the McNeese Creative Writing Program gave me the tools I needed to learn how to write. This was really important to me as someone whose undergraduate degree was not in English Literature. Critical thinking, a wide knowledge of literature, and time management skills are the most valuable things I learned during my time at McNeese and these enabled me to continue writing after I graduated. The small size of the program also allowed for an intimate setting conducive to learning and building a community. The program was the kind of place that if you're sick, everyone knows and someone will bring over a casserole or soup; the kind of place where someone will drive you home in a rain storm knowing that you biked to class. I met people in the MFA program who have become friends for life. The larger McNeese and Lake Charles community was also a welcoming place. I met students from so many different backgrounds, each with their own story to tell. In the end, I think McNeese is the perfect place to grow as a writer.”
Eric Nguyen
author of A History of Lost Things (2021)
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Life at McNeese MFA Program in Creative Writing
